ST635 GOD THE SON, THE RECONCILER SCHOOL FOR MINISTRY, AMBRIDGE, PA ONLINE, SPRING 2013

THE REV. JAMES R. A. MERRICK, B.A., M.A., T.HM. [email protected]

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom: Enlighten by your Holy Spirit those who teach and those who learn, that, rejoicing in the knowledge of your truth, they may worship you and serve you from generation to generation: through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen - The Collect for Education, American BCP 1979

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION Description: This class gives an account of the Son of God, the Reconciler, using the Bible and major theologians, especially Augustine, Luther, Calvin and Barth, to equip students to proclaim Jesus Christ to contemporary society. It includes discussions of the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension, session and return of Christ at the last day. An evangelical Anglican position is developed and defended from secular criticism using the 39 Articles and contemporary authors, and applied to Christian ministry.

Objectives: GOAL 1: Have a basic understanding of the relevance of Christ for contemporary human life and eternal salvation

GOAL 2: Gain an understanding of Christology and soteriology

GOAL 3: Know the biblical and traditional material for theological topics covered in this course

GOAL 4: Learn to think theologically about the Bible and contemporary issues

Overview and Instructions:

Statement on Online Courses Online courses are not easier than on-site courses; they merely provide more flexibility, in which case, they may be more difficult if you are not a disciplined person. You can expect to spend 10 hours a week in lectures, readings, and assignments.

How to Succeed in this Course This is a class in systematic theology. Systematic theology is about synthesis, it’s about putting things together, making connections between different aspects of Christian teaching as well as with cultural ideas, and trying to have a sense for the whole of Christian teaching as it bears upon contemporary culture.

Accordingly, the goal is not merely to understand some facts or principles, but to demonstrate an ability to integrate the doctrines covered here with other theological disciplines (e.g., biblical studies, historical theology, apologetics, liturgics, spiritual formation, etc.) and cultural assumptions or values.

Highest marks will be given for students who can show (a) a high level of understanding of the material; (b) an ability to relate that understanding to other material, both covered in this course and from either other courses or from outside reading/knowledge; (c) present thoughts well.

Communicating with your Instructor I am available for any assistance you might need, whether in regards to comprehension of the material or the completion of assignments. Email should be the primary means of communication. If you have a question requiring a discussion that exceeds the capacity of email, email first, nevertheless, and we can arrange a phone call.

Use email judiciously; treat it like you would an office appointment.

Lectures Lectures will be available as an audio file capable of being either streamed or downloaded from the Edvance360 module. There will be PowerPoint slides to go along with the lectures. If you do not have Microsoft PowerPoint, you can download a free viewer here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=13

Readings You should read the listed required readings in the order they appear on the Edvance module. Some will be preparatory for the lecture; some will be extensions of the lecture material. Some readings will come from textbooks, some from the web, and others will be posted on Edvance360. You will need a FREE version of Adobe Acrobat to read the latter; it is available here: http://get.adobe.com/reader/

Quizzes (10% of Grade, 1% each) Quizzes serve two purposes: (1) they help you make sure you are grasping basic information important in this course; (2) they help your professor check whether you are keeping up with the course and are grasping the basic information discussed.

Quizzes will be entirely objective (true/false, multiple choice, matching, multiple answer, fill in the blank). They will ask about major ideas, who said them, major events in theological history, creeds, and biblical references. They will cover lecture materials and readings. Roughly10 questions per quiz for which you will have 15 minutes.

Dogmatic Outlines (20% of Grade, 5% each) For 4 of the topics we consider, you will be asked to construct a 2-3 page outline in which you articulate the church’s confession in response to a particular question or challenge. You will need to cite the course readings and scripture where appropriate. First, state and develop the question or challenge you wish to address. Then, state your position, with some explanation. Finally, outline a response. Your points should be brief, but they should be a few sentences of succinct summarization. Also, cite scripture and class materials in support. If you quote material, make sure you explain it and analyze it.

Dogmatic Discussion (25% of Grade) At the beginning of the year, you will select 3 possible topics in our course from the Uniqueness and Universality of Christ to Soteriology 3 on which you would like to do further research and write a 6-8 page (double-spaced) paper. You will be assigned one of these for your paper. Using scripture, course material, and at least 2 external sources – 1 journal article, 1 monograph – develop a position in response to a question related to your topic. Assert a clear thesis statement at the beginning, structure your argument, and plainly develop it. Make sure to spell-check and use proper grammar. Use space efficiently, being singularly devoted to your argument.

Discussion Participation (5% of Grade) At the beginning of the year, you will be assigned 2 topics different from the ones you were assigned for the above dogmatic discussion on which to respond to posts by your fellow students. Your responses must be charitable, respectful, and substantial. At least 250 words of serious response, not mere congratulation.

Exams (40% of Grade) You will have two exams in this course, which aim at helping the instructor assess your knowledge of the topics and ability to put them together in response to various challenges. Unlike the quizzes, they will be essay not objective. Before each exam, I will supply you with a list of 5 possible essay questions. From this list, I will choose 3 on which you must write for the exam.

Late Assignments In the event you suspect you cannot submit an assignment on time, contact me before the deadline and explain. Assignments submitted 7 days late, without prior permission will receive a zero.

II. TEXTBOOKS Required: Alister E. McGrath, The Reader, 4th edn. (Oxford: Blackwell, 2011). ISBN: 978-0-470-65484-2, $59.95.

Alister McGrath, A Passion for Truth: The Intellectual Coherence of Evangelicalism (IVP, 1999). ISBN: 978-0830815913, $23.00

John Rogers, Essential Truths for Christians: A Commentary on the Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles and an Introduction to Systematic Theology (Blue Bell, PA: Classical Anglican Press, 2011). ISBN 978- 1-893-29353-3, $24.95

John Stott, Evangelical Truth: A Personal Plea for Unity, Integrity and Faithfulness, Rev. edn. (Downer’s Grove: IVP, 2005). 978-0-830- 83303-0, $16.00.

Recommended:

On Biblical Christology/

Dale Allison, The Historical Christ and the Theological Jesus (Eerdmans, 2009)

_____. Constructing Jesus: Memory, Imagination, and History (Baker, 2010)

Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony (Eerdmans, 2006)

_____. Jesus and the God of Israel (Eerdmans 2008)

Marcus Borg and N. T. Wright, The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions, 2d edn. (HarperOne, 2007)

James D. G. Dunn, Christology in the Making (Eerdmans, 1996)

C. Stephen Evans, The Historical Christ and the Jesus of Faith: The Incarnational Narrative as History (OUP, 1996)

Gordon Fee, Pauline Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Study (Baker, 2007)

Simon Gathercole, The Pre-existent Son: Recovering the Christologies of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Eerdmans, 2006)

Larry Hurtado, How on Earth Did Jesus Become a God? (Eerdmans, 2005)

Craig Keener, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels (Eerdmans, 2009)

N.T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God (Fortress, 1996)

Historical Theology

Lewis Ayres, Nicaea and Its Legacy (CUP, 2006)

Aloys Grillmeier, Christ in Christian Tradition (multiple volumes; WJK)

R. P. C. Hanson, Search for the Christian Doctrine of God (Baker, 2006)

John McGuckin, Saint Cyril of Alexandria and the Christological Controversy (SVS, 2010)

Iain Torrance, Christology after Chalcedon (Canterbury, 1988)

On Christology

Leonardo Boff, Jesus Christ Liberator: A Critical Christology for Our Time (Orbis, 1978)

Oliver Crisp, Divinity and Humanity: The Incarnation Reconsidered (CUP, 2007)

Richard Cross, The Metaphysics of the Incarnation (OUP, 2002)

Cyril of Alexandria, On the Unity of Christ (SVS, 1997)

C. Stephen Evans (ed), Exploring Kenotic Christology: The Self-Emptying of God (OUP, 2006)

Colin Gunton, Yesterday and Today – Study of Continuities in Christology (SPCK, 1997)

Thomas Morris, The Logic of God Incarnate (Cornell Univ. Press, 1986)

Edward Oakes, Infinity Dwindled to Infancy: A Catholic and Evangelical Christology (Eerdmans, 2011)

Kathryn Tanner, Christ the Key (CUP, 2010)

Thomas Torrance, Incarnation: The Person and Life of Christ (IVP, 2008)

John Howard Yoder, The Politics of Jesus (Eerdmans, 1994)

Salvation

Ivor Davidson and Murray Rae (eds), God of Salvation: Soteriology in Theological Perspective (Ashgate, 2011)

Atonement

Hans Boersma, Violence, Hospitality, and the Cross: Reappropriating the Atonement Tradition (Baker, 2006)

John Milbank, Being Reconciled (Routledge, 2003)

Thomas Torrance, Atonement (IVP, 2009)

Predestination

Matthew Levering, Predestination: Biblical and Theological Paths (OUP, 2011)

On Justification

Douglas Campbell, The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul (Eerdmans, 2009)

Michael Gorman, Inhabiting the Cruciform God: Kenosis, Justification, and Theosis in Paul’s Narrative Soteriology (Eerdmans, 2009)

Eberhard Jüngel, Justification: The Heart of the Christian Faith (T&T Clark, 2006)

Wayne Stumme (ed), The Gospel of Justification in Christ: Where Does the Church Stand Today? (Eerdmans, 2006)

Tom Wright, Justification: God’s Plan, Paul’s Vision (IVP, 2009)

Resurrection

Matthew Levering, Jesus and the Demise of Death (BUP, 2012)

N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God (Fortress, 2003)

On Cultural Christology

Stephen Prothero, American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon (Farrar, 2003)

Jaroslav Pelikan, Jesus through the Centuries: His Place in the History of Culture (Yale University Press, 1985)

III. COURSE SCHEDULE

1/28-2/2: Who Do You Say I Am? Christology and Confession READING: 1. Article II of the Thirty-Nine Articles + Rodgers’ commentary 2. John Webster, “Prolegomena to Christology: Four Theses” (on Edvance360) 3. Colin Brown, “The Quest for the Historical Jesus”, from Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (on Edvance360) 4. Karl Barth on hypostatic union and revelation (on Edvance360)

2/4-2/9: Christological & Soteriological Models & Evangelical Theology DUE: READING: 1. Stott, Evangelical Truth, pp. 35-46 2. Read ahead

2/11-2/16: The Uniqueness and Universality of Christ DUE: Quiz 1 READING: 1. Article XVIII of the Thirty-Nine Articles + Rodgers’ Commentary 2. McGrath, Passion for Truth, pp. 25-40, 203-210 3. David Bentley Hart, “Christ and Nothing” (http://www.firstthings.com/article/2007/12/christ-and- nothing-28) 4. McGrath 9.8-12 2/18-2/23: The Person of Christ 1: Eternal Generation DUE: Quiz 2; Dogmatic Outline/Discussion of Christ’s Uniqueness READING: 1. Richard Bauckham, “God Crucified” (on Edvance360)

2/25-3/2: The Person of Christ 2: Incarnation DUE: Quiz 3; Dogmatic Outline/Discussion of Eternal Generation READING: 1. Article XV + Rogers’ Commentary 2. McGrath Reader 4.1-7, 9-17, 22, 37, 40 3. Irenaeus on Incarnation from Against Heresies (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.iv.xxiii.html) 4. Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word, chs. 1-5 (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/athanasius/incarnation.toc.html)

3/4-3/9: The Person of Christ 3: Triplex Munus of the Savior DUE: Quiz 4; Dogmatic Outline/Discussion of Incarnation READING: 1. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion II.15 (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.iv.xvi.html) 2. McGrath Reader, 4.25, 5.2 3. N.T. Wright, “Jesus” (http://ntwrightpage.com/Wright_NDCT_Jesus.htm)

3/11-3/16: Reading Week

3/18-3/23: The Work of Christ 1: Christ as Prophet DUE: Midterm; Dogmatic Outline/Discussion of Triplex Munus READING: 1. McGrath Reader, 5.3 2. St. Irenaeus on Christ as Teacher (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf01.ix.vii.ii.html) 3. Erasmus, Philosophia Christi (selections on Edvance360) 4. Leonardo Boff, chapters 3-4 of Jesus Christ Liberator (on Edvance360) 5. Friedrich Schleiermacher on Christ and God-consciousness (on Edvance360) 6. N.T. Wright on Jesus and the Kingdom of God (http://ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Jesus_Kingdom.mp3)

3/25-3/30 – Holy Week

4/1-4/6: The Work of Christ 2: Christ as Priest DUE: Quiz 5; Dogmatic Outline/Discussion of Christ as Prophet READING: 1. Article III of the Thirty-Nine Articles + Rodgers’ Commentary 2. St. Augustine, Enchiridion, chapter 10 “Jesus Christ the Mediator” (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/augustine/enchiridion.chapter10. html) 3. St. Augustine, Enchiridion, chapter 11 “The Incarnation and God’s Grace” (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/augustine/enchiridion.chapter11. html) 4. St. Anselm “Cur Deus Homo?” (selections on Edvance360) 5. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Second Book, Chapters 12-13, 16-17 (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.toc.html) 6. McGrath Reader 5.15, 17, 33-34, 38 7. John Webster, “‘It Was the Will of the Lord to Bruise Him’” (on Edvance360)

4/8-4/13: The Work of Christ 3: Christ as King (Christus Victor) DUE: Quiz 6; Dogmatic Discussion/Outline of Christ as Priest READING: 1. Article IV of the Thirty-Nine Articles + Rodgers’ Commentary 2. Justin Martyr on the Resurrection (on Edvance360) 3. N.T. Wright, “Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?” (http://roanoke.edu/media/crs/TomWright07.mov) 4. T.F. Torrance, chs. 7-9 of Incarnation (on Edvance360) 5. Rowan Williams on the Resurrection (selections on Edvance360)

4/15-4/20: Soteriology 1: Christ and the Powers DUE: Quiz 7; Dogmatic Outline/Discussion of Christ as King READING: 1. Origen (on Edvance360) 2. Gustavo Gutierrez, “Salvation and Liberation” (on edvance360) 3. John Howard Yoder on Christ and the powers (on Edvance360)

4/22-4/27: Soteriology 2: Predestination and the Eschaton DUE: Quiz 8; Dogmatic Outline/Discussion Christ and Powers READING: 1. Article XVII of the Thirty-Nine Articles + Rodgers’ Commentary 2. McGrath Reader, 6.11-12, 51 3. Aquinas on Predestination (on Edvance360) 4. Calvin on Predestination (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.v.xxii.html) 5. N. T. Wright, “Heaven Is Not Our Home” (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/april/13.36.ht ml) 6. Katherine Sonderreger, “Called to Salvation in Christ: Justification and Predestination” (on Edvance360)

4/29-5/4: Soteriology 3: Grace, Works, and Justification by Faith DUE: Quiz 9; Dogmatic Outline/Discussion of Soteriology 2 READING: 1. Articles XI-XIV of the Thirty-Nine Articles + Rodgers’ Commentary 2. St. Augustine, Enchiridion, chapter 14 “On the Mysterious of Christ’s Mediation” (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/augustine/enchiridion.chapter14. html) 3. Thomas Cranmer, “Of True and Lively Faith” (http://www.anglicanlibrary.org/homilies/bk1hom04.htm) 4. John Owen Doctrine of Justification, ch. 7 (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/just.xi.html); chapter 18 (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/just.xxii.html) and ch 19 (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/owen/just.xxiii.html) 5. McGrath Reader 6.32-34 6. Eberhard Jüngel, Justification (selection on Edvance360) 7. N.T. Wright, “New Perspectives on Paul” (http://ntwrightpage.com/Wright_New_Perspectives.htm) 8. Douglas Campbell “An Apocalyptic Rereading of ‘Justification’” (on Edvance360)

5/6-5/11: Considering Contemporary Christology DUE: Quiz 10; Dogmatic Outline/Discussion of Soteriology 3 READING: 1. Rosemary Ruether, “Can a Male Savior Save Women?” (on Edvance360) 2. Robert Jenson on Christ (on Edvance360) 3. Kathryn Tanner on Christ (on Edvance360) 4. Bruce McCormack “Karl Barth’s Christology as a Resource for a Reformed Version of Kenoticism” (on Edvance360)

5/14 - Final Exam