DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to provide a theological understanding of Christian beliefs about Christ, salvation, and the Holy Spirit. Topics include biblical and historical developments of Christological and pneumatological traditions, their contemporary and contextual/intercultural varieties, various approaches to election, atonement, salvation, forgiveness, healing, Spirit-baptism, as well reconciliation of communities. An Evangelical theology will be constructed in dialogue with ecumenical and intercultural perspectives, and in light of the church's mission to other religions.

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 topics for this course; (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:

Bloesch, D. Jesus Christ: Savior & Lord. InterVarsity Press, 1997.

Grenz, S.J. Theology for the Community of God. Eerdmans, 2000, pp. 243-460.

Kärkkäinen, V.-M. Pneumatology: The Holy Spirit in International, Ecumenical, and Historical Perspectives. Baker Academic, 2002.

__________. Christology: A Global Introduction. Baker Academic, 2003

Choose one on atonement:

Green, J.B. and M.D. Baker. Recovering the Scandal of the Cross. InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Beilby, J. & Eddy, B.R., The Nature of the Atonement: Four Views. InterVarsity Press, 2006.

Choose one special topic (or a title of your own choice accepted by the professor):

Blue, K. Authority to Heal. InterVarsity Press, 1987.

Kärkkäinen, V.-M. One with God: Salvation as Deification and Justification. Liturgical Press, 2004.

Macchia, F. Baptized in the Spirit: A Global Pentecostal Theology. Zondervan, 2006.

Shults, F.L. & Sandage, S.J. The Faces of Forgiveness. Baker, 2003.

Choose one contextual/intercultural/interreligious text from below or of your choice (200 pp.):

Chung, S.W., ed. Christ the One and Only: A Global Affirmation of the Uniqueness of Jesus. Baker, 2005.

Comblin, J. The Holy Spirit and Liberation. Orbis, 1989.

Cone, J.H. A Black Theology of Liberation. 2nd ed. Orbis, 1986.

Imbach, J. Three Faces of Jesus: How Jews, Christians and Muslims See Him. Templegate, 1993.

Kärkkäinen, V.-M. Trinity and Religious Pluralism. Ashgate, 2004.

Küster, Volker. The Many Faces of Jesus: An Intercultural Christology. Orbis, 2001.

Parsons, S.F., ed. The Cambridge Companion to Feminist Theology. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2002.

Ramachandra, V. The Recovery of Mission: Beyond the Pluralist Paradigm. Paternoster, 1996.

Tiessen, T.L. Who Can Be Saved? Reassessing Salvation in Christ and World Religions. IVP, 2004.

Yong, A. Beyond the Impasse: Toward a Pneumatological Theology of Religions. Baker, 2003.