Postgraduate Course: Systematic Theology: Recent Perspectives (THET11053)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course enables students to engage in depth with recent and current Christian systematic theologies, to reflect critically on the challenges to and within the project of systematic theology, and to consider the relationships between systematic theology and other disciplines and discourses. We will examine recent and current systematic theologies both for their overall 'architecture' and approach and for their treatment of specific doctrinal loci. |
| Course description |
Academic Description:
This course enables students to engage in depth with recent and current Christian systematic theologies, to reflect critically on the challenges to and within the project of systematic theology, and to consider the relationships between systematic theology and other disciplines and discourses. We will examine recent and current systematic theologies both for their overall 'architecture' and approach and for their treatment of specific doctrinal loci.
An indicative list of theologians whose work will be studied: Amos Yong, Kathryn Tanner, Katherine Sonderegger, Graham Ward, James H Evans Jr, Sarah Coakley, Veli-Matti Karkkainen.
Syllabus/Outline Content:
- Why should theology be systematic? Why shouldn't theology be systematic?
- Where do we start? - examining the architecture of theology
- Working with sources - Bible and tradition
- Working in context - locating contemporary systematic theologies
- Speaking of God: trinity and unity in systematic theology
- Jesus Christ
- The Holy Spirit
- Creation and the human creature
- The church and human community
- Where do we end? - eschatology and the future
Student Learning Experience Information:
This Level 11 course follows a programme of one combined lecture and seminar per week. Students' close preparatory reading of primary sources will enable discussion of themes and approaches. Seminars will involve student presentations of texts with a view to initiating wider group discussion.
Assessment will be through a presentation of approximately 10 minutes (20%) and a final essay of 4000 words (80%). The essay topics will be developed by students in consultation with the course organiser, and must involve detailed engagement with the work of at least two contemporary systematic theologians.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students interested in contemporary theology would benefit from this course. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify and examine contextually key themes in recent systematic theology.
- Evaluate theological ideas in relation to Scripture, tradition and modernity.
- Identify the leading approaches in systematic theology today.
- Assess the main problems facing systematic theology today.
- Develop skills in contemporary theological exposition and argumentation.
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Reading List
Evans, James H., Jr. We Have Been Believers: An African American Systematic Theology, 2nd edition (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012).
Ford, David F, with Rachel Muers (eds.). The Modern Theologians, 3rd edition (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2005).
Gunton, Colin. Act and Being: Towards a Theology of the Divine Attributes (London: SCM, 2011).
Higton, Mike. Christian Doctrine (London: SCM, 2008).
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).
Plantinga Pauuw, Amy & Serene Jones (eds.). Feminist and Womanist Essays in Reformed Dogmatics (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006).
Scott, Peter, and Michael Northcott (eds.) Systematic Theology and Climate Change: Ecumenical Perspectives (London: Routledge, 2014).
Suchocki, Marjorie Hewitt. God, Christ, Church: A Practical Guide to Process Theology (New York: Crossroad, 1986).
Tanner, Kathryn. Jesus, Humanity and the Trinity: A Brief Systematic Theology. (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001).
Thiselton, Anthony C. Systematic Theology (London: SPCK, 2015).
Van der Kooi, Cornelius and Gijsbert van den Brink. Christian Dogmatics: An Introduction (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2017).
Webster, John, Kathyrn Tanner and Iain R. Torrance (eds.). Oxford Handbook of Systematic Theology (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009).
Williams, A.N. The Architecture of Theology: Structure, System and Ratio (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011).
Yong, Amos. Renewing Christian Theology: Systematics for a Global Christianity. (Waco, TX: Baylor, 2014). |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Critical thinking and reflection (developed through lectures, seminars, and extended essay)
- Conceptual analysis and critical evaluation (developed through seminars, presentations and extended essay)
- Oral communication skills (developed through presentations and seminars)
- Working within a peer group (developed through work in seminars and in sharing presentations) |
| Keywords | Christian theology,contemporary,doctrine,systematics |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Rachel Muers
Tel:
Email: rachel.muers@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Rachel Dutton
Tel: (0131 6)50 7227
Email: rdutton@ed.ac.uk |
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