CH125 Love Song to Lament: Poetry in the Hebrew Bible
Carolyn Pressler
The study of biblical poetry as art has received a great deal of
scholarly attention during recent years. This course examines a
range of poetry in the Hebrew Bible, including texts from Song of
Solomon, Lamentations, Job, and the Psalms. Students work at understanding
and appreciating the biblical texts as literature and will be encouraged
to incorporate art into their interpretive work. The course may
satisfy a requirement in the Master of Arts in Theology and the
Arts degree program.
No prerequisites
CH126 Suffering and Hope in the Old Testament
Carolyn Pressler
The Hebrew Bible can be an important resource for grief ministry.
Misinterpretations of biblical texts can aggravate suffering. This
course examines a range of theological and liturgical responses
to the problem of suffering found in the Hebrew Bible. Attention
is given to ways in which the biblical responses can serve as a
resource for contemporary churches.
No prerequisites
CH128 Social and Political Ideals of Ancient Israel
Carolyn Pressler
Biblical legal collections provide important insights into the values
and ideals of ancient Israel. This course examines the political
values and assumptions encoded in the Pentateuchal law, especially
as those relate to gender, sexuality and sexual orientation, family
life, and treatment of the “other.”
Prerequisites: CH161
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
CH161-02 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 two weekends, Sept. 24 & 25 and Dec. 17 & 18. 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 Iinternet at least three times per week. Students for whom this is not possible are advised to take section one (CH161) of the class, which meets Tuesday afternoons, 1:30-4:45pm.
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
David Fredrickson
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
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
CH231 Justice, Liberation, and Hope in the Theology of Paul
Faculty
We will examine developments in recent scholarship that challenge
the traditional picture of the apostle Paul. Specific topics include
Paul’s critical engagement with Roman slavery, the patronage
system, and Roman imperial ideology; the problem of theology and
praxis in Paul; Paul’s relationships with emancipated persons
in the assemblies, especially women prophets; the presence of subordinationist
or “kyriarchal” themes in Paul’s letters; and
the challenge of interpreting Pauline texts rightly in the contemporary
global context.
No prerequisites
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
CH234
Queering the Bible
Faculty
A historical overview of the ways in which LGBTQ people have been
reading and appropriating scripture, from the time of arguing the
biblical texts that have been used to oppress people, to queer reading
strategies of biblical texts that are similar to feminist biblical
hermeneutics. Other topics would include queer theory and what it
means to “queer” a biblical text, as opposed to reading
the Bible from the social location of queer; HIV/AIDS readings of
biblical texts; queer midrash; implications of queering the Bible
for spiritual formation; coming out as a hermeneutical framework
for reading the Bible. This course is open to all persons.
No prerequisites
CH250
Hope and Justice: Early Christian Visions of
the Future
Faculty
From the 1970 classic Late Great Planet Earth to the current
“Left Behind” series, apocalyptic thinking has been
a powerful influence in contemporary American culture. But what
are the roles of hope and fear in visions of God’s future?
How important for meaningful human life is a sense that “the
end is near?” We will examine the historical impulses that
generated early Jewish and Christian apocalypticism, focusing on
a comparison of selected early Christian texts, to ask in what ways
they might promote or distort efforts at a more just and compassionate
human dwelling today.
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
In this course, we will practice hearing the gospel stories with
“first-century ears.” We will give particular attention
to the problem of anti-Judaism and Christian supersessionism in
reading and preaching from the gospels. We will explore different
ways of moving from text to sermon and different models for constructing
sermons.
Prerequisites: 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.
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
CH404 Homosexuality in Historical and Theological Perspective
Paul Capetz
This seminar examines the foundational Western understandings of
homosexuality found in both the Bible and Graeco-Roman philosophy
and considers the ethical positions of representative Catholic and
Protestant theologians (e.g., Thomas Aquinas and Karl Barth). The
intent is to understand the historical background of contemporary
debates regarding homosexuality and the Christian life.
No prerequisites
CH405 History of Protestant Biblical Hermeneutics
Paul Capetz
This course examines the shifts in the hermeneutical principles
governing Protestant interpretation of the Bible from the time of
the Reformers (Luther and Calvin) to the present day. Attention
will be given to the development of the modern historical-critical
method and its consequences for a theological and ethical use of
Scripture, as well as to recent postmodern hermeneutical discussions.
The central question to be addressed concerns the character of biblical
authority in contemporary Protestantism.
No prerequisites
CH411 Religion, Culture, and Society in the Western Middle Ages
Paul Capetz
From the collapse of the Roman Empire in 476 to the Reformation
of the sixteenth century, the course of Western civilization was
determined by the Christianization of the “barbarian”
tribes undertaken by the Roman church, just as the development of
Catholicism was shaped by the development of European society and
culture. This seminar seeks to investigate the relations between
religion and cultural, social, political, and economic factors in
the medieval world.
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
CH416/TR316 Topics in Black Christianity: Traditions of Worship, Culture, and
Theology
Faculty
In many ways, the African-American Sunday morning experience is
still the “invisible church” that existed in the slave
era. Many of these traditions, rituals, and spiritual disciplines
are unknown to mainstream white religious traditions in America.
We will address this history of the Black Christian Church and discuss
its present status through the study of church organization, worship,
Christian Education, and the use of Scripture. We will also examine
the roles of women, African spirituality, the emergence of Black
Theology, and the distinctiveness of their view of social justice.
Finally, we will be in discussion on the prevailing African American
view of Jesus Christ.
No prerequisites
CH423 Theology of Schleiermacher
Paul Capetz
Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834) is the most important Protestant
theologian since the Reformation. He has been called “the
father of modern theology” since he is the first liberal Protestant.
In this seminar we shall engage in a close reading of his masterpiece The Christian Faith, with attention to its systematic structure
and revision of inherited doctrines.
No prerequisites
CH425 Ancient Christianity in its Graeco-Roman Milieu
Paul Capetz
Christianity emerged as a sect within Judaism during the Hellenistic
period and eventually became the official religion of the Roman
Empire. Through reading and discussion of primary texts, this seminar
investigates the processes by which Christianity distinguished itself
from the other forms of Judaism out of which it emerged, as well
as from the other religions and philosophies of the Graeco-Roman
world with which it competed.
No prerequisites
CH427 Theology and Ethics of Jonathan Edwards
Paul Capetz
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) has the reputation of being “America’s
greatest theologian.” One of the last great Puritans, Edwards
has influenced some of America’s foremost theological ethicists
in the twentieth century, such as H. Richard Niebuhr and James M.
Gustafson. In this seminar, students will study selected writings by Edwards
in the context of his biography as well as engage in evaluative
discussion of his importance for contemporary theological ethics.
No prerequisites
CH429 Spirituality: Past Wisdom and Present Practice
Katherine
McLaughlin
This course explores religious traditions
which offer wisdom for spiritual and religious seekers. In
the first sessions of our class, we will tap into some of the world’s
great spiritual traditions, with special emphasis on several Christian
spiritualities which have developed over the centuries. In
the following sessions, we will focus on our own convictions about
spirituality and on how we share our spiritual values as religious
leaders. Finally, we will reflect on ways we can provide groups
with opportunities to enrich and express their spiritualities.
On the way, among other assignments, we will create our own personal
definitions of spirituality and do one major research project.
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
CH435/TR551 A History of Theological Ethics
Paul Capetz
Through reading and discussion of primary texts, this seminar investigates
the ethical method of influential representatives of various approaches
in Christian theological ethics. Differing figures are examined
each time the seminar is offered. Upcoming offerings will focus
on Thomas Aquinas, Karl Barth, and Ernst Troeltsch.
No prerequisites
CH440 The Reformed Confessional Tradition
Faculty
A reading course that may be taken during any regular semester by
Presbyterian students seeking to master the contents of The
Book of Confessions in preparation for their ordination exams.
No prerequisites
CH450 Theology and the Historical Study of Religion
Paul Capetz
The modern historical-critical study of religion has required Christian
theologians to address a new set of questions and challenges unlike
any posed before. What does it mean to examine the origins and development
of Christianity just as one would those of any other religious tradition?
This seminar examines the history of research into biblical and
post-biblical traditions with special attention to the work of Ernst
Troeltsch (1865-1923) concerning the relation between theology and
historical method.
Prerequisite: CH461
CH457 Radical Theology after the Death of God
Paul Capetz
The slogan “God is dead” attained currency in the nineteenth
century due to the influence of Hegel and Nietzsche and was picked
up by a group of theologians in the 1960s who styled their project
“radical theology.” For some of these thinkers, modernity
had undermined the possibility of belief in God and yet they continued
to affirm a form of Christian faith precisely as atheists. For others,
radically new understandings of God were required that mitigated
the challenge of modern atheism. This seminar will examine both
the multiple meanings of the “death of God” to be found
in the writings of its major advocates and the critical discussion
that ensued.
No prerequisites
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
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
CH533/TR533 Theological Ethics of H. Richard Niebuhr
Paul Capetz and Faculty
H. Richard Niebuhr (1894-1962) is one of the most important figures
in American theology in the twentieth century. Through reading and
discussion of primary texts, the seminar examines Niebuhr’s
theological and ethical thought as well as his use of historical
and sociological categories for the interpretation of human life
in its religious and moral dimensions.
No prerequisites
CH536 Theology and Ethics of Reinhold Niebuhr
Paul Capetz
Reinhold Niebuhr was perhaps the most influential figure
in American theology and ethics during the middle of the twentieth
century. His perspective, called “Christian realism,”
was a response to the breakdown of liberal optimism as represented
by the “social gospel” movement that had called for
the transformation of society through the implementation of Christian
values. In its place, Niebuhr drew upon Augustine, Luther, and Kierkegaard
to forge a more realistic assessment of human nature that could
inform Christian efforts to participate responsibly in the great
economic, political, and social issues of modern civilization. The
seminar will focus on his major work, The Nature and Destiny
of Man, as well as draw upon other writings by Niebuhr. This
elective meets the requirement for a course in a system or systems
of theological thought.
No prerequisites
CH683 The Ascent toward Equality – One Hundred Years
Faculty
From mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century, women in
the United States focused on gaining the ballot in their communities
and the pulpit in their churches. They also opened schools and orphanages,
addressed racial inequities, and wrote treatises on the Bible. This
course will study movements such as abolition, suffrage, the social
gospel, home and foreign missions, and labor through the leadership
of the women of faith who spoke, demonstrated, and wrote. Use of
biography and primary texts will give glimpses into the faith motivations
and the struggles women have faced.
No prerequisites
CH990 Directed and Independent Studies in the Church’s Heritage
Faculty
Designed for the student who wishes to more intensively pursue a
special topic in Christian Heritage. Approval of the topic for research
must precede registration.
No prerequisites |
