RELT10132 Introduction to Christian Theology

Meeting times: Autumn 2008, Thursdays 9 - 11.50am

Instructor: Timothy Stanley, timothy.stanley@manchester.ac.uk, Samuel Alexander WLG5

Course requirements: assigned readings, two 2500 word essays, worth 40% of your overall grade, one two hour final exam worth 60% of your overall grade, mandatory attendance to all seminars and lectures as per university policy. 

Key texts: Each week I will be handing out a brief set of readings which will be discussed in the following week's seminar. For further reading on this course a brief bibliography of library texts can be found by clicking here.

Overview:  Each of the 11 weeks of this first semester course are made up of both a seminar and lecture component. In the first week I will give a brief lecture outlining and introducing the course as well as handing out the first seminar reading. Then, in all subsequent weeks, we will begin with a seminar discussion of the reading which was handed out in the lecture from the previous week. The seminars are in the morning and go for one hour and the lectures immediately follow and go for two hours.

Aims and outcomes: The aims of this course are to provide you with a foundation for the study of Christian theology and to equip you with the skills necessary to interpret primary and secondary sources in Christian theology. Once you have completed this course you should have gained a critical understanding of the role of the Bible in Christian theology, as well as the principles which underlie and give rise to the formation of Christian doctrine. You will also have acquired an awareness of the theological controversies that led to the formation of the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation and which resulted in the creation of creeds.

Week by Week Guide to the Course

Introductory Lecture

• Thur, Oct 2, 9-11.50pm,  Lecture: What is Theology?

The Authority of the Bible

• Thur, Oct 9, 9-9.50am, Seminar
• Thur, Oct 9, 10-10.50am, Lecture

The Authority of the Bible II

• Thur, Oct 16, 9-9.50am, Seminar
• Thur, Oct 16, 10-11.50am, Lecture

Ancient Methods of Biblical Interpretation

• Thur, Oct 23, 9-9.50am, Seminar
• Thur, Oct 23, 10-11.50am, Lecture

• Thur, Oct 30, 9am, 2500 word typed formative essay due to me in class.
• Thur, Oct 30, 9-9.50am, Seminar
• Thur, Oct 30, 10-11.50am, Lecture

Reading Week

• Nov 2 - 8.

The Nature and Development of Christian Doctrine

• Thur, Nov 13, 9-9.50am, Seminar
• Thur, Nov 13, 10-11.50am, Lecture

Tradition

• Thur, Nov 20, 9-9.50am, Seminar
• Thur, Nov 20, 10-11.50am, Lecture

The Nature of Creeds

• Thur, Nov 27, 9-9.50am, Seminar
• Thur, Nov 27, 10-11.50am, Lecture

• Thur, Dec 4, 9-9.50am, Seminar
• Thur, Dec 4, 10-11.50am, Lecture

The Councils of Ephesus (431) and Chalcedon (451)

• Thur, Dec 11, 9-9.50am, Seminar
• Thur, Dec 11, 10-11.50am, Lecture

Review and Exam Preparation

• Mon, Dec 15, two copies of your 2500 word typed summative essay due to Samuel Alexander A6.
• Thur, Dec 18, 9-9.50am, Seminar on the final exam.
• Thur, Dec 18, 10-11.50am, Lecture summary review of the entire course.

Exam Period

• January 19 - February 1