Syllabus for Birmingham Theological Seminary

Syllabus for Birmingham Theological Seminary 2200 Briarwood Way, Birmingham, Alabama 35243 205.776.5650

Fall 2016 Cell phone: 334.701.5023 ST3511 Survey of Systematic Theology E-mail: [email protected] Professor: Rev. Lynn Miley Dothan Campus Credit hours: 2 334.797.8572

Course Purpose

This course is an overview of the doctrines of Scripture, God, creation, man, sin, Christ, the Holy Spirit, angels, salvation, the church, the sacraments, and eschatology. This course will focus on the distinctiveness of these doctrines in the Reformed tradition. Emphasis will be placed on the biblical foundation of doctrine and the integral nature of God’s revelation.

Course Objectives

1. The student will be able to describe and define the primary doctrines of Reformed theology. 2. The student will be able to identify those significant areas where Reformed theology differs from other systems of evangelical thought. 3. The student will be able to apply the doctrines of systematic theology to relevant issues in his cultural and ministerial situation.

Course Texts

Required text: Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Zondervan Publishing House, 1994, (1167 pgs.) ISBN 0-310-28670-0

Logos 6 Bible Software is required for Masters level students. Logos 6 is not required for Certificate level students. BTS students qualify for a 40% discount; see instructor for details.

Collateral texts: Berkhof, Louis, Systematic Theology, Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1941 (Free with Logos 6 Bronze) Calvin, John, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Free on line and with Logos 6 Bronze) Hodge, Charles, Systematic Theology (three volumes), Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975 (Free with Logos 6 Bronze) Sproul, R.C., Essential Truths of the Christian Faith, Carol Stream, Illinois, Tyndale House

1 Course Requirements

1. Class attendance and participation. In the absence of professor permission, more than two unexcused absences drops the final grade by one letter grade.

2. Completion of reading assignments on time and ability to participate in class discussions. The reading requirement for Certificate level student is approximately half that of full credit students and is described in the Course Outline section of the Syllabus.

3. Two to three page application papers. These papers will make an application of a particular doctrine to an issue in today’s world. These could be apologetic in nature or merely explanatory. They should be concise but precise. Choose four from the seven possible papers. You may present two of these orally to the class, but you should give an outline to the class before making the presentation. A Powerpoint presentation or other use of visual aids is encouraged. Also, you should be able to cite at least three sources from Logos that you used in writing these application papers. Certificate level students are required to write these application papers; however, they are exempt from having to use Logos. Paper 1 on Scripture: “Using Scripture as my authority for faith and practice, at what point, in terms of faith and practice, do I consider a professing Christian not to be a Christian at all?” Paper 2 on God: “If God ordains whatsoever comes to pass (WCF), then does that mean that He ordains the killing and rape of people in Syria and Iraq by ISIS? If so, how then is He not the author of sin and evil?” Paper 3 on man: “What objections can you raise to Pope Francis’ assertion that there is no contradiction between the biblical narrative of creation and the theory of the evolution of man?” Paper 4 on Christ: “What argument could you use with a Muslim to show that Jesus is the Son of God?” Paper 5 on salvation: “Do you agree with the idea of Lordship salvation? Why or why not?” Paper 6 on the church: “Which of the spiritual gifts mentioned in I Cor. 12 do you believe are no longer operative? Why or why not? Could a gift still be operative without the corresponding office, e.g. apostle or prophet?” Paper 7 on eschatology: “What practical difference does it make if a person is a premillennialist or an amillennialist? Does it matter if a person gives credibility to the Left Behind series?”

4. Write a 10-12 page paper based on a topic agreed upon by the professor. You should average two citations per page and a minimum of five reference works other than the textbook. All references should come from your Logos software. Paper should contain the following constituent parts: title page, table of contents, introduction, thesis sentence, and/or statement and research question (what are you investigating?), discussion, conclusion, and bibliography. (The 10-12 pages begin with the introduction and end with the conclusion.) The research paper is not required for Certificate level students.

Course Grading

2 1. Completion of reading assignment before each class and class discussion participation: 20% (2% per class). 2. Application papers: 40% (10% each)

3. Research paper: 20%

5. Final exam: 20%

BTS Format and Style Standards

BTS uses the Turabian style of formatting as a standard for papers. However, students should regard individual professor preferences if they communicate any variance in outlining for papers. Professors retain discretion in determining how “formal” a paper should be. In this technological age, information is readily available; make sure that you understand about giving reference sources their proper recognition. Please refer to the BTS Student Handbook section on plagiarism for guidance. If an application paper is poorly organized or contains an excessive amount of grammatical errors, the paper will be returned to the student to be redone. The software to automatically format papers to the Turabian style can be purchased online at www.styleease.com.

Course Outline

All of these reading assignments are from Grudem’s book Systematic Theology. The reading assignment for Certificate students is approximately half that of Masters Level students. At the end of each chapter, there are extra activities that begin with “Questions for Personal Application.” These extra activities are not part of the reading assignment. It will probably take you 2-3 minutes to read each page. There are approximately 900 pages of reading for this course.

September 6: Introduction, The Doctrine of the Word, pp. 21-124 (68 pages of reading) Certificate students: pp. 47-104

September 12: The Doctrine of God, pp. 141-261 (97 pages of reading) Certificate students: pp. 185-261

September 19: The Doctrine of God (cont.), pp 262-354 (84 pages of reading) Certificate students: pp. 262-354

September 26: The Doctrine of God (cont.), pp 355-436 (68 pages of reading) Certificate students: pp. 397-436 First application paper due

October 3: The Doctrine of Man, pp. 437-525 (69 pages of reading) Certificate students: pp. 490-525

3 October 10-14: FALL BREAK

October 17: The Doctrine of Christ, pp. 529-620 (83 pages of reading) Certificate student: pp. 529-607 Second application paper due

October 24: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, pp. 634-656; pp. 1016-1083 (81 pages of reading) Certificate student: pp. 634-656

October 31: The Doctrine of the Application of Redemption, pp. 657-745 (66 pages of reading) Certificate student: pp. 699-735 Third application paper due

November 7: The Doctrine of the Application of Redemption (cont.), pp. 746-850 (85 pages) Certificate student: pp. 746-762, 788-809, 828-839

November 14: The Doctrine of the Church, pp. 853-944 (81 pages of reading) Certificate students: pp. 904-944 Fourth application paper due

November 21: The Doctrine of the Church (cont.), pp. 950-1013 (54 pages of reading) Certificate students: pp. 966-1002

November 28: The Doctrine of the Future, pp. 1091-1167 (63 pages of reading) Certificate students: pp. 1091-1108, 1140-1157 Research paper due

December 5: Final Exam

4 Bibliography

Systematic Theologies

Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.1941. ISBN: 080283020X. (784 pp.). Berkhof, Louis. Summary of Christian Doctrine. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1997. ISBN: 0851510558. (184 pp). Boice, James Montgomery. Foundations of the Christian Faith. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1986. ISBN: 0877849919. (740 pp). Boston, Thomas. Commentary on the Shorter Catechism. Edmonton: Still Waters Revival Books, 1993 reprint. ISBN: 0921148248. (2 vols.: 1335 pp.). Calvin, John. Institutes of the Christian Religion. John T. McNeill, editor; Ford Lewis Battles, Translator. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960. ISBN 0664220207 (vol. 1) ISBN: 0664220215 (vol. 2). (1734 pp). Dabney, Robert L. Systematic Theology. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1985 reprint. ISBN: 0851514537. (903 pp.). Grudem, Wayne A. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Co., 1995. ISBN 0310286700. (1296 pp.). Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1982 reprint. ISBN: 0802881351. (3 vols.: 2260 pp.). Reymond, Robert L. A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith, 2nd Edition. Nashville: Nelson Reference and Electronic Publishing, 1998. ISBN: 0849913179. (1252pp) Ridgeley, Thomas. Commentary on the Larger Catechism. Edmonton: Still Waters Revival Books, 1993 reprint. ISBN: 0921148305. (2 vols.: 1313 pp.) Vincent, Thomas. The Shorter Catechism Explained from Scripture. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1980 rep. ISBN: 085151314X . (282 pp.).

The Creation of Man Berkouwer, G. C. Man: The Image of God. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1962. ISBN: 0-8028-3035-8. (363 pp.).

5 Boston, Thomas. Human Nature in its Fourfold State. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1964 reprint. (506 pp.). Hoekema, Anthony A. Created in God’s Image. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986. ISBN:0802808506. (275 pp.). Mahen, J. Gresham. The Christian View of Man. London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1984 reprint. ISBN: 0851511120. (245 pp.). Piper, John and Wayne Grudem, ed. Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2006. ISBN: 1581348061. (575 pp.). Piper, John. God’s Passion for His Glory. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1998. ISBN: 1581340079. (266 pp.). Covenant Theology Cummings, Calvin Knox. The Covenant of Grace. Suwannee: Great Commission Publications, 1989. ISBN: 0-934688-51-6. (27 pp.). Girardeau, John L. The Federal Theology: Its Import and Its Regulative Influence, ed. By J. Ligon Duncan III. Greenville: Reformed Academic Press, 1994. ISBN: 1-884416-05-5. (54pp). Hodge, A. A. The Confession of Faith. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1978 reprint. ISBN: 0-85151-275-5. (Chapters 4, 6, 7, 9). Horton, Michael Scott. God of Promise: Introducing Covenant Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2006. ISBN: 0801012899. (204pp.). Kuyvenhoven, Andrew. Partnership Grand Rapids: CRC Publications, 1974. ISBN: 0-933140- 89-4. (58 pp). Moore, T. M. I Will Be Your God: How God’s Covenant Enriches Our Lives. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 0-87552-558-X. (216 pp.). Murray, John. The Covenant of Grace Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1988 reprint. ISBN: 0-87552-363-3. (32 pp.) — “Covenant Theology.” Collected Writings of John Murray, IV:216-240. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1982. (24 pp.) Packer, J. I. “Introduction: On Covenant Theology.” Witsius’ The Economy of the Covenants, Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1990 reprint. (18 pp.). Robertson, O. Palmer. Covenants: God’s Way With his People. Suwannee: Great Commission Publications, 1999. —The Christ of the Covenants. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1980. ISBN: 0-87552-418-4. (300 pp.).

6 Waters, Guy Prentiss. The Federal Vision and Covenant Theology: A Comparative Assessment. Phillipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2006. ISBN: 1596380330. (397 pp.). Williams, Michael D. Far as the Curse is Found: The Covenant Story of Redemption. Phillips- burg, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2005. ISBN: 978-0-87552-510-5 (320 pp.). Witsius, Herman. The Economy of the Covenants. Philipsburg: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, reprint. ISBN: 0-87552-870-8. (2 vols.: 932 pp.).