Spring 2019/Phoenix

ST572

Carter

ST572: 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.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for nine weeks (three-and-a-half-hour sessions) for a total of 31.5 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 8.5 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours.

REQUIRED READING: 1182 total pages.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Letters and Papers from Prison. Touchstone, 1997. ISBN: 978-0684838274, Pub. Price $16.99. Available as an eBook from the Fuller Library. [136 pp. assigned].

Green, Clifford and Michael DeJonge, eds. The Bonhoeffer Reader. Fortress Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-0800699451. Pub. Price $39.00. Available as an eBook from the Fuller Library. [775 pp. assigned].

Wind, Renate. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Spoke in the Wheel. Eerdmans, 1992. ISBN: 978-0802806321, Pub. Price $18.00 [192 pp.].

Class Handouts (On Canvas). [91 pp. assigned]

RECOMMENDED READING: See course syllabus for recommended reading list.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Class attendance and participation (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4] [31.5 hours].
  2. 1,182 pp. of required reading (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4] [79 hours].
  3. Two, 10-15 page research papers on some aspect of Bonhoeffer’s life or thought (topics to be approved by the instructor) (30% x 2= 60%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4] [50 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

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

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.