Spring 2015/Pasadena

HT502

Feldmeth

HT502: THE CHURCH’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHURCH, HUMANITY, AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN ITS HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT (4 Units: 160 hours). Nate Feldmeth.

DESCRIPTION: HT502 is a survey largely of medieval and Reformation history and theology that focuses especially on the doctrines that received their crucial shape for Protestant Christians during this period. Among these are the doctrine of the church (including the authority and office of the ministry, sacraments, the place of councils, and the role of the laity), the doctrine of scripture (including the place of tradition), theological anthropology (including human nature as created and fallen, and original sin), and the doctrine of the Christian life (including the entire order of salvation—election, calling, faith, justification, sanctification, and final glory). Key figures to be studied include Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who complete HT502 will demonstrate: (1) a basic historical and theological knowledge of the doctrines of the church, humanity, and the Christian life as those and other selected doctrines emerged especially in the medieval and Reformation church and developed to this day, (2) a basic competence in interpreting this history and theology and an ability to evaluate these theological issues and their historical development; and (3) a critical and sympathetic appreciation for the breadth, unity, and diversity of the Christian church.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets twice weekly for two hour sessions for a total of 40 instructional hours in the classroom for lecture and discussion.

REQUIRED READING: 1,050 pp. of required reading.

Bettenson, Henry, ed. Documents of the Christian Church, 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2011. ISBN: 978-0199568987, Pub. Price $41.95 [178 pp. assigned].

Feldmeth, Nathan P. Pocket Dictionary of Church History. InterVarsity Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0830827039, Pub. Price: $8.00 [120 pp. assigned.].

Janz, Denis R. A Reformation Reader. 2nd ed. Fortress, 2008. ISBN: 978-0800663100, Pub. Price $39.00 [259 pp. assigned].

Kärkkäinen, V.-M.,“Ecclesiology,” in Mapping Modern Theology , eds. Kapic, Kelly and Bruce McCormack,. Baker Academic, 2012. ISBN: 978-0801035357, Pub. Price $34.99 [31 pp. assigned].

Latourette, Kenneth Scott. A History of Christianity. Vols. 1 Rev. ed. Harper & Row, 1975. ISBN: 978-0060649524, Pub. Price $25.99 [246 pp. assigned].

MacHaffie, Barbara J. Her Story: Women in Christian Tradition. 2nd ed. Fortress Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0800638269, Pub. Price $44.00 [75 pp. assigned].

Plantinga, Richard J., Thomas R. Thompson, Matthew D. Lundberg. An Introduction to Christian Theology. Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-0521690379, Pub. Price $32.99 [141 pp. assigned].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Cross, F. L. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Oxford, 2005. ISBN: 978-0192802903, Pub. Price $175.00.

Fairweather, Eugene R., ed. A Scholastic Miscellany. Westminster John Knox, 1982. ISBN: 978-0664244187, Pub. Price $29.95.

Muller, Richard A. Dictionary of Latin and Greek Theological Terms. Baker, 1985. ISBN: 978-0801020643, Pub. Price $30.00.

Payton, James R. Getting the Reformation Wrong: Correcting Some Misunderstandings. IVP Academic, 2010. ISBN: 978-0830838806, Pub. Price $23.00.

Sunquist, Scott, and Irvin, Dale. History of the World Christian Movement: Earliest Christianity to 1453. Orbis Books, 2001. ISBN: 978-1570753961, Pub. Price $34.00.

__________ and Irvin, Dale. History of the World Christian Movement, Vol. 2: Modern Christianity from 1454- 1800. Orbis Books, 2012. ISBN: 978-1570759895, Pub. Price $40.00.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. ASSigned readings (1,050 pp.) to be completed as preparation for lectures and exams. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, and 3] [75 hours].

2. Thesis driven research paper (12-15 pages) based on primary source materials (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2] [30 hours].

3. Midterm examination (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2 and 3] [5 hours preparation].

4. FINAL exam covering readings, lectures, and discussions (35%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3] [10 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH2 or TH4 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program. Meets the CHB requirement in the 144 MDiv Program.

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.