SOT ECD

Winter 2020/Fuller Online

CH580

Carter

CH580: BONHOEFFER: LIFE AND THOUGHT (4 Units: 160 Hours). Grayson Carter.

DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to introduce the student to the life and Christian thought of the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-45). Bonhoeffer’s principal writings will be examined, with particular attention given to the context in which they appeared. We will also attempt critically to assess Bonhoeffer’s Christian thought and his contribution to contemporary theology, the church, and the life of the believer in the modern world.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: This course will (1) enhance students’ basic factual and thematic knowledge of the life and thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer; (2) help students gain a basic competence in how to interpret that thought in its unique historical and theological context; (3) help students gain a greater ability to evaluate various theological issues and their development; and (4) provide students with the tools and knowledge that will enable them to gain a critical and sympathetic appreciation for the breadth, unity, and diversity of Bonhoeffer’s theological contribution.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: CH580 is an elective course focused on the life and thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. As such, the course introduces students to a basic historical knowledge of Bonhoeffer and addresses SOT PLO, “Students will have demonstrated capacities for historically informed theological and ethical reflection.” (MDiv, MATM, MAT).

COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.

REQUIRED READING: 1,395 total pages required.

Wind, Renate. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Spoke in the Wheel. Eerdmans, 1992. ISBN: 978-0802806321, Pub. Price $18.00 [180 pp. assigned] (Pre-reading recommendation).

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. Touchstone, 1995. ISBN: 978-0684815008, Pub. Price $16.99 [304 pp. assigned]. Available as an eBook from the Fuller Library.

__________. Ethics. Touchstone, 1995. ISBN: 978-0684815015, Pub. Price $16.99 [367 pp. assigned]. Available as an eBook from the Fuller Library.

__________. Letters and Papers from Prison. Touchstone, 1997. ISBN: 978-0684838274, Pub. Price $16.99 [422 pp. assigned].

__________. Life Together. HarperOne, 2009. ISBN: 978-0060608521, Pub. Price $14.99 [122 pp. assigned]. Available as an eBook from the Fuller Library.

Film: Bonhoeffer (2003). 93 minutes.

Class Handouts (Optional; on Canvas).

RECOMMENDED READING: See Course Syllabus for titles of Recommended Reading.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

Required reading, required video, viewing/listening to the weekly PowerPoint lectures, regular forum participation including active online response (30% of final grade). A minimum of three forum posts each week will be required; one of around 500 words and two around 250 words each [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4]. [71 hours of reading and viewing, plus 30 instructional hours = 101 hours total].
Signature Assignment: Students will be required to produce a 10-page research paper covering some aspect of Bonhoeffer’s life or thought. (35% of final grade) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 3, and 4]. [30 hours].
Students will be required to produce a second 10-page research paper on some aspect of Bonhoeffer’s thought. (35% of final grade). [This assignment relates to learning outcomes #1, 3, and 4]. [30 hours].
Extra Credit Research Paper or Book Review (10% maximum added credit).

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH4 requirement in the 120 MDiv and 80 MAT Programs (Fall 2015).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.