Content

In this unit you will discover that Christian doctrine is a lively and imaginative aspect of the Christian faith. You will encounter theologians from across many eras and contexts exploring how the different ideas generated by Christian faith are articulated and developed. The conversations between doctrine, the various theologies of scripture, changing contexts, diverse rationalties and human affections will be introduced. You will have the opportunity to engage the different genres through which doctrines are presented and received by the church: creeds, confessions, multi-volume systematics, and liturgies. The pivotal doctrines of God, Christology, Pneumatology, creation, humanity, salvation, church and hope will be explored in detail. Particular attention will be paid to the impact on specific doctrines of modern and post-modern thought in the West whilst also exploring the appropriation of the doctrinal tradition in contemporary non-Western Christianity. Against this background the roles of doctrine in shaping and misshaping the imagination of the church and of particular and local Churches will be noted.

Unit code: CT1000P

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 1

Unit discipline: Systematic Theology

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Pilgrim Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Describe the place of ideas in Christian faith.

2.

Understand doctrines as ways of articulating and organising Christianity's key ideas in conversation with scriptural witnesses, ecclesial traditions and cultural contexts.

3.

Articulate key doctrines of the Christian faith with historical and contextual awareness.

4.

Recognise the different roles which doctrine serves in the church.

Pedagogy

Interactive lectures which include input from the lecturer and significant opportunities to dialoue with the lecturer. Each lecture begins with a tutorial which provides a structured process to discuss, question and consolidate the issues raised the previous week.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Chan, Simon. Grassroots Asian Theology: Thinking the Faith from the Ground Up. Leciester: IVP, 2014.
  • Green, Gene L. and Stephen Pardue and K.K. Yeo. Majority World Theology: Christian Doctrine in Global Context. Downers Grove, IVP Academic, 2020.
  • Higton, Mike. The Life of Christian Doctrine. London: T&T Clark, 2020.
  • Kim, Grace Ji-Sun and Jenny Daggers (eds). Reimagining with Christian Doctrines: Responding to Global Gender Injustices. London: Palgrave Pivot, 2014.
  • Martell-Otero, Loida I., and Zaida Maldanao Perez and Elizabeth Conde-Frazier. Latina Evangelicas: A Theological Survey from the Margins. Eugene: Cascade: 2013.
  • McGrath, Alister E. Christian Theology: An Introduction. Sixth Edition. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2016.
  • Migliore, Daniel. Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology. Third Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2014.
  • Pauw, Amy Plantinga and Serene Jones (eds). Feminist and Womanist Essays in Reformed Dogmatics. Louisville: WJKP, 2011.
  • McRandal, Janice. Christian Doctrine and the Grammar of Difference: A Contribution to Feminist Systematic Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2015.
  • Towey, Anthony. An Introduction to Christian Theology: Biblical, Classical, Contemporary. Second Edition. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2018.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

Essay on definitions of theology

800 20.0
Document Study

Document study on creed, confession or doctrine

1200 30.0
Essay

Essay on contemporary themes

2000 50.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 1 Sep, 2022

Unit record last updated: 2022-09-01 10:53:08 +1000