Fall 2014 and Spring 2015/Pasadena and Oslo

TH829/529

Kärkkäinen/Green

TH829/529: SPIRIT AND CHURCH IN THE TRADITION AND CONTEMPORARY WORLD (4 Units: 160 hours for Master’s Students). Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen and Joel B. Green.

This two-part course will be arranged in collaboration between Fuller Theological Seminary (FTS) and Norwegian School of Theology (NST), involving students and professors from both. Part one (TH829A: 3 quarter units; TH529A: 2 quarter units) will be held at FTS in Pasadena, 17-21 November 2014, and part two (TH829B: 3 quarter units; TH529B: 2 quarter units) will be held at NST in Oslo, Norway, 13-17 April 2015. Travel costs (airfare and lodging) for students are fully funded. Enrollment is limited and subject to permission by the instructors.

Instructors from FTS: Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen and Joel B. Green

Instructor from NST: Terje Hegertun

DESCRIPTION: The seminar, open to a limited number of doctoral and advanced master’s-level students, seeks to investigate pneumatology and ecclesiology in an interdisciplinary environment, including biblical, historical, systematic, and practical theological perspectives. The leading questions are: What is the role of the Spirit in the life and ministry of the church? And: How ought we to envision the nature and tasks of pneumatology in the context of the Christian community? The first part of the two-part seminar focuses mostly (although not exclusively) on the former question whereas the second part on the latter one.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this two-part course, both master’s-level and graduate students will have demonstrated their ability (1) to articulate key developments and topics in pneumatology and reflect on the significance of pneumatology to Christian faith and to the development of the practical church life; (2) to analyze critically main contributions and challenges of the doctrine of the Spirit and its influence and role within the contemporary church; and (3) to display the ability to express their own understanding of the Spirit and church. Additionally, graduate students will have demonstrated the ability (4) to engage in constructive theology in light of the main questions of the course.

COURSE FORMAT: Course activities include careful reading of assigned texts, seminar presentations and discussions, a major research paper, and relevant excursions and guest lectures. The class will meet daily (Monday to Friday) for two, three-hour seminar sessions; master’s-level students are expected to attend two, two-hour sessions but are welcome during the additional hours as well. Students are expected to complete the assigned readings prior to the relevant lectures, in accordance with the seminar syllabus. Guest lecturers will include Myk Habets (New Zealand) and Olli-Pekka Vainio (Finland).

REQUIRED READING:

For students enrolled in TH529A and TH829A

Kärkkäinen, Veli-Matti. Spirit and Salvation. Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, vol. 4. Eerdmans, 2015 [forthcoming]): part 1. Available as a course reader [200 pp.].

Moltmann, Jürgen. Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation. Fortress, 1994. Pages 1-82, 180-97, 217-67. ISBN: 978-0800634247, Pub. Price $29.00 [150 pp.].

Turner, Max. The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts. Baker Academic, 1996. Pages 1-180, 347-59. ISBN: 978-0801047923, Pub. Price $30.00 [192 pp.].

Wenk, Matthias. Community-Forming Power: The Socio-Ethical Role of the Spirit in Luke-Acts. Sheffield Academic Press, 2000. Pages 232-317. ISBN: 978-0567043504, Pub. Price $72 [85 pp.].

For students enrolled in TH829A:

Fee, Gordon D. Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God. Baker Academic, 1996. ISBN: 978-0801046247, Pub. Price $16.99 [208 pp.].

Kärkkäinen, Veli-Matti, Kirsteen Kim, and Amos Yong, eds. Interdisciplinary and Religio-Cultural Discourses on a Spirit-Filled World: Loosing the Spirits. Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. ISBN: 978-1137268983, Pub. Price $90.00 [276 pp.].

Turner, Max. Power from on High: The Spirit in Israel's Restoration and Witness in Luke-Acts. Sheffield Academic Press, 1996. Pages 318–455. ISBN: 978-1850757566, Pub. Price $130.00 [137 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: Preparation, attendance, and participation.

1. Preparation, attendance, and participation.
2. TH829A only: completion of three 400-700 words essays (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-2].
3. A seminar presentation of 1,500-2,100 words (TH529: 40%; TH829: 25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-2].
4. TH529A: A final, working paper (2,500-4,000 words, 60%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-3]. TH829A: A research paper (4,000-5,500 words, 50%). [This assignment is related to outcomes #1-4.]

PREREQUISITES: For TH829: Admission into the ThM or PhD program. For TH829 and TH529, written permission from Joel Green.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH4 requirement in the 120 MDiv program.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.