DESCRIPTION: This course provides a foundational understanding of Christian theology and anthropology with reference to their biblical, traditional & contemporary formulations, as expressed in various ecclesial and contextual/intercultural perspectives. Topics to be discussed include revelation and theology; God, especially the doctrine of the Trinity; creation; theological anthropology and sin.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated an understanding of (1) what they believe with regard to the Christian faith, (2) the interrelated character of Christian theology, (3) why they believe what they believe in a way that enhances their own spiritual formation, (4) a range of theological options and reasons for this diversity. They will also have (5) enhanced their ability to think theologically in light of their own experience and their church setting, and (6) increased their understanding of the role of cultural diversity in theology, thus cultivating greater sensitivity in their respective ministry ventures.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: An informed understanding of the principal doctrines of the Christian faith is crucial to Christian preaching, teaching, evangelizing and discipleship.

COURSE FORMAT: Daily for two weeks for four-hour sessions of lecture, discussion, and student presentations.

REQUIRED READING:

Grenz, S. Theology for the Community of God. Eerdmans, 2000.

Kärkkäinen, V.-M. The Doctrine of God: A Global Introduction. Baker, 2004.

Oden, T. The Living God: Systematic Theology: Volume One. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.

Select one special topic text:

Beilby, J.K. & P.R. Eddy. Divine Foreknowledge: Four Views. InterVarsity Press, 2001.

Bouma-Prediger, S. For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care. IVP, 2001.

Evans, J. We Have Been Believers: An African American Systematic Theology. Fortress, 1992.

Fiddes, P. Participating in God: A Pastoral Doctrine of the Trinity. Westminster John Knox, 2001.

Gonzáles, J. Mañana: Christian Theology from a Hispanic Perspective. Abingdon, 1990.

Gutierrez, G. The God of Life. Trans. M. J. O'Connell. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1989.

Kapolyo, J. M. The Human Condition: Christian Perspectives through African Eyes. IVP, 2005.

Kimmel, A.F., Jr., ed. Speaking the Christian God: The Holy Trinity and the Challenge of Feminism. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans; Leominster, England: Gracewing, 1992.

Murphy, N. Bodies and Souls, or Spirited Bodies? Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Plantinga, C. Not the Way It's Supposed To Be: A Breviary of Sin. Eerdmans, 1995.

Romanides, J.S. The Ancestral Sin. Ridgewood NJ: Zephyr, 2002.

Schwarz, H. Creation. Eerdmans, 2002.

Shuster, M. The Fall and Sin: What We Have Become as Sinners. Eerdmans, 2003.

van Inwagen, P., ed. Christian Faith and the Problem of Evil. Eerdmans, 2004. 

Zizioulas, John. Communion and Otherness: Further Studies in Personhood and the Church. Continuum, 2007. (Trinity and Personhood)