Triune God: God's Ways with the World (CT9250T)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

This unit explores the centrality of the doctrine of the Trinity in the Christian faith, as reflected in the Christian Creeds. It moves from the study of New Testament materials to look at formative patristic developments. In addition, it examines directions taken in Trinitarian thought following its resurgence in the twentieth century, including critical examination of the implications of the doctrine for human life and creation.

Unit code: CT9250T

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Systematic Theology

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Trinity College Theological School

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Learning outcomes

1.

Articulate the centrality of the doctrine of the Trinity and its theological development from its Christological foundations.
2.

Critically assess the modern challenges to belief in God and the resurgence of trinitarian theology in the 20th century.
3.

Articulate differences in understanding the Trinity between the Eastern and Western churches and the implications of them for their identity and differentiation and the unity of the world church.
4.

Explicate implications of trinitarian theology for theological understanding of humanity and creation as a whole
5.

Critically evaluate a range of 20th century theologies of the Trinity, including social and feminist accounts and their use in theology and other disciplines

Unit sequence

CT8010T or equivalent

Pedagogy

This unit presumes a familiarity with the major doctrinal loci of the Christian faith, the articulation of those loci in the ecumenical creeds, and with some basic awareness of the sources and methods of theological enquiry. The unit builds on this foundational knowledge by concentrating on a single doctrine in depth and the ways in which – and the reasons why – it has evolved over the centuries.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics. Vol. I/1. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1975.
  • Emery, Gilles and Matthew Levering, eds, The Oxford Handbook of the Trinity, Oxford: OUP, 2011
  • Gunton, Colin E. The Promise of Trinitarian Theology. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1991.
  • Hunt, Anne. Trinity: Nexus of the Mysteries of Christian Faith. New York: Orbis, 2006.
  • Jenson, Robert W. &The Triune Identity. God According to the Gospel*. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2002.
  • Johnson, Elizabeth A. She Who Is. New York: Crossroad, 1994.
  • Kasper, W. The God of Jesus Christ. New Edition, London and New York: Continuum, 2012
  • Lacugna, Catherine M. God For Us. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1991.
  • Moltmann, Jürgen. The Trinity and the Kingdom of God. London: SCM, 1981.
  • Pannenberg, W. Systematic Theology. Vol. 1. London and New York: T&T Clark, 2014
  • Schwöbel, Christoph (ed.) Trinitarian Theology Today. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1995.
  • Sherlock, Charles. God on the Inside. Canberra: Acorn Press, 1991.
  • Tanner, Kathryn. Jesus, Humanity and the Trinity. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 2001.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Book Review

1500 word literature review

0 40.0
Essay

Research essay of 3,000 words

0 40.0
Seminar or Tutorial

Seminar paper and leadership of discussion (equivalent to 1,500 words)

 0 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 23 Oct, 2014

Unit record last updated: 2020-10-28 14:50:32 +1100