1 TH607 Systematic Theology III1 Dr. Adonis Vidu avidu ...

TH607 Systematic Theology III 1
Dr. Adonis Vidu
avidu@gordonconwell.edu
Office: Library, 109
Office Hours @ theologyofficehours.wordpress.com
Course description
TH607 Systematic Theology III
Syllabus
Spring 2011
TH607 is the capstone of the systematic theology classes at Gordon-Conwell. As a
result, I am very intentional about making it an integrative experience. The
following doctrines are explicitly covered: Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts, salvation,
church and sacraments, eschatology and final states. A very important objective of
this class is to find the coherence between these doctrines and the rest of systematic
theology, but also their significance for Christian life.
The doctrine of the person and work of the Holy Spirit grounds the rest of the
discussion of soteriology, ecclesiology, and eschatology. A specifically Trinitarian
Pneumatology is determinative for one’s understanding of the work of the Holy
Spirit. On the other hand, a Trinitarian Christology leads to overcoming some of the
oppositions between ‘merely’ forensic and participationist understandings of
salvation (justification and sanctification). Moving into the doctrine of the church, a
robustly Trinitarian theology will be shown to mediate between highly
individualistic and highly institutionalized ecclesiologies.
We shall be reading three impressive theologians which are very much in
conversation with each other. They each come from different Christian traditions.
John Zizioulas is a contemporary Eastern Orthodox theologian whose book, Being as
Communion is one of the most influential theological books of the last two decades
or so. Miroslav Volf comes from within the Free Church tradition (Pentecostal) but
he strongly reacts against its individualism. Finally, Michael Horton represents the
Reformed tradition of Protestant theology. We shall engage in an immensely
stimulating conversation with these three theologians.
The format of the class includes lectures, but also class-wide debates, as well as
small-group discussion and processing. The student should bring her or his personal
1 This version is still provisional. A final and definitive version will be provided on
the first day of class. Potential changes will not affect the required reading and the
evaluation.
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Bible. Although these activities are not graded, all students are required to
participate in them.
Learning outcomes
2
• To understand the systematic coherence of pneumatology, soteriology,
ecclesiology, and eschatology.
• To understand the differences between major Christian confessions on the
respective topics.
• To understand what is at stake in various soteriologies, including their
practical implications for the life of the church.
• To gain a better understanding of the distinctive role played by the Holy
Spirit in salvation and the life of the church.
• To gain a sense for the importance and reality of the church and its
implications for the life of the congregation.
• To understand various ecclesiological assumptions made by the variety of
worship styles and liturgical traditions.
• To gain an appreciation for the importance of catechetical formation for the
life of the church.
• To understand the implications of each of these topics for the following
areas: evangelism, worship, missions, discipleship etc.
Course outline
1. The person of the Holy Spirit
a. Person of the Spirit
b. Gifts of the Spirit
2. The work of the Holy Spirit
3. Calvinism v. Arminianism (or rather, the Work of the Spirit cont.)
a. Predestination
b. Calling
c. Perseverance
4. Justification
a. The New Perspective debate
b. Faith and works
5. Union with Christ
a. Eastern Orthodox Perspectives
b. The New Finish Interpretation of Luther
6. The being of the church

a. The marks of the church
b. Where is the church?
Mid-term exam: 19-20 March.
7. Sacraments: Baptism
a. Infant Baptism
b. Credo-Baptism
8. Sacraments: The Eucharist
a. Transubstantiation
b. Consubstantiation
c. Symbolic/Anamnetic view
9. Church Governance
a. Communion vs. institution
b. Models of organization
c. Women’s ordination
10. Eschatology and final states
a. Millennial views
b. Creation and New Creation
c. Soul, death, and resurrection
d. Universalism
e. Intermediary states
Evaluation
• 30% Reading report. The student will have to report the percentage of the
reading she has completed. Due by the last day of written work.
• 20% Midterm exam. The student will have to respond to 2 essay questions
out of three choices. The list of possible midterm essay questions will be
supplied on the first day of class.
• 20% Final exam. Exactly the same conditions as the Midterm.
• 30% Personal statement of faith. This is a reflective exercise, covering all
three systematic theology classes, in which the student integrates all the loci
into a coherent statement of faith. While biblical references are required, it is
preferable to avoid proof-texting and refer instead to wider biblical theology.
Length: minimal 5-8 pages, at 1 ½ spacing (feel free to go as long as you
need: this exercise is primarily for your benefit). My grading criteria include:
o Comprehensiveness: The full extent of systematic theology should be
covered. Ability to see connections between various doctrines.
o Clarity: I prize both conceptual as well as literary clarity.
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Required Reading
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o Foundation: The ability to demonstrate the biblical bases for
particular theological positions.
o Suggestions for reflection:
� Ministry implications
� How has your theological position changed
� Your position in relation to your denominational affiliation
Books
• Veli Matti Karkkainnen, An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical,
Historical, and Global Perspectives (IVP, 2002, 0830826882)
• Walter A. Elwell, ed., Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Baker, 2001,
0801020751)
• Gerald Bray, God is Love (Crossway, 2012, 1433522691)
• Anthony Thiselton, The Hermeneutics of Doctrine (Eerdmans, 2007,
0802826814)
• Graham McFarlane, Why Do You Believe What You Believe about the Holy
Spirit? (Wipf&Stock, 2009, 1606086227)
Articles and Excerpts
• Max Turner, The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts (Hendrickson, 1998, excerpts:
‘Cessationism and the New Testament Expectation’; ‘Towards a Trinitarian
Pneumatology’)
• Michael S. Horton, People and Place (WJK, 2008, excerpt)
• Graham McFarlane, Why do You Believe What You Believe about the Holy
Spirit? (Wipf & Stock, 2009, excerpt)
• Roger Olson, Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities (IVP, 2006, excerpt)
Additional bibliography
Bartos, Emil. Deification in Eastern Orthodox Theology. Paternoster, 2007.
Braaten, Carl E., and Robert W. Jenson. Union with Christ: The New Finnish
Interpretation of Luther. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998.
Christensen, Michael J., and Jeffery A. Wittung. Partakers of the Divine Nature: The
History and Development of Deification in the Christian Traditions. Pbk. Ed.
Baker Academic, 2008.
Clowney, Edmund. The Church: Contours of Christian Theology. InterVarsity Press,
1995.
Dawn, Marva. A Royal "Waste" of Time: The Splendor of Worshipping God and Being
Church for the World. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999.

D'Costa, Gavin. Theology and Religious Pluralism: The Challenge of Other Religions.
Blackwell Publishers, 1986.
Dunn, James D. G. Baptism in the Holy Spirit: A Re-Examination of the New Testament
Teaching on the Gift of the Spirit in Relation to Pentecostalism Today.
Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1970.
Jensen, David H., eds.. The Lord and Giver of Life: Perspectives on Constructive
Pneumatology. Westminster John Knox Press, 2008.
Federation, Lutheran World, Roman Catholic Church, and Catholic Church. Joint
Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 2000.
Frame, John M. Salvation Belongs to the Lord: An Introduction to Systematic Theology.
P & R Publishing, 2006.
Gaffin, Richard B., Jr. Perspectives on Pentecost. P & R Publishing, 1979.
Green, Michael. I Believe In The Holy Spirit. Revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 2004.
Grudem, Wayne A. The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today. Crossway
Books, 2000.
Heron, Alasdair. The Holy Spirit. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1983.
Hinze, Bradford E., and D. Lyle Dabney. Advents of the Spirit: An Introduction to the
Current Study of Pneumatology. Marquette University Press, 2001.
Hoekema, Anthony A. The Bible and the Future. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1994.
Husbands, Mark, and Daniel J. Treier. Justification: What's at Stake in the Current
Debates. InterVarsity Press, 2004.
Karkkainen, Veli-Matti. One with God: Salvation As Deification and Justification.
Liturgical Press, 2005.
Ladd, George Eldon. Presence of the Future: The Eschatology of Biblical Realism. Wm.
B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996.
McGrath, Alister E. Iustitia Dei: A History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification. 3rd
ed. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
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McIntyre, John. The Shape of Soteriology: Studies in the Doctrine of the Death of
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Christ. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1992.
Mclntyre, John. The Shape of Pneumatology: Studies In The Doctrine Of The Holy
Spirit. T. & T. Clark Publishers, 2004.
Murray, John. Redemption Accomplished and Applied. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1984.
Newbigin, Lesslie. The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1989.
Oden, Thomas C. The Justification Reader. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,
2002.
Ritschl, Albrecht. The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation: The
Positive Development of the Doctrine. BiblioLife, 2008.
Rogers, Eugene F. After The Spirit: A Constructive Pneumatology From Resources
Outside The Modern West. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005.
Royce, Josiah. The Hope of the Great Community. New York: Macmillan, 1916.
Russell, Norman. The Doctrine of Deification in the Greek Patristic Tradition. Oxford
University Press, USA, 2006.
Schwarz, Hans. Eschatology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000.
Shults, F. LeRon, and Andrea Hollingsworth. The Holy Spirit. Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 2008.
Turner, Max. Power from on High: The Spirit in Israel's Restoration and Witness in
Luke-Acts. Sheffield Academic Press, 1996.
---. The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts: In the New Testament Church and Today.
Revised. Hendrickson Publishers, 1998.