DESCRIPTION: This course discusses Christian beliefs about ecclesiology and eschatology. The topics include the church, its nature as expressed in various ecclesial traditions, ministry and mission, sacraments/ordinances, as well as various approaches to the last things: parousia, death, resurrection, new creation, judgment, millennium, heaven and hell. A contemporary Evangelical theology will be construed in dialogue with ecumenical and contextual/intercultural perspectives and in light of the religious plurality of the contemporary world.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: An essential part of preparation for Christian ministry is to learn to think theologically through issues of faith and ministry.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated (1) a basic understanding of issues in their traditional and contemporary expressions; (2) an ability to reflect theologically upon the course topics; (3) skills towards developing one's own theology in critical dialogue with various views; (4) an acquaintance with a range of cultural, contextual, and religious matters that shape our understanding of theological issues; (5) an appreciation of ecumenical and cultural diversity.

COURSE FORMAT: Meets twice weekly for two-hour sessions of lecture, discussion & student presentations.

REQUIRED READING:

Course Reader (Moltmann, Pannenberg, and others, as well as a number of entries from Global Dictionary of Theology, ed. Dyrness & Kärkkäinen; available at Moodle website).

Grenz, S.J. Theology for the Community of God. Eerdmans, 2000 (selections) ISBN: 978-0802847553. Pub.price: $40.00 (required in all three systematics courses taught by Dr. Kärkkäinen).

Kärkkäinen, V.-M. An Introduction to Ecclesiology. InterVarsity Press, 2002. ISBN: 978-0830826889. Pub.price: $20.00.

Schwartz, H. Eschatology. Eerdmans, 2000 (selections). ISBN: 978-0802847331. Pub.price: $36.00.

Missional Church/Missional Ecclesiology: CHOOSE ONE:

Frost, M. & Hirsch, A. The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century Church. Hendrickson, 2003. 256 pp. ISBN: 978-1565636590. Pub.price: $19.95.

Van Gelder, C. The Essence of the Church: A Community Created by the Spirit. Baker, 2000. ISBN: 978-0801090967. Pub.price: $20.00.

Gelder C. van, ed. Confident Witness. (Gospel and Culture Series.) Eerdmans, 1999. ISBN: 978-0802846556. Pub.price: $29.00.

Van Gelder, C. & Zscheile, D.J. The Missional Church in Perspective: Mapping Trends and Shaping the Conversation. Baker Acad., 2011. 208 pp. ISBN: 0801039134. Pub.price: $19.99.

Guder, D.L. & Barrett, L., eds. Missional Church. Eerdmans, 1998. ISBN: 978-0802843500. Pub.price: $28.00.

Hirsch, A. The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church. Brazos, 2009. 304 pp. ISBN: 1587431645. Pub.price: $19.99.

Roxburgh, A. & Boren, S.M. Introducing the Missional Church: What It Is, Why It Matters, How to Become One. Baker, 2009. 200 pp. ISBN: 978-0801072123. Pub.price: $17.99.

Roxburgh, A. Missional: Joining God in the Neighborhood. Baker, 2011. 196 pp. ISBN: 978-0801072314. Pub.price: $16.99.

A text on a special topic: CHOOSE ONE from either A or B.

A.  Ecclesiology

Braaten, C.E. & Jenson, R.W. The Ecumenical Future. Eerdmans, 2004. ISBN: 978-0802826718. Pub.price: $24.00.

Basden, P. & Dockery, S.D. eds. The People of God: Essays on the Believers' Church. Wipf & Stock, 2009. 367 pp. ISBN: 978-1606088944. Pub.price: $40.00.

Callen, B.L. Radical Christianity: The Believers Church Tradition in Christianity's History and Future. Evangel Publishing House, 1999. 221 pp. ISBN: 978-0916035631. Pub.price: $14.95.

George, T. Pilgrims on the Sawdust Trail: Evangelical Ecumenism. Baker, 2004. ISBN: 0801027640. Pub.price: $19.99.

Harper, B. & Metzger, P.L. Exploring Ecclesiology: An Evangelical and Ecumenical Introduction. Baker, 2009, 352 pp. ISBN: 1587431734. Pub.price: $21.80.

Hauerwas, S. & Willimon, W.H. Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony. Abingdon, 1989. ISBN: 978-0687361595. Pub.price: $17.00.

Gibbs, E. & Bolger, R.K. Emerging Churches. Baker, 2006. ISBN: 978-0801027154. Pub.price: $19.99.

Husbands, M. & Treier, D.L., ed. The Community of the Word: Toward an Evangelical Ecclesiology. InterVarsity Press, 2005, 293 pp. ISBN: 978-0830827978. Pub.price: $23.00.

Kärkkäinen, V.-M. Toward a Pneumatological Theology: Pentecostal and Ecumenical Perspectives on Ecclesiology, Soteriology, and Theology of Mission. Ed. Amos Yong. UPA, 2002. ISBN: 978-0761823896. Pub.price: $65.50.

Moltmann, Jürgen. The Church in the Power of the Spirit. SCM Press, 1977. ISBN: 978-0800628215. Pub.price: $25.00.

Newbigin, L. The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society. Eerdmans, 1989. ISBN: 978-0802804266. Pub.price: $24.00.

Pannenberg, W. Systematic Theology. Vol. 3. Eerdmans, 1997 (ecclesiology or sacraments). ISBN: 978-0802864567. Pub.price: $55.00.

Rausch, T. Towards a Truly Catholic Church: An Ecclesiology for the Third Millennium. Liturgical Press, 2005. 248 pp. ISBN: 978-0814651872. Pub.price: $24.95.

Stackhouse, J.G., ed. Evangelical Ecclesiology: Reality or Illusion? Baker 2003. ISBN: 978-0801026539. Pub.price: $24.00.

Thomas, J.C. Toward a Pentecostal Ecclesiology: The Church and the Fivefold Gospel. CPT Press, 2010. ISBN: 1935931008. Pub.price: $17.99.

Volf, M. After Our Likeness: The Church as the Image of God. Eerdmans, 1998. ISBN: 978-0802844408. Pub.price: $32.00.

B.  Eschatology

Bauckham, R. & Hart, T. Hope Against Hope: Christian Eschatology at the Turn of the Millennium. Eerdmans, 1999. 247 pp. ISBN: 978-0802843913. Pub.price: $20.00.

Bloesch, D. The Last Things: Resurrection, Judgment, Glory. 336 pp. ISBN: 978-0830827572. Pub.price: $20.00.

Clouse, R.G., ed. The Meaning of Millennium: Four Views. InterVarsity Press, 1977. 224 pp. ISBN: 0877847940. Pub.price: $17.00.

Fudge, E.W. & Peterson, R.A. Two Views of Hell. InterVarsity Press, 2000. ISBN: 978-0830822553. Pub.price: $17.00.

Grenz, S.J. The Millennial Maze. InterVarsity Press, 1994. ISBN: 978-0830817573. Pub.price: $18.00.

Moltmann, J. The Coming of God: Christian Eschatology. SCM Press, 1994 (selections). ISBN: 978-0800636661. Pub.price: $25.00.

Pannenberg, W. Systematic Theology. Vol. 3. Eerdmans, 1997 (eschatology). ISBN: 978-0802864567. Pub.price: $55.00.

A contextual/intercultural/interreligious text (sections relevant for the course): choose one:

Barr, W. Constructive Christian Theology in the Worldwide Church. Eerdmans, 1997. OP. ISBN: 978-0802841438. No price available from publisher.

Boff, L. Ecclesiogenesis: The Base Communities Reinvent the Church. Orbis, 1986. ISBN: 978-0883442142. Pub.price: $22.

Evans, J. We Have Been Believers: An African American Systematic Theology. Fortress, 1993. ISBN: 978-0800626723. Pub.price: $20.00.

Fiorenza, E.S. Discipleship of Equals: Critical Feminist Ekklesia-logy of Liberation. Crossroad, 1993. 384 pp. ISBN: 978-0824512446. Pub.price: $29.95.

González, J. Mañana: Christian Theology from a Hispanic Perspective. Abingdon, 1990. ISBN: 978-0687230679. Pub.price: $20.00.

Parratt, J. Reinventing Christianity: African Theology Today. Eerdmans, 1995. ISBN: 978-0802841131. Pub.price: $21.00.

Parsons, S.F., ed. The Cambridge Companion to Feminist Theology. Cambridge University Press, 2002. ISBN: 978-0521663809. Pub.price: $30.99.

Russell, L.M. Church in the Round: Feminist Interpretation of the Church. WJKP, 1993. ISBN: 978-0664250706. Pub.price: $29.95.

Ward, P. Religion and Community. Oxford University Press, 2000. 376 pp. ISBN: 978-0198752592. Pub.price: $40.00.

Haight, Roger. Christian Community in History: Comparative Ecclesiology. Vol. 2. Continuum, 2005. 528 pp. ISBN: 978-0826416308. Pub.price: $65.00.

The Oxford Handbook of Eschatology. Ed. Walls, J. Oxford University Press, 2010. 704 pp. ISBN: 978-0199735884. Pub.price: $55.00.

The Routledge Companion to the Christian Church. Ed. G. Mannion & L.S. Mudge. Routledge, 2008. 684 pp. ISBN: 978-0415567688. Pub.price: $50.00.