DESCRIPTION: This course will examine Christian beliefs about Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and salvation. Topics will include biblical and historical Christological and pneumatological developments, as well as their contemporary varieties, as expressed in various ecclesial and contextual/intercultural perspectives, and ways of speaking about salvation in Jesus Christ, including atonement, justification, forgiveness, sanctification, redemption, and renewal.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: An informed understanding of the principal doctrines of the Christian faith is crucial to Christian preaching, teaching, evangelizing, and discipleship.

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: Meets twice weekly for two-hour sessions of lecture, discussion & student presentations.

REQUIRED READING:

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

Grenz, S. Theology for the Community of God. Eerdmans, 2000.

Kärkkäinen, V.-M. Pneumatology. Baker Academic, 2002.

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

Strongly Recommended: Grenz, S., et al. Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms. IVP, 1999.

Select two special topic texts, one from each category:

(A) Choose one Christological/soteriological text from below or one of your choice (200 pp.):

Barr, W. R., ed. Constructive Christian Theology in the Worldwide Church. Eerdmans, 1997 (pt 4 or 6).

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

Dunn, J.D.G. Christology in the Making. 2nd ed. Eerdmans, 1996.

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

Lutheran World Federation, Roman Catholic Church, Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. Eerdmans, 2000.

McGuckin, J.A. Cyril of Alexandria & the Christological Controversy. St. Vladimir's Sem. Pr., 2004.

Meyendorff, J. Christ in Eastern Christian Thought. St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1997.

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

(B) 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.

Summer, G. The First and the Last: The Claims of Jesus Christ and the Claims of Other Religious Traditions. Eerdmans, 2004.

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