DESCRIPTION:

The course introduces students to the doctrines of the Church and Last Things as these are relevant to the faith and practices of the Church. The course explores biblical, classical, contemporary, and liturgical expressions and implications of ecclesiology and eschatology, paying special attention to the various traditions of the divided Church of Jesus Christ. It is structured around the typical Sunday liturgy of the worshipping Church.

The messianic community was Jesus' top priority during his earthly career, and it remains so today. The doctrines of ecclesiology and eschatology are essential to a proper theological understanding of life in the Body of Christ and its wider world. They are informed by and in turn inform the ministries of all God's people as they respond to God's grace in worship, evangelism, and hospitality. This course will deliberately foster connections between the doctrine of the Church and Last Things and the eschatological life of the Church.

The class will meet twice weekly for five weeks (June 19-July 21) for four-hour sessions of lecture and discussion.

Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry, WCC Faith and Order Paper 111. WCC, 1982.

Clapp, Rodney. A Peculiar People. InterVarsity, 1996.

McClendon, James Wm., Jr. Doctrine: Systematic Theology, Volume II. Abingdon, 1994.

Torrance, James B. Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace. InterVarsity, 1997.

Wilson-Kastner, Patricia. Sacred Drama: A Spirituality of Christian Liturgy. Fortress, 1999.

For beginning students, one or more of the following:

Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Eerdmans, 1938. (selections)

Ferguson, S.B. and Wright, D.F., eds. New Dictionary of Theology. InterVarsity, 1988.

Grenz, Stanley. Theology for the Community of God. Eerdmans, 2000.

Students will write a brief analysis of one text from a long list that includes the following:

Augustine. City of God. Penguin, 1985. (Books XV-XXII)

Bavinck, Herman. The Last Things. Baker, 1996.

Bilzekian, Gilbert. Community 101. Zondervan, 1997.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Life Together. HarperCollins, 1954.

Dulles, Avery. Models of the Church. Doubleday, 1987.

Grenz, Stanley J. The Millennial Maze: Sorting Out Evangelical Options. InterVarsity, 1992.

Guardini, Romano. The Spirit of the Liturgy. Crossroad, 1998.

Moltmann, Jürgen. The Church In the Power of the Spirit. Fortress, 1993.

Newbigin, Lesslie. The Household of God. Friendship, 1952.

Schmemann, Alexander. The Eucharist. St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1988.

Volf, Miroslav. After Our Likeness: Church as the Image of the Triune God. Eerdmans, 1998.

A 7-page analysis of one of the recommended readings, a 7-page ecclesiological analysis of a worship service, and a final exam on the required texts and lecture material.

None.

Meets M.Div. core requirement in Systematic Theology C (STC).