Spring 2013/Pasadena

TC866/566

Dyrness/Johnston

TC866/566: AESTHETIC THEOLOGY AND POSTMODERN CULTURE.

William Dyrness and Robert Johnston.

DESCRIPTION: This is a 6-unit doctoral seminar, also offered at the 500-level as a 4-unit course open to a limited number of master’s level students by special permission. In the late 20th century Aesthetics came to be understood not only as a separate discipline related solely to the arts, but as a method of inquiry that could be fruitfully applied to theology. In this course students will explore historical, philosophical, biblical, theological and cultural understandings of beauty with the goal of understanding the role of aesthetics as a constructive element in theology and the Christian life.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: In his address to the Pontifical Academies in 2004, Pope John Paul II suggested the path of beauty “as the best way for the Christian faith and the culture of our time to meet, besides being a valuable instrument for the formation of the young generations.” This course will explore the theological significance of beauty not only in terms of human creativity and divine worship, but also with reference to issues of justice and human transformation as well.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: That students (1) practice a close reading of primary sources in order to articulate and analyze the various arguments; (2) understand a spectrum of views on aesthetics and explore their potential for spirituality and theology; (3) be able to assess critically and imaginatively the central issues and options present when developing a constructive theology that employs the categories of aesthetics.

COURSE FORMAT: The seminar will meet once weekly for three-hour sessions.

REQUIRED READING:

Aristotle. Poetics (many editions. cf. classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/poetics).

Dyrness, William. Poetic Theology: God and the Poetics of Everyday Life. Eerdmans, 2011. ISBN: 978-0802865786, Pub.price $26.00 [352 pp.].

Eco, Umberto. Art and Beauty in the Middle Ages. Trans Hugh Bredin. Yale University Press, 2002. ISBN: 978-0300093049, Pub.price $11.95 [144 pp.].

Forte, Bruno. The Portal of Beauty: Towards a Theology of Aesthetics. Eerdmans, 2008. ISBN: 978-0802832801, Pub.price $30.00 [121 pp.].

Guite, Malcome. Faith, Hope and Poetry: Theology and the Poetic Imagination. Ashgate, 2010. ISBN: 978-1409449362, Pub.price $29.95 [257 pp.].

Gonzalez-Andrieu, Cecilia. Bridge to Wonder: Art as a Gospel of Beauty. Baylor University Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-1602583511, Pub.price $29.95 [250 pp.].

Schleiermacher, Friedrich. Christmas Eve Celebration. Wipf and Stock, 2010. ISBN: 978-1606089613, Pub.price $18.00 [146 pp.].

Taylor, Charles. A Secular Age. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0674026766, Pub.price $46.00 [896 pp.].

EReserves readings: Plato, Tillich, Johnston, Schiller, Eco, Goizueta, Dyrness.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Goizueta, Roberto S. Caminemos Con Jesus: Toward a Hispanic/Latino Theology of Accompaniment. Orbis, 1995. ISBN: 978-1570750342, Pub.price $28.00 [224 pp.].

Gorringe, Timothy. The Education of Desire: Towards a Theology of the Senses. Trinity Press International, 2001. ISBN: 978-0334028475, Pub.price not available [pp. not available].

Hart, David Bentley. The Beauty of the Infinite. Eerdmans, 2004. ISBN: 978-0802829214, Pub.price $40.00 [462 pp.].

Smith, James K. Desiring the Kingdom. Baker, 2009. ISBN: 978-0801035777, Pub.price $21.99 [238 pp.].

Thiessen, Gesa ed. Theological Aesthetics: A Reader. Eerdmans, 2004.ISBN: 978-0802828880, Pub.price $40.00 [416 pp.].

Von Balthasar, Hans Urs. The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics. Vol 1. Ignatius Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-1586173210, Pub.price $44.95 [675 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Completion of all readings and participation in class discussion (10%).

  2. Each student will assume primary responsibility for one or two of the readings above and write a 2-3 page summary, typed and single-spaced, to be emailed to members of the class 24 hours before the seminar session, together with 6 to 8 questions which the student has framed on the basis of his/her interaction with the materials, to form the basis of the class discussion (20%).

  3. A 25 page paper on a constructive theology of beauty; (18 pp for master’s level participants in the seminar) (70%).

PREREQUISITES: For master’s level students: permission of the instructor.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective for master’s level students.

FINAL EXAMINATION: No.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.