THEO 1016.01 Introduction to Christian Theology 1 Summer Session 1 2015 (3 Credits) Instructor: James Daryn Henry Class Meetings: MW 6:00-9:15 PM Office Hours: MW 3:30-5:30 PM or happily by appointment Email: henryjg@bc.edu Classroom: Stokes South 109 Office: Stokes North 420C Boston College Mission Statement: Strengthened by more than a century and a half of dedication to academic excellence, Boston College commits itself to the highest standards of teaching and research in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs and to the pursuit of a just society through its own accomplishments, the work of its faculty and staff, and the achievements of its graduates. It seeks both to advance its place among the nation's finest universities and to bring to the company of its distinguished peers and to contemporary society the richness of the Catholic intellectual ideal of a mutually illuminating relationship between religious faith and free intellectual inquiry. Boston College draws inspiration for its academic societal mission from its distinctive religious tradition. As a Catholic and Jesuit university, it is rooted in a world view that encounters God in all creation and through all human activity, especially in the search for truth in every discipline, in the desire to learn, and in the call to live justly together. In this spirit, the University regards the contribution of different religious traditions and value systems as essential to the fullness of its intellectual life and to the continuous development of its distinctive intellectual heritage. Course Description: This is the first session of a two- part course that fulfills the Theology core requirement. This sequence of courses considers significant questions in conversation with some of the most important writings in the tradition of Western Christian thought. Its purpose is to encourage students by drawing systematically on primary sources of historical significance to uncover the roots of the Christian faith and life and to delineate the values for which this tradition of faith stands. Students considering a minor course of study in the Faith, Peace, and Justice Program will find this course of special interest. Introduction to Christian Theology I meets one semester of the university s two- semester core curriculum requirement in theology. Completing the full requirement requires taking the second section of this particular sequence: Introduction to Christian Theology II. Classes in other sequences in the theology department (e.g., Biblical Heritage I or Comparative Perspectives II) will not meet the core requirement (see Academic Catalog, 217). There are no exceptions. Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, students will have been afforded the opportunity to: INTRO TO CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY I (HENRY) BC SUMMER 2015 1
1. Acquire a working knowledge of the essential features & history of theological discourse from the Christian perspective, including some major periods, methods, doctrines, traditions, themes & controversies, as demonstrated by an ability to articulate and interact with this material on examinations. 2. Develop skills in understanding and analyzing the thought of some of the most influential Christian thinkers from various historical periods, as demonstrated by an ability to reflect on the texts and ideas of these theologians through class discussion or Canvas discussion posts. 3. Cultivate competency in identifying the most significant theological concepts for contemporary society and in observing how theological ideas influence popular culture, as demonstrated by written assignments on a theological movie review and phenomenological research on religious communities. 4. Understand the effect of various cultural settings, and the impact of race, gender, and age, on theological formulations ie: contextual theology as demonstrated through the ability to comment and reflect on these contexts in class participation and written assignments. 5. Engage the ethical implications of theology the reciprocal influence of theological beliefs on moral practices and behaviors as demonstrated by the ability to comment and reflect on the ethical dimensions of theological study in class participation and written assignments. Learning Structure: The format of the twice- weekly course meetings includes lectures, discussion of assigned readings, small and large group work, interpretation of various media, as well as consideration of pertinent questions or issues put forward by students. Students should work at understanding our common readings and evaluating these readings from their own perspective and experience. They should come to class prepared to share some of these reflections. Learning Community: in the company of friends: to make conversation, to share a joke, to perform mutual acts of kindness, to read together well- written books, to share in trifling matters and in serious matters, to disagree, though without animosity in disagreement just as a person debates with himself and in these very occasions to find that disagreements make our normal harmony all the sweeter, to teach each other something, to learn from one another, to long with impatience for those absent, to welcome them with gladness upon their arrival. These and other signs acting as fuel to set our minds on fire and out of many to forge unity. - Augustine, Confessions, Book IV.8 INTRO TO CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY I (HENRY) BC SUMMER 2015 2
Grading: The WCAS Grading System consists of twelve categories: A (4.00), A- (3.67), excellent; B+ (3.33), B (3.00), B- (2.67), good; C+ (2.33), C (2.00), C- (l.67), satisfactory; D+ (l.33), D (l.00), D- (.67), passing but unsatisfactory; F (.00), failure; I (.00), incomplete; F (.00), course dropped without notifying office; W (.00), official withdrawal from course. Grade Reports: All students are required to log into the web through Agora to access their semester grades. Students must utilize their BC username and password to log on. If your username or password is not known the HELP Desk located in the Campus Technology Resource Center (CTRC) in O Neill Library will issue a new one. The CTRC requires a valid picture ID (a BC ID, driver s license or passport) to obtain your password. Grading Schema: A 94-100 B- 80-82 D+ 67-69 A- 90-93 C+ 77-79 D 63-66 B+ 87-89 C 73-76 D- 60-62 B 83-86 C- 70-72 F 59 and below Important Policies: http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/advstudies/guide/academicinteg.html Written Work Graduate and undergraduate students are expected to prepare professional, polished written work. Written materials must be typed in the format required by your instructor. Strive for a thorough, yet concise style. Cite literature appropriately, using APA, MLA, CLA format per instructor s decision. Develop your thoughts fully, clearly, logically and specifically. Proofread all materials to ensure the use of proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. You are encouraged to make use of campus resources for refining writing skills as needed [http://www.bc.edu/libraries/help/tutoring.html]. Scholarship and Academic Integrity It is expected that students will produce original work and cite references appropriately. Failure to reference properly is plagiarism. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not necessarily limited to, plagiarism, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, cheating on examinations or assignments, and submitting the same paper or substantially similar papers to meet the requirements of more than one course without seeking permission of all instructors concerned. Scholastic misconduct may also involve, but is not necessarily limited to, acts that violate the rights of other students, such as depriving another student of course materials or interfering with another student s work. Request for Accommodations If you have a disability and will be requesting accommodations for this course, please register with either Dr. Kathy Duggan (dugganka@bc.edu), Associate Director, Connors Family Learning Center (learning disabilities or AHD) or Dean Paulette Durrett (paulette.durrett@bc.edu), INTRO TO CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY I (HENRY) BC SUMMER 2015 3
Assistant Dean for students with disabilities, (all other disabilities). Advance notice and appropriate documentation are required for accommodations. For further information, you can locate the disability resources on the web at: http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/libraries/help/tutoring/specialservices.html. Attendance Class attendance is an important component of learning. Students are expected to attend all classes and to arrive by the beginning of and remain for the entire class period. When an occasion occurs that prevents a student from attending class, it is the student s obligation to inform the instructor of the conflict before the class meets. The student is still expected to meet all assignment deadlines. If a student knows that he or she will be absent on a particular day, the student is responsible for seeing the instructor beforehand to obtain the assignments for that day. If a student misses a class, he or she is responsible for making up the work by obtaining a classmate's notes and handouts and turning in any assignments due. If you miss class, you cannot make up participation points associated with that class. Types of absences that are not typically excused include weddings, showers, vacations, birthday parties, graduations, etc. Additional assignments, penalties and correctives are at the discretion of the instructor. If circumstances necessitate excessive absence from class, the student should consider withdrawing from the class. In all cases, students are expected to accept the decision of the instructor regarding attendance policies specific to the class. Consistent with our commitment of creating an academic community that is respectful of and welcoming to persons of differing backgrounds, we believe that every reasonable effort should be made to allow members of the university community to observe their religious holidays without jeopardizing the fulfillment of their academic obligations. It is the responsibility of students to review course syllabi as soon as they are distributed and to consult the faculty member promptly regarding any possible conflicts with observed religious holidays. If asked, the student should provide accurate information about the obligations entailed in the observance of that particular holiday. However, it is the responsibility of the student to complete any and all class requirements for days that are missed due to conflicts due to religious holidays. Due to the highly compacted timeframe of the summer session and the intensive nature of this course, students who have accumulated more than 1 unexcused absence will be jeopardizing their entire participation grade. In this case, they will be required to meet with the instructor to discern whether they can make up the work necessary to earn their participation grade. For the purposes of fairness and clarity: an excused absence constitutes documentation from either (1) a recognized medical professional or (2) the Dean of the Woods College. All other absences, unaccompanied by such documentation, will be considered unexcused. There may be circumstances that necessitate a departure from this policy. Feel free to contact the WCAS at 617-552- 3900 for consultation. INTRO TO CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY I (HENRY) BC SUMMER 2015 4
Deadlines Unless otherwise specified, assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the specified dates (see course outline). Extensions are granted at the instructor s discretion and must be made in advance of the due date. Course Expectations: University policies expect that each student spend a minimum of two hours per week for every hour of in- class instructional time. It is expected, therefore, that about 6 hours of study time will be devoted to preparation for each 3- hour class session. Course Assignments to Achieve Learning Goals: 1. Class Participation (30%): Participation is a major emphasis of this course, and so is reflected in the grade weighting. These grades are earned, and not just by showing up. Participation is particularly crucial in this class, as our study involves interpersonal interpretation and not merely sets or catalogues of data. Active presence facilitates our collective formation as a learning community. Students will be able to earn high participation grades through: a. Completion of all assigned reading materials b. Informed, active verbal contribution to class discussion, excellence in which entails the student s ability to offer: i. summaries of major content of the reading ii. assessment of key thematic issues involved iii. explicit reference to relevant passages in text iv. appropriate direction to the conversation v. consideration of opposing views vi. integrations with other disciplines of knowledge or connections between the material and personal life experiences c. For those of you who, like I was, are more reserved in public fora or discussion, there are a number of other options to earn participation grades, all of which are also available to all students, including: d. Written contributions to online Canvas discussion boards. e. In person visitation of office hours to discuss readings and/or themes. f. Researching and sharing outside material related to the class material. g. There will be periodic reading quizzes to assess your level of understanding of and interaction with the reading material. Such quizzes will not receive a distinct grade, but, as a whole pattern, they will contribute indirectly to the evaluation of your class participation grade. 2. Theological Movie Review Essay (15%): In a 1500-2000 word essay, students will analyze a contemporary film, from a provided list of possible films, describing and expositing some salient theological themes. Due: 27 May 3. First Examination (20%): in class will consist of objective identification & interpretive essay questions on the material from N.T. Wright to monastic theology: 1 June INTRO TO CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY I (HENRY) BC SUMMER 2015 5
4. Community Encounter Essay (15%): Christian theology is not primarily studied though this is also crucial but it is lived. So this semester we will encounter theology in action. Students will attend 1 Jewish Shabbat service and 1 Christian worship service somewhere in the community (if you already attend a Jewish or Christian community, preferably one different from your own). In a 1500-2000 word reflection, essays will describe some of the theological assumptions or concerns you noticed at work in the community, interacting with the class material. Due: 15 June 5. Second Examination (20%): will consist of objective identification questions from the second half of the course, as well as interpretive questions asking you to synthesize and integrate material from the whole semester: format & time TBD Summary: *You will receive further guidelines on specific details of all assignments on Canvas Assignment Due Date Grade Theological Movie Review Essay 27 May 2015 15% First Exam 1 June 2015 20% Community Encounter Essay 15 June 2015 15% Second Exam 19 June 2015 20% Participation throughout course 30% Required Readings: William C. Placher, A History of Christian Theology: An Introduction, 2 nd ed. (Westminster John Knox, 2013) ISBN: 978-0664239350 Alister E. McGrath. The Christian Theology Reader, 4 th Ed. (Blackwell, 2011) ISBN: 978-0470654842 N. T. Wright. Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense. (Harper One, 2006) ISBN: 978-0061920622 Prospective Course Schedule of Topics & Readings Course Outline: All materials listed below are required reading. Required materials assigned for a particular class should be read before you arrive for class that day (with an exception made for the first day of class). Contingency: My philosophy of education holds that an instructor teaches human persons. Given the unique constellation of persons in any given class, therefore please be aware that I may have to modify (delete or add or rearrange, slow down or speed up) the schedule of readings and assignments should this become necessary in our ongoing development as a learning community. INTRO TO CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY I (HENRY) BC SUMMER 2015 6
DATE TOPIC READING ADDITIONAL 13 May I: Orientation & Syllabus N. T. Wright, Simply Christian, Intro, Chapters 1- Intro Lectures: II: What is Theology & Why Would we Care 2 & 4 (ix- 27, 39-51) III: Christianity b/t Modernity and Postmodernity 15 May Elements of Theology: The Christian Scriptures 18 May Elements of Theology: Basic Christian Structures N. T. Wright, Simply Christian, Chapters 5-7 (55-104) Theology, Prefaces & Chapters 1-3 (ix- xi, 1-31) N. T. Wright, Simply Christian, Chapters 8-9, 11-12, 15-16 (105-129, 143-172, 199-237) Friday make- up class End of first summer session add/drop 20 May The History of Theology & the Intellectual Heritage of the Church Early Christian Identity: Orthodoxy, Catholicity, Heresy The First Threshold of Mission: Greco- Roman Philosophy & Culture 27 May Crucible of the Faith: The Trinitarian and Christological Decisions 29 May I: Eastern Orthodox Theology After the Councils II: A Theological Colossus Augustine Theology, Chapters 4-5 (33-53) McGrath, Christian Theology Reader (CTR): Preface, Intro, Overview (xv- xxi, xxiv- xxix, pg 2-3), 1.1-1.4, 1.6, 2.1-2.3, 2.5 & 2.6, 4.1 & 4.2, 5.1 & 5.2, 9.1 Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas (Canvas) Theology, Chapter 6 (55-71) McGrath, CTR: 1.5, 3.3, 3.9-3.13, 3.15-3.17, 3.19-3.20, 3.22, 3.36, 3.42, 3.45, 4.4-4.17 Theology, Chapters 7-8 (73-102) Theological Movie Review Essay Due Friday make- up class INTRO TO CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY I (HENRY) BC SUMMER 2015 7
1 June Development of Medieval Theology: Monastics, Scholastics and Mystics 3 June Theology as Science: Rise of Scholastic Theology & the Universities 8 June The Protestant Reformation: The Gospel as the Heart of Theology & the Stable Word, Unstable Trajectories 10 June The Catholic Reformation & the Jesuits: Revival, Mission, Reaction I: McGrath, CTR: 4.18-4.20, 4.23, 5.12, 8.4-8.5, 1.35, 2.48 II: McGrath, CTR: 2.8, 6.11-6.21, 7.6, 8.7 Theology, Chapters 9 (103-117) McGrath, CTR: 2.11-2.13, 3.26, 6.23, 6.25, 6.27, 8.10 & 8.11, 8.13-8.15 Theology, Chapter 10 (119-136) Kreeft & Tacelli, 20 Arguments for the Existence of God (Canvas) Polkinghorne, Belief in God in Age of Science (Canvas) McGrath, CTR: 1.7-1.11, 1.21-1.22 Theology, Chapters 12 & 14 (153-168, 187-200) McGrath, CTR, 1.12-1.13, 2.15-2.18, 2.23, 6.30, 6.32-6.38, 6.41, 6.43, 7.11-7.17, 7.19-7.20, 8.17-8.26, 4.25, 5.19 Theology, Chapter 13 (171-185) McGrath, CTR, 2.19, 2.22, 2.25, 6.39, 7.22, 8.28, 10.15 First Exam Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises (Canvas) 15 June I: Reason and Revival: Theology in the Community INTRO TO CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY I (HENRY) BC SUMMER 2015 8
Enlightenment II: At Home Theology in America 17 June The Modern Era & Recent Trajectories Theology, Chapters 15 & 16 (203-232) I: McGrath, CTR, 1.15-1.20, 3.30, 4.26, 9.2-9.3 5.23, 6.44, 6.45, 6.46, 6.48, 8.30 II: McGrath, CTR, 2.31 J Kameron Carter, from Race: A Theological Account (Canvas) Theology, Chapters 18 & 19 (249-272) Encounter Essay Due Coda & Exam Preparation INTRO TO CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY I (HENRY) BC SUMMER 2015 9