DESCRIPTION:

Since the mid-twentieth-century, Christian theology has taken new forms: many of these no longer conform to old dichotomies such as liberal vs. conservative, or mainline vs. fringe. This seminar will examine current varieties of Christian theology from the vantage of a radical biblical perspective, asking of each variety how it relates to its own location or setting (e.g., is feminist theology in any sense `local theology'?), how it relates to Christian common life (e.g., does black theology really serve black churches?), and how it relates to what lies beyond itself (e.g., is it traditional or is it prophetic?).

This course is not directly relevant to church ministry. It is provided for those who seek theological perspective.

Here advanced theological students are given an opportunity to recognize a variety of Christian theologies and to sort them out in weekly discussion meetings (and some writing) based on recent literature. Class will meet once a week for a three-hour session.

Frei, Hans W. Types of Christian Theology. Yale, 1992.

Either:

Ford, David F. The Modern Theologians (1-volume ed.) Blackwell, 1997; or [if the 1-volume Ford is still not issued]

Braaten, C. and R. Jenson. A Map of Twentieth Century Theology. Fortress, 1995.

Tilley, Terrence. Postmodern Theologies. Orbis, 1995.

Ormerod, Neil. Introducing Contemporary Theologies. Dwyer, 1990.

Also a short Course Reader with selections from Mackintosh, Schoof, and Dirkie Smit, available in the Fuller Bookstore.

Mackintosh, H. R. Types of Modern Theology: Schleiermacher to Barth. o.p.

Grenz, Stanley and Roger E. Olson. 20th-Century Theology. InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Attend all sessions weekly, prepared for well-informed discussion of the assigned readings. A midterm examination will check progress in the seminar. By term's end submit a paper of 3,000 to 3,500 words, or for doctoral students a paper written to CATS standards, on an individually-assigned topic closely related to the main seminar task.

Advanced M.Div. or M.A. standing as determined by your FTS advisor, or Ph.D. enrollment.

Elective.

None.