Winter 2013/Pasadena

CH529/829

C. M. Robeck Jr.

 

CH529/829: ECCLESIOLOGY IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. Cecil M. Robeck, Jr.

 

DESCRIPTION: How the church conceives of itself inevitably explains the way it functions and the actions it takes. Its self-understanding informs and dictates its mission in the world. Throughout its history, various leaders and theologians have defined the Church in different ways. Some of them have used biblical models (e.g., People of God, Body of Christ). Others have based their understanding on more pragmatic rationale. Some of these models have been more successful than others in motivating people to action, or in preserving the significance of the Church in society. In this course, students will be led through a series of discussions on the development of ecclesiological thinking. Students will be introduced to a variety of primary and secondary readings on the Church, to which they will be asked to apply their exegetical, historical, and theological skills.

 

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Regardless of the role one plays in the Church, whether professional or lay, the knowledge gained from this course should help the student to understand better the diversity of the Church in the contemporary world and how to relate to those with differing understandings of “Church.”

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Satisfactory completion of this course should enable students to (1) appreciate the historical contexts out of which various ecclesiological definitions have arisen; (2) identify and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the Church that exists according to these definitions; and (3) gain greater ecumenical sensitivity to ecclesiological issues in our own day.

 

COURSE FORMAT: The course will meet weekly for a three-hour session for lecture and discussion. Students will be asked to interact with one another. On a couple of occasions, the professor will be absent during the quarter. At least one of those times will be made up through dinner and discussion at the professor’s home.

 

REQUIRED READING:

Haight, Roger D. Christian Community in History: Historical Ecclesiology. London/NY: Continuum, 2004. ISBN: 9780826416308, Pub. Price $70 (512 pp. hard).

Haight, Roger D. Christian Community in History: Comparative Ecclesiology. London/NY: Continuum, 2005. ISBN: 9780826416315, Pub. Price $70 (526 pp. hard).

Stone, Bryan P. A Reader in Ecclesiology. Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-4094-2856-5. Pub. Price $29.95 (271 pp. paper).

Dogmatic Constitution of the Church: Lumen Gentium (Available Online), 75 pp.

The following three documents represent three steps in the development of a single ecumenical statement on the Church.

The Nature and Purpose of the Church (Available Online) 36 pp.

The Nature and Mission of the Church (Available Online) 36 pp.

The Church – Towards a Common Vision (Available Online) 36 pp.

 

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

Students will be required to complete the readings in advance of each class, provide a 30-minute introduction to the day’s reading, facilitate and participate in discussion, and write a research paper (about 25 pages) on a topic chosen in consultation with the professor. Final grades will be earned according to the following formula:

  1. Regular attendance and participation 10%,

  2. class preparation and presentation 30%, and

  3. the paper 60%.

 

PREREQUISITES: Must be a Th.M. or Ph.D. student, or advanced M.A. or M.Div. student with written permission of the professor.

 

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.

 

FINAL EXAMINATION: No.