Messiah College THEO 205 Introduction to Christian Theology Summer 2013 May 29 - July 20, 2012

Transcription

1 Messiah College THEO 205 Introduction to Christian Theology Summer 2013 May 29 - July 20, 2012 Instructor: Dr. Sharon L. Baker Phone: sbaker@messiah.edu Course Description: Introduction to Christian Theology is a survey course dealing with the history and present expressions of classic understandings of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, humanity, creation, redemption, etc. Issues of theological method are introduced especially as they relate to the integration of faith and learning in various disciplines. This course meets the General Education Christian beliefs requirement. Course Objectives (1) Enable students to acquire a basic familiarity with theological ways of thinking and writing. In order to achieve this objective, the course will: provide a basic introduction to the vocabulary, conceptuality, and important themes in the history of Christian theology; introduce students to issues of theological method, including the sources and tasks of Christian theology; explore some of the ways in which language functions in shaping our patterns of thought, theological convictions and will raise the question of appropriate language for making reference to God and God s activity in the world. challenge students to develop and improve critical, analytical, and written communication skills. The course will seek to guide the student in the tasks of identifying and evaluating the claims, and arguments offered in support of those claims, by the theologians we will encounter in classroom presentations and the research assignment. (2) Facilitate the development of one s own theological convictions and provide tools for the ongoing task of theological reflection. Pursuing this objective will include: exploring ways to integrate biblical interpretation, wisdom from the Christian theological tradition, Christian and human experience, reason, and insights from other sources in thinking about God, the life of the Christian community, and the world;

2 interacting with and learning to appreciate diverse perspectives and understandings of the Christian faith, which will allow the student to clarify his or her own beliefs and to deepen his or her understanding of the Christian religion; seeking to understand the relationship between Christian beliefs, church practices, and ethical issues. In pursuing this goal, we will pay attention to the relationship between theological reflection and the social, cultural, and political context within which particular theologians have lived and worked. (3) To help students understand and affirm central beliefs of the Christian faith. (4) To help students understand Anabaptist, Wesleyan, and Pietistic theological distinctives, while being sensitive to the different ways the Christian faith can be articulated. (5) To help students build a foundation for reflection on the integration of faith and learning in different major programs of study. Required Texts Rachel Held Evans, Evolving in Monkey Town Daniel Taylor, The Myth of Certainty Daniel Migliore, Faith Seeking Understanding Coleson, Ezer Cenegdo (printed format in bookstore; online format at ) Netflix Membership or another means to access the movies to be used as texts for instructor s powerpoint presentations and discussion board conversations. Course Requirements A. Forum Participation Since we are not able to interact in a traditional classroom, the Forums are designed to facilitate conversation and argumentation (vigorous discussion and sometimes disagreement in the form of academic debate rather than argument that is the product of personal animosity). The goal of these conversations is to allow us to learn from one another, to ask questions, to seek clarification, and to debate and wrestle with difficult theological issues and questions. The personal reflection post is due every Friday before 11pm. The two responses to classmates are due every Saturday before 11pm. A 10% point deduction will be applied for late postings. Contributions should be one to two short paragraphs in length (at the very least, seven sentences) and reflect genuine engagement with the material. If your contribution is fluffy, you will be informed (privately) by the board moderator (me) that this particular contribution does not count. The key is to contribute something that moves the

3 conversation forward. If you merely agree (you are free to agree, disagree, or agree with some qualification) with another class member but do not say something new, this is a fluffy post. I will create the forums and the topics for each forum. Students must start threads within each topic by posting their own forum reflection. Each student will respond to two other threads (student reflections) within each topic, each week. Every week, therefore, students will post on major reflection on the topic and two reflective responses to two classmates. Please feel free to respond more than the required two postings to classmates. These reflections and responses will enable us to enter into more productive and meaningful conversations on theological topics covered during the course. Each forum post is worth 25 points for a total of 75 points each week. B. Exams Students will take three exams. Questions for the exams will be taken from the readings and from classroom discussion. Exams will include multiple choice, matching, and short answer essay questions. Check the schedule for due dates. Late submission will result in a 5 point grade reduction per day. Worth 100 points each = 300 total. C. Reflection Essay Write a three page personal reflection on Evolving in Monkey Town. What did you like about the book and why? What questions did it raise? How has it affected your own faith journey? How would you critique the book and why? Worth 100 points. D. Theological Belief Statement Personal Theological Belief Statement As a final project, students will construct their own statement of theological beliefs structured according to the theological topics read and discussed in class: Trinity, God, Christ: Person, Christ: Work (atonement), Holy Spirit, creation, humanity and sin, and Ecclesiology. Since theology is manifested through holy living and practical service, each student must also include a practical section in his or her statement, either after each section that answers the question how can I apply my theology in this area to my life (or to ministry)? The paper will take the form of I believe statements, each with citations from tradition and scripture. Each statement should include a brief sentence beginning with I believe... with two or three supporting sentences that function as an explanation. This is a research paper and must include sources from the Bible and from tradition to support each of your beliefs. Writing style must be in Turabian or Chicago Manual of Style with footnotes or parenthetical references. You must include page numbers for each source citation. Be sure to document all sources used in order to avoid plagiarism (see the policy on academic integrity attached). Migliore and McKim are valuable resources for this project. Points will be deducted for non-inclusive language (e.g., man instead of humanity ). Messiah College s inclusive language policy is found online in the student handbook. That said, personal piety is much respected, so the inclusive language requirement does not extend to your language about God. You may continue to use gender specific pronouns for the

4 God, according to your own personal piety. A grading rubric is attached to the syllabus. This assignment is due on July 22. Late submission will result in a 5 point grade reduction per day. 100 points total. Course Policies All assignments and tests must be turned in by 11:00 p.m. of the due date for full credit unless there are extenuating circumstances that have been discussed with me by phone or . Time extensions will be granted if there are significant g circumstances beyond the student s control. Grading GRADING SCALE: Numerical Grade Points Letter Grade = A = A = B = B = B = C = C = C = D = D 50-0 = F Exams = Belief Statement = Reflection Essay = Forum Posts = Total = 300 points total 100 points 100 points 600 points total 1100 points Grading chart: If any of your received grades do not seem to match this chart, be sure to bring this to my attention in case I made a grading error. A = Honor, Outstanding. Almost always shows creativity, sound judgment, intellectual curiosity and communicates correctly and clearly. Almost always analyzes critically, synthesizes creatively, uses facts in original thinking, and generalizes logically. Shows sound techniques in all projects and uses knowledge effectively. Meets or exceeds stated course requirements with distinction in all aspects. B = Excellent, Above Average. Frequently shows creativity, sound judgment, intellectual curiosity and communicates correctly and clearly. Frequently analyzes critically, synthesizes creatively, uses facts in original thinking, and generalizes logically.

5 Shows sound techniques in most projects and uses knowledge effectively Meets or exceeds stated course requirements with excellence in most aspects. C = Good, Average. Shows sustained interest and is able to communicate well and understandably. Usually produces viable generalizations and satisfactorily organizes data. Good understanding of techniques in most projects. Meets stated course requirements with adequate performance in all aspects. D = Poor, Below Average. Exhibits interest. Marginal performance in communicating. Commits errors in fact and judgment when discussing material and has difficulty going beyond gathering and examining facts and data. Does not comprehend the concepts and ideas which are a part of the course. Does not gather and examine facts and data satisfactorily. Demonstrates minimal competence in the techniques of scholarship. Meets stated course requirements with adequate performance in some aspects. F = No Credit, Unsatisfactory. Shows sub-minimal interest. Does not communicate clearly enough to get ideas across. Does not comprehend the concepts and ideas which are a part of the course. Does not gather and examine facts and data satisfactorily. Does not use sound techniques of scholarship. Does not meet the standards and requirements. Messiah College Academic Integrity Policy Faculty Availability I can be reached at my address (sbaker@messiah) or Home phone: (717) or If all else fails, on my cell phone (717) I check my several times a day so that is the best way to reach me. Faculty Expectations Students should anticipate at least 15 hours per week on readings, assignments, films, and forum participation. In addition, the three tests will require approximately one hour to complete. NOTE: These are not open book tests!! You will be on your honor to keep your books closed and your notes put away. This is an 8-week course. Americans With Disabilities Act Any student whose disability falls within ADA guidelines should inform the instructor at the beginning of the semester of any special accommodations or equipment needs necessary to complete the requirements for this course. Students must register documentation with the Office of Disability Services (Hoffman ). If you have

6 questions, call extension System Requirements The following list represents configurations that provide the best performance with our learning management system and synchronous software and configurations the College is ready and able to support. Although, students may find that other configurations may work as well, those configurations may not be supported by Academic Technology Services. Internet Connection - High speed or broadband cable required; Satellite Broadband not recommended due to conflicts with synchronous software; Air cards may not be used Browser - Mozilla Firefox 3.0 or higher Operating System Version: - Windows XP (recommended) - Windows Vista - Windows 7 - Mac OS 10.4 or higher Desktop Processor (CPU): Pentium 4 at 2.0 GHz or faster Laptop Processor (CPU): Centrino (or Centrino Duo) 1.5 GHz or faster Memory (RAM): Windows XP: 512 MB or more Windows Vista: 1024 MB or more Windows 7: 1024 MB or more Mac OS: 1024 MB or more Hard Disk Space: 40 GB or more of free space CD-ROM/CD-RW drive (DVD or combo drive helpful) Any Office Suite; Examples include Microsoft Office 2007 or newer, OpenOffice 3.1, or Google Docs Minimum Computer Skills Requirements Students who enroll in an online course must have basic computer skills as described in the course syllabus and on Messiah s portal, MCSquare. You must have access to a computer, the Internet, a web browser (variety, version, and configuration as specified in MCSquare), and other software necessary to complete course requirements. Helpful Links at Messiah College Ask a Librarian:

7 Student Computer Services: How Do I Get IT (Information Technology) Support? Student technology support is available: 7am-11pm Monday thru Friday 8am-11pm Weekends and Holidays Phone: (717) , ext helpdesk@messiah.edu for support during regular business hours.