Summer 2015/Pasadena
CH580
Carter
CH580: BONHOEFFER: LIFE AND THOUGHT (4 Units: 166 Hours). 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.
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 one week for four hours for two weeks for a total of 40 instructional hours. Class sessions will be devoted to lecture, discussion, and question and answer.
REQUIRED READING: approx. 1,300 total pages required, taken from the following works:
Wind, Renate. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A Spoke in the Wheel. Eerdmans, 1992. ISBN: 978-0802806321, Pub. Price $18.00 [192 pp.] (recommended to be read prior to class).
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. Touchstone, 1995. ISBN: 978-0684815008, Pub. Price $16.00 [320 pp.].
__________. Ethics. Touchstone, 1995. ISBN: 978-0684815015, Pub. Price $16.99 [384 pp.].
__________. Letters and Papers from Prison. Touchstone, 1997. ISBN: 978-0684838274, Pub. Price $16.99 [448 pp.].
__________. Life Together. HarperOne, 2009. ISBN: 978-0060608521, Pub. Price $13.99 [128 pp.].
Class Handouts (On Moodle). (Note: pages from Class Handouts do not count toward the 1,300 page reading requirement.)
RECOMMENDED READING: See course syllabus for recommended reading list.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
Class attendance and participation (30%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4] [40 hours].
1,300 pp. of required reading (20%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4] [86 hours].
Two, 10-page research papers on some aspect of Bonhoeffer’s life or thought (topics to be approved by the instructor) (25% x 2= 50%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4] [40 hours].
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the TH4 requirement in the 120 MDiv Program.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.