Systematic Theology I Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Fall 2017 Dr. Kirsten Sanders

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1 Systematic Theology I Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Fall 2017 Dr. Kirsten Sanders If it undertakes its task in an orderly, responsible and fitting way, then theology is nothing other than an attempt to repeat the name which God gives to himself as he manifests himself with sovereign mercy: I am the Lord, your Holy One (Isa. 43:15). John Webster, Holiness, (17). Systematic Theology I will introduce students to the method of Systematic Theology and to the content of the initial loci. We will examine the question of what theology is and what the study of Theology comprised of historically before moving to examine systematic and constructive proposals regarding Theological Language, Revelation, Scripture, the Doctrine of God and the Doctrine of the Trinity. Students will prepare two papers that will exhibit their familiarity with various positions on the loci and will work to develop their critical thinking skills. Students will also prepare a final project that will address teaching the doctrine of the Trinity in the context of the local church. All of these assignments intend to direct students to the chief end of Theology, which is the prayer and praise of the Triune God. Required Texts Migliore, Daniel L. Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology, 3r d ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Reeves, Michael. Delighting in the Trinity: An Introduction to the Christian Faith. Downer s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2012 Webster, John, Kathryn Tanner and Iain Torrance. The Oxford Handbook of Systematic Theology. Oxford, Webster, John. Holiness. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, Basil the Great. On the Holy Spirit, trans. Stephen Hildebrand. Yonkers, NY: St. Vladimir s, Recommended Sanders, Fred. The Triune God. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, VanHoozer, Kevin. Biblical Authority after Babel. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, Webster, John. Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Grading will be comprised of four components, all of which are equally weighted: Preparation and Participation (25%), Paper 1 (25%), Paper 2 (25%) and Final Project (25%). The Professor retains the right to shift these components and determine grades according to her own discretion. 1

2 Wednesday September 13: What is Theology? Terms: revelation, content, source, systematic John Webster, Holiness, Intro and Ch. 1 Daniel Migliore, Faith Seeking Understanding, Ch. 1 The Task of Theology Oxford Handbook (hereafter Oxford): Introduction: Systematic Theology, Sept 20: Theology and the Modern Context Terms: context, contextual, praxis James Cone, God of the Oppressed, Ch. 2 Speaking the Truth Migliore, Ch. 9 Confessing Jesus Christ in Context Oxford: Liberation Theology, , Feminist Theology, For September 20 Read two of the following: Karl Barth, Evangelical Theology (New York: Doubleday Anchor Books, 1964) 1-10; Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951), v. 1, 3-68; Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation, rev. ed. (Maryknoll, N.Y.: ORbis Books, 1988), 3-12; David Tracy, The Analogical Imagination: Christian Theology and the Culture of Pluralism (New York: Crossroad, 1981), 3-98; Anne E. Carr, The New Vision of Feminist Theology, in Freeing Theology: The Essentials of Theology in Feminist Perspective, ed. Catherine Mowry Lacugna (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), 5-29; Wolfhart Pannenberg, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 1-61; Jurgen Moltmann, Experiences in Theology: Ways and Forms of Christian Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 200), xiv-xxiv, 3-27, 43-63; Gordon Kaufmann, In Face of Mystery: A Constructive Theology Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1993), Please prepare a paper that compares the approach to systematic theology of two of the above selections. This paper should use close reading and a careful use of quotations to illuminate how the authors work theologically. Length: 4-6 pages. Paper due Sept. 26, but we will discuss the papers on September 20. Sept 27: Theological Language and Transcendence Terms: transcendence, immanence, apophatic, cataphatic, Deus non est in genere Anselm, Proslogion, found here: Rowan Williams, Theological Integrity, On Christian Theology, Migliore, Appendix A, Natural Theology: a Dialogue Please be prepared to discuss the Proslogion. Oct 4: Revelation 1 From Migliore, Ch. 1. 2

3 Migliore, Ch. 2 Divine Revelation in Modern Protestant Theology and Jesus the Revelation of God in Paul Avis in Divine Revelation, ed. Paul Avis Oxford Ch. 18, Ben Quash, Revelation Oct 11- Reading Week David Steinmetz, The Superiority of Pre-Critical Exegesis Begin work on Assignment 2. See Assignment guidelines below. Oct 18: Scripture: Canon and Authority Terms: canon, rule of faith, critical and pre-critical Migliore, Ch. 3 Oxford: Ch. 19, Scripture We will discuss the research for Paper 2 in class today. Oct 25: Scripture and the Protestant Context Terms: Inerrancy, sola Scriptura Read: Chicago Statement on Inerrancy Kevin VanHoozer, Ch. 3 Scripture Alone in Biblical Authority after Babel Mark Noll, The Chaotic Coherence of Sola Scriptura, see also this interview in Christianity Today: Paper 2 due in class Nov 1: Doctrine of God Terms: divine attributes, via negativa, divine simplicity Migliore, Ch. 4 Oxford Ch. 3, The Attributes of God James Cone, God in Black Theology, A Black Theology of Liberation, Twentieth Anniversary Edition (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1990), Thomas Aquinas, ST I.I 13.1 (available here: (For further introduction to Thomas Aquinas see Nov 8- Reading Week Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit Benjamin B. Warfield, The Biblical Doctrine of the Trinity, in Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, v.2 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981), ; see esp

4 The Filioque: a Church Dividing Issue? Greek Orthodox Th Rev 43(2004): T.F. Torrance, Perichoresis and the Divine Monarchy, in Torrance, The Christian Doctrine of God (Edinburgh:1996). Torrance, Historic Agreement by Reformed and Orthodox on the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity, in Torrance, Trinitarian Perspectives: Toward Doctrinal Agreement (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1994), For an excellent introduction to patristic theology, see Frances Young, From Nicaea to Chalcedon: A Guide to the Literature and its Background, Baker Nov 15: The Trinity in Biblical and Historical Perspective Terms: The filioque controversy, ecumenical, monarchy, perichoresis Oxford, Ch. 2 The Trinity Migliore, Ch. 4, The Triune God Discuss Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit Nov 22: Doctrine of The Trinity: Oneness or Threeness? Terms: persons, missions, economy Sonderegger, The Perfect Oneness of God, 3-23 Plantinga, The Threeness/Oneness Problem of the Trinity, Calv Th J 23(1988):50-53, The Social View of God. Gregory of Nyssa, Ad ablabium (available here: J.D. Zizioulas, Human Capacity and Human Incapacity: a Theological Exploration of Personhood, Scot J Theol 28 (1975): Nov 29: The Trinity in Modern Thought Terms: Social Trinitarian, subordinationist Miroslav Volf, The Trinity Is Our Social Program, Modern Theol 14 (1998): Catherine Lacugna, God For Us: the Trinity and Christian Life (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1991), 1-18, Introduction and Lacugna, The Baptismal Formula, Feminist Objections, and Trinitarian Theology, J Ecum St 26:2(1989): Additional reading will be distributed regarding a current discussion among evangelicals concerning the eternal subordination of the Son. Dec 6: Preaching and Teaching on the Trinity 4

5 Read Delighting in the Trinity Dec 13: Present Final Projects in Class Assignment 1: Theological Method. Discussion September 20, Paper due Sept. 26. Read two of the following selections and evaluate the approach of the author to the task of theology. Please address the following questions: 1) What is the author s context? Do they use their gender, socio-political location, race, or identity to orient themselves to a particular theological task? 2) How does the theologian use the biblical text? Evaluate their use of the biblical material. 3) What kinds of questions are being asked? 4) What is the main theological concern of the author? In a paper, 4-6 pages in length, please introduce both texts and the theologians who wrote them. Give your reader a sense of the context that these texts derived from- is this a midcentury American author? A European writing at the time of the second world war? An African-American theologian writing at the height of the American civil rights movement? Then, in consult with secondary sources as needed, give a sense of the scope of this theologian s project. What were their main questions? Who were their main interlocutors? Finally, compare and contrast the approaches of these two authors and evaluate how their methods differ one from another. Be sure to answer all of the above questions in your paper. Use quotations from both texts and make sure to cite them properly. Choose two of the following: Karl Barth, Evangelical Theology (New York: Doubleday Anchor Books, 1964) 1-10; Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951), v. 1, 3-68; Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation, rev. ed. (Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1988), 3-12; David Tracy, The Analogical Imagination: Christian Theology and the Culture of Pluralism (New York: Crossroad, 1981), 3-98; Anne E. Carr, The New Vision of Feminist Theology, in Freeing Theology: The Essentials of Theology in Feminist Perspective, ed. Catherine Mowry Lacugna (San Francisco: Harper, 1993), 5-29; Wolfhart Pannenberg, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 1-61; Jurgen Moltmann, Experiences in Theology: Ways and Forms of Christian Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 200), xiv-xxiv, 3-27, 43-63; Gordon Kaufmann, In Face of Mystery: A Constructive Theology Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1993), (This selection is taken from Migliore, Assignment 2: Discussion on October 18, Paper due October 25. 5

6 In the assigned article, David Steinmetz makes a case for The Superiority of Pre-Critical Exegesis. In this paper, you will research his claims for yourself. You will select an approved passage from the Biblical text, preferably one whose interpretation creates some challenges for you as a reader. You will then compare the modern commentary tradition with a pre-critical approach and identify the distinctions between these approaches. What kind of questions do the interpreters bring to the text? What kind of sources do they engage to answer these questions? Alternately, what kind of questions are they not interested in? Finally, you will evaluate the utility of this approach for scholarship, preaching, and pastoral care. IVP Academic has an excellent commentary series that collects the Ancient Christian commentaries on particular biblical passages. The following volumes are particularly interesting: Genesis 1-11 Exodus-Deuteronomy Psalm 1-50 The library holds them, though due to their quality and the limited number of circulating copies you may choose to purchase a volume for your personal use. Once you find your passage in the Ancient Christian Commentary series, you will want to use the citations to locate the entire passage in its original source and read it in context so as to better understand the argument of the original author. Please compare a pre-modern reading with 2 modern commentaries. Make sure that one of these is the Anchor Bible Commentary. If you would prefer to locate the work of a particular commentator outside of this collection (say, Origen on the Song of Songs), please first have this approved by me. This paper will be 4-6 pages in length and should do the following: 1) Introduce the passage in question and address how it creates difficulties for the interpreter; 2) Introduce the commentator, including information about his or her historical location and theological approach where relevant; 3) Introduce the modern commentaries that you have selected. As far as you can tell, what kind of resources are they using to examine the biblical texts? What kinds of questions are they concerned about? 4) Inform the reader of the interpretation that each commentator offers; 5) Evaluate the interpretation given. Does either approach do a better job at solving interpretive challenges? Is either approach more faithful to the task of interpretation for the sake of preaching? Would either interpreter be better suited for lay audiences? 6) Offer a reading of the text in question that you feel would edify the life of the local church. Final Project- The Doctrine of the Trinity in the Life of the Church 6

7 The Trinity is a foundational doctrine of the Christian church, but unfortunately it is too seldom explained and understood clearly by lay people. This project aims to prepare students to teach the doctrine of the Trinity in their local congregations. Students may choose to prepare a Sunday school class (given in Powerpoint) or write two sermon manuscripts. The projects should orient the audience to the biblical and historical development of the doctrine as well as its theological implications. This assignment is intended to actually be given in a local church setting; therefore, care should be given that it is prepared to meet this standard. The following must be included: 1) The presentation should show an understanding of the particular context where the lesson will be given, evidenced in method of explanation and/or implications drawn. 2) The level of preparation of the audience to understand the material should be stated and should be evident in the way the material is presented. 3) An orientation to the biblical and historical backgrounds of the doctrine must be included; however, this should be done in proportion to the need of the audience, and not simply copied from course lectures. 4) The implications of the doctrine should be prominent, and should be contextualized for the particular audience. 5) Students are encouraged to include illustrations, artwork, or media as long as it is thoughtfully chosen. 6) All projects are due on the last day of class (December 13), and will be evaluated according to this criteria. Students will present their projects on this last day of class, and this presentation will also be evaluated as part of the final grade. A peer review will also be a component of the final grade. All papers submitted for Systematic Theology I must abide by the following guidelines: All papers must be submitted electronically. Papers should be typed in a Times font, size 12, double spaced, with 1 margins. Papers must correctly cite all quoted sources. Students may choose either Chicago style (preferred), or MLA. Footnotes are preferred to endnotes and internal citations. A Works Cited page must be included with all written work. Page numbers must be included, starting on the second page. Each paper must include a title, the date, and the student s name. 7