TH601 - The Knowledge of God

  • 0 Standard Tuition Fee
  • 4
    Credit Points
  • 0.125 EFT 
  • 8
    AQF level
  • theologyUnit Discipline

Corequisites

8cps of foundational OT and/or NT study, plus 4cps of CH or TH.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will

A. Know and understand

1. Theological loci and how they interact.

2. How God is known:

i. The concepts of revelation and inspiration;

ii. The place and nature of Scripture and natural theology;

iii. Reason, authority and experience.

3. God’s relationship with the world:

i. Creation and providence;

ii. Humanity as created;

iii. Sin and evil.

4. Implications of the knowledge of God and of his relationship to the world for Christian life.

5. Leading theologians and their interpretations of the knowledge of God.

B. Be able to

1. Interpret the Bible theologically.

2. Understand the major creeds and confessions and other classical theological statements.

3. Trace the interrelationships with the major themes of Christian theology.

4. Identify the role of cultural and ecclesial contexts in the task of Christian theology.

5. Analyse the relationship between Christian doctrine and individual and corporate Christian life.

6. Present an Analytical, evidence based argument or reflection.

7. Discuss interpretations and applications of the knowledge of God.

C. Be in a position to

1. Inform their Christian thinking in both formal and informal study  with perspectives about the knowledge of God and his relationship with the world.

2. Show how the knowledge of God and His world is appropriated in personal life and the life of the community.

3. Apply the knowledge of God and his world to situations and issues in contemporary church and society.

4. Evaluate uses of the knowledge of God and his relationship with the world.

Content

Students are required to cover the whole syllabus. But assessment procedures will allow for a certain amount of specialisation, so that students are not expected to study each topic in detail.

Foundation

1. The main loci of theological knowledge and their interaction;

2. Connections between the content of theology and the practice of faith.

Section A : The Knowledge of God

1. The concepts of revelation and inspiration;

2. The place and nature of Scripture and natural theology;

3. The issues raised by reason, authority and experience.

Section B : God and the World

1. Creation and providence;

2. Humanity as created;

3. Sin and evil.

Teaching Aims

a. Assist candidates in gaining an integrated Christian theological perspective and methodology;

b. Introduce candidates to the main areas of theological study, so as to provide a solid foundation for further theological exploration and reflection;

c. Help candidates reflect on the various aspects of Christian faith, thus gaining insights on the great questions of life;

d. Deepen students’ understanding of what relationship with God entails and implies;

e. Apply the above to the loci of human knowledge of God and God’s relationship with the world.

 

Set Readings

In all Theology units, in addition to the primary biblical documents, candidates will be expected to be familiar with the relevant sections of the three Creeds and of confessional documents such as the 39 Articles and the Westminster Confession.

Prescribed
student should become familiar with the relevant sections of one of the following:

Erickson, M. J., Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2nd ed. 2003).

Frame, J., Salvation Belongs to the Lord: An Introduction to Systematic Theology (Phillipsburg NJ: P&R, 2006).

Grenz, S. J., Theology for the Community of God (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000).

Grudem, W., Systematic Theology (Downers Grove IL: IVP, 2007).

Kärkkäinen, V.-M., The Doctrine of God: A Global Introduction. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004).

McGrath, A., Christian Theology: An Introduction (London: Wiley-Blackwell 3rd ed. 2006).

Migliore, D., Faith with Understanding (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2nd ed. 2004).

Recommended

The Knowledge of God

Achtemeier, P., Inspiration and Authority: Nature and Function of Christian Scripture (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1999).

Adam, P., Written for Us (Leicester UK: IVP, 2008).

Bloesch, D., A Theology of Word and Spiri: Authority & Method in Theology (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2005).

Gunton, C. G., A Brief Theology of Revelation (London/New York: Continuum: T. & T. Clark 2005).

Harris, G. E., “Revelation in Christian Theology”, The Churchman 120/1 (2006) 11-34.

Jensen, P., The Revelation of God, Contours of Christian Theology (Downers Grove IL: IVP, 2002).

Niebuhr, H. R., The Meaning of Revelation (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006, Library of Theological Ethics reprint edition of MacMillan Coy 1941).

Packer, J. I., Honouring the Written Word of God (Carlisle: Paternoster, 1999).

Sherman, S. S., Revitalizing Holistic Theological Epistemology: Evangelical Approaches to the Knowledge of God, Princeton Theological Monographs, (Princeton: Pickwick Publications, 2008).

Vanhoozer, K. J., First Theology: God, Scripture & Hermeneutics, (Downers Grove IL: IVP, 2002).

God and the World

Blocher, H., Original Sin: Illuminating the Riddle (Downers Grove IL: 2000).

Davies, O., The Creativity of God: World, Eucharist, Reason (Cambridge/New York: CUP, 2004).

Feinberg, J. S., Many Faces of Evil (Wheaton: Crossway, 2004).

Kärkkäinen, V.-M., The Doctrine of God: A Global Introduction. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004).

Kaufman, G. D., In the Beginning—Creativity (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).

Keller, J. A., Problems of Evil and the Power of God (Burlington VT: Ashgate, 2007).

McFadyen, A., Bound to Sin: Abuse, Holocaust, and the Christian Doctrine of Sin (New York: CUP, 2000).

Pannenberg, W., Anthropology in Theological Perspective, (London/New York: T & T Clark 2004).

Pinnock, C. H., Most Moved Mover: A Theology of God’s Openness (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001).

Piper, J., and J. Taylor,  Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, (Wheaton: Crossway, 2006).

Weinandy, T. G., Does God Suffer? (Edinburgh: T & T. Clark, 2000).

Wright, N. T., Evil and the Justice of God, (London: SPCK/ Downers Grove IL:IVP, 2006).

Classic

Dulles, A., Models of Revelation (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1992).