Students will be introduced to the foundational concepts for the study of theology. This will be achieved by examining and engaging in processes in which belief is formed. Students will examine Christian faith and beliefs in their historical context. Engaging with various theological contexts, this unit will address how Christian doctrinal claims have often emerged out of the refusal to believe something or someone. Through engaging with critical theological traditions, students will examine how Christians have practised their belief as integral to discipleship. This unit will also address the process of discernment of Christian beliefs as essential to the ongoing theological task.
Unit code: CT8123Z
Unit status: Approved (New unit)
Points: 24.0
Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational
Unit discipline: Systematic Theology
Proposing College: St Barnabas College
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Outline and evaluate the basic course concepts, themes and topics in, and varieties of, historical Christian theology at an introductory level. |
| 2. | Analyse the significant positions and debates about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit from which the early creeds emerged. |
| 3. | Trace the historical context and its influence on the development of theological beliefs and terminology in particular examples. |
| 4. | Analyse the direction and source, and the integrated and intersecting nature, of theological beliefs and concepts. |
| 5. | Assess the implications and significance of studying Christian theology for liturgy, homiletics, evangelism and mission, and ecclesiastical governance. |
| 6. |
Lectures, tutorials, and class discussion
• Athanasius, On the Incarnation, with an Introduction by C. S Lewis, translated and introduction by John Behr, New York: St Vladimir’s Press, 2011.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Discipleship. in Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works Volume. 4. Trans., Geoffrey B. Kelley and John D. Godsey. Ed., Barbara Green and Reinhard Krauss. Mineappolis, MI: Fortress Press, 2003.
• Shusaku Endo. Silence. Foreword., Martin Scorsese. Trans., William Johnson. New York: Picador, 2016.
• Stanley Hauerwas and William W. Willimon. Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony. 25th Anniversary Edition. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2014.
• Jennifer McBride. Radical Discipleship: A Liturgical Politics of the Gospel. Minneapolis, MI: Fortress Press, 2017.
• Christopher Morse. Not Every Spirit: A Dogmatics of Disbelief. 2nd Ed. London and New York: T&T Clark, 2009.
• Howard Thurman. Jesus and the Disinherited. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2012.
• Graham Ward. Unbelievable: Why We Believe and Why We Don’t. London: I.B. Tauris, 2014.
• _________. The Politics of Discipleship: Becoming Postmaterial Citizens. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009.
• Natalie K. Watson. Feminist Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003.
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper - Tutorial paper | 1500 | 25.0 | |
| Skeleton Argument - Formulating a Skeleton Argument | 1500 | 25.0 | |
| Essay - Major Essay | 3500 | 50.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 7 Nov, 2024
Unit record last updated: 2024-11-07 14:46:25 +1100