TP 202, Course Syllabus
CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY II
John Leland Center for Theological Studies
SW Virginia Christian Leadership Network

Spring Semester 2010

Class Meetings: Tuesdays, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Bonsack Baptist Church. (See the Schedule)

Instructor: James A. Soderberg, B.S., M.Div.

Contact Information:
Network Office Phone: (540) 777-3014
Home Phone: (540) 389-7244
Email: soderberg.jim@gmail.com

Course Description: This course is a study of the foundations of systematic theology of the Christian church, with a historical and philosophical emphasis on Classical Christian doctrine.

Course Goals and Objectives:
This course is designed and intended to:

• Provide an introduction to traditional Protestant theology, the person and work of Christ, the Holy Spirit, soteriology, ecclesiology and eschatology.
• Give special attention to the dual natures of Christ, the theories of the atonement, the doctrines of regeneration, justification and sanctification, the relationship of the Church to Israel and the Old Testament, the ordinances, the various views relating to Christ’s return, and the final state.
• Appreciate the contemporary significance of historic Christian doctrines in a postmodern society and culture.

By the end of this course the student should:

• Gain a basic understanding of the essential unity of Christian doctrines as they relate to the application of God’s work in history in and through humankind.
• Be able to understand the significance of the Chalcedonian Formula with regard to the theanthropic nature of Christ, identify the major theories of the atonement and the Old and New Testament terms used of the atonement, understand the inter-relationships of justification and sanctification, the relationship of the nature of the Church to how one understands its structure and ordinances, gain an appreciation and respect for the various views relating to the millennium and Christ’s return.
• Be able to identify historic departures from the Christian faith with an appreciation for the tensions in theology that led to those departures.
• Gain a basic understanding of some contemporary challenges confronting the Christian faith and current controversies regarding the nature of justification.
• Be able to minister better to church members regarding the doctrines of the Bible and those who experience challenges to their faith arising from our contemporary culture.

Course Prerequisites: TP 201 Christian Theology I. PH 245 recommended.

Required Textbooks and Supplemental Materials:

• Christian Theology, Second Edition, Millard J. Erickson, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1998
• Periodically, additional short reading assignments will be assigned from material provided by the instructor (no additional cost)

Recommended Texts:

• Highly recommended for this course: New Dictionary of Theology, Editors; Sinclair B. Ferguson, David F. Wright and J. I. Packer, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1988
• Concise Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Religion, Anthony C. Thiselton, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2002

Recommended Reference:

• A Student’s Guide for Writing College Papers, Kate L. Turabian, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, 1976

Course Requirements:

• Class attendance—Attendance requirements are those outlined in the John Leland Center Student Handbook. Students may not miss more than three days per semester unless there are mitigating circumstances. Regardless of the circumstances, it is the student’s responsibility to make up any work missed. Class attendance and participation will be factored into the student’s final grade.
• Reading assignments (see Schedule)—Although lectures compose an important part of the course, a major objective is to involve students in seminar-type discussions. Consequently, students are expected to have all reading assignments for the week completed by the time they come to class. The class schedule specifies the weekly reading assignments and when they are due.
• Papers—Two written papers (4-6 pages each) on a theme based on the reading, class lectures and class interactions. Factors that will affect the grade of the paper are: amount and quality of outside reading, organization, thoughtfulness and critical thinking, grammar and punctuation.

  Instructions:
  Length: Each paper is to be 4-6 pages (1,500-2,000 words)
  Include references of cited material (not part of the page count)
  Include a bibliography (not part of the page count)
  Include a separate title page (not part of the page count) showing the following:

  Title of your paper
  Your name
  Course title and number: Christian Theology II, TP 202
  Institution name: John Leland Center for Theological Studies
  Instructor’s name: Mr. James Soderberg
  Due date: Month, Day, Year

Format:

Font: Times New Roman
Text Size: 11 or 12 points (footnotes or endnotes may be in 10 point)
Margins: 1-inch margins on all sides (maximum)
Spacing: 1.5 or double space
Use Kate Turabian, Chicago or MLA style guide for citations and bibliography.

Theme Paper Topics:
Paper #1, Christology, Atonement, Pneumatology, Soteriology Based on your survey of the schedule and the textbook outline for the first portion of the course, determine an area of interest and submit your paper topic to the instructor for approval by February 16. Paper #1 is due March 16.

Paper #2, Eccelesiology, Eschatology, Contemporary Theologies Based on your survey of the schedule and the textbook outline for the second portion of the course, determine an area of interest and submit your paper topic to the instructor for approval by April 6. Paper #2 is due May 4.

• Midterm exam

• Final exam

Policies:

• Late Work—All the assigned reading, submissions, exams, and papers are due on their scheduled dates. Make-up exams for excused absence due to mitigating circumstances will be arranged with the instructor at the soonest opportunity and will not suffer a grade penalty. Make-up exams for unexcused absence will have the grade reduced by 5 points for each day late. The late submission of assigned papers will result in a reduced grade of 5 points for each day they are late unless there are mitigating circumstances. Mitigating circumstances will be determined at the discretion of the instructor. All course requirements must be completed in order to pass and receive credit for this course.
• Grading—A numbered grading system is used for this course and will be applied to all papers and exams. At the end of the course, your total number of earned points will be converted to a letter grade according to the following scale:

  A+ 98-100 (4.3) The student has demonstrated outstanding mastery of the
  A 95-97 (4.0) material and its application
  A- 93-94 (3.7)
  
  B+ 90-92 (3.3) The student has demonstrated above average mastery of the
  B 87-89 (3.0) material and its application
  B- 85-86 (2.7)
  
  C+ 82-84 (2.3) The student has demonstrated the required mastery of the
  C 79-81 (2.0) material and its application
  C- 77-78 (1.7)
  
  D+ 74-76 (1.3) The student has demonstrated below average mastery of the
  D 71-73 (1.0) material and its application
  D- 69-70 (0.7)
  
  F 68-below (0.0) The student has failed to master the material and its
  application

The proportional value of assignments and exams for the course are as follows:

Theme paper #1 20%

Theme paper #2 20%

Midterm exam 25%

Final exam 25%

Class participation 10%

• Academic honesty— STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY. The John Leland Center for Theological Studies affirms the worth of every individual. In order to be a Christian community, each student is expected to maintain exemplary behavior with moral, ethical and academic integrity. Self-discipline and mutual respect are regarded as fair principles of conduct. Each student is responsible for his/her behavior. Any student’s participation in the Leland Center may be subject to formal review if any of the above expectations are not met. A student may request a formal review and action by the Program Director of the Southwest Virginia Site. If upon formal review a student’s conduct is found to be in violation of the above stated expectations, then the student may be subject to probation, suspension or dismissal. If the decision of the Program Director is regarded as unsatisfactory by the student, then the matter may be referred to the Dean of the Leland center. A further appeal may be made to the Appeals Committee, whose decision is final.

Notice of Copyright Restrictions: Copyrighted materials provided in this class are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course and may not be further disseminated.

CLASS SCHEDULE AND TOPICS
TP 202, Christian Theology II, Spring 2010