HT 140E SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
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Instructor: Duane A. Priebe
This course is being developed in conversation with Winston D. Persaud and Duane H. Larson
Basic First Seminary Level Systematic Theology Course
Minimum 5 students, Maximum 15
Beginning Date: January 30, 2011. There will be some initial work prior to this as students register.
End Date: May 13, 2010
3 semester hours; letter grade or credit-no credit - student's choice

This course will introduce the basic structures of Christian and Lutheran thought, as it explores the relationship between God, humanity and the world in a history of revelation that extends from creation and fall to the consummation of all things and is centered in Jesus Christ. The course will be organized around the trinitarian framework of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. Throughout the course, the global context of the Christian witness to Jesus Christ and the engagement between the Christian message and other religious traditions will be kept in view.

Goals and Objectives

1. To begin to be aware of the resources and methods for theological thought, and to appreciate the multi-dimensional content of the gospel as it addresses the rich variety of human contexts.

2. To understand the formative power of basic structures of human thought, of Christian thought in the context of other religious alternatives, and of Lutheran thought within the horizon of ecumenical Christianity.

3. To learn to listen sensitively to people whose interpretation of the gospel and view of the world differ from one's own, including people of other religions. Such listening helps us understand others sympathetically, and learning from them enriches our own vision of reality and deepens our understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and its power to touch human life.

4. To appreciate the cultural and contextual relativity of every formulation of the gospel, while growing in awareness of the universal meaning of God's activity in Jesus Christ.

5. To help students effectively present the meaning of the gospel and the claim of Jesus Christ in open conversation with the world of religious alternatives in such a way that they can learn from others without being relativistic.

6. To be sensitive to the significance of the gospel for the human longing for freedom and justice in the face of violence and oppression, and to understand the relevance of the gospel for human unity in the face of the divisive forces at large in the world.

Course Procedure

1. The course will be structured as a 14-week course. Prior to the beginning of the course:

• Acquaint yourselves with the technonogy.
• If you are not yet familiar with Internet research tools, practice by using Google.com to search for information on various topics.
• Introduce yourself to the others in the class on the "Student Home Page."
• On the "Introductory Comments" Discussion Board, briefly state a) the central content of the Christian message as you understand it and b) your personal goals for the course.
• Briefly respond to at least one other student.

2. The course will have four units:

Introduction and Prolegomena, 3 weeks
First Article, 3 weeks
Second Article, 3 weeks
Third Article, 4 weeks.

Student Tasks

1. Time Commment: You should assume that this course will require 12-15 hours per week.

2. Each student will be expected to make 4-6 postings during each week, apart from the final week of each unit. Normally each posting should not exceed 350 words.

Two or three postings will respond to thought questions posted by the instructor. They will do so in conversation with the lectures and other readings.
One or two will respond to what other members of the group have posted.

The posts must be substantive adding something new to the conversation, such as insights, questions, new information, laternative points of view, and so on. The limits require careful thought about what needs to be said. They are necessary for the conversation to be manageable

The instructor will respond to the week's conversation as a whole once a week.

3. Write four short papers, one for each unit of the course, not to exceed 350 words each.

The first will describe how the student approaches thinking about what he/she thinks and believes. What is the center in relation to which she/he sees everything?
The other three will interpret the three articles of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. See, for example, Luther's explanations in the Small Catechism. Each paper will include three things: a brief statement of the central content in the student's own words, what it means for faith, and why it matters.

These one-page papers must be posted in the appropriate section of the Discussion Board by the beginning of the final week of the unit, so that they can provide a basis for the work work that week.

A final version of these four one-page papers will be presented for evaluation by the end of the exam week.

4. Participate in four small group discussions, one during the final week of each unit.

The students in each group will discuss and evaluate how each member of the group approaches the subject and offer suggestions for improving on their short paper.
Students willl identify what all can agree on, new insights from other's papers, issues and problems that need thought.

5. Write a major paper not to exceed 3500 words. This paper will address a topic central to the student's understanding of the Christian message, and it will develop a clearly identified thesis. It will combine research and personal reflection.

Recommended Procedure: You will find that it works the best to start working on your paper from the beginning of the course. That way everything feeds into thinking about the paper.

• During the first week, develop the thesis statement for your paper from your understanding of the central content of the Christian message. Post that online .
• During the second week, identify what you need to talk about to develop the paper. This need not be posted; it is for your own thought processes.
• During the third week, quickly write an initial draft of the paper. This again need not be posted; it is to help you develop your initial standpoint; this will help you in your engagement with the material of the course.
• As we move through the semester, make revisions as you see new things, change your mind, or see how to develop ideas more fully.

Read and respond to the papers of two other students. Each response will indicate the one most helpful aspect of the paper, state the most significant issue that needs to be addressed, and ask one question of the author. The author will respond to the two student responses and questions, as well as to the instructor's response and questions. Students will find it helpful to begin work on the paper early in the course, and to have one or two others read and critique their papers before presenting them in their final form.

6. Read at least 900 pages of material related to three or more different contexts, including one's own. An annotated bibliography covering everything read for the course is required with the paper.

Evaluation

1. Contribution to the course and its process, 25%; one-page papers and group work at the end of each unit, 25%
2. Paper, not to exceed 10 pages in length, 50%.
3. Participation in all the elements of the course and a grade of at least a C on the major paper are necessary to meet the course requirement. A D passes, but does not meet the degree requirement.

   For those taking the course for grades, a C means adequate work that satisfies the requirements of the course; a B means work that engages the material either with greater depth, insight and clarity or with greater creativity; an A means work that has done both. For those who choose to take the course for credit or no-credit, the equivalent of at least a C is necessary to receive credit.