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ST645 GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT: CHURCH, MINISTRY AND SACRAMENTS

Spring Term 2020

3 Credit Hours

The Rev. Dr. Joel Scandrett Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA 15003

jscandrett@tsm.edu, 724-266-3838, x213

COURSE DESCRIPTION This class presents and explicates the Christian doctrine of the Holy Spirit through the use of Scripture, the theological sources of the Christian tradition, and reasoned reflection upon them. Its goal is to inform students about the person and work of the Holy Spirit, and to equip them to teach and proclaim the Spirit’s work in the world today. It includes discussion of the person and work of the Holy Spirit; the justification, sanctification and glorification of believers; and the church’s nature, ministries, and mission; with attention to the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion and other Anglican sources. COURSE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Goals: By the end of this class, students will: a. Understand better the person and work of the Holy Spirit. b. Articulate better your understanding of the Holy Spirit and the Church. c. Achieve greater wisdom and effectiveness as a theologian and minister.

Objectives: In order to achieve these goals, students will: a. Read, discuss, and reflect upon the teaching of Scripture and Christian theological tradition. b. Articulate theological positions in the form of written essays.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. The student will recognize and identify the biblical theology evident in the course work.

2. The student will be able to articulate an Anglican understanding of biblical, historical,

systematic and pastoral theology. Students of other traditions, especially those in the

Lutheran and Presbyterian programs, should be able to articulate the theological

perspective of their own tradition.

3. The student will be able to communicate effectively the Christian message to a diversity of

people in order to advance the mission of God.

4. The student will be prepared to lead effectively in a variety of Christian communities.

MDIV: The student will be prepared to lead effectively in a variety of Christian

communities.

MAR: The student will be equipped to apply scholarship to the life of the church in his or her

chosen theological discipline.

STM: The student will be equipped to pursue successfully further independent research and

post-graduate study in his or her chosen theological discipline.

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COURSE TEXTS Required texts, in addition to the Bible and the Prayer Book (BCP, 2019):

Davie, Martin. Our Heritage of Faith: A Commentary on the Thirty-Nine Articles. Gilead Books, 2013. ISBN-13: 978-0956856074. Paper Edition: $26.00; Kindle Edition: $9.99. (Will be used in entire 3-course systematic theology sequence – ST 625, 635, 645.) McGrath, Alister. The Christian Theology Reader, 5th Edition. ISBN-13: 978-1118874387. List Price: $54.95 Oden, Thomas. Classic Christianity: A Systematic Theology. HarperOne, 2009. ISBN-13: 978- 0061449710. List Price: $39.99 Other sources will be provided online via GOOGLE-CLASSROOM.

Highly Recommended Introductory Texts:

McGrath, Alister E. Christian Theology: An Introduction. 6th ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2011. ISBN: 978-1118869574, $49.95 This is the companion volume to McGrath’s Reader.

Packer, James I. Concise Theology. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1993. ISBN: 978-0-842-33960-5,

$14.99 A summary of Christian doctrine from this great evangelical Anglican statesman.

Other Recommended Texts:

NOTE: Baker, IVP, and Zondervan all publish “multiple views” books on many of the topics covered in this course. I do not list them here but recommend them as starting points for your reading and research.

Avis, Paul, The Identity of Anglicanism: Essentials of Anglican Ecclesiology. London and New York:

T & T Clark, 2007. Bray, Gerald. The Faith We Confess: An Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles. London: Latimer

Trust, 2009.

Buchanan, Colin O., An Evangelical among the Anglican Liturgists. London: SPCK, 2009.

Clowney, Edmund P. The Church (Contours of Christian Theology). Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1995.

Cocksworth, Christopher J. Evangelical Eucharistic Thought in the Church of England. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Cummings, Owen, Canterbury Cousins: The Eucharist in Contemporary Anglican Theology. New York: Paulist Press, 2007.

Ferguson, Sinclair. The Holy Spirit (Contours of Christian Theology). Downers Grove, Ill:

InterVarsity Press, 1997.

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Green, Michael. Baptism: Its Purpose, Practice and Power. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1987. Green, Michael. I Believe in the Holy Spirit (Revised Edition). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004

Hassett, Miranda. Anglican Communion in Crisis: How Episcopal Dissidents and Their African Allies

Are Reshaping Anglicanism. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2007. Markham, Ian, Barney Hawkins, Justyn Terry and Leslie Steffenson. The Wiley-Blackwell

Companion to the Anglican Communion. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.

McAdoo, H.R. and Kenneth E. Stevenson, The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Anglican Tradition. Eugene UR: Wipf and Stock, 1995.

McAdoo, H.R. Anglicans and Tradition and the Ordination of Women. London: Hymns Ancient &

Modern Ltd, 1997.

Newbigin, Lesslie. The Household of God. Eugene UR: Wipf and Stock, 1953.

_________. The Good Shepherd: Meditations on Christian Ministry in Today’s World. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1977.

Oden, Thomas C. Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry. San Francisco: HarperOne, 1983.

Packer, James I. and R.T. Beckwith. The Thirty-Nine Articles: Their Place and Use Today.

Vancouver, BC: Regent College, 2007.

Packer, James I., and Gary A. Parrett. Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way. Grand Rapids, Mi.: Baker, 2010.

Ramsey, Michael. The Gospel and the Catholic Church. Eugene UR: Wipf and Stock, 1961/1990. Stevenson, Kenneth E. The Mystery of Baptism in the Anglican Tradition Harrisburg, PA:

Morehouse, 1998.

Stott, John. Baptism and Fullness: The Work of the Holy Spirit Today (IVP Classics). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006.

_____. Evangelical Truth: A Personal Plea for Unity, Integrity and Faithfulness, Revised edition.

Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005. Sykes, Norman. Old Priest and New Presbyter. Cambridge: CUP, 1957.

Sykes, Stephen, John Booty and Jonathan Knight. The Study of Anglicanism Rev. ed. London and

Minneapolis: SPCK and Fortress Press, 1998.

Torrance, James B. Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1997.

Torrance, Thomas F. Royal Priesthood: A Theology of Ordained Ministry, 2nd Ed. Edinburgh: T&T

Clark, 2000.

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The Course Structure section below will assign your readings for each week and sometimes mention useful websites. It is certainly worth getting to know the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org) site, where there are many classic theological texts quoted in full. By all means consult Wikipedia, but please do not rely on it or quote from it. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Classes: Punctual and complete attendance is required at all classes. In the event that you

need to be excused, please contact me beforehand; unless it is an emergency, in which case you should send your explanation as soon as possible afterwards. Failure to attend class will result in a lower grade and may result in being dropped from the course.

***Technology policy***: Due to its negative impact upon attention, the use of

digital technology by students is prohibited in class. This includes laptops, tablets, cell/smart phones or any other similar device. None of these may be out or used during class time. You will have ample opportunity at class breaks to check messages/email. Since we will be focusing on the lecture notes already provided, you will only require handwritten notes, for which there is scientific evidence of better learning (Gwendolyn Bounds, “How Handwriting Trains the Brain,” Business Section, Wall Street Journal, October 5, 2010).

Reading: The Oden text will be the core text, with weekly assigned readings. A combination of

select readings from historic (McGrath), Anglican (Davie), and contemporary authors (Oxford Handbook and Google Classroom) will be also be assigned each week. Most of these will be short; some of them will be easy to understand and others less so. Look for the main points and try to get a sense of what is being said. We will have a chance to discuss them during class. All weekly readings should be completed before that week’s class.

All reading must be completed, and a reading report submitted, by the end of the grading period. As you read weekly assignments, please attend to the questions set for each class. Think about how your readings will help you to address them. I suggest that you make notes as you read, keeping the page number of references for your quotations to help in writing outlines and papers. Your notes will also help you in class discussion.

Participation: All students taking the course for credit will be expected to participate in discussion.

Discussion helps to deepen and clarify your grasp of this material as you express your thoughts and respond to your classmates regarding the session texts and topics. I will be calling upon you in class by name, so please be prepared!

Also, chapel attendance is not required, but is considered part of your contact

hours and therefore part of your participation grade. Papers: Written papers will constitute the lion’s share of graded work for this course.

Students will write three papers of 8-10 pages each (not counting bibliography, using double-spaced lines, 12-point font, and 1 inch margins). These will be full essay answers based on any three questions from the semester (but not on the same

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topic!). In addition to course readings, students should make use of at least five secondary sources (theology books and journal articles), preferably taken from the Recommended Readings. (Articles must be academic journal articles, not blog posts or magazine articles.) Your bibliography is to include works consulted as well as works cited, under the heading, “Works Consulted”

SBL style will be expected for all papers. Papers that do not conform to the SBL style will be graded down. See Patrick H. Alexander, The SBL Handbook of Style (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1999). Or see: https://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/pubs/SBLHSsupp2015-02.pdf Papers must be submitted to me as a Google Doc via Google Classroom. This will enable me to make comments on your paper and submit your grade within the GC system. I will not accept papers that are not Google Docs. SEE APPENDIX: WRITING A THEOLOGY PAPER – These papers should demonstrate your grasp of (1) the key Scriptural teaching related to your question, (2) the main (a) consensus and/or (b) points of contention regarding your question in the Christian theological tradition, (3) reasoned arguments in support of your answer to your question, and (4) concluding implications and applications of your position. Top grades will be given for well-written arguments that integrate Scripture, Tradition and Reason persuasively and demonstrate their significance for Christian life and ministry. All papers must be submitted by the dates indicated in the course schedule below. Paper topics must be chosen from three different general subjects, as follows:

Paper #1 – The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit Paper #2 – The Church’s Life and Ministry Paper #3 – Distinctives of Anglican Ecclesiology

Assignments are to be completed by the dates specified in the course schedule. If illness or some family or personal emergency occurs that makes this impossible, please contact me as soon as possible. Otherwise, late submissions may be penalized with a reduced grade. Requests to file for an Incomplete are only granted under extraordinary circumstances as detailed in the Student Handbook.

Plagiarism: Please note the rules against copying material in the Academic Bulletin (in the section on “Cheating and Plagiarism” in Academic Policies):

Students at Trinity are expected to display the highest standards of personal and academic integrity in the development of research papers and other academic projects. Perhaps the most critical issue in exhibiting integrity in academic assignments is student compliance with accepted practices of notation of resources and references used to develop their paper or project.

It is recognized there can be some confusion regarding proper procedures and practices regarding integration of bibliographical references into assignments. The […] policy is intended to address both intentional and unintentional plagiarism. The

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policy also recognizes that there are levels of plagiarism and that consequences must be aligned with the seriousness of the offense. All students are responsible to be familiar with this policy. Ignorance of plagiarism guidelines will not be accepted as a defence or excuse for violating these standards.

If you are uncertain as to whether you may be committing plagiarism in a paper, or have other concerns about your writing, I strongly recommend that you schedule an appointment with Leslie Thyberg, our Learning Skills Coordinator.

COURSE GRADING 1. Classroom discussion/participation counts for 12.5% of the final grade.

2. The three papers together count for 75% of the final grade.

3. Completion of all reading counts for 12.5% of the final grade. A reading report must be

submitted by the end of the grading period, indicating what percentage of session and systematic theology reading has been completed. This statement may be sent via email. It will include the student’s name, the course number and title, the date, and the statement: “I have read %___ of the assigned readings for this course. “

Grading Period: students must submit all written work and reading report by midnight of the last day to submit work (see Academic Calendar). All work is to be submitted electronically via Google Classroom.

COURSE EVALUATION

A 95+

A- 90-94

B+ 87-89

B 84-86

B- 80-83

C+ 77-79

C 74-76

C- 70-73

D below 70 failure

F below 60 failure

The following is offered as a guide, rather than a set of rules.

A: Work will demonstrate exceptional coverage of the material. What distinguishes work in

this category from a “B” is the author’s ability to develop the material in breadth and depth

beyond what is necessary for a good understanding of it. The author will engage with the

material in a way that is often though not always marked by creativity, exceptional insight,

and/or extensive research.

B: Work will demonstrate broad (sufficient information is covered) and deep (supporting

material is offered) coverage of the material. Information will be accurate and there will be

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a clear and coherent structure. Coverage of the material and comments will be reasonably

competent without being exceptional. .

C: Work will demonstrate reasonable coverage of the material but will lack breadth and

depth of analysis. There will not be serious inadequacies in the information presented, but

the overall structure will be characteristically unclear, narrow, and shallow and void of

imaginative and interesting analysis.

D: Work will be notably defective according to the criteria outlined above.

F: Work will demonstrate a complete failure on the part of its author to interact with the

material in accordance with the criteria outlined above.

COURSE STRUCTURE.

Class Schedule ***Note*** Chapel attendance is included as contact time and is therefore required of all students. Failure to attend chapel will negatively impact course participation grade.

8:30 – 9:15 AM Chapel 9:30 – 10:45 AM Class Session 10:45 – 11:00 AM Break 11:00 – 12:00 PM Class Session

COURSE SESSIONS 1. January 21: Who Is the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology)?

Assigned Reading:

Oden, 501-525

McGrath Reader: 1.5 (Nicene Creed), 3.3 (Irenaeus), 3.10 (Athanasius), 3.16 (John of Damascus), 3.17 (11th Council of Toledo)

Articles 5 and 8 of the Thirty-Nine Articles

Read Davie Article 5 Essay/Discussion Questions: 1. Why do Christians believe the Holy Spirit to be divine? 2. What is the Holy Spirit’s relationship to the Father and the Son?

___________________ 2. January 28: What Does the Holy Spirit Do? – Creation and Salvation

Assigned Reading:

Oden, 527-582

McGrath Reader: 3.7 (Gregory of Nyssa) 3.8 (Basil), 3.15 (Cyril of Alexandria)

Read Colyer, “Thomas F. Torrance on the Holy Spirit” (GOOGLE CLASSROOM)

Essay/Discussion Questions: 1. How is the Holy Spirit involved in creation and providence? 2. How is the Holy Spirit involved in the salvation of fallen humanity?

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3. February 4: What Does the Holy Spirit Do? – Union with Christ, Justification, and Sanctification

Assigned Reading:

Oden, 583-688

McGrath Reader: 5.12 (Simeon the New Theologian), 5.29 (Lossky), 6.5 (Ambrose), 6.23 (Luther), 6.24 (Luther), 6.27 (Calvin), 6.28 (Council of Trent), 6.33 (Wesley),

Read Articles 11, 12, and 16 of the Thirty-Nine Articles, and skim Davie’s commentary Essay/Discussion Questions: 1. What is union with Christ and why does it matter? 2. What is the relationship between justification and sanctification?

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4. February 11: What Is the Church (Ecclesiology)? Assigned Reading:

Oden, 689-764

McGrath Reader: 2.10 (Vincent of Lerins), 7.1 (Irenaeus), 7.2 (Origen), 7.3 (Cyprian), 7.4 (Cyril), 7.6 (Augustine), 7.14 (Melanchthon), 7.16 (First Helvetic Confession), 7.17 (Calvin), 7.19 (Westminster Confession), 7.23 (Swete), 7.24 (Barmen Declaration), 7.25 Neill, 7.27 (Second Vatican Council), 7.29 (Dulles)

Read Article 19 of the Thirty-Nine Articles, and skim Davie’s commentary.

Read TF Torrance, “What Is the Church?” (Google Classroom)

Essay/Discussion Questions: 1. What does it mean for the Church to be “catholic?” 2. What does it mean for the Church to be the Body of Christ?

___________________ 5. February 18: What Is the Anglican Communion?

Assigned Reading:

McGrath Reader: 2.27 (White), 7.18 (Hooker)

Read Articles 20, 21, and 34 of the Thirty-Nine Articles and skim Davie’s commentary.

Paul Avis, “Anglican Ecclesiology in the Twenty-First Century” and Michael Ramsey, “Ecclesia Anglicana” (Google Classroom)

Read “Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral 1886, 1888” Book of Common Prayer, 876-878.

Skim the Windsor Report (sections A, B and C) - see http://www.anglicancommunion.org/media/68225/windsor2004full.pdf

Essay/Discussion Questions: 1. How can the Anglican Communion claim to be part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic

Church? 2. What makes Anglican ecclesiology distinctive?

___________________ 6. February 25: What Does the Church Do?

Assigned Reading:

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McGrath Reader: 7.7 (Leo the Great), 7.30 (Hauerwas), 7.32 (John Paul II)

McGrath, Passion for Truth, 175-179; Stott, Evangelical Truth, 82-84; Lesslie Newbigin, “The Congregation as Hermeneutic of the Gospel”; Packer and Parrett, “Catechesis is a (Very!) Biblical Idea”; and TF Torrance, “The Mission of the Church.”

See also the Cape Town Commitment (2010) and, if time, the Lausanne Covenant (1974) and Manila Manifesto (1989), all available from www.lausanne.org

Essay/Discussion Questions: either one of the following 1. What is the mission of the Church? 2. How does the Church make disciples of Jesus Christ?

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ESSAY #1 DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28 ___________________

7. March 3: Ministers of the Church

Assigned Reading:

McGrath Reader 7.5 (Petilian), 8.8 (Augustine), 7.7 (Leo the Great), 7.13 (Luther), 7.22 (First Vatican Council)

Read Articles 23, 26, 32 and 36 of the Thirty-Nine Articles and skim Davie’s commentary

Colin Buchanan, “Priesthood and Sacrifice and Ordained Ministry”; Michael Ramsey, “The Gospel and Episcopacy”; John Stackhouse, “Women in Public Ministry”; TF Torrance, “Consecration and Ordination” (Google Classroom)

Skim the ordination services in the Book of Common Prayer, 510-547

Optional additional reading on women’s ordination: Kenneth Bailey, “Women in the New Testament: A Middle Eastern Cultural View,” Theology Matters Vol 6, no. 1, Jan/Feb 2000; John Stott, “Women, Men and God,” Issues Facing Christians Today (Basingstoke UK: Marshall, Morgan and Scott, 1984); TF Torrance, “The Ministry of Women” (Edinburgh: Handsel Press, 1992); and Rod Whitacre, “Reasons for Questioning Women’s Ordination in the Light of Scripture” (Google Classroom)

Essay/Discussion Questions: either one of the following 1. What does it mean to be called to ordination as a presbyter/priest? 2. What does it mean to be called to consecration as a bishop?

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8. March 24: Ministry of the Church: Proclamation

Assigned Reading:

Thomas G. Long “Preaching, theology of” in Alister McGrath, The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Modern Christian Thought; Thomas C. Oden, “The Ministry of the Word Through Preaching”; Lesslie Newbigin, The Good Shepherd Chs. 1-3]. [TBD***] NB: There are excellent references at the end some of these.

Read Article 35 of the Thirty-Nine Articles and READ Davie’s commentary. If time, see also some of the Homilies: http://www.anglicanlibrary.org/homilies/index.htm

Essay/Discussion Questions: either one of the following 1. What does it mean to preach the word of God?

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2. How does the ministry of proclamation relate to ministries of service?

___________________ 9. March 31: Ministry of the Church: Sacraments

Assigned Reading:

McGrath Reader: 8.1 (Clement of Alexandria), 8.14 (Lanfranc of Bec), 8.15 (Hugh of St Victor), 8.16 (Peter Lombard), 8.22 (Zwingli), 8.23 (Calvin), 8.31 (Williams)

Read Articles and 24, 25 and 26 of the Thirty-Nine Articles – READ Davie’s commentary on 25; SKIM 24 and 26

Read – TF Torrance, “The Priesthood of the Church”

Essay/Discussion Questions: either one of the following 1. What does it mean that the sacraments are “means of grace”? 2. What is the role of the sacraments in God’s saving purposes?

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ESSAY #2 DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAY, APRIL 3 ___________________

10. April 7: Baptism

Assigned Reading:

McGrath Reader 8.2 (Tertullian), 8.3 (Cyprian of Carthage), 8.4 (Cyril of Jerusalem), 8.6 (Hilary of Poitiers), 8.26 (Newman), 8.29 (World Council of Churches)

Read Article 27 of the Thirty-Nine Articles and READ Davie’s commentary

Colin Buchanan, An Evangelical Among the Anglican Liturgists, Ch. 4; Michael Green, Baptism: Its Purpose, Practice and Power, Ch. 4; Kenneth Stevenson, The Mystery of Baptism in the Anglican Tradition, Ch. 12; TF Torrance, Theology in Reconciliation, Ch. 2, 82-89 (Google Classroom)

If you have time, you may wish to read some of the following: See Tract for our Times 76 http://anglicanhistory.org/tracts/tract76.html arguing for baptismal regeneration (for a fuller account see E.B. Pusey, Scriptural Views of Holy Baptism); J.C. Ryle, Knots Untied, Ch. 7 arguing against invariable baptismal regeneration (Google Classroom) William Witt, “The Modern Debate About Normative Infant Baptism.” http://willgwitt.org/modern-debate-about-normative-infant-baptism/ Essay/Discussion Questions: either one of the following 1. What is Baptism? 2. Should we baptize the infants of Christian parents?

___________________ 11. April 21: Holy Communion

Assigned Reading:

McGrath Reader 8.5 (Cyril of Jerusalem), 8.10 (John of Damascus), 8.11 (Paschasius Radbertus), 8.12 (Ratramnus of Corbie), 8.12 (Candidus of Fulda), 8.18 (Aquinas), 8.19

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(Luther), 8.20 (Luther), 8.21 (Zwingli), 8.24 (Council of Trent), 8.27 (Second Vatican Council), 8.28 (Schillebeeckx), 8.30 (Schmemann), 8.32 (John Paul II).

Read Articles 28, 29, 30 and 31 of the Thirty-Nine Articles – READ Davie’s commentary on 28 and SKIM his commentary on 29-31

McAdoo/Stevenson, The Mystery of Eucharist in Anglican Tradition, Part I, Ch. 7; J.C. Ryle, Knots Untied, Ch. 8; TF Torrance, Theology in Reconciliation, Ch. 2 (Google Classroom)

Essay/Discussion Questions: either one of the following 1. In what sense is Christ present at Holy Communion? [Possible General

Ordination Exam or Canonical Exam question] 2. Who should be allowed to take Holy Communion?

___________________ 12. April 28: Anglicanism and Ecumenism

Assigned Reading:

McGrath Reader: 7.3 (Cyprian), 7.28 (Zizioulas)

Avis, “The Identity of the Anglican Communion” and TF Torrance, Theology in Reconciliation, Ch. 3 (Google Classroom)

See also at least to skim-read ARCIC Agreed Statement on Eucharistic Doctrine. http://www.prounione.urbe.it/dia-int/arcic/doc/e_arcic_eucharist.html and ARCIC Statement on the Doctrine of the Ministry http://www.prounione.urbe.it/dia-int/arcic/doc/e_arcic_ministry.html and Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry: Faith and Order Paper No. 11. Geneva: World Council of Churches, 1982 (Google Classroom).

Essay/Discussion Questions: either one of the following 1. What is ecumenism? 2. What role can Anglicans play in forwarding ecumenism?

Note: non-Anglicans may substitute their own denomination in these questions. ___________________

13. May 5: Eschatology and Glorification

Assigned Reading:

Read Oden, 767-839

McGrath Reader: 10.1 (Irenaeus), 10.2 (Theophilus of Antioch), 10.3 (Tertullian), 10.4 (Tertullian), 10.5 (Origen), 10.7 (Methodius of Olympus), 10.9 (Gregory of Nyssa), 10.11 (Augustine), 10.12 (Gregory the Great), 10.15 (Catherine of Genoa), 10.19 (Wesley), 10.25 (Roman Catholic Catechism), 10.26 (Kathryn Tanner).

Skim Davie’s commentary on Articles 4 and 22

Essay/Discussion Questions: either one of the following 1. How can people who believe in a God of love believe in the existence of hell? 2. What will it mean for God’s fallen creation to be glorified?

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ESSAY #3 DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAY, MAY 8 READING REPORT DUE BY MIDNIGHT ON FRIDAY, MAY 8

___________________

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APPENDIX: WRITING A THEOLOGY PAPER As you undertake to reflect upon a particular doctrine or theological opinion within Christian theology, please employ the following method. 1. Your first task is to identify clearly the perspective or topic that you wish to consider. Whether

you agree with it or not, make sure that you are able clearly to state the viewpoint/issue as well as the reasons that support it.

2. Next, you should evaluate/analyze the issue/viewpoint under consideration according to the three traditional sources of Christian theological reflection: Scripture, tradition, and reason.

a. Scripture: What are the principle passages in the Bible that support or deny the

particular view in question? Present key passages and briefly discuss how they lend or deny support to the view under consideration.

b. Tradition: What traditional theological consensus has been reached in relation to this

issue? Present at one or two statements and summarize them briefly. These statements may be drawn from creeds, confessions, catechisms, statements of faith, or from particular theologians whose teaching has been generally accepted in the Christian tradition. You may wish to consult a denominational handbook or catechism for a statement that reflects your own particular tradition.

c. Reason: What rational arguments have been advanced in support of this viewpoint?

Present them briefly and evaluate. Important: Here's where your own theological reflection begins to be applied. Do you find these arguments intellectually convincing? If so, why? If not, why not, and what arguments would you advance in their place?

3. Conclude by identifying points of implication/application for Christian life and ministry today.

These may be positive or negative!