HT602ON - HISTORICAL THEOLOGY II / TS643ON HISTORY & THEOLOGY OF WESLEYAN-PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENT SPRING 2013

Transcription

1 HT602ON - HISTORICAL THEOLOGY II / TS643ON HISTORY & THEOLOGY OF WESLEYAN-PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENT SPRING 2013 Course Instructor: Robert Morehouse, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor in Historical Theology robert.morehouse@online.ptseminary.edu COURSE DESCRIPTION A continuation of HT601 through the 21st century with special attention given to the Holiness- Pentecostal movement. The various contemporary theologies will be critiqued from a Pentecostal perspective. LEARNING OUTCOMES At the completion of the course, student should be able to 1. Articulate the importance of historical theology in helping the church remain a faithful witness to the apostolic faith. 2. Exhibit an appreciation for the historical contextualization in which events take place and controversies develop. 3. Engage critically and appreciatively the history of Christian doctrine and practice since the 16 th century. 4. Trace decisive turning points in Reformation and post-reformation Christianity, with an emphasis on the development of doctrine and the formation of major movements/traditions. 5. Demonstrate knowledge of various pastoral and theological issues and institutional factors that shaped the theological and socio-political controversies of the Reformation era. 6. Identify major figures, events, ideas and practices in the historical development of Wesleyan- Pentecostalism. 7. Evaluate contemporary theologies through a Wesleyan-Pentecostal perspective. 8. Bring Wesleyan-Pentecostal theology into constructive dialogue with ecumenical concerns. METHODOLOGY In order to accomplish the said course objectives, the followings are expected of students and the course instructors: 1. Students will be introduced to multiple theological voices through assigned readings and other means of instruction. They are expected to engage them in constructive (and critical) theological dialogues and, in the process, learn to articulate their own distinctive Pentecostal beliefs responsive to the Pentecostal experiences. 2. Students are expected to engage the course instructor and one another in theological dialogues by asking informed questions from assigned readings and/or as response to teaching instructions given. Notably, the online discussion forums (unless instructed otherwise) will be utilized as venues to facilitate such dialogues. 3. Students are expected to correlate their theological learning with their ministry practices and spiritual formation. The theological learning in the Wesleyan-Pentecostal tradition has in view ministerial and spiritual practices in a local church. For this reason, open dialogues,

2 testimonial sharing, and/or text analysis of assigned readings are encouraged during discussions so long as they pertain to the subject matter at hand. 4. The entire process in this course (as well as course assignments) is understood as occasions of worship and witness in the presence of the Holy Spirit and the living Word. Students are hence expected to reverence the shared time together as such and act accordingly. COURSE TEXTBOOKS González, Justo L. A History of Christian Thought Vol. 3: From Protestant Reformation to the Twentieth Century. 2 nd rev. ed. Nashville: Abingdon, Kapic, Kelly M. and Bruce L. McCormick, eds. Mapping Modern Theology: A Thematic and Historical Introduction. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, Kärkkäinen, Veli-Matti (ed.) The Spirit in the World: Emerging Pentecostal Theologies in Global Contexts. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, McGrath, Alister. Reformation Thought. Fourth ed. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, Steinmetz, David. Taking the Long View: Christian Theology in Historical Perspective. New York: Oxford University Press, Note: additional required readings will be given week-to-week via the course website. COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1. Weekly Readings/Online Participation 2. Final Examination 3. Research Paper: The student is required to submit a research paper that covers a focused topic or issue relative to the scope and contents of this course. The paper must be typed, double-spaced, and pages in length, not counting the title page and bibliography. No fewer than 15 sources should be used and proper formatting and documentation (see below) are required. Also, a proposed topic for the research paper should be approved in writing (or ) prior to engaging the research project. A penalty will apply for those who have not had a topic approved. Students must follow the current Turabian Manual (Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers) for writing style and format, e.g. title page, footnotes, bibliography, etc.

3 WEEKLY SCHEDULE The course schedule (as well as reading assignments) is subject to change. It is the responsibility of students to check weekly announcements as well as weekly unit updates on the course syllabus and follow instruction(s) given. Discussion questions will be updated weekly; hence, your weekly participation is critical for learning in this course. You will have to complete a unit at a time for each week. A suggested weekly schedule runs as follows: 1. Tuesday: a. Read any announcements on the course site. b. Read unit updates in the course syllabus. c. Read any attachments/links. 2. Tuesday-Thursday: d. Complete the weekly assigned readings. 3. Friday-Monday: e. Post thoughtful, charitable, and informed replies to the discussion posts, interacting constructively with other students posts as well. 4. Monday: f. Drawing from your interaction with others, post your final thoughts on each of the discussion issues and/or questions. PLEASE NOTE that late participation (and submission of writing) will be penalized if accepted at all due to the compressed nature of online courses. STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES A. Begin each class session by checking the announcements (on Course Home page) for special instructions, changes in assignments, or other important messages. It is the student s responsibility to access, on a regular basis, all available information locations. It is also the responsibility of the student to have access to proper hardware in order to access course materials on a regular basis and to be knowledgeable of internet usage, , and threaded discussions. B. PLEASE NOTE that your participation in the discussion forum is how class attendance is checked. As part of class attendance and course requirements, students must participate in online discussions multiple times per week. C. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a cordial and Christian manner. Any communication that is deemed inappropriate by the Professor will be addressed individually with the offender. This includes, but is not limited to, personal affronts, vulgarity, undue sarcasm, flippancy, etc. Chronic offenders or those resisting guidance may be dismissed from the course. D. All work submitted must be your original work. Any information that is not original with you, or any work that cannot be considered public knowledge, must be properly cited in order to avoid plagiarism. E. When submitting papers or assignments, be sure to proof read to ensure proper grammar, spelling, format, content, etc. Always save a copy of submitted work for your own records and in case copies are lost or not transmitted properly. PLEASE NOTE that students are

4 expected to resubmit her/his work(s) when requested by the course instructor in case of work(s) being lost during the electronic transmission of s or other unexpected circumstances. F. The online format is reading intensive. Take time to read all assignments completely and carefully. Each unit of study will contain specific reading in textbook(s). In addition, hyperlinks to internet readings and uploaded documents may appear as additional reading assignments in some weekly units. Observe carefully all reading assignments. Failure to complete all reading assignments will greatly hinder success in the course. PTS ONLINE COURSES GUIDING PHILOSOPHY AND PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES The guiding philosophy and participation guidelines for PTS online courses are listed below. The philosophy and guidelines are general in nature and apply to all online courses taught at the Theological Seminary. Each professor is at liberty to include additional specific requirements that are consistent with PTS mission and academic standards as stated in the current Seminary Catalog. Students should acquaint themselves with these general policies as well as the specific policies of each individual course. Guiding Philosophy: 1. Online courses follow the PTS Academic calendar in the same manner as on-campus courses. 2. You must attend online courses each week according to the schedule posted by each online course Professor. You will be counted as Present or Absent in online courses based on your participation (attendance). The Seminary s absence policy applies in this regard. Students absence from weekly discussion participation that exceeds more than 2 units will be considered as the legitimate ground for the course instructor to dismiss the said student from the course. In case of unforeseen, exceptional emergencies, as soon as possible, students are responsible to notify the course instructor and make an alternate plan as needed and/or possible. 3. Online courses are not work at your own pace. You must participate each week as with any other class. Assignments, activities, etc, are required and have due dates attached. 4. Online courses are collaborative in nature. This means that every student is expected to participate and contribute to the ongoing dynamic of the course every week. Participation Guidelines: To accomplish the guiding philosophy, students are expected to participate according to the following guidelines: 1. Login to each of your online courses every week to access newly posted information, assignments, etc. 2. Check the course page several times per week for announcements, updates, or new instructions from the course Professor. 3. Contribute to the online class discussion by posting a reply, according to instructions given by the course instructor. This is a requirement for all courses: the online version of class discussion. It is also the only method used to check attendance.

5 4. Online courses are web based and are available to you 24/7 anywhere in the world. All that is required is internet access. Since courses are always available to you (anywhere, anytime), all classes must be attended and all units completed. In this sense, students are not allowed to miss class. Penalties do apply for late submission of course work(s). Depending on how late the course work(s) is/are submitted, it/they might at all be accepted. The course instructor reserves the right not to accept the late work(s). Additionally, network or ISP malfunctions are not excuses for missing assignments or course work. If local network settings (i.e., firewall or other protocols) interfere with access to the course, it is the student s responsibility to locate internet access that is compatible with the course delivery system. In case of internet technology emergencies, it is the students responsibility to notify the course instructor of the situation via , fax, or phone. 5. Make sure that your computer hardware and software are up to date and compatible with the online course delivery system. Sufficient hardware and software is the responsibility of each student. Skills and Competencies: To adequately navigate online courses basic computer skills are absolutely necessary. These basic skills must be somewhat more advanced than novice level. The following list of skills identifies those that are minimal for an effective online course experience. As one reaches for more proficiency, these basic skills must be accentuated with additional competencies. Computer Skills Minimal computer skills required are: Understand computer terminology and how the terms are applied. Effectively use a word processor, in particular Microsoft Word, and its basic operational functions. Ability to use the copy, cut and paste commands. Ability to save document files to your hard drive or other storage media. File management is essential. File sorting, creation of new files, directory trees, etc. are necessary for effective management of course and student records. Use of spreadsheets is important to effective course management. All courses may not require use of spreadsheets, but ability to navigate in this environment is certainly a plus. The skill to change basic computer settings (e.g., display settings, firewall settings). Trouble-shoot basic problems. Internet Skills Minimal skills required are: Access the Internet from any remote computer. Search for, find and view web sites by use of a browser. Maintain general knowledge and use of including receiving, sending, opening and viewing messages. Save, open and view attachments. Send an with an attachment. Participate in online discussion groups. Download and install programs or documents from the web.

6 6. Microsoft Word is required for submitting assignments. If you do not have Microsoft Word, it should be purchased if you desire to enroll in online courses (there are Word compatible freeware programs available online). 7. PLEASE NOTE that grades of I (Incomplete) and E (Extension of Time) do not apply to online courses (see the attached policy statement). Once an online course is started, the only options that are available are: Complete the course and receive a grade; Withdraw from the course before posted deadlines. PLEASE FURTHER NOTE that withdrawal must be processed according to the procedures described in the current edition of the Seminary Catalog. You must process by submitting proper forms and pay any fees due. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS PLEASE FURTHER NOTE the PTS policy on the intellectual property rights and note the following statements: Intellectual honesty is an obligation of the Christian commitment; therefore, the Seminary requires complete integrity in its students in such matters as the use of materials of research, in the submission of academic assignments, and in the taking of examinations. To this end, the following Student Intellectual Property policy was developed. Student intellectual property rights relate to faculty-produced course material and student-generated intellectual work. The Seminary recognizes the right of students duly enrolled in a course to take notes for personal study. Students do not have the right to take notes or disseminate them for commercial purposes without the written approval of the course instructor. Students shall not distribute or otherwise make notes taken in courses accessible on the Internet in any case unless approved by the instructor. Students may not record electronically (audio or visual) faculty lectures except for personal study and then only with prior approval of the instructor. At the beginning of each course, faculty members shall notify students what lecture/s, if any, students may record. Student recordings of lectures shall not be distributed to others without prior written permission of the instructor. In the event of a perceived violation, and after conferencing with the offending student, faculty may file a grievance with the Vice President for Academics. The matter shall be handled according to the grievance policies as stated in the Faculty Handbook and Student Handbook. Student intellectual property is also protected. Student produced ideational content in projects and papers may not be used by faculty, staff, or others in publications, presentations, or for commercial purposes without written approval of the student in question. In the event of a perceived violation, and after conferencing with the offending faculty or staff person, students may file a grievance with the Vice President for Academics where faculty are concerned or the Director of Administrative Services where staff are concerned. When a grievance cannot be resolved in consultation with the Vice President for Academics or Director of Administrative Services, the matter shall be handled

7 according to the grievance policies as stated in the Faculty Handbook and Student Handbook. INSTRUCTIONS FOR WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER Format for Writing The typical format for writing a research paper includes an introduction of the thesis, development of arguments in support of the thesis, and a conclusion. Introduction 1. The scope of the topic should be clearly defined. Choose a topic that you can manage to cover in a research paper. Provide a clear set of parameters (disclaimers, if needed) about the topic you chose to deal with in the paper. 2. Be precise in articulating your thesis proposal. Articulate in specific terms the thesis for which you will provide supporting arguments throughout the research paper. If asked, you should be able to state your thesis in a single sentence. 3. Describe your plan of development for the thesis proposal. In other words, what are some steps you plan to take in making a case for your thesis proposal? 4. Include a thesis statement (one sentence) for the research paper in this section. Body 1. The body of the paper should consist of multiple sections that help develop your thesis. These should be designated by Roman numerals (I, II, III, etc.) and should be titled appropriately for their content. 2. In developing the thesis of your paper, you should consider both primary and secondary sources. 3. Your research should be both historical and theological in nature. In others words, your paper should not just consist of detailed historical findings, but also an analytical and reflective assessment of how such historical findings inform and shape particular theological thoughts in Christian traditions. 4. The research in this paper should pay a careful attention to the particularities of historical-cultural context surrounding the subject matter at hand; however, it should also have in view the contemporary relevance of the research findings in the life of Christian church. 5. Your research paper should demonstrate the fact that Wesleyan-Pentecostal spirituality serves as your interpretative lens for providing a historical-theological reading of the subject matter at hand. Conclusion The conclusion should gather up the evidences given in the body, summarize them, and show how they support the thesis. Do not start a new argument, topic or question in your conclusion unless you are providing a new direction that the current research might point toward. Documentation for Research Paper 1. Bibliographic references should demonstrate an extensive research. Quality of the sources as well as how they were used is regarded as important in the evaluation of your work. It is also important that you use a variety of sources, e.g. monographs,

8 chapters, articles, etc. Books and journal articles (a minimum of ten sources in total) should be scholarly and for the most part be of recent publications. 2. Extensive quotations of sources should be used sparingly. The paper should represent your words and work, not a collage of quotations. 3. A Manual for Writers (Kate L. Turabian) is the appropriate manual for the format of footnotes and bibliography.