Spring 2011/Pasadena
TH832/522
Thompson
TH832/522: SEMINAR IN REFORMED THEOLOGY:
SCRIPTURE AND TRADITION IN EARLY
REFORMED THEOLOGY. John L. Thompson.
DESCRIPTION: This doctoral seminar is open to a limited number of advanced
master's students (TH522) by instructor's permission. The seminar will focus on
the doctrine of Scripture, and especially Scripture's relationship to
ecclesiology, ecclesiastical tradition(s), and questions of authority.
Subtopics of special interest will include the role and authority of the church
fathers; the role and identity of the rule of faith; and the implications for
the practice of exegesis and the formation of Christian doctrine. The seminar
will focus on selected Reformed writers of the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries, as well as a strategic selection of crucial dialogue partners. The
course should be of interest to students in history, theology, and exegesis,
insofar as we will be considering both systematic and exegetical works.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Protestants have typically invoked the
Reformation motto of sola scriptura as if the phrase were
self-explanatory, despite the clear disagreements among the many
sixteenth-century advocates for a return to Holy Scripture as the only reliable
authority in matters of faith and religion. Indeed, the Reformation manifested
both continuity and discontinuity with patristic and medieval theology, and it
left its own legacy of concord and discord among its descendants. This seminar
examines a key theological theme as it emerged from the Reformation context and
how it developed in the later, divided Christian church. For those who seek to
serve the diverse church and pluralistic culture of the twenty-first century,
it is crucial to grasp the continuities and discontinuities between the ideals
and legacy of the Reformation and the task of the interpreter and expositor
today.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will gain an increased knowledge of Reformed
theology and greater competence in interpreting the Reformation and its legacy
in the context of the larger Christian church, including greater facility in
handling historical texts and evaluating theological issues, and a critical and
sympathetic appreciation for the breadth, unity and diversity of the Christian
church.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar, 3 hours weekly to discuss readings and issues, with a
1/2-hour Latin tutorial.
REQUIRED READING, PRINT SOURCES:
- Muller, Richard A. Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 2:
Holy Scripture. 2nd ed. Baker Academic, 2003. 544 pp., ISBN 0801026164,
$59.99. [502 pp. assigned]
- Turretin, Francis. Institutes of Elenctic Theology. Vol. 1. ed.
James T. Dennison Jr. P & R Publishing, 1992. 727 pp., ISBN 0875524516,
$39.99. [108 pp. assigned]
- Williams, D. H. Tradition, Scripture, and Interpretation: A Sourcebook
of the Ancient Church. Baker Academic, 2006. 192 pp., ISBN 0801031648,
$22.00. [169 pp. assigned]
- REQUIRED READING, DIGITAL SOURCES: Access texts below via library
databases (e.g., EEBO / Early English Books Online, DLCPT / Digital Library of
Classic Protestant Texts), or at the Internet Archive (archive.org), Google
Books, or Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Oberman and Chemnitz
are e-reserves.
- Bullinger, Heinrich. Decades. STC 4056 (English 1577); 4076
(Latin).
- Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion (CCEL).
- Chemnitz, Martin. Examination of the Council of Trent, Part I
(Concordia, 1971), 712 pp., ISBN 0570032725, $49.99. (978-0570032137). [89 pp.
assigned]
- Luther, Martin. On the Councils and the Churches (1539), tr. Charles
M. Jacobs, in Works of Martin Luther (Philadelphia, 1931), 5:131-300.
[170 pp. assigned]
- Musculus, Wolfgang. Common places of Christian religion. London,
1578. STC 18309.
- Oberman, Heiko A. The Harvest of Medieval Theology: Gabriel Biel and
Late Medieval Nominalism (1963; Baker Academic, 2001), 512 pp., ISBN
0801020379, $40.00. [68 pp. assigned]
- Vermigli, Peter Martyr. The Common Places. London, 1583. STC 24666
(English); 24668 (Latin).
- Other assorted articles and essays available as e-reserves.
RECOMMENDED READING: List available in syllabus online.
ASSIGNMENTS: (1) Class participation & assigned reading (TH522: 1500 pp.;
TH832: 2000 pp.), with weekly written responses, 10%; (2) final exam,
take-home essay, 20%; (3) critical book review, 10%; (4) Latin tutorials, 10%;
(5) research paper, 50%. [NB: TH522 students may opt out of research paper,
other percentages then double.]
PREREQUISITES: For master's level students: CHB (or equivalent) and permission
of instructor; Latin is desirable but not required.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.
FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes: take-home essay.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (February 2011)