TH 6 0 5 : Syst emat ic Theology II
Dr. Jack Davis, Inst ruct or
Tuesdays, 2 :0 0 -5 :0 0 p.m. Wint er-Spring 2 0 1 6
Int roduct ion
TH 6 0 5 is a cont inuat ion of TH 5 0 4 and includes a st udy of t he doct rines of
creat ion, providence, man, sin, and t he person and work of Christ . The purpose
of t he course is t o explore t he biblical f oundat ions of t hese doct rines; t o
underst and t hem in t he cont ext of t heir hist orical development ; and t o
underst and t heir implicat ions f or t he cont emporary problems of church and
societ y. The inst ruct or will also provide bibliographic help f or f urt her st udy.
Text books
Davis, Handbook of Basic Bible Text s
rd
Erickson, Christ ian Theology, 3 ed., chpt s. 1 6 -3 8
Davis, Medit at ion and Communion wit h God
Requirement s
1.
Regular class at t endance and part icipat ion in class discussions.
2.
Opt ional: Writ e a 1 2 -1 5 page research paper, t yped, double-spaced, on a t opic
germane t o
t he course. Due dat e: on or bef ore Monday, May 2 nd at 4 p.m.
nd
( f or graduat ing seniors: due April 2 2 , 4 p.m.)
3.
Complet e a script ure medit at ion assignment : see p.7 , syllabus; due Tuesday, April
2 6 t h.
4.
Sust ain a f inal exam: Tuesday, April 2 6 : t wo hours, open Bible.
th
Evaluat ion
For t he f inal evaluat ion, if a research paper is writ t en, t he exam and t he paper
will each count one-half ; ot herwise, t he grade f or t he exam will be t he course
grade.
2
Grade Scale:
A+ = 9 8 -1 0 0 ; A = 9 3 -9 7 ; A- = 9 0 -9 2 ; B+ = 8 8 -8 9 ; B = 8 3 -8 7 ; B- = 8 0 -8 2 ; C+ =
7 8 -7 9 ; C = 7 3 -7 7 ; C- = 7 0 -7 2 ; D = 6 5 -6 9 ; F = 0 -6 4 .
3
Course Topics and Readings:
[ E=Erickson; D=Davis, Handbook: ; M = Medit at ion & Communion wit h God ]
1.
Int roduct ion; t he ‘‘Ont ological Project ’’ and ‘‘Evangelicalism 3 .0 ’’:
2.
Creat ion:
E:1 6 ;
3.
Creat ion:
M: 1 -5 5
4.
Spirit World:
E: 1 9 ; M: 6 3 -7 9
5.
Providence:
E: 1 7 , 1 8 ; D:4
6.
Origin of Man: E: 2 0 ,2 1 ;
7.
Nat ure of Man: E: 2 2 -2 4 ; M: 7 9 -8 9
8.
Original Sin:
E: 2 5 ,2 6
9.
Act ual Sin:
E: 2 7 -2 9 ; D:5
D: 3
D: 5
10.
Incarnat ion, Virgin Birt h:
E: 3 0 , 3 4
11.
Humanit y of Christ :
12.
Deit y of Christ ; Union wit h Christ : E: 3 1 ; D:6 b
13.
Christ ological Creeds & Heresies:
14.
At onement :
E: 3 5 , 3 6 ; D: 7
15.
At onement :
E: 3 7 , 3 8
16.
Resurrect ion & Ascension:
E:3 2 ; D: 6 a
D:7
E: 3 3
4
RESEARCH PAPERS
The object ive of t he research paper is t o give t he st udent an opport unit y t o explore one
t heological issue in some dept h and t o develop skills f or doing t heological analysis and
research. The research should ref lect work in signif icant books and t heological journals.
Sample Topics
Principalit ies, Powers, and Spirit ual Warfare
The Doct rine of Creat ion and Environment al Et hics
The Doct rine of Creat ion and Int elligent Design
The Days of Genesis One and t he Age of t he Eart h
Divine Providence and t he Problem of Evil
Miracles Today: A Healing Minist ry f or t he Church?
The Origins of Man: Theist ic Evolut ion?
The Image of God and Cont emporary Et hical Issues
The Doct rine of Original Sin and Human Responsibilit y
Sin, Responsibilit y, and Past oral Counseling
Psychot herapy and t he Christ ian Doct rine of Man
A Crit ical Review of The Myt h of God Incarnat e
The Two Nat ures of Christ : Is it Possible t o go Beyond Chalcedon?
The Tempt at ions of Jesus
Kenot ic Christ ologies
The Hist orical Jesus and Biblical Crit icism
The Hist orical Evidence for t he Resurrect ion of Jesus
The Biblical Doct rine of Propit iat ion
The New Test ament Language of At onement
The Ext ent of t he At onement : Universal or Part icular?
A Crit ical Review of Gust av Aulen' s Christ us Vict or
The Person and Work of Christ in Liberat ion Theologies
The Person and Work of Christ in Feminist Theologies
COLLATERAL READINGS
1 . Creat ion and Providence
G. C. Berkouwer, The Providence of God.
J. Dillenberger, Prot est ant Thought and Nat ural Science.
H. H. Farmer, The World and God.
L. Gilkey, Maker of Heaven and Eart h.
J. W. Klot z, Genes, Genesis, and Evolut ion.
A. Kuyper, Lect ures on Calvinism.
N. Macbet h, Darwin Ret ried.
5
J. Orr, The Christ ian View of God and t he World.
A. E. Wilder Smit h, Man' s Origin, Man' s Dest iny.
2 . Man
G. C. Berkouwer, Man: The Image of God.
E. Brunner, Man in Revolt .
M. Kline, " Creat ion in t he Image of t he Glory -Spirit ," West ThJ 3 9 :2 : 2 5 0 -7 2 .
W. G. Kummel, Man in t he New Test ament .
J. Molt mann, Man: Christ ian Ant hropology in t he Conf lict s of t he Present .
W. Pannenberg, What Is Man?
H. W. Robinson, The Christ ian Doct rine of Man.
E. C. Rust , Nat ure and Man in Biblical Thought .
3 . Sin
G. C. Berkouwer, Sin.
J. O. Buswell, Sin and At onement .
K. Menninger, What Ever Became of Sin?
J. Murray, The Imput at ion of Adam' s Sin.
J. Orr, Sin as a Problem Today.
F. C. Tennant , The Sources of t he Doct rine of t he Fall and Original Sin
N. P. Williams, The Ideas of t he Fall and Original Sin.
B. B. Warf ield, St udies in August ine and Tert ullian.
4 . Person of Christ
D. M. Baillie, God Was in Christ .
G. C. Berkouwer, The Person of Christ .
G. Bray, " Can We Dispense wit h Chalcedon? Themelios 3 :2 : 2 -9 .
O. Cullman, The Christ ology of t he New Test ament .
A. Grillmeier, Christ in Christ ian Tradit ion.
H. P. Liddon, The Divinit y of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ .
J. G. Machen, The Virgin Birt h of Christ .
W. Pannenberg, Jesus - God and Man.
B. B. Warf ield, The Lord of Glory.
5 . Work of Christ
G. Aulen, Christ us Vict or.
G. C. Berkouwer, The Work of Christ .
E. Brunner, The Mediat or.
J. Denney, The Deat h of Christ .
6
P. T. Forsyt h, The Work of Christ .
A. A. Hodge, The At onement .
L. Morris, The Apost olic Preaching of t he Cross.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , The Cross in t he New Test ament .
R. Nicole, " The Nat ure of Redempt ion," in Christ ian Fait h and Modern Theology,
ed. C. F. Henry.
B. B. Warf ield, The Person and Work of Christ .
6 . Syst emat ic Theologies
K. Bart h, Church Dogmat ics.
D. Bloesch, Essent ials of Evangelical Theology .
E. Brunner, Dogmat ics.
J. Calvin, Inst it ut es of t he Christ ian Religion.
C. Hodge, Syst emat ic Theology.
F. Pieper, Christ ian Dogmat ics.
A. H. St rong, Syst emat ic Theology.
A. Thielicke, The Evangelical Fait h.
P. Tillich, Syst emat ic Theology.
H. O. Wiley, Christ ian Theology.
TH 6 0 5 : Syst emat ic Theology II
St udy Quest ions
1.
How did t he biblical doct rine of creat ion cont ribut e t o t he rise of modern
science?
2.
Show how t he doct rine of creat ion is relat ed t o ot her import ant doct rines such as
man, salvat ion, t he mission of t he church, and eschat ology.
3.
What are t he most import ant biblical argument s f or an " old eart h" ? A " young
eart h" ? How do you assess t he scient if ic evidence?
4.
Cont rast a biblical underst anding of t ime and hist ory wit h nonbiblical views. What
et hical consequences do such views have?
5.
Comment on key ideas in Darwinian evolut ion. What scient if ic problems exist f or
Darwinian t heory?
6.
How are demons and principalit ies and powers relat ed in t he biblical world view?
Where do t hey f it in t he larger f ramework of Christ ian t heology, and what
signif icance do t hey have f or Christ ian minist ry t oday?
7
7.
Def ine t he t erm providence and discuss it s biblical basis. How can God' s
providence be reconciled wit h massive evil and suf f ering in t he world?
8.
If God is in cont rol of t he world of nat ure, should we see t he AIDS epidemic as a
divine punishment ? Why or why not ?
9.
Why do Christ ians suf f er? Give six or seven possible reasons.
implicat ions f ollow f rom t his mult iplicit y of causes?
What past oral
10.
What is meant by t he t erm " cult ural mandat e" ? Why is t he concept signif icant
f or Christ ian missions and f or a t heology f or t he lait y?
11.
What , in your view, are some import ant f eat ures of a biblical philosophy of
educat ion?
12.
Brief ly out line a biblical perspect ive on t he role of t he f amily in God' s plan.
13.
Does t he Bible provide guidelines f or evaluat ing various philosophies of
government aut horit y and power? What are t hese principles?
14.
Do you consider t heist ic evolut ion a viable opt ion f or underst anding t he origins of
t he human race? What issues are at st ake?
15.
What does t he Bible mean by t he concept of t he " image of God" ? What is t he
et hical signif icance of t his t eaching? Is t he " image" present bef ore birt h?
16.
Respond t o t he charges t hat t he doct rine of original sin is " unf air" and t hat it has
quest ionable biblical support .
17.
How would you def ine t he essence of sin? What is t he " unf orgivable sin" of Mk.
3 :2 9 ?
18.
Explain t he t erm " enhypost at ic human nat ure."
Christ ology?
19.
What is t he t heological signif icance of t he Virgin Birt h? Does it imply a docet ic
Christ ology?
20
Do you t hink Jesus could have suf f ered f rom a common cold? Why or why not ?
21.
If Jesus is f ully human, could he have yielded t o t empt at ion?
22.
If Jesus was God, how could he be limit ed in knowledge ( Mk. 1 3 :3 2 ) ?
23.
In a conversat ion wit h a Jehovah' s Wit ness, how would you show f rom script ure
t hat Jesus is equal t o God?
Why is t his t erm signif icant f or
8
24.
Explain t he meaning of t he " kenosis" passage in Phil. 2 :5 -1 1 , and comment on it s
et hical signif icance.
25.
Comment on f our major " models" or explanat ions of t he at onement in t he New
Test ament .
26.
Is t he concept of a penal, subst it ut ionary at onement support ed by script ure?
Why is it so unpopular in modern scholarship?
27.
Assess t he merit s of alt ernat ive t heories of t he at onement such as t he " moral
inf luence," " government al," and " Christ us Vict or" t heories.
28.
How is t he resurrect ion of Jesus relat ed t o ot her aspect s of New
Test ament t eaching?
29.
What is t he t heological signif icance of t he Ascension? Where is t he body of t he
Risen Christ now?
Davis1 :TH6 0 5 syl
Wint er-Spring 2 0 1 6