COURSE SYLLABUS. Course Description. Course Readings. Crisp, Oliver, A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology (New York: T & T Clark, 2009).

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1 COURSE SYLLABUS TH 8XX Contemporary Analytic Christian Theology Patrick T. Smith, Course Instructor Fall Semester 2012 Monday afternoons Phone: (978) Course Description This course explores some of the recent issues in analytic theology by surveying select categories in systematic theology. Attention is given to philosophical and conceptual issues that emerge when reflection is given to the central doctrines of historic orthodox Christianity and their implications for Christian thought and ministry. (Prerequisites: TH 504 Systematic Theology I, TH 605 Systematic Theology II, TH 607 Systematic Theology III) Required Textbook: Course Readings Crisp, Oliver, A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology (New York: T & T Clark, 2009). Required Essays: Abraham, William J. Systematic Theology as Analytic Theology, in Oliver Crisp and Michael Rea (eds), Analytic Theology (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009). Alston, William P. The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Divine Nature and Human Language: Essays in Philosophical Theology (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1989). Blount, Douglas K. On the Incarnation of a Timeless God, in Gregory E. Ganssle and David M. Woodruff (eds.), God and Time: Essays on the Divine Nature (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002). Clark, David K. Beyond Inerrancy: Speech Acts and an Evangelical View of Scripture, in James K. Beilby (ed.), For Faith and Clarity: Philosophical Contributions to Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006). Copan, Paul. Original Sin and Christian Philosophy, Philosophia Christi, Series 2, 5/2 (2003):

2 Craig, William Lane and J. P. Moreland. The Trinity, in Michael Rea (ed.), Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology, Volume I: Trinity, Incarnation, Atonement (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009). Craig, William Lane and Paul Copan. Creatio ex Nihilo and Abstract Objects, Creation out of Nothing: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004).. Understanding the Notion of Creatio ex Nihilo, Creation out of Nothing: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004). Crisp, Oliver D. On Analytic Theology, in Oliver Crisp and Michael Rea (eds), Analytic Theology (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009). Cross, Richard. Two Models of the Trinity? in Michael Rea (ed.), Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology, Volume I: Trinity, Incarnation, Atonement (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009). Davis, Stephen T. Resurrection and Judgment Risen Indeed: Making Sense of the Resurrection (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993).. Seeing the Risen Jesus Christian Philosophical Theology (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006).. The Resurrection of the Dead Christian Philosophical Theology (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006).. The Wrath of God and the Blood of Christ, Christian Philosophical Theology (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006).. Was Jesus Raised Bodily? Christian Philosophical Theology (New York: Oxford University Press, 2006). DeWeese, Garrett. Atemporal, Sempiternal, or Omnitemporal: God s Temporal Mode of Being, in Gregory E. Ganssle and David M. Woodruff (eds.), God and Time: Essays on the Divine Nature (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002). Helm, Paul. The Problem of Dialogue, in Gregory E. Ganssle and David M. Woodruff (eds.), God and Time: Essays on the Divine Nature (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002). MacDonald, Gregory. A Hell of a Problem The Evangelical Universalist (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2006). McCall, Thomas. On Understanding Scripture as the Word of God, in Oliver Crisp and Michael Rea (eds), Analytic Theology (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009). 2

3 Merricks, Trenton. The Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting, in Michael Rea (ed.), Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology, Volume II: Providence, Scripture, and Resurrection (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009). Murray, Michael J. Heaven and Hell, in Michael J. Murray (ed.), Reason for the Hope Within (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999). Reichenbach, Bruce. Divine Revelation: Discernment and Interpretation, in James K. Beilby (ed.), For Faith and Clarity: Philosophical Contributions to Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006). Senor, Thomas D. Incarnation, Timelessness, and Leibniz s Law Problems, in Gregory E. Ganssle and David M. Woodruff (eds.), God and Time: Essays on the Divine Nature (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002). van Inwagen, Peter. The Possibility of Resurrection in Michael Rea (ed.), Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology, Volume II: Providence, Scripture, and Resurrection (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009). Wolterstorff, Nicholas. How Philosophical Theology Became Possible within the Analytic Tradition of Philosophy, in Oliver Crisp and Michael Rea (eds), Analytic Theology (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009).. Justice of God, in James K. Beilby (ed.), For Faith and Clarity: Philosophical Contributions to Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006).. Chapter 15, What is Forgiveness? in Justice in Love. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Chapter 16, How the Recognition of Forgiveness Came About and What s It s Point? in Justice in Love. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Chapter 17, Does Forgiveness Violate Justice? in Justice in Love. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Highly Recommended Textbooks: McCall, Thomas H. Which Trinity? Whose Monotheism? Philosophical and Systematic Theologians on the Metaphysics of Trinitarian Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Rea, Michael. Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology, Volume I: Trinity, Incarnation, Atonement. New York: Oxford University Press, Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology, Volume II: Providence, Scripture, and Resurrection. New York: Oxford University Press,

4 Wolterstorff, Nicholas. Justice in Love. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, Course Objectives The student who successfully completes this course should develop and demonstrate the following skills: 1. A basic understanding of the role, importance, and unique contribution of analytic philosophy in the discipline of Christian theology. 2. Familiarity of the vocabulary and key concepts relevant to the study of analytic Christian theology. 3. An aptitude for examining arguments for and against various conceptual models of Christian historic orthodox doctrine. 4. Competency in reading, studying and analyzing philosophical writings. 5. An ability to ask relevant questions to gain an understanding of the material discussed in class. 6. A deeper appreciation for analytic theology as it relates to preparation for various areas of ministry in the context both of the local church and in the broader contemporary culture. Course Requirements 1. Attendance students should plan on attending all class sessions and be prepared to discuss and engage the topic for the week. 2. Assigned Readings some of the reading material is covered in class. However, there are elements that will not be brought out in class but are still essential to gaining an understanding of the material and successfully completing the course. Therefore, the reading provides a rich and necessary component of the learning experience. a. Textbook Reading- The students will be responsible for reading the assigned sections of the course textbooks by the assigned dates stated below. b. Reading Handouts- Students are also responsible for reading all handouts, essays, and articles reserved by the instructor. These essays serve as a necessary supplement to the material discussed in class Students are to indicate in writing how much of the assigned reading was completed. This is to be submitted with the final paper presentation on the last day of class. 2. Analytic Theology Interaction Papers students will be responsible for writing three analytic theology interaction papers over the course of the semester. The papers are to be essays on portions of a text or select articles assigned for the course. Students are to do three things in the assignment. (1) Briefly identify a potential conceptual problem that emerges in Christian theology in one of the specific areas covered in the course 4

5 reading. (2) Briefly discuss one way the issue has been addressed in the literature (NOTE: it should be from sources that read in class so that each student can engage in questions and discussion). (3) Then philosophically engage these views perhaps even constructing your own model to the problem. Explain how you would articulate your conception or understanding of the issue using an analytic approach to theology while taking into account the historic orthodox Christian tradition and relevant biblical material. There is to be serious theological and philosophical engagement in students essays with the reading material. The papers are to approximately 1500 words in total length. There are two main reasons for this assignment: (i) students will learn more about the subject matter, in more depth, if they do frequent analytical and philosophical writing on the topic. (ii) Short papers force students to focus arguments carefully, as they eliminate the opportunity for disorganization and for the excess fluff that is common to some academic writing. Students should not equate the brevity of the assignment length with a low level of difficulty. There should be enough time allotted to adequately plan for and write the papers in order for them to be done well. The papers are to be typed, double-spaced, neatly formatted, stapled, and free of any spelling and grammatical errors. The papers will be graded on their clarity and faithfulness to the assigned topic. No late papers will be accepted. 3. Paper Presentation there will be a paper presentation for this course. Students are to take one of their analytic theology papers developed from the assigned reading materials and make a presentation of their work to the class. Other students participating in the course will discuss and charitably interact with the presented paper. The presentations will be spread out over the course of the semester with the majority being done on week 14. Though there will be a number of papers that need to be presented in earlier weeks to ensure that each student has adequate time to present during the semester and for others in the class to substantially interact with the papers. Students are to provide a copy of the paper to the instructor at least three days before their scheduled presentations. The instructor will then provide an electronic copy of the submitted papers to the class so that the papers can be downloaded in preparation for discussion and interaction with the work. 4. Ministry Appreciation Paper students are to submit a two-page paper that describes the relevance of an analytic approach to theology and how it can contribute to the work of parish and academic ministry. The papers are to be typed, double-spaced, neatly formatted, stapled, and free of any spelling and grammatical errors. The papers will be graded on their clarity and faithfulness to the assigned topic. Course Grading The student s grade will be determined as follows: Reading/ Participation/Attendance 10% Analytic Theology Interaction Papers (3) 60% Class Presentation 20% Ministry Appreciation Paper 10% 5

6 Grade Achievement Quality Points A Work of exceptional quality 4.00 A B B Work of commendable quality 3.00 B C C Work of acceptable but minimal quality 2.00 C D D Substandard and barely passing work 1.00 D F 62-below Failure 0.00 Grading Rubric: After all the requirements of the course have been completed, the instructor will use the following rubric for the assignment of grades, based on the overall performance of the class. The grades assigned will represent the instructor s interpretation of the following standard: A = Outstanding mastery of the subject: excellence is evident in preparation for and attendance in class sessions; unusual ability to retain, analyze and synthesize the material; with a positive attitude making productive contributions to the learning community in the classroom. B = Superior mastery of the subject: sincere effort in preparation for and attendance in class sessions; ability to master the essential aspects of the material; with a mostly consistent attitude in making contributions to the learning community in the classroom. C = Basic mastery of the subject: inconsistent effort in preparation for and attendance in class sessions; engagement with the material but difficulty in grasping some of its aspects; with occasional contributions to the learning community in the classroom. D = Inadequate mastery of the subject. F = Failure: course must be repeated. Warning on Plagiarism: Helpful guidelines on plagiarism can be found on the Indiana University website This document has the official recognition of the Gordon-Conwell faculty and provides very helpful tools to guide you as you prepare for your assignments. If a student is caught plagiarizing, the student will receive the consequences of this act according to the process established by the seminary. 6

7 Intellectual Property Rights: To protect the professor s intellectual property rights with regard to classroom content, students are asked to refrain from audio and video recording of classes, as well as audio, video, and written publication (including internet posting and broadcasting) or live transmission of classroom proceedings. Internet Usage: Students are asked to refrain from accessing the internet at any point during class sessions, unless otherwise instructed by the professor. Surfing the web, checking , and other internet-based activities are distracting to other students and to the professor, and prevent the student from fully participating in the class session. Course Schedule Date Topic/Assignments Reading Week 1: Introduction to Analytic Christian Theology Oliver D. Crisp, On Analytic Theology, in Analytic Theology, edited by Crisp and Rea. William J. Abraham, Systematic Theology as Analytic Theology, in Analytic Theology, edited by Crisp and Rea. Nicholas Wolterstorff, How Philosophical Theology Became Possible within the Analytic Tradition of Philosophy, in Analytic Theology, edited by Crisp and Rea. Week 2: Week 3: Revelation and Scripture Revelation and Scripture (cont.) David K. Clark, Beyond Inerrancy: Speech Acts and an Evangelical View of Scripture, in For Faith and Clarity: Philosophical Contributions to Christian Theology, edited by James K. Beilby. Nicholas Wolterstorff, True Words, in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. Stephen T. Davis, The Bible is True, in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. Thomas McCall, On Understanding Scripture as the Word of God, in Analytic Theology, edited by Crisp and Rea. Paul Helm, Infallibility, in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. Bruce Reichenbach, Divine Revelation: Discernment and Interpretation, in For Faith and Clarity: Philosophical Contributions to Christian Theology, edited by James K. Beilby. 7

8 Week 4: Week 5: First Reading Week Week 6: The Doctrine of the Trinity No Class Meeting ASSIGNMENT: Substantial work on Analytic Theology Interaction Paper #1. The Doctrines of Creatio Ex Nihilo and Conservation & God, Time, and Divine Temporal Relationality DUE: Analytic Theology Interaction Paper #1 Thomas H. McCall, Which Trinity? The Doctrine of the Trinity in Contemporary Philosophical Theology in Which Trinity? Whose Monotheism? Philosophical and Systematic Theologians on the Metaphysics of Trinitarian Theology. Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Social Trinity and Tritheism, in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. Peter van Inwagen, Three Persons in One Being: On Attempts to Show that the Doctrine of the Trinity is Self-Contradictory, in A Reader in Contemporary Phil. Theology. (RECOMMENDED) Richard Cross, Two Models of the Trinity? in Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology, Volume I: Trinity, Incarnation, Atonement edited by Michael Rea. (REQUIRED) Brian Leftow, A Latin Trinity, in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. (REQUIRED) William Lane Craig and Paul Copan, Creatio ex Nihilo and Abstract Objects, Creation out of Nothing: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration (chapter 5). (REQUIRED) Thomas D. Senor, Incarnation, Timelessness, and Leibniz s Law Problems, in God and Time: Essays on the Divine Nature edited by Gregory E. Ganssle and David M. Woodruff. William Lane Craig and Paul Copan, Understanding the Notion of Creatio ex Nihilo, Creation out of Nothing: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration (chapter 4). Garrett DeWeese, Atemporal, Sempiternal, or Omnitemporal: God s Temporal Mode of Being, in God and Time: Essays on the Divine Nature edited by Gregory E. Ganssle and David M. Woodruff. Paul Helm, The Problem of Dialogue, in God and Time: Essays on the Divine Nature edited by Gregory E. Ganssle and David M. Woodruff. 8

9 Week 7: Week 8: Week 9: Second Reading Week The Doctrine of the Incarnation of an Eternal and Infinite God The Doctrine of the Incarnation of an Eternal and Infinite God (continued) & The Doctrine of Soteriology No Class Meeting ASSIGNMENT: Substantial work on Analytic Interaction Paper # 2. Douglas K. Blount, On the Incarnation of a Timeless God, in God and Time: Essays on the Divine Nature edited by Gregory E. Ganssle and David M. Woodruff. Peter Forrest, The Incarnation: A Philosophical Case for Kenosis, in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. Thomas V. Morris, Rationality and the Christian Revelation, in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. Nicholas Wolterstorff, Justice of God, in For Faith and Clarity: Philosophical Contributions to Christian Theology, edited by James K. Beilby. Nicholas Wolterstorff, What is Forgiveness? in Justice in Love. Nicholas Wolterstorff, How the Recognition of Forgiveness Came About and What s It s Point? in Justice in Love. Nicholas Wolterstorff, Does Forgiveness Violate Justice? in Justice in Love. Richard Swinburne, The Christian Scheme of Salvation, in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. (RECOMMENDED) Oliver D. Crisp, Penal Non-Substitution, in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. (REQUIRED) William P. Alston, The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Divine Nature and Human Language: Essays in Philosophical Theology (Essay 11) (REQUIRED) Stephen T. Davis, Was Jesus Raised Bodily? in Christian Philosophical Theology edited by Stephen T. Davis. (REQUIRED) Stephen T. Davis, Seeing the Risen Jesus in Christian Philosophical Theology edited by Stephen T. Davis. 9

10 Week 10: Week 11: Week 12: Week 13: Original Sin & Sin DUE: Analytic Theology Interaction Paper #2 Doctrine of the Atonement The Doctrine of the General Resurrection Resurrection and Judgment DUE: Analytic Theology Interaction Paper #3 Robert M. Adams, Original Sin: A Study in the Interaction of Philosophy and Theology in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. Keith D. Wyma, Innocent Sinfulnesss, Guilty Sin: Original Sin and Divine Justice in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. Paul Copan, Original Sin and Christian Philosophy, Philosophia Christi, Series 2, 5/2 (2003): David Lewis, Do We Believe in Penal Substitution? in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology, edited by Oliver Crisp. Stephen T. Davis, The Wrath of God and the Blood of Christ, in Christian Philosophical Theology edited by Stephen T. Davis. Philip L. Quinn, Abelard on Atonement: Nothing Unintelligible, Arbitrary, Illogical, or Immoral about It in A Reader in Contemporary Philosophical Theology Peter van Inwagen, The Possibility of Resurrection in Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology, Volume II: Providence, Scripture, and Resurrection edited by Michael Rea. Trenton Merricks, The Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting, in Oxford Readings in Philosophical Theology, Volume II: Providence, Scripture, and Resurrection edited by Michael Rea. Stephen T. Davis, The Resurrection of the Dead in Christian Philosophical Theology edited by Stephen T. Davis. Gregory MacDonald, A Hell of a Problem, The Evangelical Universalist (chapter 1). Stephen T. Davis, Resurrection and Judgment, Risen Indeed: Making Sense of the Resurrection (chapter 8). Michael J. Murray, Heaven and Hell, in Reason for the Hope Within edited by Michael J. Murray. 10

11 Week 14: Class Wrap-Up Due: Ministry Appreciation Paper Remaining Student Presentations & Class Interaction 11