Course Description: COURSE SYLLABUS Systematic Theology II Course Instructor--David Traverzo, PhD Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Hispanic Ministries Program, Dr. Pablo Jimenez, Associate Dean Jamaica Campus: Mandeville, Manchester Email: dtg7301@gmail.com This course is a continuation of Systematic Theology I. In this course we focus upon a study of the basic Christian doctrines of conversion, sanctification, Spirit (pneumatology), ecclesiology, and eschatology. We will review the nature of theological discourse, its historical framework, and how to do theology in the world today. The course aims to offer basic examinations and analyses of how these doctrinal belief systems are viewed and regarded within various Christian traditions of classical Protestantism, Evangelicalism, and Pentecostal communions today. An important aspect of this course is to underscore the fundamental global, contextual, prophetic, holistic, and institutional aspects of theological discourse, and doctrinal belief systems. Required Course Textbooks: --Costas, Orlando. Christ Outside the Gate (Wipf & Stock, 2005) ISBN: 159-7523-410 --Costas, Orlando. Liberating News (Wipf & Stock, 2002) ISBN: 978-1579-109-387 --Grenz, Stanley. Theology for the Community of God (Eerdmans, 2000) ISBN: 978-0802-847-653 --Kirk, Andrew. What is Mission? (Fortress, 2000) ISBN: 978-8080-0632-335 --Stone, Howard & James Duke. How to Think Theologically (Fortress, 2006) 978-0800-638-184 Learning Outcomes: By the end of the course, the student will be able to: 1. Articulate basic classical elements utilized for theological discourse 2. Articulate basic theological methods used in the history of theology 3. Identify and articulate the basic theological content of the doctrines of conversion, sanctification, Spirit, ecclesiology, and eschatology across diverse Christian traditions 4. Compare and contrast different theological methods, traditions, and working assumptions within Protestant/Evangelical/Pentecostal Christian faith 5. Identify and articulate basic global, contextual, prophetic, holistic, and institutional aspects of theological discourse, and how this relates to our respective theological traditions, experiences, convictions, ministry paradigms, and our missional practices. 1
Course Requirements: 1. Class Attendance/ Participation Students are required to attend and participate meaningfully in all class sessions for the entire meeting times. An absence will affect a student s final grade. The instructor will monitor the in-class participation of each student based on the assigned readings and assignments. Constructive participation is part of the student s final grade. Each student is expected to come prepared fully to each class with the assignments and completed readings. 2. Assigned Readings and Daily Reading Reports Students must read the material on a daily basis BEFORE CLASS and complete a Daily Reading Report Sheet to share in class and to utilize in preparation for a final examination at the end of the course. Readings will include selected Reading Handouts to complement the assigned textbooks. --DAILY READING REPORT: This is a 2-page (typed, double-spaced, 1 margins, cover page, 11 cpi/calibri) report that summarizes the reading with the following questions to answer-- 1- WHAT WAS THE MOST CRUCIAL POINT, IDEA OR QUESTION THAT MOST CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION FROM THE ASSIGNED READING AND WHY SO? EXPLAIN CLEARLY. 2- WHAT OUTSTANDING THING DID YOU LEARN THAT YOU DIDN T KNOW BEFORE? BE CLEAR, CONCISE, AND PRECISE. EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER. WHY IS THIS NEW TO YOU? 3- WHAT 1 ITEM WAS MOST CHALLENGING TO YOU AND WHY? EXPLAIN CLEARLY. 3. DAILY JOURNAL ENTRY Each student must write a Daily Journal Entry based on the previous class session that includes the assigned reading and any other assignment, class lecture or class discussion. Your journal attempts to connect the course material to your own personal, ministerial, and spiritual life as a theological thinker and as a Christian minister (Priesthood of All Believers). --REQUIRED FORMAT: (2-pages, typed, double-spaced, 1 margins, cover page, 11 cpi/calibri) A) WHAT THEOLOGICAL QUESTION, ISSUE OR PROBLEM MOST CAUGHT MY ATTENTION TODAY? B) WHY MAKES THIS A THEOLOGICAL MATTER AND HOW DOES IT RELATE TO MY PERSONAL LIFE, MY MINISTRY OR THE WORLD TODAY? Give some specific examples to make this clear. C) WHY IS THIS MATTER IMPORTANT FOR YOUR OWN SPIRITUAL LIFE, DEVELOPMENT, AND CALLING? Be specific and be clear. Use examples to explain your answer. 4. Daily Quiz: A daily quiz will be given at the beginning of each class based on the assigned readings. The quiz is short and totally objective (straight from the text). 5. A Final Examination will be administered at the end of the course. It will be a basic summary of the assigned readings, the class discussions, lectures, and other written course assignments, along with your own insights, perspective, and self-conscious understanding of the course material. Course Grading: The student s grade will be determined as follows: 2
--Participation/Attendance 10% --Daily Quizzes 10% --Reading Reports 20% --Journal Entries 20% --Final Exam 40% Grade Achievement Quality Points A 100-96 Work of exceptional quality 4.00 A- 95-93 3.70 B+ 92-90 3.30 B 89-86 Work of commendable quality 3.00 B- 85-83 2.70 C+ 82-80 2.30 C 79-76 Work of acceptable but minimal quality 2.00 C- 75-73 1.70 D+ 72-70 1.30 D 69-66 Substandard and barely passing work 1.00 D- 65-63 0.70 F 62-below Failure 0.00 Grading Rubric: After all the requirements of the course have been completed, the instructor will use the following rubric for the assignment of grades, based on the overall performance in the class. The grades assigned represent the instructor s use of the following standard: A = Outstanding mastery of the subject: excellence is evident in preparation for and attendance in class sessions; unusual ability to retain, analyze and synthesize the material; with a positive attitude making productive contributions to the learning community in the classroom. COMPLETED EVERYTHING WITH EXEMPLARY EXCELLENCE B = Good mastery of the subject: sincere effort in preparation for and attendance in class sessions; ability to master the essential aspects of the material; with a mostly consistent attitude in making contributions to the learning community in the classroom. COMPLETED MOST THINGS WITH GOOD PERFORMANCE C = Basic mastery of the subject: inconsistent effort in preparation for and attendance in class sessions; engagement with the material but difficulty in grasping some of its aspects; with occasional contributions to the learning community in the classroom. COMPLETED SOME THINGS WITH AVERAGE ABILITY D = Inadequate mastery of the subject. BARELY COMPLETED ANYTHING WITH MINIMAL ABILITY F = Failure: course must be repeated. 3
Warning on Plagiarism: Helpful guidelines on plagiarism can be found on the Indiana University website http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/plagarism.html. This document has the official recognition of the Gordon-Conwell faculty and provides very helpful tools to guide you as you prepare for your assignments. If a student is caught plagiarizing, the student will receive the consequences of this act according to the process established by the seminary. Intellectual Property Rights: To protect the professor s intellectual property rights with regards to classroom content, students are asked to refrain from audio and video recording of classes, as well as audio, video, and written publication (including internet posting and broadcasting) or live transmission of classroom proceedings. Use of Cell Phones: Out of courtesy and respect to your fellow student, to the course instructor and basic consideration to an official instructional environment, ALL STUDENTS WILL REFRAIN FROM USING A CELL PHONE DURING CLASS SESSIONS. Please DO NOT DISRUPT the class with your need or desire to speak with someone on the phone during an active class session. IF it is an emergency, you should have your phone in a vibrate mode to exit the class, IF such a conversation is warranted. OTHERWISE, NO ONE SHOULD BE SPEAKING ON A PHONE WHILE A CLASS SESSION IS OPERATIVE. Course Schedule FOR THURSDAY, May 17-- Reading: Costas, Preface, Introduction, chapter 1. Kirk, Introduction, chapter 1. Stone-Duke, Forward, Preface, Acknowledgements, chapters 1 & 2. Grenz, Introduction & Chapter 1 Session #1: Introduction to Theology What is the nature, scope, purpose, limit, and impact of theological discourse? What is the tension between the universal and the particular? What role does context play and social location? What are the basic classical sources and elements for doing theology? How do we arrive at, develop, appraise, and appropriate theological doctrines? Costas, Kirk, Stone-Duke, Grentz: How do the authors understand and undertake the theological enterprise? What are the major themes, issues, questions, and problems at stake for the church and the world? How can we compare/contrast their methodological, hermeneutical, and substantive work? What role does the question of context, culture, the biblical canon, and the poor, play in their theological discourse? What is their understanding of the gospel, mission, church, and spirituality? Why are doctrinal matters important for doing theology? FOR FRIDAY, May 18 Reading: Kirk, chapters 4-6. Duke-Stone, chapters 14-17. Grentz, 15-16. What makes for any outstanding differences or similarities? What are the nuances on the basic terms used according to the readings? What are some tentative conclusions? 4
Session #2: The Doctrine of Conversion, Sanctification, and Spirit What is at the heart of the doctrines of conversion, sanctification, and Spirit according to the readings? How do we compare/contrast the diverse positions and claims? What sources used by the authors offer insights or require more clarification into this doctrine? How much of this is first order theological discourse and how much is second order? Which ones takes precedence with whom? Why so? What is at stake for efficacious Christian mission, prophetic gospel proclamation, and integral spiritual development and integrity according to these doctrines? FOR SATURDAY, May 19 Reading: Costas, chapters 4-6, 10, Epilogue. Kirk, chapters 2-6, 11. Stone-Duke, chapters 14-19. Grentz, chapters 17-19. Session #3: The Doctrine of Ecclesiology (Church) How might you compare and contrast the different traditions and statements regarding the doctrine of the church according to the readings? What is at the core and what is stake according to the doctrine of the church, as these authors approach and discuss this doctrine? What are the dangers of a questionable or unbalanced doctrine of the church? How might we assess the strength and weakness of a given doctrine of the church? What kind of criteria is important to consider and why? FOR SUNDAY, May 20 Reading: Kirk, Postscript. Stone-Duke, chapter 21 Grentz, chapters 22-14. Session #4: The Doctrine of Eschatology What has been the classical or traditional understanding of eschatology? What has been the emphasis and why so? What is the difference between dispensationalist, millenarian and millennial? What are the practical consequences for doing Christian ministry and church mission according to a given perspective of a doctrine of eschatology? What practical difference does it make for engaging in social justice ministries and gospel mission in the world? How might we compare and contrast some of the authors in their respective positions in the doctrine of eschatology? What underlying working assumptions serve to define, shape, ground, and limit their approach? Epilogue: Christ, Church, Mission, Contextual Theology & Social Location What is at the heart of the church s mission and its social, historical, cultural context? What difference does this make for a doctrine of conversion, sanctification, Holy Spirit, ecclesiology, and eschatology? What do we understand now about context, social location, and how this underlies, shapes, limits, and informs our theological discourse, our respective doctrinal positions, and how we engage in local church ministry and gospel mission? Sunday, May 20 Last Class Session: Final Examination (In Class), Closing Evaluations & Class Celebration 5