3222
Yale School of Theology
Special topics in Systematic Theology and Ethics will enable students to undertake in-depth study of a number of Classic theologians, theological movements or current doctrinal debates. The course will be text based and offering for theologians, theological movement or doctrinal debates will change from year to year depending upon staff availability and student uptake (at least six under-graduate students are needed before a particular option will run).
Course Description
The Yale School has been one of the most influential theological movements in late twentieth and early twenty-first century theology. It pioneered a ‘postliberal’ understanding of theology drawing upon methodologies drawn from narrative, metaphor, Wittgenstein’s concept of ‘language-games’ and the moral philosophy of Alasdair MacIntyre. This course will examine the foundational works of Hans Frei and George Lindbeck, the work of ‘second generation’ Yale School theologians such as Bruce Marshall, Kathryn Tanner and William C. Placher, and the developments of postliberal theology both in the US and the UK.
Aims
- To enable students to specialise in a key theological developments or debates
- To extend student’s theological knowledge in a particular area of theological study
- To develop a student’s textual knowledge of a specific theologian, theological movement or doctrinal debate
- To develop a student’s skills in identifying and critically assessing a particular theological position
Objectives
By the end of this course the student should have
- an in-depthcritical appreciation of a particular theologian, theological movement or doctrinal debate
- a detailed knowledge of the key texts in the study of a particular theologian, theological movement or doctrinal debate
- a detailed appreciation of the cultural, historical and doctrinal context of a particular theologian, theological movement or doctrinal debate
Prerequisites
None – although to have taken the First Year course Introduction to Christian Theology and the Second Year course Systematic Theology: Key Doctrines would be advantageous.
These are delivered in 8 x 1 ½ hour classes held in the Michaelmas term and assessed by a 3 hour examination paper in which three questions will be answered. The courses are designed around key set texts and the classes will devoted to the critical examination of these texts. Students should already have encountered the theologians or the theological issues in their second year courses and there will be lectures in ‘Key themes in Systematic Theology’ in both MT and HT as well as lectures on ecclesiastical history that will provide further background.