RLST 3110: History of Christian Thought
Fall 2003

Meeting Times: Period 3: MWF 10:00-10:50 am
Thursday 8:00 am is our fourth hour and may be used as necessary for additional workshops and study help sessions.
Meeting Place: AC 335
Professor: Dr. Loye B. Ashton
Office: CC10
Office Hours: MTWTh 2:00-3:00 pm and by appointment
Phone: 601-974-1333
Email: ashtol@millsaps.edu

Course Description:

This course focuses on the intellectual history, or history of ideas, of the Christian tradition. It explores many of the major doctrines or points of belief that have been central to Christian thought and practice through the centuries, as well as the ways in which different Christian thinkers have helped to shape and transform these doctrines during the past 2,000 years. As we explore the theologies of major Christian thinkers, we will ask two primary questions: how is their thought continuous with past tradition? And, how does their thought transform tradition? Attention will also be given to the important differences between the Western Christian tradition and the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox churches.
Our investigation will inform us about a variety of theological debates whose topics include the existence and nature of God, the nature of evil, the character of religious language, the reality and nature of redemption, and the proper role of human beings in relation to God and the world. These questions and others will be considered in relation to the careful reading of primary and secondary texts.
Perhaps the most significant challenge of the course will be the actual day-to-day engagement of these primary texts, for like the great minds whose ideas they reflect, they are filled with nuance and complexity. We will interrogate the meanings of each text and, with any luck, will find our own minds interrogated in kind by the text. Thus as we seek to understand the world of the text, our own world will inevitably be brought into fresh focus; and, if all goes well, the horizons of both worlds will be illuminated and expanded in the process.
Class time will focus on the corporate investigation into the texts' various meanings, as well as on discussions of their historical and theological import and continued relevance, or lack thereof. Such a careful and critical encounter presupposes the situating of each text within its proper historical, cultural, and theological context.
Course Texts:

Course readings will be drawn from these required books:

HCT A History of Christian Theology: An Introduction. William C. Placher. (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1983).
RHCT1 Readings in the History of Christian Thought Volume 1: From Its Beginnings to the Eve of the Reformation. William C. Placher. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1988).
RHCT2 Readings in the History of Christian Thought Volume 2: From the Reformation .to the Present William C. Placher. (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1988).
CTR Christian Thought Revisited: Three Types of Theology. (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Press, 1999).

Course Requirements:

A course syllabus is the learning agreement between student and instructor. As such, it should be taken seriously as a contract or covenant that explicitly spells out our mutual obligations and responsibilities. As your instructor it is my responsibility to help facilitate your learning of the content outlined in the course description above to the best of my ability. In this endeavor with you this semester I will be a co-learner as well as your instructor. Your responsibility will lie not only with completely the academic work required of you but also with learning how to teach yourself. As students at a liberal arts college one of the most important skills you can develop is the ability to take responsibility for your own learning. In this class you will be joining a community of scholar-colleagues who will be asking questions about the history of Christian thinking and the nature of Christian theology itself. The relationship between student and teacher is a privileged and unique relationship. Every class is made up of an unrepeatable combination of students who bring distinctive experiences, questions, values, and gifts to the classroom. I do not teach "to" a generic "class." Rather, I teach unique individuals with the intention that all in this class will actively contribute to becoming a community of learners, a class with its own distinctive spirit, style, and struggles. As your teacher, I see myself as a steward of your own intellectual maturity, and I want to teach in such a way that that maturity will be served. To that end I hold the following expectations:

Attendance: Being in class, being engaged with the work of the class, and behaving courteously are all expected. One discourtesy to avoid is coming into class late. Lateness reflects a lack of respect for classmates, for the instructor, for the subject matter, and for your own educational process. Lateness counts as half an absence. Likewise, regular attendance at all class meetings is a must. This course is designed on the model of dialogue and active learning, which means that we are all equally responsible for its success or failure. If you miss more than three classes without the prior permission of the instructor, your final grade will be lowered by a full letter grade.

Assessment:

Your grade for the class will be determined by three types of work: daily writing and participation (50%), a critical book review (20%), and a comparative analysis paper and presentation (30%).

Daily Writing and Participation (50%) In order to facilitate class discussion of assigned material, class members will bring to each class three things:

1. The assigned text
2. A position paper (primary text readings)--one page--in which you summarize one point of importance found in at least one primary text (in other words--you explain the meaning of the point) and, additionally, in which you reflect on why this point is of interest to you (in other words--you explain the import of the point for your own understanding of the theologian's thought, or for Christian thought in general as you understand it, or for your own intellectual growth); Note: This task will likely be difficult at first, but with practice, you should get the hang of it. If done properly, it should take about thirty to forty-five minutes to complete. Thus, in addition to giving yourself ample time to complete the assigned reading, you should factor in time to complete the writing assignment. This assignment will run from Aug. 29 through Nov. 10.
(or)
A clarification question (secondary text readings): For the class period in which the secondary text is assigned, you will be responsible for bringing to class a carefully thought-out and written question that comes from your own active reading of the assigned material. This should not be a rhetorical question or one that you can readily answer but rather a concern that has arisen in your own reading and has not been satisfactorily addressed by the author or material. This assignment will run from Sept. 1 through Nov. 7.

3. A readiness to articulate your chosen point of importance in class.

Critical Book Review (20%)
This assignment will be a critical engagement with Justo Gonzalez' work, Christian Thought Revisited. The purpose of this assignment is to development the ability to critically engage an entire book using the knowledge of the tradition you have gained in the course so far. The book review should be between 6 and 8 pages long and should contain the following three elements: a brief summary of the author's central thesis, a critical engagement with this thesis and with the author's evidence based upon your own knowledge of the tradition, and a summary assessment of the worth of the book to the wider audience of readers of Christian theology. The purpose of our class meetings during the dates this reading is assigned is to use our discussion time to prepare for this written assignment through questions and critical dialogue. The book review will be due no later than Nov. 26.

Comparative Analysis Paper and Presentation (30%)
Each student will write an 8-10 page comparative analysis of one theme as it appears in the thought of three major thinkers we have studied during the course. The first major task of the paper is expository--that is, you should offer a clear, coherent, intelligible explanation of each thinker's position on your chosen theme, offering textual evidence to support your claims. In addition, you will need to offer a thoughtful comparison between your chosen thinkers on your chosen topic. Finally, you should use your comparative analysis to draw some conclusions about the history of Christian thought as regards your topic. At the end of the course you will be expected to provide to the class an oral presentation (approx. 15 minutes) that summarizes your chosen theme and comparative analysis. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss their chosen theme and theologians with the instructor no later than Nov. 12. Final versions of the comparative analysis paper are due by Dec. 8.
In general, written work will be evaluated in terms of command of material, clarity and organization of ideas, creativity of thought, persuasiveness of argument, and complexity of thinking. Grammatical correctness and the proper use and notation of references are also important. You are strongly encouraged to take your papers to the Writing Center before handing them in. (An extra set of eyes/ears can never hurt. If an intelligent outsider cannot understand your paper, then it is not a satisfactory paper.)
Note: any student who has ever been a fan of the New York Yankees will be penalized 10% of their entire grade for the course. If, however, you can suitably demonstrate adoration of the Boston Red Sox, the penalty will be rescinded.

Late and missing papers: Written assignments turned in late will lose a letter grade or equivalent. Homework may not be turned in more than one week after its due date. A '0' will be recorded for any work not turned in (except that, in this class, one homework paragraph may be skipped without penalty). No work of any kind will be accepted after the last day of final examinations. Exceptions to this policy will be granted only to the victims of unforeseeable and uncontrollable circumstances.

Academic honor: All of us at Millsaps are pledged to uphold academic honor, the core of which is refraining from giving or receiving unauthorized aid on any assignment. I particularly caution against plagiarism, that is, using the words or ideas of others without acknowledgement. Plagiarized work means a mandatory referral to the Honor Council and may result in expulsion from the class. Please read carefully the Millsaps Honor Code statement at the end of this syllabus.

Incompletes: An "Incomplete" grade for the course will be given only to students who, due to unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances, find themselves unable to complete course requirements during the term and can reasonably be expected to complete them within a few weeks after the term's end. The "Incomplete" must be requested and appropriately justified before the end of final examinations.

Course Schedule:

You will notice that for every topic from August 29 through November 10, the primary texts are assigned for the first session and the secondary text is assigned for the following session. Position papers are due on the first session and clarification questions are due on the second session of every topic.

Week One:

W 8/27 Welcome and course introduction
F 8/29 Gnosticism and Its Opponents
READ: RHCT1 Chap. 1

Week Two:

M 9/1 Gnosticism cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 1-4
W 9/3 Apologists: Alexandrian and Carthaginian Schools
READ: RHCT1 Chap. 2
F 9/5 Apologists cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 5

Week Three:

M 9/8 Trinitarian and Christological Controversies
READ: RHCT1 Chap.3
W 9/10 Trinitarian Controversies cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 6
F 9/12 Eastern Theology After Chalcedon
READ: RHCT1 Chap. 4

Week Four:

M 9/15 Eastern Theology cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 7
W 9/17 Augustine
READ: RHCT1 Chap. 5
F 9/19 Augustine cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 8

Week Five:

M 9/22 The Early Middle Ages
READ: RHCT1 Chap. 6
W 9/24 The Early Middle Ages cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 9
F 9/26 The High Middle Ages
READ: RHCT1 Chap. 7

Week Six:

M 9/29 The High Middle Ages cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 10
W 10/1 The Late Middle Ages
READ: RHCT1 Chap. 8
F 10/3 The Late Middle Ages cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 11

Week Seven:

M 10/6 Luther and the Radical Reformation
READ: RHCT2 Chap. 1
W 10/8 Luther cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 12
F 10/10 The Catholic Reformation
READ: RHCT2 Chap. 2

Week Eight:

M 10/13 The Catholic Reformation cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 13
W 10/15 Calvin and the English Reformation
READ: RHCT2 Chap. 3
F 10/17 Calvin and the English Reformation cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 14

Week Nine:

M 10/20 NO CLASS (Fall Break)
W 10/22 Theology in the Enlightenment
READ: RHCT2 Chap. 4
F 10/24 Enlightenment cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 15

Week Ten:

M 10/27 Theology in the United States
READ: RHCT2 Chap. 5
W 10/29 United States cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 16
F 10/31 The Nineteenth Century
READ: RHCT2 Chap. 6

Week Eleven:

M 11/3 The Nineteenth Century cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 17
W 11/5 The Twentieth Century
READ: RHCT2 Chap. 7
F 11/7 The Twentieth Century cont.
READ: HCT Chap. 18
Week Twelve:

M 11/10 New Voices
READ: RHCT2 Chap. 8
W 11/12 Overview of Gonzalez' Three Types of Theology
READ: CTR 1-16
F 11/14 God, Creation, and Original Sin
READ: CTR 17-32

Week Thirteen:
M 11/17 Salvation and Scripture
READ: CTR 33-59
W 11/19 Augustine
READ: CTR 60-93
F 11/21 Medieval Theology and the Reformation
READ: CTR 94-121

Week Fourteen:

M 11/24 NO CLASS (Instructor out of town)
W 11/26 Contemporary Relevance
READ: CTR 123-145
Book Reviews Due
F 11/28 NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Break)

Week Fifteen:

M 12/1 Comparative analysis presentations
W 12/3 Comparative analysis presentations
F 12/5 Comparative analysis presentations and course conclusion

Final comparative analysis papers due no later than Dec. 8.

ACADEMIC HONOR CODE of MILLSAPS COLLEGE

Millsaps College is an academic community dedicated to the pursuit of scholarly inquiry and intellectual growth. The foundation of this community is a spirit of personal honesty and mutual trust. Through their Honor Code, the students of Millsaps College affirm their adherence to these basic ethical principles.

An Honor Code is not simply a set of rules and procedures governing students' academic conduct. It is an opportunity to put personal responsibility and integrity into action. When students agree to abide by an Honor Code, they liberate themselves to pursue their academic goals in an atmosphere of mutual confidence and respect.

The success of the Code depends on the support of each member of the community. Students and faculty alike commit themselves in their work to the principles of academic honesty. When they become aware of infractions, both students and faculty are obligated to report them to the Honor Council, which is responsible for enforcement.

The pledge signed by all students upon entering the College is as follows:
As a Millsaps College student, I hereby affirm that I understand the Honor Code and am aware of its implications and of my responsibility to the Code. In the interests of expanding the atmosphere of respect and trust in the College, I promise to uphold the Honor Code and I will not tolerate dishonest behavior in myself or in others.

Each examination, quiz, or other assignment that is to be graded will carry the written pledge: "I hereby certify that I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assignment. (Signature)" The abbreviation "Pledged" followed by the student's signature has the same meaning and may be acceptable on assignments other than final examinations.

It is the responsibility of students and faculty to report offenses to the Honor Code Council in the form of a written report. This account must be signed, the accusation explained in as much detail as possible, and submitted to the Dean of the College.

The Honor Council, 2003-2004

Jamie Holcomb, Chair Dr. William Storey, Faculty Secretary
Matt Marston Dr. Kristina Stensaas
Kevin Maguire Dr. Bill Brister
Megan Holcomb
Leslie Aldridge
Akanksha Gupta

Four graduate student positions and one non-voting freshman position will be filled at the beginning of the fall term.

Assistance in the design of this course was provided by Dr. Steven G. Smith (Millsaps College). Other design acknowledgements go to Dr. John J. Thatamanil (Vanderbilt University), Dr. Thomas Beaudoin (Boston College), Dr. James Bowley (Millsaps College), and Dr. Darby Ray (Millsaps College).
Assignments in this schedule are subject to change at the instructor's discretion according to the needs of the class.