010021 SE Concepts of Systematic Theology (2018S)

Course Content:
In order to understand the fundamental problems facing the discipline of theology and its place in the world and in the church, it is important to understand the content and historical development of foundational theological concepts. The task of theology and of theologians is, in part, to advance and redefine our understanding of the content of Christian faith. This course will explore major developments in theological methodology—how do we go about the process of doing theology?—especially in the field of Christology in the twentieth century. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries saw revolutionary advances in biblical and historical research into the origins of the Christian faith, challenging long-held traditional formulations of faith. This fundamentally changed the way that Christians conceived of how the church ‘comes from’ Jesus, and what place the church holds in contemporary society. This course will trace the development of Christology and methodology by looking specifically at three authors: Henri de Lubac, Edward Schillebeeckx, and Jon Sobrino. The content of the course will not merely focus on the ‘dogmatic’ questions about Christology, but also on the methodological framework within which each author investigates Christological questions, and how their methodologies reveal specific conceptions of the relation between ‘church’ and ‘world’, including the political implications of each theological approach.

Method:
Preparation for class by reading key texts. Presentation of systematic theological concepts, followed by in-class reading of texts and discussion.

Course Goals:
The goals of this course are:
To familiarize students with positions in systematic theology, including historical and contemporary questions in the field of Christology.
To provide instruction in the reading of important theological texts from the twentieth century.
For the students to practice reading and thinking with theological texts.