Fall 2007/Pasadena
ST501
Kärkkäinen
ST501: SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY 1: THEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY. Veli-Matti
Kärkkäinen.
DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to provide a theological understanding of
Christian beliefs about revelation and Scripture, the triune God, creation and
providence, human beings as the image of God, and the fall, evil, and sin.
Corollary current issues, such as human beings as male and female, ecology, and
the relationship of Christian faith to other religions will be discussed. On
the basis of biblical and historical developments, a contemporary Evangelical
theology will be constructed in dialogue with ecumenical,
contextual/intercultural, and interreligious perspectives.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated (1)
a basic understanding of issues in their traditional and contemporary
expressions; (2) an ability to reflect theologically upon the course topics;
(3) skills towards developing one's own theology in critical dialogue with
various views; (4) an acquaintance with a range of cultural and contextual
matters that shape our understanding of theological issues; (5) an appreciation
of ecumenical and cultural diversity.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: An essential part of preparation for Christian
ministry is to learn to think theologically through issues of faith and
ministry.
COURSE FORMAT: Meets twice weekly for two-hour sessions of lecture, discussion
& student presentations.
REQUIRED READING:
- Grenz, S.J. Theology for the Community of God. Eerdmans,
2000, pp. 1-242
- Kärkkäinen, V.-M. The Doctrine of God. A Global
Introduction. Baker, 2004.
- Placher, W.C. ed. Essentials of Christian Theology. Westminster John
Knox, 2003, pp. 1-181, 297-328.
- Tennent, T.C. Christianity at the Religious
Roundtable. Baker Academic, 2002.
- Special topic, choose one:
- Bacote, L.C., et al., ed. Evangelicals &
Scripture: Tradition, Authority & Hermeneutics. IVP, 2004.
- Beilby, J.K. & P.R. Eddy. Divine Foreknowledge: Four Views.
InterVarsity Press, 2001.
- Bouma-Prediger, S. For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for
Creation Care. IVP, 2001.
- Fiddes, P. Participating in God: A Pastoral Doctrine of the Trinity.
Westminster John Knox, 2001.
- Jewett, P.K. & Shuster, M. Who We Are: Our Dignity as Human.
Eerdmans, 1996.
- Kärkkäinen, V.-M. The Trinity. Global Perspectives. WJKP,
2007 (relevant sections).
- McKim, D.K. The Bible in Theology & Preaching. Abingdon,
1985/Wipf & Stock, 1999.
- Murphy, N. Bodies and Souls, or Spirited Bodies? Cambridge
University Press, 2006.
- Pinnock, C. Most Moved Mover: A Theology of God's Openness. Baker,
2001.
- Plantinga, A. Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin.
Eerdmans, 1996.
- Schwarz, H. Creation. Eerdmans, 2002.
- Shuster, M. The Fall and Sin: What We Have Become as Sinners.
Eerdmans, 2003.
- Volf, M. Exclusion and Embrace. Abingdon, 1996.
- A contextual/intercultural/interreligious study (relevant sections)
choose one:
- Boff, L. Trinity and Society. Orbis, 1988.
- Cone, J.H. God of the Oppressed. Orbis, 1997.
- Evans, J. We Have Been Believers: An African American Systematic
Theology. Fortress, 1992.
- Gonzáles, J. Mañana: Christian Theology from a Hispanic
Perspective. Abingdon, 1990.
- Kapolyo, J. M. The Human Condition: Christian Perspectives through
African Eyes. IVP, 2005.
- Kärkkäinen, V.-M. Trinity and Religious Pluralism.
Ashgate, 2004.
- _______. An Introduction to the Theology of Religions.
InterVarsity Press, 2003 (relevant sections).
- McDermott, G. R. Can Evangelicals Learn from World
Religions? InterVarsity Press, 2001.
- Parratt, J. Reinventing Christianity: African Theology Today.
Eerdmans, 1995.
- Parsons, S.F., ed. The Cambridge Companion to Feminist Theology.
Cambridge Univ. Press, 2002.
ASSIGNMENTS: (1) 1,200 pages of required reading and 15 pages of critical
reading responses (40%). (2) A 10-page research paper (40%). (3) Final
project: "My theological statement," 5 pp. (20%).
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Systematic Theology
"A" (STA).
FINAL EXAMINATION: No.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (7/07)