Summer 2013/Pasadena
ST572
Carter
ST572: BONHOEFFER: LIFE AND THOUGHT. Grayson Carter.
DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to introduce the student to the life and Christian thought of the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-45). Bonhoeffer’s principal writings will be examined, with particular attention given to the context in which they appeared. We will also attempt critically to assess Bonhoeffer’s Christian thought and his contribution to contemporary theology, the church, and the life of the believer in the modern world.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Bonhoeffer advanced a stunning – and enduring – critique of modern Christianity, which continues to exert considerable (albeit controversial) influence long after his death. The study of Bonhoeffer and his writings, therefore, will assist a student to develop an understanding of how Christianity can respond to the presence of evil and suffering in the world, and how the church can advance an authentic witness amid the increasingly unique and complex pressures of modernity and postmodernity.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: This course will (1) enhance students’ basic factual and thematic knowledge of the life and thought of Dietrich Bonhoeffer; (2) help students gain a basic competence in how to interpret that thought in its unique historical and theological context; (3) help students gain a greater ability to evaluate various theological issues and their development; and (4) provide students with the tools and knowledge that will enable them to gain a critical and sympathetic appreciation for the breadth, unity, and diversity of Bonhoeffer’s theological contribution.
COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet daily for two weeks in four-hour sessions. Class sessions will be devoted to lecture, discussion, question and answer, and student presentation (final session).
PRE-READING ASSGINMENT:
Wind, Renate. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Spoke in the Wheel, 1992. ISBN: 978-0802806321, Pub. Price $16.00 [192 pp.].
REQUIRED READING: (1200 total pages required from the Pre-Reading Assignment and the following):
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Discipleship. Touchstone, 1995. ISBN: 978-0684815008, Pub. Price $16.00 [320 pp.].
__________. Ethics. Touchstone, 1995. ISBN: 978-0684815015, Pub. Price $16.00 [384 pp.].
__________. Letters and Papers from Prison. Touchstone, 1997. ISBN: 978-0684838274, Pub. Price $16.00 [448 pp.].
__________. Life Together. HarperOne, 1978. ISBN: 978-0060608521, Pub. Price $13.99 [128 pp.].
Class Handouts (On Moodle). (Note: pages from Class Handouts do not count toward the 1200 page reading requirement.)
RECOMMENDED READING: See course syllabus for recommended reading list.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
REQUIRED reading, class attendance and participation (30%)
Two, 10-page research papers on some aspect of Bonhoeffer’s life or thought (topics to be approved by the instructor) (60% total; 30% x 2)
Small-group presentation (10%)
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.