Fall 2019/Online

HT501

Matei

HT501: THE CHURCH’S UNDERSTANDING OF GOD AND CHRIST IN ITS THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION (4 Units: 163 hours). Eugen Matei.

DESCRIPTION: HT501 is a survey of systematic and philosophical theology that focuses especially on the doctrine of God, The Trinity, Christology (comprising the person and work of Christ), and the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. The course reflects the historic Christian church's development of trinitarian and Christological theology and creeds in its dialogue with its opponents and with its cultural context. Related topics and themes to be addressed may include the development and articulation of the Christian doctrine of God including the divine perfections and nature, as well as the doctrine of the Trinity; the development and articulation of the person and work of Christ; and Pneumatology, the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who complete HT501 will demonstrate: (1) a basic critical theological knowledge of the conceptual and normative dimensions of the doctrines of God and Christ as those and other selected doctrines emerged in the early church and developed to this day; (2) a basic competence in interpreting historic and contemporary perorations of these doctrines and an ability to evaluate these theological issues and their historical and contemporary development; and (3) a critical and sympathetic appreciation for the breadth, unity, and diversity of the Christian church.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: HT501 introduces students to a basic historical and theological knowledge of the doctrines of God and Christ (inter alia) as these doctrines and associated practices developed especially in the early church, with an eye to developing skills in interpretation and critical appreciation; it thereby seeks to implement the SOT PLO, “Students will have demonstrated capacities for historically informed theological and ethical reflection.”

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: 1100 pages required.

Electronic Course Reader, accessible through the Canvas course web page. The reader will Include texts from different authors, focusing on various historical, contextual, interreligious and intercultural topics [300 pp.].

St. Athanasius. On the Incarnation of the Word of God. SVS Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0881414271, Pub Price $17.00. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/athanasius/incarnation.i.html. [110 pp.].

Bauckham, Richard. Jesus and the God of Israel. William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2008. ISBN: 978-0802845597, Pub. Price $36.00 [297 pp.].

Kärkkäinen. Veli-Matti. Christ and Reconciliation: A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, vol. 1.Eerdmans, 2013. ISBN: 978-0802868534, Pub. Price $40.00. Available as an eBook from the Fuller Library. [Assigned, 120 pp.].

_________________. Spirit and Salvation: A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, vol. 4. Eerdmans, 2016. ISBN: 978-0802868565, Pub. Price $40.00. Available as an eBook from the Fuller Library. [Assigned, 101 pp.].

Plantinga, Richard J., Thomas R. Thompson, Matthew D. Lundberg. An Introduction to Christian Theology. Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0521690379, Pub. Price $37.99 [3-45, 77-146, and 227-312. Assigned, 197 pp.].

RECOMMENDED READING:

St. Augustine of Hippo. The Trinity, Second Edition. New City Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-1565484467, Pub. Price $39.95.

Aquinas, St. Thomas. Summa Theologica in 5 Vols, trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province. ISBN: 978-0870610639, Pub. Price $250.00.

Beilby, James and Eddy, Paul eds. The Nature of the Atonement, Four Views. IVP, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830825707, Pub. Price $25.00.

St Basil the Great. On the Holy Spirit. St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0881418767, Pub. Price $16.00.

Boff, L. Trinity and Society. Orbis, 1988. ISBN: 978-1597521383, Pub. Price $30.00

Comblin, J. The Holy Spirit and Liberation. Wipf & Stock, 2004. ISBN: 978-1592445622, Pub. Price $28.00.

Cone, J.H. God of the Oppressed. Orbis, 1997. ISBN: 978-1570751585, Pub. Price: $24.00.

Crisp, Oliver and Fred Sanders eds. Advancing Trinitarian Theology, Explorations in Constructive Dogmatics, eds. Zondervan Academic, 2014. ISBN: 978-0310517092, Pub. Price $22.99.

St Cyril of Alexandria. On the Unity of Christ. St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1997. ISBN: 978-0881411331, Pub. Price $16.00.

St Gregory of Nazianzus. On God and Christ: The Five Theological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius. St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2002. ISBN: 978-0881412406, Pub. Price $17.00.

St John of Damascus, On the Orthodox Faith. Available online at: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf209.toc.html

Johnson, E. She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse. Continuum, 1992. 344pp. ISBN: 978-0824519254, Pub. Price $32.95.

Kärkkäinen Veli-Matti. Christ and Reconciliation: A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, vol. 1. Eerdmans, 2013. ISBN: 978-0802868534, Pub. Price $40.00.

____________________ Trinity and Revelation: A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, volume 2. Eerdmans, 2014. ISBN: 978-0802868541, Pub. Price $40.00.

____________________ The Holy Spirit: A Guide to Christian Theology. Westminster John Knox, 2012. ISBN: 978-0664235932, Pub. Price $22.00.

Richard of St Victor. On the Trinity. Wipf and Stock, 2011. ISBN: 978-1610970129, Pub. Price $31.00.

Sobrino, Jon. Christology at the Crossroads: A Latin American Approach. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2002. ISBN: 978-1592440955, Pub. Price $48.00 [458 pp.].

Tanner, Kathryn. Jesus, Humanity and the Trinity: A Brief Systematic Theology. Fortress Press, 2001. ISBN: 978-0800632939, Pub. Price $19.00.

Webster, John, Tanner, Kathryn, and Torrance, Iain eds. The Oxford Handbook of Systematic Theology. Oxford Univ. Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0199569649, Pub. Price $55.00.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Weekly reading of required material (1100 pages). [Related to learning outcomes #1-3]. [75 hours].
  2. Occasional video lectures and/or power point presentations [Related to learning outcomes #1-3]. [5 hours].
  3. 250 words weekly interactive/interpretive responses to readings and/or video presentations posted on Canvas (15%). [Related to learning outcome #2-3]. [15 hours].
  4. 250 words weekly responses to colleagues’ posts on Canvas (15%). [Related to outcomes #2-3]. [15 hours].
  5. Two quizzes, one midterm and one at the end of the term (15% each). [Related to learning outcome #1]. [5 hours for each quiz, including study time. Total = 10 hours].
  6. One critical response essay to an elective reading (1000 words). (15%). [Related to outcome # 3]. [10 hours].
  7. Final research essay on assigned topic (2000-2500 words) (40%). [Related to outcome # 1-3]. [30 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH1 or TH4 requirement in the 120 MDiv and 80 MAT Programs (Fall 2015). Option to meet the TH1 requirement in the 80 MATM and 80 MAICS Programs (Fall 2015). Meets the STA requirement in the 144 MDiv Program.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.

NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change. Copyright 2019 Fuller Theological Seminary.