Spring 2012/Pasadena
TH832/522
Thompson
TH832/522: SEMINAR IN REFORMED THEOLOGY:
TOPICS IN AUGUSTINE AND HIS
LEGACY. John L. Thompson.
DESCRIPTION: While Augustine can justly be claimed to belong to many strands of
the Christian tradition in the West, he is of special significance to the
Reformed tradition. A hundred years ago, B. B. Warfield wrote that "it is
Augustine who gave us the Reformation"--a claim seemingly ratified by Calvin
himself when he exclaimed that "Augustine is all ours!" This doctoral seminar
will focus on selected topics in Augustine that have proved to be of special
interest also to the earliest Protestant theologians and their heirs: Biblical
interpretation, ecclesiology, church and state, politics and ethics, and the
doctrines of justification, predestination, and free will. The seminar is open
to a limited number of advanced master's students (TH522) by instructor's
permission.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: This seminar examines key theological
themes as they emerged from Augustine's life and thought and were subsequently
taken up by later theologians and philosophers--Catholic, Protestant, and
secular. For those who seek to serve the diverse church and pluralistic culture
of the twenty-first century, Augustine can prove to be a fruitful dialogue
partner in considering the shape of Christian theology, culture, politics, and
ethics today.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will gain an increased knowledge of Augustinian
theology and competence in interpreting the Augustinian legacy in the context
of the larger Christian church, including greater facility in handling
historical texts and evaluating theological issues, as well as a critical and
sympathetic appreciation for the breadth and diversity of the Christian
dialogue with culture.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar, 3 hours weekly to discuss readings and issues, with a
1/2-hour Latin tutorial.
REQUIRED READING, PRINT SOURCES:
- Augustine, Confessions, trans. R. S. Pine-Coffin (Penguin
Classics, 1961), ISBN 978-0140441147, $10.00. [350 pp. assigned] NB: READ THIS
BOOK IN ITS ENTIRETY PRIOR TO THE FIRST CLASS.
- Augustine, On Christian Teaching, trans. R. P. H. Green (Oxford
University Press, 2008), ISBN 978-0199540631, $12.95. [150 pp. assigned]
- Augustine, City of God, trans. Henry Bettenson (Penguin Classics,
2003), ISBN 978-0140448948, $16.00. [1100 pp. assigned]
- Augustine, On the Free Choice of the Will, On Grace and Free Choice, and
Other Writings, trans. Peter King (Cambridge University Press, 2010), ISBN
978-0521001298, $30.00. [~250 pp. assigned]
- Eleonore Stump and Norman Kretzmann, eds., The Cambridge Companion to
Augustine (Cambridge University Press, 2001), ISBN 978-0521659857, $34.00.
[180 pp. assigned]
REQUIRED READING, DIGITAL SOURCES: The following books can be obtained in print
or accessed at the Internet Archive (archive.org), Google Books, or Christian
Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org).
- Three Augustine volumes from A Select Library of the Nicene and
Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, ed. Philip Schaff (1886-1900;
many reprints, various publishers): vol. 4, The Writings Against the
Manichæans and Against the Donatists; vol. 5, Anti-Pelagian
Writings; and vol. 6, Sermon on the Mount, Harmony of the Gospels,
Homilies on the Gospels.
- Other assorted articles and essays available as e-reserves.
RECOMMENDED READING: Full list available in syllabus online, but note
especially this title:
- Allan D. Fitzgerald, ed., Augustine through the Ages
(Eerdmans, 2009), ISBN 978-0802864796, $85.00.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: (1) Class participation & plenary 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: CHA (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. (January 2012)