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 and other religions.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: An essential part of preparation for Christian ministry is to learn to think theologically through issues of faith and ministry.

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.

COURSE FORMAT: Twice weekly for two-hour sessions of lecture, discussion and student presentations.

REQUIRED READING:

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

Dyrness, W. & Kärkkäinen, V.-M., eds., Global Dictionary of Theology. InterVarsity, 2008 (sel. pp.).

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; and Christology: A Global Introduction. Baker Academic, 2002, 2003.

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

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

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

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

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.

Pinnock, C.H. Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit. InterVarsity Press, 1996.

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. 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.

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.