THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2020/2021

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Divinity : Theology and Ethics

Undergraduate Course: Contemporary Systematic Theologies (THET10071)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Divinity CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course engages in close study of recent work in Christian systematic theology. Covering a broad range of doctrines, including God, Creation, Providence, Christ, Spirit, Church, and Eschatology, it will explore the output of some of the most influential thinkers over the last twenty years such as Pannenberg, Jenson, Williams, Tanner, Welker, Coakley, Sonderegger, Webster, Ward, Abraham, and Yong. Consideration will be given to different methodologies, perspectives and styles, and also to the agenda of problems with which recent theologians have worked.
Course description Academic description:

This course engages in close study of recent work in Christian systematic theology. Covering a broad range of doctrines, it will explore the output of some of the most influential thinkers over the last twenty years including Pannenberg, Jenson, Williams, Tanner, Welker, Coakley, Sonderegger, Webster, Ward, Abraham, and Yong. Consideration will be given to different methodologies, perspectives and styles and also to the agenda of problems with which recent theologians have worked.

Syllabus/outline content:

The course will follow a traditional creedal structure with attention given in successive weeks to recent work in the doctrine of God, creation, providence, anthropology, the person and work of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the church, sacraments and eschatology. (See 16 below for a full outline of topics and readings.)


Student learning experience information

The course comprises a one-hour lecture and one-hour seminar each week. Students are required to read a prescribed text each week and to prepare notes on this for class discussion. Each member of the class will deliver a 10-minute presentation at least once during the course, and all members of the class will be expected to contribute to group discussion. This may take the form of two or more sub-groups. Lectures will be interactive allowing time for questions and discussion. In relation to formative assessment, students are invited to send to the course organiser an outline of their essay plans. These can then be discussed either by email or in person. Through participation in all class meetings and through formative and summative assessment, students will be able to demonstrate the learning outcomes of the course.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students interested in contemporary Christian theology would benefit from this course.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2020/21, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 11, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11, Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 171 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 50 %, Coursework 30 %, Practical Exam 20 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Seminar presentation (1000 words) and participation: 20%
Essay (2000 words): 30%
Examination (24-hour take-home format): 50%
Feedback Students will receive formative oral feedback by week 5 on their selected essay topic, outline plan and reading materials.
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)2:00
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Identify and examine contextually key themes in recent systematic theology.
  2. Evaluate theological ideas in relation to Scripture, tradition and modernity.
  3. Identify the leading approaches in systematic theology today.
  4. Assess the main problems facing systematic theology today.
  5. Develop awareness of the inter-relatedness of doctrines.
Reading List
Indicative Bibliography

Abraham, William J. Divine Agency and Divine Action, Volume 3 Systematic Theology (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018)
Berkhof, Hendrikus. Christian Faith (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979).
Ford, David F (ed.). The Modern Theologians, 3rd edition (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005).
Gunton, Colin. Act and Being: Towards a Theology of the Divine Attributes (London: SCM, 2011).
Kärkkäinen, Veli-Matti. A Constructive Christian Theology for a Pluralistic World, Vols. 1¿5, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2013¿17).
McRandal, Janice. Christian Doctrine and the Grammar of Difference: A Contribution to Feminist Systematic Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2015).
Migliore, Daniel. Faith Seeking Understanding 2nd edition (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004).
Murphy, Francesca, Balazs Mezei, and Kenneth Oakes. Illuminating Faith: Invitation to Theology (London: Bloomsbury, 2014).
Planting Pauuw, Amy. Church in Ordinary Time: A Wisdom Ecclesiology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2017).
Plantinga Pauuw, Amy & Serene Jones (eds.). Feminist and Womanist Essays in Reformed Dogmatics (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006).
Suchocki, Marjorie Hewitt. God, Christ, Church: A Practical Guide to Process Theology (New York: Crossroad, 1986),
Thiselton, Anthony C. Systematic Theology (London: SPCK, 2015).
Webster, John. God Without Measure, Vol. 1 (London: T&T Clark, 2018).
Webster, John, Kathyrn Tanner and Iain R. Torrance (eds.). Oxford Handbook of Systematic Theology (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009).
Van der Kooi, Cornelius and Gijsbert van den Brink. Christian Dogmatics: An Introduction (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2017).
Williams, Rowan. Tokens of Trust (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2007).
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills 1. Critical thinking and reflection (through lectures, seminars, essay and exam)
2. Close reading skills (through seminars and essay)
3. Oral communication skills (through presentations and seminars)
4. Working within a peer group (through work in seminars and in sharing presentations).
KeywordsChristian theology,contemporary,doctrine,systematics
Contacts
Course organiserProf David Fergusson
Tel: (0131 6)50 8912
Email: David.Fergusson@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Rachel Dutton
Tel: (0131 6)50 7227
Email: rdutton@ed.ac.uk
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