Instructor: Ekron Chen TSS534-EL God, Bible, and Christ (3 units) Course Syllabus I. Course Content: The nature and methods of theology; the Bible, revelation, and inspiration; the attributes of God; Trinitarianism; God s will and work; Christology; Angelology. II. Course Learning Outcomes after going through this course, the student is expected to: A. Spiritually Understand how theology affects Christian life. Be able to apply the knowledge of God s attributes to practical life. B. Theologically Remember the main theological points covered in this course. Be able to discern theological claims in the areas of Nature of God, Trinitarianism, and Christology. C. Ministerially Be able to analyze and critique the theological concepts behind common Christian practices. D. Culturally Reflect on how the cultural upbringing affects one s conception of God. III. Course Requirements A. Book Reports Due at the end of the week. Write a report of approximately 200 words (300 Chinese). The focus of the report should be reflections on how the reading material gives you new insights on theological thinking or on knowing God. B. Quizzes There will be a quiz after each lesson on the content of the lesson. Quizzes are to test the student s learning on the previous lesson. They consist of True or False questions, designed to test the student s discernment of theological claims, and Fill in the Blanks questions, designed to test the student s grasp of main points of class content. The total number of quizzes is 8, of which the highest 6 scores are averaged. These are close-book quizzes. They will be posted on each Friday of the week. C. Reflection Paper 1. Write a paper titled My Childhood and My God. Discuss how the culture of your upbringing affects your concept of God. Identify the elements from your childhood that affect your current view of God. 2. Approximate length: 350-700 English words; 500-1000 Chinese words (characters). 1 Fall, 2014
D. Meditations on Divine Attributes 1. Choose 3 attributes of God. Write a one-page meditation on each attribute. 2. For each attribute: a. Write one application principle. (e.g. We should live our daily life in joy. ) b. Write an event in your personal life in which you strongly experienced this principle. c. Write a resolution how you will better live out this principle from now on. (e.g. I will ask my spouse to observe if I smile each day. ) E. Book Review 1. Carefully read Most Moved Mover. Critique its theological claims. 2. Approximate length: 750-1500 English words or 1150-2300 Chinese words (characters). F. Discussions 1. Each student must participate in discussing of class content. 2. Students may start discussion threads. The instructor may also post discussion questions. 3. Discussion topics should be related to lesson content or questions concerning the course subjects. The instructor will close discussions that are not course related. 4. Each student can open no more than 3 discussions through the semester. Each person should post replies at least 2 times per week. 5. Discussion is graded by the depth of the student s posts. G. Late Assignment Policy 1. All assignments are due at the end of the due week (Saturday 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time). There will be a 5% penalty on each day of late submission. See Course Calendar for all due dates. 2. Electronic copies of assignments are to be uploaded to designated Drop Boxes. 3. Assignments that are not turned in by the end of the semester are handled according to the seminary s extension policies. H. Plagiarism Absolutely no plagiarism tolerated. All direct or indirect citations must be cited with footnotes. If plagiarism is discovered in any part of a paper, it will receive a failing grade. IV. Grading 1. Book Reports 15% 2. Quizzes 25% 3. Attributes Meditations 15% 4. Book Review 25% 5. Reflection Paper 15% 6. Discussions 5% 2 Fall, 2014
Instructor: Ekron Chen V. Required Books Packer, J. I. Knowing God. 20 th Anniversary ed. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1993. ( 巴刻 認識神 ( 增訂版三版 ) 尹妙珍譯 香港 : 証主,2007 ) Pinnock, Clark. Most Moved Mover: A Theology of God s Openness. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001. Stone, Howard W. and James O. Duke. How to Think Theologically, 2 nd ed. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006. VI. Reserved Books Beilby, James K. and Paul R. Eddy, eds. Divine Foreknowledge: Four Views. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2001. Friesen, Garry. Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View. Portland: Multnomah, 1980. Huffman, Douglas. How Then Should We Choose?: Three Views on God s Will and Decision Making. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2009. Tozer, A. W. The Knowledge of the Holy: The Attributes of God, Their Meaning in the Christian Life. New York: Harper & Row, 1961. ( 陶恕 認識至聖者 香港 : 播道會文字部,1988 ) 包衡 被釘的神 李樹德譯 香港 : 基道出版社,2002 余達心 聆聽 : 神學言說的開端 台北 : 校園,2008 邸立基 神學第一步 陳佐人譯 香港 : 基督教卓越使團,2002 唐佑之 啟示論 香港 : 真理基金會,2007 楊牧谷 魔惑眾生 : 魔鬼學探究 香港 : 卓越,1995 蕭保羅 神學的視野 : 建構福音派神學方法論 台北 : 校園,2007 VII. Course Schedule Week Lesson Title Book Reports Quiz Assignments 1 Introduction to Theology 2 Stone intro-2 3 Revelation Stone 3-5 4 Inspiration, and Biblical Inerrancy Stone 6-9 5 Reflection Paper Trinitarianism 6 Packer 1-6 7 Packer 7-13 8 Divine Attributes Packer 14-18 9 Packer 19-22 10 Attributes Meditation The Work of God 11 12 Angels, Devil, and Demons 13 Christ in OT Prophecy 14 The Person of Christ The Work of Christ Book Review 3 Fall, 2014
Bibliography Prolegomena (Introduction to Theology) Phillips, Timothy R. and Dennis L. Okholm, eds. The Nature of Confession: Evangelicals and Postliberals in Conversation. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1996. Stone, Howard W. and James O. Duke. How to Think Theologically, 2 nd ed. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2006. 余達心 聆聽 : 神學言說的開端 台北 : 校園,2008 周聯華 神學綱要, 卷一 香港 : 基督教文藝,1991 邸立基 神學第一步 陳佐人譯 香港 : 基督教卓越使團,2002 章力生 系統神學, 卷壹 宣道,1989 楊牧谷 信仰的落實 台北 : 校園,1986 蕭保羅 神學的視野 : 建構福音派神學方法論 台北 : 校園,2007 Theology of God Beilby, James K. and Paul R. Eddy, eds. Divine Foreknowledge: Four Views. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2001. Bloesch, Donald. God the Almighty. Downers Grove: InterVarsity. 1993. Crump, David. Knocking on Heaven s Door: A New Testament Theology of Petitionary Prayer. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006. Erickson, Millard J. Making Sense of the Trinity. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000. Friesen, Garry. Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View. Portland: Multnomah, 1980. Huffman, Douglas. How Then Should We Choose?: Three Views on God s Will and Decision Making. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2009. Kärkkäinen, Veli-Matti. The Doctrine of God. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004. ( 卡維里 上帝論 : 全球導覽 陳永財 蔡錦圖譯 香港, 基督出版社,2007 ) Kimel, Alvin F. Jr., ed. This Is My Name Forever: The Trinity and Gender Language for God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2001. McCormack, Bruce L., ed. Engaging the Doctrine of God: Contemporary Protestant Perspectives. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008. Moltmann, Jürgen. The Trinity and the Kingdom. Trans. Margaret Kohl. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1981. Packer, J. I. Knowing God. 20 th Anniversary ed. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1993. ( 巴刻 認識神 ( 增訂版三版 ) 尹妙珍譯 香港 : 証主,2007 ) Pinnock, Clark. Most Moved Mover: A Theology of God s Openness. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001. Pinnock, Clark, and others. The Openness of God. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1994. Tiessen, Terrance. Providence and Prayer: How Does God Work in the World? Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2000. 4 Fall, 2014
Tozer, A. W. The Knowledge of the Holy: The Attributes of God, Their Meaning in the Christian Life. New York: Harper & Row, 1961. ( 陶恕 認識至聖者 香港 : 播道會文字部,1988 ) 張慶熊等 現代語境中的三一論 香港 : 漢語基督教文化研究所,1999 楊牧谷 魔惑眾生 : 魔鬼學探究 香港 : 卓越,1995 這是天父世界 : 創造論初探 香港 : 更新資源,2000 禤浩榮 創造神學 : 從神的創造看救恩真義及信徒生活 香港 : 天道,1998 Bibliology Bloesch, Donald. Holy Scripture: Revelation, Inspiration & Interpretation. Downers Grover: InterVarsity. 1994. Packer, J. I. God Has Spoken. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994. 唐佑之 啟示論 香港 : 真理基金會,2007 許牧世 經與譯經 香港 : 基督教文藝,1983 黃彼得 聖經基督論 印尼 : 東南亞聖道神學院,1992 滕幕理 聖經 永活神的道 種籽 1980 Christology Moltmann, Jürgen. The Crucified God. Trans. R. A. Wilson and John Bowden. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993. ( 莫爾特曼 被釘十字架的上帝 阮煒譯 香港 : 道風山基督教叢林,1994 ) Torrance, Thomas F. Incarnation: The Person and Life of Christ. Ed. Robert T. Walker. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008. 包衡 被釘的神 李樹德譯 香港 : 基道出版社,2002 5 Fall, 2014