Winter 2014/Pasadena

ST502

Kärkkäinen

ST502: SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY 2: CHRISTOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY. Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen.


DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to provide a theological understanding of Christian beliefs about Christ, salvation, and the Holy Spirit. Topics include biblical and historical developments of Christological and pneumatological traditions, their contemporary and contextual/intercultural varieties, various approaches to election, atonement, salvation, forgiveness, healing, Spirit-baptism, as well reconciliation of communities. An Evangelical theology will be constructed in dialogue with ecumenical and intercultural perspectives, and in light of the church’s mission and other religions.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: An essential part of preparation for Christian ministry is to learn to think theologically through issues of faith and ministry.

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: The course meets twice a week for two-hour sessions of lecture, discussion, and student presentations.

REQUIRED READING: Selections from the following (not to exceed 1,200 pages):

Course Reader (Essays complementing other readings, available on course Moodle website).

Kärkkäinen, V.-M. Christ and Reconciliation.AConstructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, vol. 1. Eerdmans, 2013. ISBN: 978-0802868534, Pub. Price $40.00 [467pp.].

_________. Holy Spirit. Basic Guides to Christian Theology. Westminster John Knox Press, 2012.. ISBN: 978-0664235932, Pub. Price $20.00 [128 pp.].

Migliore, D. Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology. 2nd ed. Eerdmans, 2004. ISBN: 978-0802827876, Pub. Price $28.00 [457pp.].

Choose one Intercultural or Interreligious text from EITHER A OR B (200 pp.; or a title of your own choice to be approved by professor):

A. Intercultural and/or “Contextual”:

Alfaro, S. Divine Compañero: Toward a Hispanic Pentecostal Christology. Pickwick, 2010. ISBN: 978-1606086995, Pub. Price $20.00 [166 pp.].

Boff, L. Jesus Christ Liberator: A Critical Christology for Our Time. Orbis. 1978. ISBN: 978-0883442364, Pub. Price $35.00 [335 pp.].

Comblin, J. The Holy Spirit and Liberation. Wipf & Stock, 2004. ISBN: 978-1592445622, Pub. Price $26.00 [232 pp.].

Cone, J. H. A Black Theology of Liberation. 2nd ed. Orbis, 1986. ISBN: 978-0883446850, Pub. Price $22.00, [200 pp.].

Joh, W. Heart of the Cross: A Postcolonial Christology. John Knox Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0664230630, Pub. Price $30.00 [184 pp.].

Küster, Volker. The Many Faces of Jesus: An Intercultural Christology. Orbis, 2001. ISBN: 978-1570753541, Pub. Price $29.00 [250 pp.].

Parsons, S. F., ed. The Cambridge Companion to Feminist Theology. Cambridge University Press, 2002. ISBN: 978-0521663274, Pub. Price $85.00 [288 pp.].

Peacore, L. D. The Role of Women’s Experience in Feminist Theologies of Atonement. Pickwick, 2010. ISBN: 978-1556358036, Pub. Price $28.00 [254 pp.].

Pope-Levison, P. & Levison, J. R. Jesus in Global Contexts. Westminster John Knox, 1992. ISBN: 978-0664251659, Pub. Price $30.00 [236 pp.].

Ramachandra, V. The Recovery of Mission: Beyond the Pluralist Paradigm. Wipf & Stock, 2002. ISBN: 978-1592440641, Pub. Price $31.00 [308 pp.].

Schreiter, R. J., ed. Faces of Jesus in Africa. Orbis, 1991. ISBN: 978-0883447680, Pub. Price $24.00 [200 pp.].

B. Interreligious and/or Theology of Religions:

Baker, G. A.ed. Jesus in The World’s Faiths: Leading Thinkers from Five Religions Reflect on His Meaning. Orbis Books, 2005. ISBN: 978-1570755736, Pub. Price $20.00 [198 pp.].

Baker, G. A. & Gregg, S. E., eds. Jesus Beyond Christianity: The Classic Texts. Oxford University Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0199553457, Pub. Price $29.95 [256 pp.].

Chung, S. W., ed. Christ the One and Only. Baker, 2005. ISBN: 978-0801028540, Pub. Price $28.00 [272 pp.].

Hagner, D. The Jewish Reclamation of Jesus: An Analysis and Critique of the Modern Jewish Study of Jesus. Wipf & Stock, 1997. ISBN: 978-1579100315, Pub. Price $33.00 [341 pp.].

Imbach, J. Three Faces of Jesus: How Jews, Christians and Muslims See Him. 2nd ed. Templegate, 1993. ISBN: 978-0872431942, Pub. Price $12.95 [151 pp.].

Ives, C., ed. Divine Emptiness and Historical Fullness: A Buddhist-Jewish-Christian Conversation with Asao Mabe. Trinity Press, 1995. ISBN: 978-1563381225, Pub. Price $16.99 [272 pp.].

Kulandran, S. Grace in Christianity and Hinduism. Repr. Lutterworth Press, 2004. ISBN: 978-0227172360, Pub. Price $52.50 [288 pp.].

Lefebure, L. D. The Buddha & The Christ: Explorations in Buddhist and Christian Dialogue. Orbis, 1993. ISBN: 978-0883449240, Pub. Price $29.00 [239 pp.].

Leirvik, O. Images of Jesus Christ in Islam. 2nd ed. Continuum. 2010. ISBN: 978-1441181602, Pub. Price $34.95 [304 pp.].

Robinson, N. Christ in Islam and Christianity. State University of New York Press, 1991. ISBN: 978-0791405581, Pub. Price $192.00 [235 pp.].

Tiessen, T. L. Who Can Be Saved? Reassessing Salvation in Christ and World Religions. InterVarsity Press, 2004. ISBN: 978-0830827473, Pub. Price $28.00 [511 pp.].

Yong, A. Beyond the Impasse: Toward a Pneumatological Theology of Religions. Baker, 2003. ISBN: 978-0801026126, Pub. Price $39.98 [208 pp.].

RECOMMENDED READING: While the syllabus lists a number of sources for various topics, the following ones are useful for consultation for research paper and student presentations:

Bartlett, A. W. Cross Purposes: The Violent Grammar of Christian Atonement. Trinity, 2001. ISBN: 978-1563383366, Pub. Price $49.95 [288 pp.].

Beilby, J. & Eddy, B. R. The Nature of the Atonement: Four Views. InterVarsity Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0830825707, Pub. Price $20.00 [208 pp.].

Blue, K. Authority to Heal. InterVarsity Press, 1987. ISBN: 978-0830817009, Pub. Price $15.00 [168 pp.].

Boersma, H. Violence, Hospitality, and the Cross: Reappropriating the Atonement Tradition. Baker Academic, 2004. Pub. Price $29.99 [288 pp.].

Driver, J. Understanding the Atonement for the Mission of the Church. Repr. Wipf & Stock, 2005. ISBN: 978-1597523011, Pub. Price $28.00 [288 pp.].

Green, J. B. & Baker, M. D. Recovering the Scandal of the Cross. InterVarsity Press, 2000. ISBN: 978-0830815715, Pub. Price $17.00 [232 pp.].

Heim, S. M. Saved from Sacrifice: A Theology of the Cross. Eerdmans, 2006. ISBN: 978-0802832153, $28.00 [246 pp.].

Kärkkäinen, V.-M. One with God: Salvation as Deification and Justification. Liturgical Press, 2004. ISBN: 978-0814629710, Pub. Price $16.95 [144 pp.].

Macchia, F. Baptized in the Spirit: A Global Pentecostal Theology. Zondervan, 2006. ISBN: 978-0310252368, Pub. Price $24.99 [304 pp.].

Pinnock, C. H. Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit. InterVarsity Press, 1996. ISBN: 978-0830815906, Pub. Price $20.00 [288 pp.].

Shults, F. L. & Sandage, S. J. The Faces of Forgiveness. Baker, 2003. ISBN: 978-0801026249, Pub.Pub. Price $26.00 [272 pp.].

Weaver, Denny J. The Nonviolent Atonement. 2nd ed. Eerdmans, 2011. ISBN: 978-0802864376, Pub. Pub. Price $28.00 [362 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. 1,200 pp. of required reading and 15 pp. of critical reflections (32%).

  2. Short Quiz(es) (8%)

  3. A 10-page research paper (40%).

  4. A final project: “My theological statement,” 5 pp. (20%).

PREREQUISITES: None. Yet at least one course in biblical studies and in historical theology/church history as well as philosophical theology are strongly recommended.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Systematic Theology “B” (STB).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.


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.