Faculty of Theology and Religion Lecture Descriptions Michaelmas Term 2014
Table of Contents Languages Core Lectures and Classes 1 Other Lectures and Classes 6 Preliminary Examinations Core Lectures and Classes 9 Biblical Studies Core Lectures and Classes 17 Other Lectures and Classes 24 History and Doctrine Core Lectures and Classes 28 Other Lectures and Classes 36 Philosophy, Psychology, Science, Sociology of Religion, and World Religions Core Lectures and Classes 40 Other Lectures and Classes 48 Moral and Pastoral Theology Core Lectures and Classes 50 Other Lectures and Classes 51 Special Lectures 53
Lectures begin on the first possible day after the beginning of Full Term (Sunday, 12 October) unless otherwise stated. Lectures will begin five minutes after the hour and finish at five minutes before the next hour. Students are reminded that the Theology and Religion Faculty Board places importance on lectures and classes, and that an outline of material given in lectures will be given to examiners who will take account of this information. Please note that this booklet does not contain descriptions of all lectures and classes offered. NB: The information below is subject to change. Please check the Faculty Website for the most up-to-date information: http://www.theology.ox.ac.uk
LANGUAGES Core Lectures and Classes Isaiah 1 2, 6, 40 42 (Hebrew text) Dr Jarick Day and Time Friday, 11:00 Gibson Seminar Room 2 This class is intended for two categories of students: those who are preparing to comment on Hebrew gobbets in Paper 1 (God and Israel in the Old Testament), and those who are preparing to translate and comment upon Hebrew verse in Paper 24 (The Hebrew of the Old Testament). Candidates preparing only for Paper 1 may be content to attend in Weeks 1 5 only, when the texts under discussion will be Chapter 1 (Weeks 1 & 2), Chapter 6 (Week 3), and Chapter 40 (Weeks 4 & 5). Candidates preparing for Paper 24 should attend not only those sessions but also Weeks 6 8, when the texts under discussion will be selections from Chapter 41 (Week 6), Chapter 42 (Week 7), and Chapter 2 (Week 8). Those attending the classes will be expected to prepare the assigned portion of text in advance (for the first session the portion to be read comprises Isaiah 1:1-12) and to take a turn at translating in class. Participants should bring a copy of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.. New Testament Greek Dr Friesen Day and Time Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 1
LANGUAGES Gibson Seminar Room 1 Aims: i) to learn the elements of New Testament Greek ii) to prepare for Greek Prelims (8th Week HT) on Mark 14:1-16:8, John 6 and 9, from which passages will be chosen for translation and grammatical comment iii) to begin a lifetime of reading the New Testament in Greek Expectations: that you i) attend each class (if unable to, please let lecturer know, preferably in advance) ii) look at each lesson in advance of the class iii) do roughly 10 hours of Greek each week There are three classes a week in Michaelmas Term and Hilary Term. Each class begins with a brief test, and twice a week there is homework to be handed in. Biblical Hebrew (for Beginners) Ms Sonja Noll Day and Time Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10:00 Gibson Seminar Room 2 This lecture, its complement in Hilary term and the Genesis 1 2 Hebrew text class that also meets in Hilary term are designed for candidates preparing for the preliminary examination in Biblical Hebrew. Candidates will write the preliminary examination at the end of Hilary Term. These lectures are designed to introduce the students to biblical Hebrew grammar to enable them to begin reading biblical texts from Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Stuttgart, 2
LANGUAGES 1977). Please note that classes begin in 0th week. Students will be expected to complete regular homework assignments and will be given frequent quizzes, a major in-class test, and a collection at the start of Hilary term. Postgraduate students registered at the faculty may attend these lectures with permission from the instructor. Required Textbook: Weingreen, Jacob. A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew. 2nd ed.; Oxford: Clarendon, 1959.. Qur anic Arabic Mr Mahmood Day and Time Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 11:00 Gibson Tutorial Office Candidates will be expected to show elementary knowledge of Qur anic Arabic grammar, syntax and vocabulary (to include only the topics covered in Alan Jones, Arabic Through the Qur an, pp. 1-104). Short passages from the Qur an will be chosen for translation and grammatical comment. Aims: This paper will test knowledge of the Arabic grammatical features and vocabulary most commonly encountered in the Qur an. The paper contains passages from portions of the Qur an for vocalizing, for translation (from Arabic into English), and for linguistic and exegetical comment. The sentences for translation will test knowledge of common grammatical forms. Objectives: (a) Students who have studied for this paper will have mastered elementary Classical Arabic as set out in Alan Jones, Arabic Through the Qur an. 3
LANGUAGES (b) (c) They will be able to translate and comment on passages from the Qur an, the Hadith or other theological texts. They will be able to answer questions on elementary Arabic grammar. Course Delivery: Classes: Assessment: 3 one-hour classes per week in Michaelmas Term 3 one-hour classes per week in Hilary Term One 3-hour written examination. Sanskrit Prof. Flood Day and Time Monday, 10:00-11:00, Friday 10:00-12:00 Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies The course provides an introduction to Sanskrit for the preliminary paper in Elementary Sanskrit. The class is designed to introduce students of Theology to the basics of the Sanskrit grammar, syntax and vocabulary. By the end of the course students will have competency in translating simple Sanskrit and reading sections of the Bhagavad-gītā and passages from other texts. The course book will be Maurer s The Sanskrit Language. The paper will examine sections from chapters 2 and 11 of the Bhagavad-gītā and sections from the story of Nala. Objectives: Students who complete this course will have: a) Knowledge of basic Sanskrit grammar, syntax and vocabulary. b) Understanding of euphonic combination (sandhi) c) Knowledge of sections of important religious texts such as the Bhagavad-gītā and the story of Nala. 4
LANGUAGES Recommended preparation: The course assumes no previous knowledge of the language and best preparation would be a sound knowledge of English grammar. Students would also find it advantageous to gain a familiarity with the devanāgarī script prior to commencement of the course. Although no previous knowledge of the language is assumed, students who have studied Latin or Greek will find the course more accessible. Bibliography Buitenen, J.A.B. van The Bhagavadgītā in the Mahābhārata (University of Chicago Press, 1981). Maurer, Walter The Sanskrit Language (Routledge) Other Lectures and Classes Biblical Hebrew (Second Year) Ms Kozlova Day and Time Tuesday, Thursday, 9:00 Gibson Seminar Room 2 This class covers the second half of Jacob Weingreen s A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew, fleshing out the Hebrew verbal system in relation to the non-qal stems and weak verbs. It is intended both for students who studied the first half of the Grammar during Prelims and for students who began such study at post-prelims, and who now seek to consolidate and continue their Hebrew study.. 5
LANGUAGES Optional Greek Translation Dr Friesen Day and Time Thursday, 1:00 Gibson Seminar Room 1 Readings of selected New Testament texts in preparation for Optional Translation Paper (27).. Post Graduate Greek Reading Dr Friesen Day and Time Thursday, 2:00 4:00 Gibson Seminar Room 1 This reading class is designed to enhance reading proficiency and to supply exposure to nonbiblical Greek. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss their interests in selecting texts to read. 6
LANGUAGES Greek Text Class: Gospels and Jesus s Ms Perry & Ms Brodersen Day and Time Tuesday, 1:00 Gibson Seminar Room 1 These classes will focus on reading and translating the set texts for the Gospels and Jesus paper. Students will be asked to participate by preparing the texts in advance and volunteering to translate or discuss the Greek passages, all in a non-threatening environment overseen by advanced doctoral students. All welcome. Greek Text Class: Pauline Literature s Ms Crabbe & Ms Hager Conroy Day and Time Monday, 1:00 Examination Schools These classes will focus on reading and translating the set texts for the or Pauline Literature paper. Students will be asked to participate by preparing the texts in advance and volunteering to translate or discuss the Greek passages, all in a non-threatening environment overseen by advanced doctoral students. All welcome. 7
LANGUAGES 8
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS Core Lectures and Classes The Christian Doctrine of Creation Prof. McGrath Day and Time Tuesday, 9:00 Examination Schools These lectures provide some basic material for Prelims, Paper 1, The Christian Doctrine of Creation. They introduce the themes and methods of systematic theology, and some of its key thinkers, by focusing on a single topic: the doctrine of creation. The lectures will also be useful for anyone interested in obtaining a basic overview of Christian understandings of the doctrine of creation. An introductory lecture is followed by four lectures that provide a (roughly) chronological outline of the development of the doctrine. The next three deal with specific themes of theological interest and importance, arising from the doctrine of creation. None of the lectures assumes any prior knowledge of the methods or leading ideas of Christian theology, or of any language other than English. The structure of the first part of this two term lecture course will be as follows: 1. Introduction: Systematic Theology and the Doctrine of Creation: Basic Themes 2. The Biblical Treatment of Creation 3. The Creation of Humanity and the Image of God 4. Creation in the Church Fathers 5. Medieval and Early Modern Understandings of Creation and the Natural World 6. Can God be known through Nature? The Debate over Natural Theology 7. Creation, Sin, and Redemption: the Restoration of Creation 8. Conclusion: Theological and Scientific Approaches to Nature 9
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS A second set of lectures, offered by Dr Donovan Schaeffer in Hilary Term, continues the series and focusses on the interplay between scientific understandings of the natural world such as those offered by Big Bang cosmology, quantum mechanics and evolution and the Christian doctrine of creation. INTRODUCTORY READING: Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell, 2001 3, pp. 296-307. Terry Eagleton, Reason, Faith, and Revolution. Yale: Yale University Press, 2009, especially pp. 5-15. David Fergusson, The Cosmos and the Creator: An Introduction to the Theology of Creation. London: SPCK, 1998. Colin Gunton, The Triune Creator: A Historical and Systematic Study. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1998. Zachary Hayes, The Gift of Being. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2001. FURTHER READING: Attfield, Robin. Science and Creation. Journal of Religion 58 (1978): 37-47. Begbie, Jeremy S. Voicing Creation s Praise: Towards a Theology of the Arts. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1991. Bird, Phyllis A. Male and Female He Created Them : Genesis 1.27b in the Context of the Priestly Account of Creation. Harvard Theological Review 74 (1981): 129-59. Blowers, Paul. Drama of the Divine Economy: Creator and Creation in Early Christian Theology and Piety, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, Creation and Fall: A Theological Exposition of Genesis 1-3, DB Works Vol. 3, Fortress Press, 1997 Borgen, Peter. Creation, Logos and the Son: Observations on John 1:1-18 and 5:17-18. Ex Auditu 3 (1987): 88-97. Bouma-Prediger, Steven. Creation as the Home of God: The Doctrine of Creation in the Theology of Jürgen Moltmann. Calvin Theological Journal 32 (1997): 72-90. Brague, Remi, The Wisdom of the World (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003). Brooke, George J. Creation in the Biblical Tradition. Zygon 22 (1987): 227-48. Carloye, Jack C. The Existence of God and the Creation of the Universe. Zygon 27 (1992): 167-85. Clifford, R. J. The Hebrew Scriptures and the Theology of Creation. Theological Studies 46 (1985): 507-23. Daly, Gabriel. Creation and Redemption. Wilmington: Michael Glazier, 1989. Davies, Paul, The Mind of God (Simon and Schuster, 1992). Deltete, Robert J. Hawking on God and Creation. Zygon 28 (1993): 485-506. Deroche, Michael. Isaiah 45:7 and the Creation of Chaos. Vetus Testamentum 42 (1992): 11-21. Ehrhardt, A. The Beginning: A Study in the Greek Philosophical Approach to the Concept of Creation from Anaximander to St John. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1968. 10
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS Paul S. Fiddes, Creation out of Love, in John Polkinghorne (ed.), The Work of Love. Creation as Kenosis (Grand Rapids, MI/Cambridge: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2001), pp. 167-91. Fishbane, Michael. Jeremiah 4.:23-26 and Job 3:3-13: A Recovered Use of the Creation Pattern. Vetus Testamentum 21 (1971): 151-67. Foster, Michael B. The Christian Doctrine of Creation and the Rise of Modern Science. Mind 43 (1934): 446-68. Garcia, Laura L. Divine Freedom and Creation. Philosophical Quarterly 42 (1992): 191-213. Gunton, Colin E. (ed.) Christ and Creation. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1992. Harner, P. B. Creation Faith in Deutero-Isaiah. Vetus Testamentum 17 (1967): 298-306. Harris, Scott L. Wisdom or Creation? A New Interpretation of Job 38:27. Vetus Testamentum 33 (1983): 419-27. Hauerwas, Stanley, With the Grain of the Universe: The Church's Witness and Natural Theology (London, SCM, 2002) Kelsey, David Wisdom, 'Theological Anthropology, and Modern Secular Interpretation of Humanity' in Miroslav Volf and Michael Welker (eds.), God's Life in Trinity. Minneapolis: Fortress Press,. 2006 Larson, Edward J. Trial and Error: The American Controversy over Creation and Evolution. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Lohfink, Norbert. God the Creator and the Stability of Heaven and Earth: The Old Testament on the Connection between Creation and Salvation. In Theology of the Pentateuch, edited by Norbert Lohfink, 116-35. McGrath, Alister. A Scientific Theology: 1 - Nature. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1994, 135-240. May, Gerhard. Creatio Ex Nihilo: The Doctrine of Creation out of Nothing in Early Christian Thought. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1995. Moore, Andrew. Theological Objections to Natural Theology in Russell Re Manning (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Natural Theology, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013, pp. 227-243. Morris, Thomas V. Creation Ex Nihilo: Some Considerations. International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 14 (1983): 233-39. Napier, B. D. On Creation-Faith in the Old Testament. Interpretation 16 (1962): 21-42. Niditch, Susan. Chaos to Cosmos: Studies in Biblical Patterns of Creation. Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1985. Ollenburger, B. C. Isaiah s Creation Theology. Ex Auditu 3 (1987): 54-71. Pannenberg, Wolfhart. The Doctrine of Creation and Modern Science. Zygon 23 (1988): 3-21. Peacocke, Arthur. Creation and the World of Science. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1979. Peters, Ted. Cosmos as Creation. Nashville: Abingdon, 1989. Pinnock, Clark H. Climbing out of a Swamp: The Evangelical Struggle to Understand the Creation Texts. Interpretation 43 (1989): 143-55. Polkinghorne, John. Science and Creation: The Search for Understanding. London: SPCK, 1988. Rendtorff, Rolf. Where Were You When I Laid the Foundations of the Earth? Creation and Salvation History. In Canon and Theology: Overtures to an Old Testament Theology, edited by Rolf Rendtorff, 92-113. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 1993. Santmire, H. Paul. The Genesis Creation Narratives Revisited. Interpretation 45 (1991): 366-79. Sedley, David, Creationism and its Critics in Antiquity (University of California Press, 2008). 11
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS Sonderegger, Katherine. The Doctrine of Creation and the Task of Theology. Harvard Theological Review 84 (1991): 185-203. Sorabji, R., Matter, Space and Motion. Sorabji, R. Time, Creation and the Continuum. Swift, L. Basil and Ambrose on the Six Days of Creation. Augustiniana 21 (1981): 317-28. Torchia, N. Joseph. Creatio Ex Nihilo and the Theology of St. Augustine: The Anti-Manichaean Polemic and Beyond. New York: Peter Lang, 1999. Torrance, Thomas F. Revelation, Creation and Law. Heythrop Journal 37 (1996): 273-83.. The Transfinite Significance of Beauty in Science and Theology. In L art, La Science Et La Métaphysique: Études Offertes À André Mercier, edited by Luz García Alonso, Evanghelos Moutsopoulos and Gerhard Seel, 393-418. Berne: Peter Lang, 1993. van Bavel, Tarsicius. The Creator and the Integrity of Creation in the Fathers of the Church. Augustinian Studies 21 (1990): 1-33. van Till, Howard J. Basil, Augustine and the Doctrine of Creation s Functional Integrity. Science and Christian Belief 8 (1996): 21-38. Ward, Keith. Religion and Creation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. Westermann, Claus. Creation. London: SPCK, 1974. Wisan, Winifred Lovell. Galileo and God s Creation. Isis 77 (1986): 473-86. Wyatt, Peter. Jesus Christ and Creation in the Theology of John Calvin, Allison Park, PA: Pickwick Publications, 1996. Young, Frances. Creatio Ex Nihilo : A Context for the Emergence of the Christian Doctrine of Creation. Scottish Journal of Theology 44 (1991): 139-51.. Title of Lecture/Class Genesis 1 11 Dr Jarick Day and Time Thursday, 9:00 [weeks 1-4] Examination Schools These lectures provide an introduction to the literary, historical, and theological issues pertaining to one of the two set texts for Prelims Paper 2 (The Study of Old Testament Set Texts), namely Genesis 1 11, the stories of primeval times. Students attending this series will gain an awareness of the main critical problems which these biblical chapters raise, an understanding of the main theological themes of this text as well as of its distinctive features within the broader context of its ancient Near Eastern background, and a basis from which to pursue intelligent commentary work in preparation 12
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS for commenting upon gobbets in the Prelims examination. The topics of the sessions will be as follows: (1) Introductory Matters, and the Creation, Take One (Chapter 1) (2) The Creation, Take Two (Chapters 2 3) (3) The Human Condition (Chapters 4 5 and 10 11) (4) The Flood (Chapters 6 9) Those attending the lectures may find it useful to bring a copy of the Bible (preferably NRSV).. Title of Lecture/Class s Introduction to the Old Testament Dr Jarick and others Day and Time Tuesday, 10:00 Examination Schools This lecture series provides an orientation to the study of the Old Testament. Consideration is given to what is in the Old Testament, the historical context in which it was written, some of its theological themes, and some of the disputed issues in its interpretation. The topics of the sessions will be as follows: (1) Reading the Old Testament (Dr Jarick) (2) The Pentateuch (Dr Clifford) (3) Prophecy (Dr Robson) (4) Apocalyptic (Professor Gillingham) (5) Archaeology and the Religion of Israel (Professor Day) (6) Historiography (Dr Rooke) (7) Wisdom (Dr Jarick) (8) Psalms (Professor Gillingham) 13
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS Introduction to the New Testament with Special Reference to the Gospel of Mark s Dr Marshall [weeks 1-4] and Prof. Lincicum [weeks 5-8] Day and Time Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00 Examination Schools A series of 16 lectures designed to aid preparation for the Preliminary Examination. Weeks 1-4 8 Lectures by Dr Marshall These provide an introduction to the content of the NT and issues in NT scholarship. 1. What is the New Testament? 2. How might we read the New Testament? 3. What do we know about the historical context of the New Testament? 4. What else might we read alongside the New Testament? 5. Survey of content Gospels 6. Survey of content Epistles 7. Survey of Content Acts and Revelation and Exam Q1 advice. 8. Gobbet Guidance Weeks 5-8 8 Lectures by Prof. Lincicum These will provide a more detailed introduction to the study of Mark s gospel which may include: 1. An introduction to the gospel of Mark, issues of genre, date and authorship 2. The text of Mark 3. A brief history of the interpretation of Mark 4. Markan Christology 5. Secrecy Elements in Mark 6. Mark and the Gentile mission 7. The death of Jesus in Mark 8. The endings of Mark 14
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS Title of Lecture The History of the Church from Nero to Constantine Prof. Edwards Day and Time Thursday, 12:00 Examination Schools Aims: This series of lectures, designed primarily for those sitting a paper on the subject in Theology Prelims, alternates narrative with thematic history, and aims to convey the most important results of academic study on the Christian communities between 54 and 337 A.D. It also sets out to be a modest introduction to historiography, which will acquaint students with some of the difficulties that the beset the writing of History for this period. Objectives: It is hoped that upon completion of this lecture course students will have been assisted in the development of: 1. A factual knowledge of the general history of the Roman empire, together with the most important personages and events in the history of the Church as an institution within the empire. 2. An awareness of the interaction of social factors with literary and ecclesiastical traditions, political events and personal qualities. 3. An awareness of the variety of Christian communities in this period, together with an historical understanding of the development of the concepts of authority, orthodoxy, heresy, episcopacy, catholicity and the canon. 4. A basic knowledge of the doctrines, whether heterodox or orthodox, which impinged on the definition and development of the institutional church. 5. Some acquaintance with the materials used by historians of this period, and the controversies which arise in the attempt to interpret these materials. The eight lectures will be as follows: 1. Outline History of the Roman World 4 B.C.-250 A.D. 2. Growth of the Church in this period 3. Persecution and Martyrdom 4. Heresy and Schism (1) 5. Heresy and Schism (2) 6. From Decius to Diocletian 15
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS 7. The Rise of Constantine 8. Constantine and the Church. Title of Lecture Introduction to the Study of Religions Prof. Hausner Day and Time Thursday, 10:00 Examination Schools The principle aim of these lectures is to introduce the Study of Religions through the critical study of different methodological approaches. We will assess the main disciplinary attempts to define religion and begin to acquire an insight into the wide variety of religious practice and expression across the world. Lectures will focus on the ways in which the Study of Religions draws upon multiple fields and disciplines (anthropology, sociology, psychology, history, and phenomenology, among others) in an attempt to gain an awareness and understanding of the diversity of the phenomenon of religion. For descriptions of the New Testament Greek, Biblical Hebrew for Beginners, Qur ānic Arabic, and Sanskrit classes, see the Languages section in this booklet. 16
BIBLICAL STUDIES Core Lectures and Classes History of Israel s Dr Rooke Day and Time Monday, 11:00 [weeks 1-4] Gibson Lecture Room Aim: to provide students with an introduction to the main historical periods and critical issues relating to Israel's history. Objectives: by the end of the course, students should know the main outlines of Israel s history for the period that is covered by the biblical text know the relevant sources, texts and archaeological data that relate to the history of Israel for this period be aware of the critical issues that arise when considering the history of Israel understand some of the methods used when examining the history of Israel Delivery: The course is delivered through a series of four lectures 1 General issues and methods 2 Monarchy 3 Exile 4 Restoration. Title of Lecture/Class Theological Themes in the Old Testament Dr Jarick 17
BIBLICAL STUDIES Day and Time Monday, 11.00 [Weeks 5 8] Gibson Lecture Room This lecture series provides an orientation to some of the central theological themes to be found in the Old Testament. It is designed primarily for students working for FHS Theology Paper 1 (God and Israel in the Old Testament), but may also be suitable for undergraduates and graduates studying for other programmes. The topics of the sessions will be as follows: (1) Old Testament Perspectives on God (including a focus on God as Creator) (2) Old Testament Perspectives on Humanity (including a focus on Ethics) (3) Old Testament Perspectives on the Relationship between God and Humanity (including a focus on Theodicy, i.e. does God treat humanity justly?) (4) Old Testament Perspectives on the Relationship between God and Israel (including a focus on Covenant Theology) Those attending the lectures may find it useful to bring a copy of the Bible (preferably NRSV).. God and Israel in the Old Testament (carried over from TT) Deuteronomy: Set Text Prof. Gillingham Day and Time Wednesday, 12:00 [weeks 1-2] Gibson Lecture Room These lectures are among the core lectures for the Old Testament paper 1 (God and Israel in the Old Testament), which is compulsory for those studying for the single school of Theology, and a possible option for those taking the joint school. If you're in the 1 st year 18
BIBLICAL STUDIES these lectures are certainly for you. Also, if you're in the 2 nd or 3 rd year and failed to attend these lectures previously these are lectures for you too. The God and Israel in the Old Testament exam paper will consist of three sections: (i) gobbets taken from Psalms 1, 2, 8, 15, 19, 46-49, 51, 72-74, 89, 96-99, 104, 118, Isaiah 1-11, 28-31, 40-45, and Deuteronomy 5-15, 26-28; (ii) essay questions on Psalms, Isaiah 1-39, 40-55 and Deuteronomy; (iii) essay questions on the Old Testament more broadly. It is the intention of these lectures primarily to provide general introductions to the texts in the second section, namely the Psalms, 1st and 2 nd Isaiah, and Deuteronomy, and in the process to familiarise students with the parallel gobbet sections to be covered in the first section. The structure of the lecture course is as follows: Lecture 1: Psalms (part 1): General Introduction to the Psalms; Psalms of Lament, and Psalms of Thanksgiving Lecture 2: Psalms (part 2): Psalms of Confidence, Psalms of Praise, Royal Psalms, Wisdom & Torah Psalms, and Entrance Liturgies Lecture 3: 1 st Isaiah (part 1): General Introduction, and Isaiah 1-12 Lecture 4: 1 st Isaiah (part 2): Isaiah 13-39, Isaiah and the Assyrian Crisis, the Unity of the Book and Lecture 5: 2 nd Themes Isaiah (Isaiah 40-55): Introduction and Main Theological Lecture 6: Deuteronomy (part 1): The Origin and Purpose of the Book, and the Introductory Section in Deuteronomy 1-11 Lecture 7: Deuteronomy (part 2): The Central Legal Section in Deuteronomy 12-26, and the Book s Main Theological Idea Lecture 8: Some Practice Gobbets from Psalms, Isaiah and Deuteronomy, and Further Advice on Undertaking Gobbets For a description of the class on Isaiah 1 2, 6, 40 42 (Hebrew text), see the Languages section in this booklet. 19
BIBLICAL STUDIES The Gospel of John Dr Marshall Day and Time Monday, 12:00 Gibson Lecture Room A series of six lectures designed to provide an overview of John s Gospel for the FHS paper 2. Lectures will cover: 1. Text and Context: The text and introductory issues. 2. The Jews and Judaism. 3. Community and World: 4. Father and Son (Christology): 5. Miracles and the death of Jesus: 6. The Presence and Absence of Jesus: Resurrection and the risen Jesus; eschatology; spirit, paraclete; sacraments. A selected bibliography and further details will be provided at the lecture.. Introduction to Paul s Life and Letters, Part 1 Prof. Bockmuehl Day and Time Monday, 2:00-4:00 Examination Schools 20
BIBLICAL STUDIES This first series of lectures on Paul s life and letters will cover the following topics: 1. Overview; life of Paul; Paul and Acts 2. Pauline Christology 3. Atonement in Paul 4. Paul and Israel 5. Spirit, Church and Ethics 6. History of Pauline Interpretation Suggestions for introductory reading on Paul include the following: Barrett, C. K. 1994. Paul: An Introduction to his Thought. London: Chapman. Childs, Brevard S. 2008. The Church's Guide for Reading Paul: The Canonical Shaping of the Pauline Corpus. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Das, A. Andrew. 2003. Paul and the Jews. Library of Pauline Studies. Peabody: Hendrickson. Dunn, James D. G. 1998. The Theology of Paul the Apostle. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Gorman, Michael J. 2008. Reading Paul. Cascade Companions. Eugene: Cascade Books. Hengel, Martin and Roland Deines. 1991. The Pre-Christian Paul. Trans. J. Bowden. London: SCM Press. Hooker, Morna D. 2003. Paul: A Short Introduction. Oxford: Oneworld. Horrell, David G. 2006. An Introduction to the Study of St Paul. 2nd edn. London/New York: Continuum Keck, Leander E. 1988. Paul and his Letters. 2nd edn. Philadelphia: Fortress Press. Murphy-O'Connor, J. 1996. Paul: A Critical Life. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press. Riesner, Rainer. 1998. Paul's Early Period: Chronology, Mission Strategy, Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Roetzel, Calvin J. 1998. Paul: The Man and the Myth. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. Sanders, E. P. 2001. Paul: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press. Thiselton, Anthony C. 2009. The Living Paul: An Introduction to the Apostle's Life and Thought. London: SPCK.. Title of Lecture/Class s The Theological Interpretation of the New Testament Prof. Lincicum & Dr Zahl Day and Time Wednesday, 11:00-12:30 21
BIBLICAL STUDIES Mansfield College This class forms the core teaching for the Theological Interpretation of the New Testament option of Paper 6. The minimum confirmed enrolment is 4, with a maximum enrolment of 12. The class will be co-taught by a theologian, Prof. Simeon Zahl, and a biblical scholar, Prof. David Lincicum. The purpose of the class will be to offer a critical introduction to the theological interpretation of Scripture, with a special emphasis on the New Testament. How does modern historical criticism relate to traditional practices of reading Scripture? Can precritical ways of reading Scripture be re-appropriated today? How might the rule of faith function in interpretation? What does or should study of reception history add to theological interpretation? In what sense might allegory or figural interpretation be productive modes of reading? What are the weaknesses in the current theological interpretation movement, and to what degree to these weaknesses signal fundamental flaws in the project as a whole? This class offers an occasion to consider these questions in some depth. Students will be offered an opportunity to reflect on both the methodological questions concerning the theological interpretation of the New Testament as well as the chance to consider specific classic texts in greater detail. Introductory sessions on theological interpretation and methodological debates will be followed by considerations, in turn, of some major movements and methods in the debate (as below). It is expected that texts will be studied in English, but Greek may be included depending on student interest. Students will make three class presentations on the texts being studied; these may be used to prepare the two formally assessed essays. Proposed class sessions: 1. What is theological interpretation of Scripture? 2. The Rise of Historical Criticism 3. Dialectical Theology and its Critics 4. Catholic Transformations in the 20 th century 5. The Retrieval of Pre-Critical Exegesis 6. Post-liberalism and Biblical Narrative 7. Feminism and the Social Location of Scriptural Interpretation 8. Texts and the Problem of Meaning A detailed bibliography will be provided. Suggested introductory reading includes the following: S. Fowl, ed., The Theological Interpretation of Scripture: Classic and Contemporary Readings (Oxford: Blackwell, 1997) Kevin J. Vanhoozer, ed., Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005) 22
BIBLICAL STUDIES Genesis 6-9 (Hebrew Text) Mr Cudworth Day and Time Friday, 2:00 [weeks 1-5] Gibson Seminar Room 2 Aim To enable students to translate from Hebrew into English one of the set texts for the full Hebrew paper (as well as the Hebrew translation paper), and understand the grammatical forms found within them. Objectives (a) Students will have learnt to translate the Hebrew of Genesis 6-9 into English. (b) Students will have mastered the vocabulary and grammar of Genesis 6-9. (c) Optionally (if taking the full Hebrew paper), they will be able to make linguistic comments on short passages from these texts, and with additional commentary work they will be able to make broader comments. Means of achieving objectives 5 classes. We translate round the class, so it is desirable for those attending to prepare in advance about a page of the text in Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. (Students normally attend at the beginning of their 3 rd year, unless they took Hebrew in Prelims or are taking the Theology course in two years, in which case they should come at the beginning of their 2 nd year.) 23
BIBLICAL STUDIES Other Lectures and Classes For a description of the lecture Introduction to the Old Testament, see the Preliminary Examinations section in this booklet. For a description of Biblical Hebrew (Second Year) and the Greek Text Classes, see the Languages section in this booklet. New Testament Seminar Prof. Bockmuehl Day and Time Friday, 2.30-4:00 Gibbs Room, Keble College The New Testament Graduate Seminar will allow an opportunity for current postgraduate students in New Testament and cognate disciplines to present their work to their peers, to receive critical feedback on current proposals, and to interact on topics of interest in scholarship and research methodology.. Graduate Colloquium in Biblical and Early Christian Studies s Prof. Bockmuehl & Prof. Lincicum 24
BIBLICAL STUDIES Day and Time Wednesday, 8:15-9:45 [weeks 2,4,6,8] Keble Hall The Graduate Colloquium in Biblical and Early Christian Studies meets fortnightly during term time to consider important primary and secondary readings that vary by theme each term. Participants will usually be expected to present at least once during the year (and possibly more often), such presentations usually consisting of a brief summary of the reading and points or questions for further discussion. For further information, contact Markus Bockmuehl: markus.bockmuehl@keble.ox.ac.uk or David Lincicum: david.lincicum@theology.ox.ac.uk. For past colloquium topics, see Prof. Bockmuehl s website: https://sites.google.com/site/kebletheologytutorials/. The Bible in Art, Music and Literature Dr Christine Joynes Day and Time Monday, 5:00 (wks 2, 4, 6 and 8) Trinity College, The Danson Room The interdisciplinary seminar on the Bible in Art, Music and Literature provides a forum for those interested in the reception history of the Bible. Guest speakers from across the Humanities are invited to lead the seminars, with presentations followed by general discussion. The seminar series combines focused research projects (currently WW1 and Biblical Interpretation ) with open sessions on relevant topics relating to the use, influence and impact of biblical texts across the centuries. 25
BIBLICAL STUDIES Old Testament Seminar Prof. Gillingham Day and Time Monday, 2:30-4:00 [weeks 2,4,6,8] Boardroom, Gibson Building The Old Testament Seminar will meet four times this term, at 2.30 p.m. on the Mondays of weeks 2, 4, 6, & 8 in the Gibson Building* where the Faculty of Theology and Religion has relocated. The meeting is followed by tea. The following programme has been arranged: Week 2 (20 October), Professor Nicolas Wyatt, Water, Wood and Trees: Creation in Recent Discussion. Week 4 (3 November), Dr. Rebecca Watson, The Sea in Scripture. Week 6 (17 November), Troy Cudworth, Kingship in the Books of Kings. Week 8 (1 December), Professor Sue Gillingham, Psalms 90-106: Covenant with David. Book Four and the. Old Testament Graduate Seminar Dr Jarick Day and Time Monday, 2:30-3:30 [weeks 1,3,5,] Boardroom, Gibson Building 26
BIBLICAL STUDIES There will also be a special session at the Ashmolean Museum on the Friday of Week 7 at 12.00 noon) 13th October 27th October Introductory Session: (Re)orientation to the Oxford Old Testament Experience SONJA NOLL Semantics of Silence in the Hebrew Bible 10th November 28th November (Friday) SETH COLE The Problem of the Hebrew Netherworld, with Particular Attention to the Use of Sheol in Hosea 13:14 Special Session at the Ashmolean Museum (meet at the main entrance to the museum, inside the glass doors, at 12.00 noon): DR SENTA GERMAN Scribal Culture Hands-On: Ancient Objects Related to Writing 27
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE Core Lectures and Classes Doctrine before Nicaea Prof. Edwards Day and Time Tuesday, 11:00 Examination Schools Aims To present a coherent and comprehensive account of the chief debates, speculations and controversies which arose from Christian attempts in the first three centuries to harmonize the teachings of the two testaments and thereby create a systematic alternative to prevailing Jewish and pagan theologies. The lectures are designed primarily (though not exclusively) for those who will sit the finals paper on the Development of Doctrine to 451 and the papers of the same name in Master of Studies and Master of Philosophy. Objectives In conjunction with tutorials these lectures should help students to understand the problems encountered by early Christians in exegesis, apologetics and the formulation of a new philosophy. They should be aware of the diversity of the questions addressed by early Christians and of the divergent principles which led to the formulation of different answers. They should be able to fit the main ecclesiastical writers into a clear chronological scheme, while at the same time being able to account for the origin and the condemnation of the opinions which came to be deemed heretical. Plan of lectures Week 1. Scripture and the early Church. Week 2. The First Generation: Apostolic Fathers. Week 3. Second Century Speculation. Week 4. The theology of the Logos. Week 5. Founders of Orthodoxy: Irenaeus, Hippolytus. Week 6. Alexandrian Orthodoxy: Clement, Origen. Week 7. The Trinity East and West. Week 8. Arius. 28
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE Introduction to Christology Dr Zahl Day and Time Thursday, 11:00 Gibson Lecture Room Aims To introduce students to the main themes in Christian understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ, including its internal dynamics and challenges as well as its its relationship to other major topics in systematic theology. To introduce students to key developments in Christology since the early modern period, with a particular focus on 20 th and 21 st century contributions and debates. To reflect upon the relationship between views about the person and work of Jesus Christ and their wider intellectual and and cultural context. Objectives: Students will have gained an understanding of the basic framework of Christology, and its relationship to other major topics in sytematic theology. Students will have become acquainted with key topics and developments in Christology in the past century and their background Student will become familiar with important particular theologians and theological currents in the past century through their contribution to Christology. Students will have developed an understanding of the interrelationship between theological thought and its wider context. Topics: Week 1 Jesus of Nazareth and the Task of Theology Week 2 The Incarnation Week 3 The Cross Week 4 Resurrection and Eschaton Week 5 Modern Christological Themes 1: Jesus Christ and What it Means to Be Human (Barth) Week 6 Modern Christological Themes 2: Transcendental and Existential Christologies (Rahner and Tillich) Week 7 Modern Christological Themes 3: Participation, Atonement, and Salvation in Christ Week 8 Jesus Christ in Late Modernity 29
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE Themes and Personalities in the Reformation (2) Prof. MacCulloch Day and Time Tuesday, 12:00 Examination Schools This course seeks to introduce students to the varieties of reformation which transformed European religion, both Protestant and Catholic, during the sixteenth century, aiming to provide an integrated view of the historical and doctrinal developments which comprised the breakup of the Western Latin Church and which still shape the contours of Western Christianity on a worldwide scale. It deals with the condition of the Western Church before the Reformation crisis, and discusses the careers and thought of leading Protestant reformers both mainstream and radical, and the partial recovery by the Roman Church in the Counter-Reformation. We will consider the Reformation as a social and political as well as a religious phenomenon. Themes and introductions to the leading personalities will run on a two-year cycle, with a different set offered the following year. In either of the two sets of lectures there will be a selection of sufficient topics to provide adequate coverage for answers in the Final Examination, but the two sets over the two years will complement each other. Outline notes are provided for each lecture, and a full bibliography is also given to those who attend. Besides being a core course for students taking Paper 8 of the Theology Schools course, the lecture series is also made available to and advertised for students in the Faculty of Modern History. It will be complemented by a series of lectures with a more particular focus on the Reformation in England.. Western Christianity and Modern Culture, 1789-1921 s Prof. Rasmussen & Dr Lockley Day and Time Thursday 12.00 30
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE Gibson Lecture Room SERIES DESCRIPTION This course of lectures (together with the series by the same title offered in Hilary and Trinity Terms) is an introduction to the life and thought of the Christian Churches in Europe and the Anglophone world between 1789 and 1921. Lectures draw upon social, cultural, and intellectual history in order to address both larger historical transformations across the long nineteenth century, and specific theological issues such as Faith and Reason, the Bible, Theology and Literature, and Religious Experience. They will thus be accessible and useful for candidates sitting Paper 9a (Christian Life and Thought in Europe and the Englishspeaking World, 1789-1921), Paper 9b (Issues in Theology, 1789-1921), and Paper 5 (God, Christ, and Salvation). Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6: WEEK 7: Week 8: The French Revolution and its Repercussions on Religious Life in Europe (Rasmussen) The Intellectual Collapse of the Religion of Reason (Rasmussen) The Church of England at the beginning of the Nineteenth Century (Lockley) Romanticism and Absolute Idealism (Rasmussen) Focus Issue: Faith and Reason (Rasmussen) The Philosophical Theology of Samuel Taylor Coleridge Set text: S. T. Coleridge, Aids to Reflection (1825) Focus Issue: Faith and Reason (Rasmussen) Can the Truth be Taught/Learned? Set texts: John Henry Newman, Oxford University Sermons (1826 1843) and Søren Kierkegaard, Philosophical Fragments (1844) The Oxford Movement (Rasmussen) Revivalism (Lockley) AIM The series of lectures focuses especially on reformulations of theological worldviews during the period, and on important philosophical, historical-critical, and social-scientific challenges that contributed to the reshaping of various traditions in modern western Christianity. It also explores the broad social, political, and ecclesiastical transformations of the period, and makes relevant comparisons with religious developments in the USA. The lectures are intended primarily for candidates preparing for examination papers 9a and 9b of the BA in 31
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE the Final Honour School of Theology, and in the Joint School of Philosophy and Theology, but will also be relevant for students preparing for Paper 5, and of interest to other students in theology, philosophy, and history, especially those doing nineteenth-century European history. OBJECTIVES Students who attend this series of lectures a) will understand some of the transformations in religious outlook and structural change that occurred within various traditions in western Christianity during the period; b) will gain a sense for the post-1789 acceleration of changes in secular society, and the advances in philosophy, science, and literary criticism that influenced discussions about the intellectual status of religious claims; and c) will be critically conversant with the historical situation and the principal intellectual preoccupations of some of the more influential Christian thinkers of the period, and with some of the key points of their major critics.. Further Studies in History and Doctrine: Augustine Prof. Edwards Day and Time Friday, 11:30 Tom Quad 2.1, Christ Church Aims This series of eight classes is intended for those taking the paper Augustine in the Theology BA under the rubric of Further Studies in History and Doctrine. It aims to give students an overall understanding of Augustine s world and his thought, and a detailed understanding of the works prescribed in the syllabus. It is hoped that this will increase their understanding of Patristics, and also enhance their ability to construct theological arguments in response to modern issues. 32
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE Objectives Students who have read the prescribed texts and attended the classes can be expected to possess 1. A basic acquaintance with the Greek and Latin philosophy of Augustine s time (c.350-450 A.D.) and other factors relevant to his education. 2. A coherent understanding of the main points of Augustine s theology, its development in the light of his own experience and his place in the history of Christian thought. 3. A detailed knowledge of the structure and content of the prescribed texts, with the necessary information to answer a passage for comment from one of these texts. 4. The skills and materials necessary for an intelligent judgement of the interaction of scripture, tradition, secular philosophy and common sense in the formation of Augustine s views. Title of Class Further Studies in History and Doctrine: Kierkegaard Prof Rasmussen Day and Time Thursday, 1:00 Gibson Seminar Room 2 This class in the Special Theologians series aims to enable students to become familiar with the character and contours of Søren Kierkegaard s thought, to place his religious thought in historical context, and to consider his influence on modern theology and philosophy of religion. The emphasis of the class is on exploring primary texts from Kierkegaard s writings, although bibliographies of secondary texts, thematically arranged, are also provided. Class participants should come to all eight class sessions prepared to discuss and debate the scheduled readings and the weekly student paper in detail. Additionally, each participant will have opportunities to focus and deepen classroom conversation by serving at least once in each of four roles: presenter, respondent, gobbeteer, and secretary. Students who participate in this class should gain: a) an understanding of the major themes and arguments of Kierkegaard s authorship; b) an appreciation of the historical context and cultural contests in which Kierkegaard s writings participate; 33
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE c) an awareness of some of the various traditions in the reception of Kierkegaard s writings; and d) skills in the critical analysis of theological/philosophical/literary texts. The class will principally address the texts set for the Kierkegaard paper: Fear and Trembling; The Concept of Anxiety; Philosophical Fragments; Concluding Unscientific Postscript to Philosophical Fragments; Works of Love; The Sickness Unto Death; and Practice in Christianity. Suggested Preparatory Readings: Søren Kierkegaard, Either/Or, 2 volumes, trans. by Howard Hong & Edna Hong. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987. Alastair Hannay, Kierkegaard: A Biography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Bruce Kirmmse, Kierkegaard in Golden Age Denmark. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1990. George Pattison, Kierkegaard: The Aesthetic and the Religious, 2 nd edition. London: SCM Press, 1999. Title of Lecture/Class Further Studies in History and Doctrine: Calvin Dr. Apetrei Day and Time Tuesday, 2:00 Gibson Seminar Room 1 The class in the Special Theologians series aims to enable students to become familiar with the contours and emphases of John Calvin s thought, to place his thought in historical context, and to consider his impact on the Reformation in general, and on Reformed Protestantism in particular. Eight classes of approximately one and a half hours are held. Full bibliographies, thematically arranged, are provided. Everyone enrolled in the class will be expected to make a contribution to leading one seminar session or more. The emphasis is on exploring primary set texts from Calvin s writings. The eight sessions will deal with the background to Calvin s thought, his influences and early career, and on set texts concentrating on themes such as the sacraments, predestination, ecclesiology, and relations with the temporal power. Students will be offered support and advice in leading sessions, and will be encouraged to participate actively by taking discussion in directions which interest them. Revision classes will be held in Trinity Term to discuss gobbets. 34
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE Students for the FHS and JHS may supplement the lecture course through some tutorial work, though this is not a requirement of the course. The emphasis is on class participation and private study. Further Studies in History and Doctrine: Bonhoeffer Dr Kirkpatrick Day and Time Friday 2:00 3:30 Wycliffe Hall, Seminar Room 3 The class belongs to the Special Theologians paper (#10). Eight meetings of up to two hours each on a weekly basis are aimed at introducing students to this German Lutheran theologian. Although the reading will pay particular attention to the set texts (as outlined below), the class aims to give students a solid foundation in Bonhoeffer s life and context, the breadth of his writing in both academic and pastoral works, as well as the development of his thought. The classes will be structured around both written and presented work, and will require intensive reading and discussion of the texts being discussed each week. - Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works (DBW) 4, Minneapolis 1996, pp. 41 76; 281 288 - Creation and Fall, DBW 3, Minneapolis 1996, pp. 60 102. - Life Together Prayer Book of the Bible, DBW 5, Minneapolis 1995, 25 47. - Ethics, DBW 6, Minneapolis 2005, pp. 257 298 (The Structure of Responsible Life); and SCM 1955 (7th impression 1998), pp. 194 230; 297 325 (State and Church). - Letters and Papers from Prison, SCM enlarged edition 1971 (8th impression 1999): pp. 3 17; 278 87; 324 29; 343 49; 357 61; 370 71; 388 90; 398 99. 35
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE Other Lectures and Classes s Methods and Styles in Theology (Graduate Seminar) Prof. Rasmussen & Prof. Zachhuber (conveners) Day and Time Monday, 2:15-5:30 Gibson Seminar Room 2 Methods and Styles in Theology is the core seminar in Michaelmas Term for all students taking the M.St. or M.Phil. in Modern Doctrine. All participants will be expected to contribute verbally, although no formal presentations will be required in the seminars this term. Each text will be introduced by a member of the faculty, and will then be open to discussion by the group. The texts for the seminar are listed below; lists of (optional) secondary reading will be distributed a week in advance of each session. Week 1: At the bar of reason Immanuel Kant, Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason Professor Daphne Hampson Week 2: Romantic religion F. D. E. Schleiermacher, On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers Professor Johannes Zachhuber Week 3: Ironic apologetics Søren Kierkegaard, Either/Or [Diapsalmata, The Rotation Method, Equilibrium, Ultimatum] Professor Joel Rasmussen Week 4: Sermons as Theology John Henry Newman, University Sermons (selections) Professor Johannes Zachhuber Week 5: Theology and the Word of God Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics 1/1 3-7 Professor Alister McGrath Week 6: Theology and Autobiography Simone Weil, Waiting for God Professor Joel Rasmussen 36
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE Week 7: Theology as Aesthetics Hans Urs von Balthasar, The Glory of the Lord, Vol. I, Introduction, pp. 17-127; Vol. III, Hopkins pp. 353-99 Professor James Hanvey Week 8: Theology as Critical Reflection on Praxis Gustavo Gutierrez, A Theology of Liberation Professor Werner Jeanrond. Modern Theology Seminar (graduate seminar) s Prof. Rasmussen & Prof. Zachhuber (conveners) Day and Time Monday, 4:00-5:30 Gibson Seminar Room 1 The seminars include presentations on a variety of topics from graduate students, Oxford faculty members, and visiting speakers. All graduate students working in the area of modern theology are strongly encouraged to attend, and senior members of the Faculty are very welcome. October 13 October 20 October 27 November 3 Susannah Ticciati (King s College London) The Scriptural Logic of Barmen and the Jewish Question Geoff Dargan (Wycliffe Hall) Kierkegaard on the Relation between Freedom and Possibility Simeon Zahl (St John s College) Towards a Theology of the Holy Spirit and Christian Experience Alexandria Eikelboom (Regent s Park College) Rhythm as a Theological Category 37
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE November 10 November 17 November 24 December 01 Simon Oliver (University of Nottingham) Creation and Teleology in Aristotle and Aquinas Agata Bielik-Robson (University of Nottingham) Jewish Cryptotheologies of Late Modernity: Philosophical Marranos Werner Jeanrond (St Benet s Hall) Hope, Hopes, and Radical Hope in Christian Thought Donovan Schaeffer (Trinity College) How Does it Feel to Be an Atheist? Religion, Secularism, and Affect... The Nature and Practice of Ecclesiastical History Dr Apetrei Day and Time Thursday, 11:00 [weeks 1, 3, 5, 7] Gibson Seminar Room 1 This course aims: to introduce students to a range of historiographical approaches to key questions in ecclesiastical history to foster awareness of developments in historiography to encourage critical reflection on the students own historical research. Each student will prepare presentations for the class, which should take the form of offering theses for discussion (NOT the reading of an essay). Each student should also chose one of the topics in each historical period and write an essay on that topic; the presentations can be written up as an essay to contribute to this total of four.... 38
HISTORY AND DOCTRINE The Modern Sublime in Art, Philosophy and Theology (Seminar Series: Critical Theory and Spiritual Practice) Prof. Anderson & Prof. Fiddes (conveners) Day and Time Thursday, 5:00-6:30 [weeks 5-8] Regent s Park College The seminars continue a project on The Sublime and the Beautiful, and will each take one modernist painter and relate him to a text in philosophy or theology with which he is associated. Each seminar will review a series of visual images, and the seminar leader will introduce a discussion of texts to be read beforehand by participants. Intending participants are asked to contact either Professor Anderson (pamela.anderson@regents.ox.ac.uk) or Professor Fiddes (paul.fiddes@regents.ox.ac.uk) and they will be sent electronic versions of the specified texts. These text-based seminars are intended for graduate students in any related disciplines, but undergraduates are not excluded. Week 5. Kazimir Malevich and Henri Bergson: the Abstract and the Sublime Introduced by Prof. Paul S. Fiddes Week 6. Henri Matisse and Henri Bergson: 'La Danse' and Rhythms of the Sublime Introduced by Professor Pamela Anderson Week 7. Wassily Kandinsky and Henri Bergson: the Inner Sublime Introduced by Dr William Prosser Week 8. Marc Chagall and Paul Tillich: The Symbol and the Sublime Introduced by Prof. Paul S. Fiddes Hilary Term. Similar seminars will be held on Francis Bacon, Mark Rothko, Paul Klee and Vincent Van Gogh. Please see the Seminar Booklet for a fuller description of this seminar. 39
PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION, AND WORLD RELIGIONS Core Lectures and Classes The Nature of Religion s Prof. Jones Day and Time Monday, 2:00 Gibson Lecture Room The aim of this paper is to enable students to take an informed view of the place of religion in the modern world. By examining the main classical and contemporary theoretical approaches to religion over the course of the 20th century, candidates should become critically engaged in discussions regarding the comparative study of religions, the relationship between religious belief and religious practice, and the main disciplinary concerns in the study of myth, symbol, and ritual. The following books are recommended to students studying The Nature of Religion. They will be discussed in lectures, and set examination questions may invite reference to one or more of them. T. Asad. Genealogies of Religion: Discipline and Reasons of Power in Christianity and Islam. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993.) M. Douglas, Purity and Danger (London: Routledge, 1966, 1985 or any other edition). E. Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of a Religious Life (London: Allen and Unwin, 1915 or any later edition). M. Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane (New York and London: Harvest Press, 1965 or any other English edition). E. Evans-Pritchard, Witchcraft, Oracles and Magic among the Azande (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1976). S. Freud, The Future of an Illusion (London: Hogarth Press; Institute of Psycho-Analysis 1962 40
PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION, AND WORLD RELIGIONS [1928]) or The Origins of Religion (Collected Works, vol. 13, Harmondsworth: Penguin 1990), or any other English edition of Totem and Taboo and Moses and Monotheism C. Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures, Chapers 4-7 (pp. 87-192 of Fontana edition, London 1993). C. Levi-Strauss. Structural Anthropology. (pp. 186-231; New York: Basic Books 1963) or The Raw and the Cooked (pp. 1-32; New York: Harper & Row 1969). E. Said, Orientalism (London: Penguin 2003). N.Smart, The Religious Experience, (Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 1996). V. Turner: The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure (New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 1995 or any other edition). M. Weber, The Sociology of Religion, (Boston: Beacon Press 1956) and/or The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (London: Allen & Unwin. 1976 [1930]). The Formation of Rabbinic Judaism (Judaism I) s Prof. Goodman & Prof. Weinberg Day and Time Tuesday, 10:00 Clarendon Institute The lectures aim to give students some insight into the formation of rabbinic Judaism from the first to the sixteenth century CE. They aim to demonstrate how rabbinic Jews related to the Hebrew scriptures and to the surrounding cultures of their own day and to enable students to acquire an understanding of the development of the distinctive characteristics of rabbinic Judaism in this period. 41
PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION, AND WORLD RELIGIONS Islam in the Classical Period (Islam I) s Dr Al-Akiti Day and Time Monday, 4:00 Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, George Street In conjunction with tutorials, this lecture series provides some basic material for the Theology & Religion FHS Paper 16, The Classical Period of Islam (Islam I). The lectures are designed exclusively for those who will sit the finals paper on Islam I, but may also be suitable for graduates offering the Islam paper for the Theology & Religion MSt in the Study of Religions, as well as undergraduates studying for the same theme in the Faculty of Oriental Studies. The paper covers the historical origins and development of the theology, law and mysticism of Islam, from the seventh to the fifteenth centuries, including such topics as: the theologies of the Mu tazilis, Ash aris and Hanbalis, comparative Islamic and Christian theology and various classical Muslim authorities. A detailed reading list will be supplied at the start of the course. Some useful textbooks to accompany the lectures are H. Küng, Islam: Past, Present and Future (2007), F. Rahman, Islam, 2nd ed. (1979), T. Winter, The Cambridge Companion to Classical Islamic Theology (2008) and M.G.S. Hodgson, The Venture of Islam. Vol. 1: The Classical Age of Islam (1974). Foundations of Buddhist Thought (Buddhism I) Prof. Stefano Zacchetti Day and Time Monday, 3:00 Gibson Lecture Room 42
PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION, AND WORLD RELIGIONS Aims and Objectives This course is open to all who are interested but will be of particular value to those studying for paper 18: Buddhism I. The Lectures are intended to give students insight into the basic teachings of the Buddha and into the doctrinal and practical aspects of early Buddhism in a way which stimulates thought and relates to any knowledge they may already have of the nature of religion and a variety of religious traditions. 1. Early Buddhism: sources and methodological approaches 2. The Buddha and the Middle Way 3. The Four Truths 4. The self and its alternatives 5. Dependent origination 6. Karma 7. Meditation 8. Ethics and values Bibliography Carrithers, Michael, The Buddha: A very Short Introduction (OUP, 2001). Collins, Steven, Selfless Persons (Cambridge University Press, 1982). Frauwallner, Erich, The Philosophy of Buddhism. (Transl. from German by Gelong Lodrö Sangpo with the assistance of Jigme Sheldron under the supervision of Ernst Steinkellner) (Motilal Banarsidass, 2010). Gethin, Rupert. The Foundations of Buddhism (OUP, 1998). Gombrich, Richard. Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benares to Modern Columbo (2 nd ed. Routledge, 2006). Gombrich, Richard, What The Buddha Thought. (Equinox, 2009). Schmithausen, Lambert, On some Aspects of Descriptions or Theories of 'Liberating Insight' and 'Enlightenment' in Early Buddhism. In: Studien zum Jainismus und Buddhismus, ed. by Klaus Bruhn und Albrecht Wezler, pp. 199-250 (Wiesbaden, 1981). Shaw, Sarah. Buddhist Meditation: An Anthology of Texts From the Pali Canon (Routledge, 2006). Williams, Paul (with Anthony Tribe), Buddhist Thought. (Routledge, 2000). Title of Lecture Hinduism I: Sources and Development Prof. Flood 43
PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION, AND WORLD RELIGIONS Day and Time Wednesday, 9.00 Examination Schools In conjunction with tutorials, this lecture series provides some basic material for Theology FHS Paper 20, Hinduism I: Sources and Development. These lectures offer a thematic and historical introduction to the sources and early development of Hindu traditions from their early formation to the early medieval period. We will explore the formation of Hindu traditions through textual sources, such as the Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gītā, along with the practices and social institutions that formed classical Hindu traditions. The course will include an introduction to Hindu philosophy. A detailed reading list will be supplied at the start of the lectures which will be based loosely around Gavin Flood s Introduction to Hinduism (CUP 1996). Title of Lecture Science and Religion Prof. McGrath Day and Time Monday, 4:00 Gibson Lecture Room These lectures consider a range of issues that arise out of contemporary relations between science and religion, focussing especially on their relevance for Christian theology. They will be complemented by the series of lectures on contemporary issues in Hilary Term. Some of the key questions to be explored in this series of lectures are: Is there a permanent warfare between science and religion? To what extent is Christian theology influenced by the scientific worldview of its contexts? Explanation in science and religion Do scientific theories and Christian beliefs relate to an objective reality? 44
PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION, AND WORLD RELIGIONS Is evolution incompatible with the view that humans are made in God s image? Can psychology explain away religious and moral beliefs? Is Intelligent Design a viable scientific theory? What are the religious implications of big bang cosmology, the anthropic principle, and fine-tuning arguments? What are we to make of scientific atheists criticisms of religious belief? The Michaelmas lectures will focus on exploring how the emergence of a scientific culture impacted on Christian theology during the period 1500-2000. LECTURE OUTLINE Week 1. The interaction of the natural sciences and Christian theology: introduction to the issues Week 2. No Lecture. Students are warmly invited to attend Prof McGrath s inaugural lecture at 5.00 p.m. in the Examination Schools: Conflict or Mutual Enrichment? Why Science and Theology need to talk to each other. Week 3. Tradition and Biblical Interpretation: The Theological Relevance of the Copernican and Galilean debates about the solar system Week 4. The Mechanical Universe: Newtonianism, natural theology, and the rise of scientific atheism Week 5. Charles Darwin: introducing The Origin of Species, and reflections on the theological questions this raised Week 6. From Steady State to Big Bang : The theological significance of changes in cosmology, 1900-2000 Week 7. Sigmund Freud: introducing his psychological theories of the origin of religion, and reflections on the present state of the debate Week 8. Moving on: preparing to engage with the current debates and discussions Lecture outlines will be made available at each lecture. INTRODUCTORY READING: Ian G. Barbour, Religion and Science: Historical and Contemporary Issues, (New York: Harper Collins, 1997). FURTHER READING: Justin Barrett, Why Would Anyone Believe in God? (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2004). James Beilby (ed.), Naturalism Defeated? Essays on Plantinga s Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism, (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2002). Warren Brown and Nancey Murphy (eds.), Whatever Happened to the Soul? (Fortress, 1998). Alan Chalmers, What is This Thing Called Science?, 3rd edn. (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1994). William Craig and Quentin Smith, Theism, Atheism, and Big Bang Cosmology (Oxford: OUP, 1993). Paul Davies, The Goldilocks Enigma (Penguin, 2007) Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene (Oxford: OUP, 1976). Peter Dear, The Intelligibility of Nature: How Science makes sense of the World (Chicago, 2006) Daniel Dennett, Darwin s Dangerous Idea (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995). 45
PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION, AND WORLD RELIGIONS Daniel Dennett and Alvin Plantinga, Science and Religion: Are They Compatible? (Oxford: OUP, 2011). Thomas Dixon, Geoffrey Cantor, and Stephen Pumfrey, Science and Religion: New Historical Perspectives (Cambridge: CUP, 2010). Paul Feyerabend, The Tyranny of Science (Cambridge: Polity, 2011). Amos Funkenstein, Theology and the Scientific Imagination, (Princeton: PUP, 1986). Peter Harrison, Science and Religion : Constructing the Boundaries, The Journal of Religion 86 (2006), 81-106; also in Thomas Dixon et al., above. John Haught, Deeper than Darwin: The Prospect for Religion in an Age of Evolution (Westview Press, 2003). T. S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (Chicago, 1970). John Lennox, God s Undertaker - Has Science buried God? (Oxford: Lion-Hudson, 2009). Donald Mackay, Brains, Machines, and Persons (London: Collins, 1980). Neil Manson (ed.), God and Design: The Teleological Argument and Modern Science (Routledge, 2003). Alister McGrath, Dawkins s God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life (Oxford: Blackwell, 2005). Science and Religion: An Introduction 2 nd edn (Oxford: Blackwell, 2010). Mary Midgley, Evolution as a religion: strange hopes and stranger fears, 2nd edn. (London: Routledge, 2002). Simon Conway Morris, Life s Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe (Cambridge: CUP, 2003). Andrew Moore, Realism and Christian Faith: God, Grammar, and Meaning (Cambridge, CUP, 2003). Nancey Murphy, Theology in the Age of Scientific Reasoning (Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP, 1990). Arthur Peacocke, Theology for a Scientific Age (Oxford: Blackwell, 1990). Michael L. Peterson and Raymond J. Van Arragon, Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Religion, ed (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2004), Does Science discredit Religion?, pp. 59-92 Alvin Plantinga, Religion and Science, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy [2007], http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/religion-science/ John Polkinghorne, Science and Christian Belief (London: SPCK, 1994). Michael Ruse and William Dembski (eds.), Debating Design: From Darwin to DNA (Cambridge: CUP, 2004). Niall Shanks, God, the Devil and Darwin: A Critique of Intelligent Design Theory (Oxford: OUP, 2004). Lee Smolin, The Trouble with Physics (Penguin, 2006). Michael Stenmark, How to Relate Science and Religion (Eerdmans, 2004). David Stove, Darwinian Fairytales: Selfish Genes, Errors of heredity, and other Fables of Evolution (New York: Encounter, 1995). Richard Swinburne, The Evolution of the Soul, revised edn. (Oxford: OUP, 1997). Raymond Tallis, Aping Mankind: Neuromania, Darwinitis and the Misrepresentation of Humanity (Durham: Acumen, 2011) Bas C. van Fraassen, The Scientific Image (Oxford: OUP, 1980). The Empirical Stance (New Haven: Yale UP, 2004). 46
PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION, AND WORLD RELIGIONS Title of Lecture Psychology of Religion Dr Petrovich Day and Time Thursday, 12:00 Examination Schools Psychology of religion is concerned with human experience and behaviour associated with religion in general. Psychological explanations of religion are based on empirical research of human behaviour (cognitive, emotional, and social) through life span and across different cultures. The paper will cover theories about aspects of behaviour or experience relevant to religion such as conversion, prayer, mysticism; cognitive and affective (i.e., psychoanalytic) accounts of religion; origin and development of religious concepts; normal and abnormal religious experience and behaviour; religious and secular moral behaviour; and applications of psychology to religious education and health. Aims and Objectives Aims: The course aims to provide an overview of the main issues in psychological study of religion that reflects contemporary developments in psychological theory and research. It also aims to stimulate an interest in psychological findings about religion and encourage the perception of scientific psychology as relevant to explaining religious experience / behaviour. Objectives: On completion of the course of lectures and tutorials, students will have: a) Been introduced to the main psychological accounts of human religious behaviour as distinct from those offered by other disciplines. b) Become aware of the main methodological developments in modern scientific psychology and of their relevance to critical appraisal of the early and non-psychological accounts of human religious experience. c) Acquired a more complete understanding of specific religious phenomena and critically examined the usefulness of the empirical approach to religion. d) Enriched their transferable skills by handling information from a variety of sources. Lecture Topics Week 1: Religion and contemporary psychology. Week 2: Main issues in the study of religious experience. Week 3: Origin and development of religious concepts. Week 4: Religious conversion. Week 5: Moral development and religion. Week 6: The psychology of prayer. Week 7: Mysticism: Normal or abnormal religious experience? Week 8: Applied psychology and religion: Education and health. 47
PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION, AND WORLD RELIGIONS Course delivery Lectures: 8 given in Michaelmas Term. Number of tutorials: 8. Students are advised not to take tutorials for this paper prior to attending the course of core lectures. Assessment is by one 3-hour written examination in which candidates will be required to write three essays. Other Lectures and Classes Title of Lecture Seminar on Jewish History and Literature in the Graeco- Roman Period Prof. Goodman Day and Time Tuesday, 2:30-4:00 Clarendon Institute Week 1: Dr Charlotte Hempel (Birmingham) 'Torah learning and Schriftgelehrtentum: from Ezra to the Scrolls' Week 2: Dr Siam Bhayro (Exeter) 'Babylonian and Iranian features of ancient Jewish cosmologies: Marduk the magician and the Zurvanite Enoch' Week 3: Professor Jan Joosten (Christ Church) 'The historical and theological lexicon of the Septuagint' Week 4: Jonathon Wright (St Stephen's House) 'Nachleben of Jewish Pseudepigrapha: the case of Joseph and Aseneth' Week 5: Dr Katell Berthelot (Aix-en-Provence) 'The Hellenistic background of the story of the division of the earth between the children of Noah in the Book of Jubilees' Week 6: Dr Hector Patmore (Cardiff) 'The Evil Inclination in the Targums to the Pentateuch and the Prophets' Week 7: Professor Tessa Rajak (Somerville) and Professor Goodman 'Resistance, revolt and revolution: Masada and other issues' 48
PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION, AND WORLD RELIGIONS Week 8: Daniel Ryan (Cambridge) 'Ethnicity, national identity and coinage under Alexander Jannaeus' 49
MORAL AND PASTORAL THEOLOGY Core Lectures and Classes Title of Lecture A Christian Vision of Moral Life: Its Elements and Architecture Prof. Biggar Day and Time Tuesday, 12:00 Examination Schools An outline of the lectures Week 1 (9 October): Creation: the forms of human flourishing Week 2 (16 October): The revelation of creation: natural law Week 3 (23 October): Week 4 (30 October): Week 5 (6 November): Week 6 (13 November): Week 7 (20 November): Week 8 (27 November): The revelation of salvation: the Word of God Making ethical sense of Scripture Ad hoc and ad hominem: the Spirit s commands Acting and being in response to God: worship & virtue Making judgements: between absolutes and cases Behaving in public: theological ethics outside the Church General reading: introductions and resources Atkinson, David; and Field, David (eds). New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology. Leicester: IVP, 1995. Biggar, Nigel. Behaving in Public: How to Do Christian Ethics. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010.. Ethics. In Alister E. McGrath (ed.), The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought. Oxford: Blackwell, 1993. Cunningham, David S. Christian Ethics: The End of the Law. London: Routledge, 2008. Dowler, Edward. Theological Ethics. London: SCM, 2011. Higginson, Richard. Dilemmas: A Christian Approach to Moral Decision-Making. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1988. Long, D. Stephen. Christian Ethics: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. 50
MORAL AND PASTORAL THEOLOGY Meilaender, Gilbert; and Werpehowski, William. The Oxford Handbook of Theological Ethics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Wells, Sam; and Quash, Ben. Introducing Christian Ethics. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.. Christian Ethics: An Introductory Reader. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Other Lectures and Classes Title of Lecture Day and Time The Elements of a Christian Ethic (Graduate Seminar) Prof. Biggar Wednesday, 3:00-4:45pm South West Lodgings, Christ Church This course of weekly, two-hour seminars offers an opportunity for the concentrated study of basic concepts and methodological questions in Christian ethics/moral theology. It is designed especially for postgraduates taking the M.St. or M.Phil. in Theology (Christian Ethics). Others who are interested are invited to apply to Professor Biggar at nigel.biggar@chch.ox.ac.uk. The course will be organized around such topics as these: 1. God and morality: the Good 2. Natural law : concepts and critiques 3. What role should Scripture play in the construction of a Christian ethic? 4. God and morality: Divine Commands 5. Are there moral absolutes? 6. Consequences or intentions: must moral analysis choose? 7. Before analysis: narrative and virtue 8. May Christian ethics speak in its own voice in public? For each seminar students will be required to read a week s worth of prescribed texts, both classic and contemporary. Each seminar will start with a brief presentation by a student of the main issues; and it will close with a brief introduction by Professor Biggar to the following week s texts. 51
MORAL AND PASTORAL THEOLOGY While the focus of this course will be on basic moral concepts and methodology, and not on specific fields of practical moral problem (i.e., medical, sexual, or political ethics), reference will be made to practical issues for the purposes of illustration and clarification. In the process of exploring these topics, students will be introduced to the history of Christian ethics, to its various traditions, to its foremost exponents, and to some of its major controversies.. : The Formation of Moral Character Prof. Biggar & Dr Lamb Day and Time Tuesday [weeks 2 and 6], 3:45-5:15 South West Lodgings, Christ Church Sponsored by the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics, & Public Life and the Oxford Pastorate s Character Development Project, these are the first of a series of seminars, which will continue throughout the academic year 2014-15. 2 nd Week: Professor Kristján Kristjánsson, The Problematics of Character Education Dr Kristjánsson is Professor of Character Education and Virtue Ethics in the School of Education at the University of Birmingham. 6 th Week: Dr Marius Felderhof, Developing Dispositions through Religious Education Dr Felderhof is Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham. 52
SPECIAL LECTURES Special Lectures Hensley Henson Lectures: Experiencing the Victorian church: faith, time, and architecture Dr William Whyte, will deliver the Hensley Henson lectures at 5pm on the following days in the Examination Schools. 21 Oct: Experiencing 28 Oct: Seeing 4 Nov: Inhabiting 11 Nov: Visiting 18 Nov: Analyzing. Inaugural lecture: Prof. Alister McGrath will deliver his inaugural lecture at 5pm on 20 October in the Examination Schools. Subject: Conflict or Mutual Enrichment? Why Science and Theology need to talk to each other. 53