Fall 2014/Houston

HT501

Miller

HT501: THE CHURCH’S UNDERSTANDING OF GOD AND CHRIST IN ITS THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION (4 Units: 160 hours). Kris Miller.

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 know-ledge 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.

COURSE FORMAT: The class meets once per week for three-hour sessions for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction for lectures and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities, such as preparing two critical reflection papers and a critical research paper, for a total of 40 instructional hours.

REQUIRED READING: There will be four required texts per student which will not exceed 1,200 pages. Every student will read the first two textbooks listed (numbers 1 and 2 below). Students will also read a primary, historical text (number 3 below) and a primary, contemporary text (number 4 below).

1. Kärkkäinen, Veli-Matti. Trinity and Revelation: A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, Volume 2. William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2014. ISBN: 978-0802868541, Pub. Price $40.00 [approx. 417 pp.]

2. Plantinga, Richard J., Thomas R. Thompson, Matthew D. Lundberg. An Introduction to Christian Theology. Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0521690379, Pub. Price $32.99 [approx. 335 pp.]

3. On the first day of class, students will be assigned one of the following primary, historical texts (less than 120 pages) to read on either the doctrine of God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit. Students will then write a critical reflection paper (1,000 words) on this text.

Doctrine of God:

Athanasius. On the Incarnation. Popular Patristics Series. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1996. ISBN: 978-0913836408, Pub. Price $9.95 [120pp.] (Also at The Ethereal Library online).

Anselm of Canterbury, St. The Major Works. Ed. Brian Davies and Gillian Evans. Oxford University Press, 1998. “Monlogion,” “Proslogion,” “Pro Insipiente,” and “Reply to Gaunilo.” ISBN: 978-0199540082, Pub. Price $14.95 [Pp. 5-122] (Also at The Ethereal Library online).

Augustine of Hippo, St. Enchiridion on Faith, Hope and Love. Gateway Editions, 1996. ISBN: 978-0895267030, Pub. Price $10.95 (Also at The Ethereal Library online).

Augustine of Hippo, St. On The Trinity. Trans. by Edmund Hill, O.P. New City Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-1479163632, Pub. Price $13.65 [Book I and Book XV only, approx. 120pp.] (Also at The Ethereal Library online).

Aquinas, St. Thomas. Summa Theologiae. Vol. 2, questions 2-11. Cambridge, 2006. ISBN: 9780521029100, Pub. Price $50.00 (Also at Ethereal Library online.)pp. 4-169. [This is only 80 pages, since this volume supplies the Latin and English.]

Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Vol. 1. Ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles. Westminster Press, 1960. ISBN: 978-0664220280, Pub Price $60.00 [Book 1, Chapters I-XIII, pp. 35-159]

Gregory of Nazianzus, St. 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.

Irenaeus of Lyons, St. On the Apostolic Preaching. Trans. by John Behr. Popular Patristics Series. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1997. ISBN: 978-0881411744, Pub. Price $17.00 [121 pp.]

John of Damascus. An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith. Book I. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012. ISBN: 978-1470093761, Pub. Price. $8.95. [44 pp. assigned].

Also, Gregory of Nyssa, “On Not Three Gods,” 5pp. and “On the Holy Trinity,” 5pp. (available online).

Doctrine of Christ:

Anselm of Canterbury. St. Cur Deus Homo. Books I & II only. Forgotten Books, 2013. ISBN: 978-1440058554, Pub. Price $0.00 [278 pp.] (Free online resource).

Aquinas, St. Thomas. Summa Theologiae. Vol. 48: The Incarnate Word. Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0521029568, Pub. Price $50.00 [questions 1-6, approx. 80pp. assigned] (Free online resources).

Athanasius. On the Incarnation. Popular Patristics Series. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1996. ISBN: 978-0881414271, Pub. Price $16.00 [120pp.] (Free online resources).

Augustine of Hippo, St. On The Trinity. Book I and IV. Trans. by Edmund Hill, O.P. New City Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-1565484467, Pub. Price $29.95 [68 pp.] (Free online resources).

Gregory of Nazianzus, St. 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 [Orations 27-30 only, pp. 25-116].

Irenaeus of Lyons, St. Against Heresies. Volume III. Paulist Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-0809105892, Pub. Price $39.95 [chap. XVI-XXV, 57pp. assigned] (Free online resources).

John of Damascus. An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith. Book III. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012. ISBN: 978-1470093761, Pub. Price. $8.95 [pp. 148-230] (Free online resources).

Maximos the Confessor, St. “Two Hundred Texts on Theology and the Incarnate Dispensation of the Son of God.” In The Philokalia. The Complete Text. Volume 2, compiled by St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain and St. Makarios of Corinth, translated by G.E.H. Palmer with Philip Sherrard and Kallistos Ware. Faber & Faber, 1982. ISBN: 978-0571154661, Pub. Price $21.00 [pp. 114-163].

McNeill, John T. Calvin:Institutes of the Christian Religion. Vol. 1. Book Two, Chapters XII-XVII. Westminster Press, 1960. ISBN: 978-0664220280, Pub. Price $80.00 [70 pp. assigned].

Doctrine of the Holy Spirit:

Aquinas, St. Thomas. Summa Theologiae. Vol. 7: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. English version. Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0521029155, Pub. Price $50.00 [approx. 20pp. assigned, questions 36-38].

__________. Summa Theologia. Vol. 24:The Gifts of the Spirit. English version. Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0521029322, Pub. Price $50.00 [approx. 35pp. assigned, questions 68-70] (Free online resources).

Athanasius, The Letters of Saint Athanasius [to Serapion] Concerning the Holy Spirit. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014. ISBN: 978-1497424333, Pub. Price $4.99 [pp. 58-189] (Free online resources).

Augustine of Hippo, St. On The Trinity. Book I AND Book XV. Trans. by Edmund Hill. New City Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-1565484467, Pub. Price $29.95 [approx. 120pp. assigned] (Free online resources).

Basil the Great, St. On the Holy Spirit. St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press: Popular Patristics

Series, 2011. ISBN: 978-0881418767, Pub. Price $16.00 [128 pp.] (Free online resources).

Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. Vol. 1. Ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles. Westminster Press, 1960. ISBN: 978-0664220280, Pub. Price $80.00 [Book Two, Chapter II, pp. 255-289; AND Book Three, Chapters I-II. pp. 537-592].

Gregory of Nazianzus, St. “The Fifth Theological Oration (Oration 31): On the Holy Spirit” AND “On Pentecost”in 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 [pp. 117-147] (Free online resources).

Gregory of Nyssa, “On Not Three Gods,” 10pp, “On the Holy Trinity, and of the Godhead of the Holy Spirit,” 8pp., “On the Holy Spirit,” 10pp. (Free resources online).

Irenaeus of Lyons, St. Against Heresies. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2012. ISBN: 978-1475100600, Pub. Price $15.65 [Book V, chaps. I-XV, 38 pp. assigned] (Free online resources).

Photios, Saint, The Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit. Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2005. ISBN: 978-0916586881, Pub. Price $8.95 [120 pp.] (Free online resources).

Wesley, John. “Christian Perfection (1741),” “Scriptural Christianity (1744),” “The Witness of the Spirit, discourse 1 (1746),” “Scriptural Way of Salvation, (1765),” “The Witness of the Spirit, discourse 2 (1767),” “On Zeal (1781),” AND “The Baptism with the Holy Ghost (1783),” “The General Spread of the Gospel (1783),” “On Faith (1788).” in John Wesley’s Sermons: An Anthology. Albert Outler, ed.Abigdon, 1991. ISBN: 978-0687204953, Pub. Price $28.99 [72 pp. assigned] (Free online resources).

4. On the first day of class, students will be assigned one of the following primary, contemporary texts (less than 200 pages) to read on either the doctrine of God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit. Students will then write a critical reflection paper (1,000 words) on this text.

Barth, Karl. “The Revelation of God,” part 8 & 9, “God in His Revelation,” and “The Triunity of God,” in Church Dogmatics. Vol. I. Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2003. ISBN: 978-0567090133, Pub. Price $130.00 [Chapter 2, pp. 295-383].

Boff, Leonardo. Jesus Christ Liberator: A critical commentary for our time. Orbis, 1978. ISBN: 978-0883442364. Pub. Price $35.00 [335 pp.].

__________. Trinity and Society. Wipf & Stock, 2005. ISBN: 978-1597521383, Pub. Price $30.00. [288 pp.].

Cone, James H. God of the Oppressed. Orbis, 1997. ISBN: 978-1570751585, Pub. Price $20.00 [257 pp.].

Gutierrez, Gustavo. A Theology of Liberation. Orbis, 1988. ISBN: 978-0883445426, Pub. Price $24.00 [300 pp.].

Johnson, Elizabeth A. She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse. The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2002. ISBN: 978-0824519254, Pub. Price $32.95 [344 pp.].

Kimmel, Alvin F., Jr., ed. Speaking the Christian God: The Holy Trinity and the Challenge of Feminism. Eerdmans, 1992. ISBN: 978-0802806123, Pub. Price $33.50 [347 pp.].

Moltmann, Jurgen. The Trinity and the Kingdom: The Doctrine of God. SCM Press, 1981. ISBN: 978-0334023685, Pub. Price $23.00 [200 pp. assigned].

__________. The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation. Fortress Press, 2001. ISBN: 978-0800634247, Pub. Price $29.00 [200 pp.].

__________. The Way of Jesus Christ: Christology in Messianic Dimensions. Fortress Press, 1995. ISBN: 978-0800628260, Pub. Price $29.00 [200 pp.].

Pannenberg, Wolfhart. Systematic Theology. Vol. 1. Eerdmans, 2010. ISBN: 978-0802865038, Pub. Price $60.00 [200 pp. assigned].

__________. Systematic Theology. Vol. 2. Eerdmans, 2013. ISBN: 978-0802870896, Pub. Price $60.00 [200 pp. assigned].

__________. Systematic Theology. Vol. 3. Eerdmans, 2009. ISBN: 978-0802864567, Pub. Price $60.00 [200 pp. assigned].

Pinnock, Clark H. Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit. InterVarsity Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-0830815906, Pub. Price $24.00 [288 pp.].

Sobrino, Jon. Jesus the Liberator: A Historical-Theological Reading of Jesus of Nazareth. Orbis, 1998. ISBN: 978-0883449301, Pub. Price $34.00 [308 pp.].

Tanner, Kathryn. Jesus, Humanity and the Trinity. Fortress, 2001. ISBN: 978-0800632939, Pub. Price $19.00 [160 pp.].

Torrance, T.F. The Christian Doctrine of God: One Being, Three Persons. Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2001. ISBN: 978-0567088291, Pub. Price: $49.95 [200 pp.]

Yoder, John Howard. The Politics of Jesus. Eerdmans, 1994. ISBN: 978-0802807342, Pub. Price $24.00 [271 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Careful reading of the 1,200 pages of required reading. The quality and extent of readings will be assessed in the form of three short quizzes and two critical reflection papers. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3]. [80 hours].

2. Three quizzes (multiple-choice) will test the mastery of basic terms and ideas from the required textbooks listed above as numbers one and two (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3]. [3 hours].

3. Two critical reflection papers (each 1,000 words) based on readings of two primary texts, one a historical text and the other a contemporary text, will help students comprehend and synthesize these seminal works. (30%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3]. [20 hours, 10 of which are DLAs].

4. A ten-page research paper, integrating insights from lectures, readings, critical reflection papers, and independent research. (40%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1, 2, and 3]. [27 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH1 or TH4 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets the STA requirement in the 144 MDiv Program.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.