Early Christian Theology
THST 625

SDA Theological Seminary

Andrews University

Fall 2007

Classroom

Tan Hall (Seminary)

S120

Time

8:30-9:20

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

Instructor

Thomas Toews

Office

Email:

Tel:

James White Library Carrel 290J

toews@andrews.edu

269.697.4903

Secretary

Marilyn Bender

Office

Email:

Tel:

Theology and Christian Philosophy

mbender@andrews.edu

3197

Description

Study of the doctrinal development of the Church from the close of the apostolic age to Augustine in such themes as heresy, ethics, salvation, authority, and ecclesiology.

Objectives

Provide knowledge and encourage understanding in the area of the doctrinal development of the early Christian Church.

Develop a knowledge base, which will enable the student to communicate effectively with people of other faiths in an informed, constructive dialogue based upon a shared heritage.

Foster a renewed commitment to the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church based upon a greater insight into the development of early Christian thought

Requirements

Registration

All students expecting academic credit for this course must be properly registered with the records office. All students not registered but wishing to attend must obtain approval in writing from the Associate Dean

Attendance

Regular attendance is required of all students, whether registered for regular academic credit or for auditing the course. Class participation will be a vital part of the learning experience. The sharing of ideas is integral to graduate education.

Reading Assignments

Required Textbook:

Pelikan, Jaroslav. The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine. Vol. 1, The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600). Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1975.

Recommended Reading:

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 2d ed. Vol. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1993

González, Justo L. A History of Christian Thought. Vol. 1, From the Beginnings to the Council of Chalcedon. 2d English ed. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1987.

Written Assignments

All Students:

Doctrinal Paper: A short paper focusing on a specific doctrine chosen by the student. The paper should discuss the doctrine either: 1) throughout a specified time period in the early church, or 2) in a specified Church Father(s), or 3) in comparison with a contemporary understanding of the doctrine. The paper should be 15 pages (MA/PhD: 30 pages) in length and formatted according to the styles published for Andrews University graduate students available at http://www.andrews.edu/GRAD/style.html. Please see especially the documents on “Andrews University Formatting Rules,” “Using Turabian Style” and “A.U. Standards for Written Work.” In grading the paper, no points will be given for formatting and English grammar. However, papers not demonstrating writing ability at the graduate level will be marked down. If a paper suffers significantly in this regard, it will be returned with no grade given. The instructor reserves the right to ensure a wide variety of topics among the students. See below “Academic Dishonesty.”

MDiv Students:

Sermon Outline: A detailed outline of a sermon demonstrating the ability to integrate concepts/information discussed in class into a sermon for the average church member.

MA/PhD Students:

Diachronic Outline: A list of quotations of the Church Fathers on a doctrine (i.e. Soteriology, Christology, Anthropology etc) which demonstrates the variation and/or development of the chosen doctrine. The quotations should be drawn from the documents that are read during class. MA students are required to select one doctrine; PhD students must choose two different doctrines. In formatting the quotations, the especially relevant words that highlight the concept should be in a bold font style.

PhD Students:

Book Outline: A detailed outline of Pelikan’s book.

Examinations

Mid Term Exam – At the instructor’s determination, the Mid Term Exam may be canceled.

Final Exam – The final exam will focus on material presented in the course, including Pelikan’s book. A review sheet will be provided by the instructor.

Guidelines

Class Notes

Students are encouraged to take careful notes of all material presented in class. It is permitted to share notes only with fellow students registered for this course. The distribution in any form, whether electronic, hardcopy or otherwise, of notes taken from this course to students not registered for this course is not permitted.

Computers

Computers and communications links to remote resources are recognized as being integral to the education and research experience. Those who do not own one may use one of the following computer labs on campus.

• Bell Hall	6020
• Chan Shun Hall	3422
• James White Libraryl	3275

Attendance

Attendance at class lectures is required by school policy. Because this course depends on a community of scholars who contribute to the learning process, any absence diminishes from that process. Absences totaling more than 10 percent of class time warrant a reduction in the final grade.

Recording

In compliance with school policy, the use of audio or video recording devices during class lectures is not permitted

Students with Disabilities

Upon identifying themselves to the instructor and the university, students with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation for learning and evaluation.

Academic Dishonesty

Cheating, through actual or attempted means by dishonest or deceptive acts with the intended goal of improving one’s grade or obtaining course credit, is not acceptable in an academic setting. This also includes assisting a fellow student to do the same. Though most often, cheating occurs in relation to assignments or examinations, it is not limited to this and also includes any and all actions by a student performed with the express intent to gain an academic advantage by dishonest and/or deceptive means. Cheating includes any and all forms of plagiarism, defined as the misuse of published and/or unpublished works of another author by misrepresenting the material as one’s own. Penalties for cheating range from a 0 or failing grade on a particular assignment, through a failing grade for the course, to expulsion from the school. Please review school policy regarding all academic dishonesty and the consequences thereof.

Subject to Change

The schedule of topics is subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to check on announcements made while you were absent.

Grading

Points

Class Participation – 10%

Written Assignments – 45%

Final Exam – 45%

Final Grade Assignments

	Percent	Letter Grade	Academic points
	93-100	A	4.00
	91-92	A-	3.67
	89-90	B+	3.33
	83-88	B	3.00
Pass	81-82	B-	2.67
	79-80	C+	2.33
	73-78	C	2.00
	71-72	C-	1.67
	60-70	D	1.00
Fail	00-59	F	0.00
Incomplete		I
Withdrawal		W
Audit		AU

Schedule

Date	Topic	Reading
Aug 28	Introduction; Why Theology
Aug 29	Apostolic Fathers	P1-10
Aug 30	Apostolic Fathers	P11-26
Sept 04	Apostolic Fathers	P27-40
Sept 05	Apostolic Fathers	P41-54
Sept 06	Apostolic Fathers
Sept 11	Apologists	P55-67
Sept 12	Apologists	P68-80
Sept 13	Apologists
Sept 18	Apologists	P81-96
Sept 19	Apologists	P97-107
Sept 20	Apologists
Sept 25	Irenaeus	P108-120
Sept 26	Irenaeus	P121-131
Sept 27	Irenaeus
Oct 02	Irenaeus	P132-140
Oct 03	Irenaeus	P141-154
Oct 04	Irenaeus
Oct 09	Tertullian	P155-171
Oct 10	Tertullian	P172-190
Oct 11	Tertullian
Oct 16	Tertullian	P191-199
Oct 17	Tertullian	P200-210
Oct 18	Tertullian
Oct 23	Origen	P211-225
Oct 24	Origen	P226-242
Oct 25	Origen
Oct 30	Cyprian	P243-255
Oct 31	Cyprian	P256-265
Nov 01	Cyprian
Nov 06	Councils and Creeds	P266-277
Nov 07	Councils and Creeds	P278-291
Nov 08	Councils and Creeds
Nov 13	Councils and Creeds	P292-306
Nov 14	Councils and Creeds	P307-317
Nov 15	Councils and Creeds
Nov 27	Cappadocians	P318-331
Nov 28	Cappadocians	P332-338
Nov 29	Augustine
Dec 04	Augustine	P339-349
Dec 05	Augustine	P349-357
Dec 06	Review
Dec 10	Final Examination