CH130 The Liberating Word
Carolyn Pressler
If we assume that the Bible continues to wield social, political,
and ecclesial influence, then biblical interpretation has political
ramifications. This course examines ways in which biblical interpretation
reinforces or confronts contemporary understandings of race, gender,
and/or class. Emphasis will be on teaching and preaching the Bible
as a liberating word.
No prerequisites
CH140 Feminist Approaches to Biblical Interpretation
Carolyn Pressler
During the past few decades, feminist, womanist, and mujerista approaches
to the Scriptures have had an astonishing impact on the field of
biblical studies. In the first half of the semester, students are
challenged to re-examine their understanding of the Bible, biblical
authority, and interpretive methods in light of biblical interpretation
from African American, European American, Asian American, Native
American, and Hispanic women’s communities. The second half
of the term focuses on a number of issues, including female imagery
for God in the Bible, sexuality and the Scriptures, the Bible and
domestic violence, and biblical models of women’s friendships.
No prerequisites
CH161 Orientation to the Older Testament: Pentateuch
and Former Prophets
Carolyn Pressler
This course orients students to critical study of the Older
Testament and introduces students to the history, literature, and
theologies of the Pentateuch and selected books from the Former
Prophets (Joshua-Kings). Emphasis is on a dialogical model of interpretation,
which takes seriously both the biblical texts in their contexts
and the experience of the interpreter in her or his social and religious
contexts.
No prerequisites
CH161ON Orientation to the Older Testament:
Pentateuch and Former Prophets
Carolyn Pressler - ONLINE/HYBRID COURSE
This course is an online version of CH161 (see above). The course meets on campus the 2nd weekend of the 2012-13 Fall Term, Sept. 21 & 22. The Friday meeting time is 6:00-9:15pm, and the Saturday meeting time is 9:00am - 4:00pm. PLEASE NOTE: Participants in this hybrid course must be prepared to log on to the course using high speed Internet at least three times per week. Students for whom this is not possible are advised to take section one (CH161) of the class.
CH162 The Older Testament in the Life of the
Church: Selected Prophets and Writings
Carolyn Pressler
Students in this course examine books from the Prophets, the
Psalms, Wisdom literature, and other selected writings, with a focus
on how to interpret the texts in a congregational setting. Attention
is also given to the role of the trained biblical student in empowering
laity to interpret the Older Testament texts.
Prerequisites: CH161, CH261
CH210 New Testament Greek
Marilyn Salmon
A basic knowledge of the original language of the New Testament
is a valuable tool for study and interpretation. In addition to
acquiring a basic vocabulary and grammar, students will become acquainted
with the fundamentals of text criticism and practice using Greek
for exegesis.
No prerequisites
CH212 Justice & Peace: New Testament Perspectives
Salmon
In this course we will consider New Testament literature as a source for constructing a theology of justice and peace. What do the gospels tell us about Jesus as an advocate for justice? Do the letters of the Apostle Paul disclose a commitment to justice and peace in his mission? We will study the narrative of Acts with an ea and eye for communities committed to right relationships. In examining New Testament perspectives, we will be mindful of the continuity between Older and Newer Testaments.
No prerequisites; CH161 and CH261 recommended. Justice & Peace Studies elective course.
CH221 Reading Acts for the Church Today
Marilyn
Salmon
The
Acts of the Apostles
tells the story of the origin of the church in the first century.
In this course we will consider how the Acts narrative might relate
to church communities of the twenty-first century. We will read
Acts as a source for considering such issues as conflict resolution,
identity formation, stewardship, models for leadership, and essentials
for community life. Critical historical and literary methods and
current scholarship will inform our interpretation of Acts.
Prerequisite: CH261 or permission of the instructor
CH225 Preaching and Teaching the Gospel of Mark
Marilyn
Salmon
In this course we will consider Mark as a source for proclamation in faith communities. Using the tools of narrative criticism, we will explore the major themes in this gospel, their meaning and purpose for first-century audiences as well as for contemporary listeners and readers. Participants will practice different ways of moving from biblical texts to interpretation for churches and other audiences.
Prerequisite: CH261
CH233 Interpreting the Bible after the Holocaust
Marilyn Salmon
More than a half-century has passed since the Holocaust, but the
implications for the interpretation of the Bible continue to engage
both Jewish and Christian biblical interpreters. Some of the critical
questions we ask are: How do Christian scriptures contribute to
anti-Semitism? How do Christians and Jews read the same texts? Is
the New Testament anti-Jewish? What is the Christian responsibility
in reinterpreting Christian texts and theology after the Holocaust?
No prerequisites
CH261 New Testament Texts in Context
Marilyn Salmon
Students in this course study the historical, social, literary,
and religious contexts in which the New Testament was written as
well as different methods for interpreting these ancient texts for
the Church today.
No prerequisites
CH262 Synoptic Gospels
Marilyn Salmon
This course focuses on one of the three Synoptic Gospels each year
on a rotating cycle keyed to the revised Common Lectionary. The
gospel in focus in a given year is studied in relation to the other
canonical gospels and relevant first-century contexts. The course
places particular emphasis on learning methods for interpreting
the gospel for contemporary situations, especially emphasizing passages
in the revised Common Lectionary.
Prerequisites: CH161, CH261
CH263 Preaching the Gospels
Marilyn Salmon
The focus of this course is biblical preaching. We will practice the art of moving from text to sermon, giving particular attention to lectionary readings. Participants will use a variety of resources, both in print and online, and evaluate them in terms of theological perspective, attention to contexts, and usefulness for preaching and worship.
Prerequisites: CH151 and CH261
CH310 United Church of Christ History and Polity
Faculty
The formation of the United Church of Christ has been characterized
as “a special development in church history.” This course
identifies the nature of that special development through an exploration
of the four streams of traditions that united in 1957 to become
the UCC and the development of the denomination since 1957. This
exploration will involve both an historical and theological probing
of UCC development in its historic and current modes. This course
is a prerequisite to the UCC polity course and meets half of the
history, theology, and polity requirements for ordination in the
United Church of Christ.
Prerequisites: CH461, CH462
CH311United Church of Christ History and Polity II
Faculty
The United Church of Christ represents a special development
in church history as a new mode of church organization that moves
beyond the traditional forms of polity in response to the influence
of modern ecumenism. Polity-in-process-of-development is the UCC
story in the context of American denominational history. This course
will explore the ecclesiology and implications of these developments
in relation to the ministry and mission of the various settings
of the church — national, conference, association, and local
congregation — as well as the role of the minister within
those settings. This course completes the history, theology, and
polity requirements for ordination in the United Church of Christ.
Prerequisite: CH310
CH320 United Methodist History and Polity
Faculty
This course and CH413, Theology of John Wesley and the Wesleyan
Tradition, together provide the six credits of instruction in United
Methodist theology, history, and polity that are part of the UMC
ordination requirements. This course examines the emergence of the
Methodist movement in England and the development of Methodism in
the United States, leading to the creation of the United Methodist
Church. It then explores the nature and functioning of the UMC as
the institutional expression of its theological history with an
emphasis on its unique form of connectionalism. The four spheres
of church organization — local church, annual conference,
jurisdictional conference, and general conference — are covered
so that students are enabled to use the Book of Discipline effectively
in their ministry.
No prerequisites
CH330 Presbyterian History, Worship, and Polity
Faculty
This course is designed to equip students to become effective presbyters
as ordained ministers of Word and Sacrament. It addresses Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) history, worship, and polity, and contemporary issues
affecting the life of the Church.
No prerequisites. Students are expected to enroll during the year prior to taking ordination examinations.
CH333 Episcopal Liturgy (formerly Anglican
Worship)
Faculty
(Course description TBA)
CH340 Unitarian Universalist History and Polity
Faculty
Traces the history of Universalists and Unitarians down to the present
and explores polity structures and issues of the Unitarian Universalist
Association.
No prerequisites
CH341 Unitarian Universalist History and Polity II
Faculty
Traces the history of Universalists and Unitarians down to the present
and explores polity structures and issues of the Unitarian Universalist
Association.
Prerequisites: CH340
CH365 American Baptist Churches Today
Faculty
The history of Baptists from early beginnings to the present will
be surveyed. Religious and theological concepts that mark the distinctive
identity and concern of American Baptists will be highlighted. An
overview will be given of the present polity, practices, and denominational
structure of the American Baptist Churches (U.S.A.).
No prerequisites
CH413 Theology of John Wesley and Wesleyan Traditions
Faculty
This course, which meets United Methodist ordination requirements,
deals with the theology of John Wesley, the historical context in
which it emerged, and its influence on British and American culture.
Specific attention is given to the Wesleyan theological tradition
in the United States from the eighteenth century to the present
day, with a particular focus on points of continuity and change
in that tradition.
Prerequisites: IS151
CH414 John Calvin and the Reformed Tradition
Paul Capetz
John Calvin (1509-1564) is the most important disciple of Martin
Luther in the sixteenth century, even though he is regarded as the
principal theologian in the Reformed tradition that is distinguished
from Lutheranism. Through reading and discussion of primary texts,
this seminar explores the relation of Calvin’s theology to
Luther’s and asks what it means to speak of a “Reformed”
tradition in Protestantism.
No prerequisites
CH415 Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation
Paul Capetz
Martin Luther (1483-1546) undertook a thorough reshaping of the
theological tradition of Augustine that eventuated in the Protestant
alternative to Catholicism. Through reading and discussion of primary
texts, this seminar investigates the new understanding of Christian
faith that found expression in the Lutheran Reformation.
No prerequisites
CH430 Women’s History and Experience in the Christian Church
Linda
J. Gesling
This
course is designed to give students a general view of the experiences
and roles of women against the backdrop of western Christian history
while affording time for deeper study of themes such as leadership,
spiritual practice, and service. Through presentations, reading,
and discussion, students will examine the ways in which women have
been both victims and actors in the unfolding of the Christian story.
Primary sources will be used to accent women’s voice as well
as secondary sources for analysis and synthesis. Students will be
encouraged to make connections between history and contemporary
faith experience.
No prerequisites
CH440 The Reformed Confessional Tradition
Faculty
This course will examine the distinctive themes of Reformed theology as it has taken shape beginning with the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century and continuing into the present day. Special attention will be given to classic confessional statements and to the understanding of their proper role and authority in the Reformed churches.
Prerequisites: CH461
CH461 Introduction to Historical Theology
Paul Capetz
In the two millennia of Christianity’s history, conflicting
theological interpretations of Christian faith have resulted in
a multiplicity of churches and denominations. Nonetheless, all of
these various proposals for construing the meaning of the gospel
claim to be rooted in exegesis of the Bible. In this introduction
to the history of Christian theology, four classic texts representative
of larger movements within the ecumenical church will be analyzed
in-depth with respect to their scriptural foundations: Athanasius
(Eastern Orthodoxy), Augustine (Roman Catholicism), Luther (the
Protestant Reformation), and Harnack (liberal Protestantism). Attention
will be given to the basic methods of the historical-critical study
of theology as well as to the hermeneutical questions of biblical
interpretation in relation to shifting cultural and social contexts.
No prerequisites
CH462 Introduction to American Religious Histories
Paul Capetz
The United States has become the most religiously pluralistic
nation in the history of the world. Nevertheless, conflicts abound
as to just what exactly the “disestablishment of religion”
means today. This introductory course will examine the remarkable
history of this nation’s diverse religious groups through
reading of short selections of primary texts as well as wrestling
with the implications of religious pluralism in the context of contemporary
American society and culture.
No prerequisites
CH465 American Baptist History & Polity
Scott Stapleton
(Course description TBA)
CH475 Introduction to Reformed Theology
Paul Capetz
Through reading and discussion of classical and modern texts by
Calvin, Edwards, Schleiermacher, Barth, H. Richard Niebuhr, and
James M. Gustafson, this seminar focuses upon the differing understandings
of what it means to be a Protestant in the Reformed tradition, including
the significance of divergent theological methods.
Prerequisite: CH461
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