The Course

This 4-unit course is a "thematic examination of biblical doctrines, including God, Christ, Holy Spirit, man [i.e., humanity], redemption, the Church; consideration of their historical development and contemporary meaning" (Undergraduate Catalog). Of the General Education requirements, it meets the Introduction to Christian Doctrine component.

Time in our flipped classroom will feature Q&A and discussions of podcasted lectures and readings, learning projects related to the lecture topics, discussions of course texts, spontaneous debates and sermons, edifying tangents, reviews of tests, and preparation for written assignments. Readings introduce complementary and competing accounts of Christian life as well as visions of unbelief. Assignments concentrate on applying and evaluating the lessons of Christian theology for the Church and its disciples today.

The course's chief learning outcomes are that students will (1) demonstrate theological literacy by identifying central doctrines of Christian faith and forces shaping the history of global Christianity, and (2) demonstrate skills of careful reading and analysis in theological texts. These will be demonstrated in written assignments (an applied theological project and other, brief written assignments) and written and oral examinations (pertaining to details of historical and biblical theology, assigned texts in theology, etc.).

This course introduces you to the fundamental teachings of the Christian faith: God, creation, humanity, sin, Jesus Christ, last things, Church, and salvation. Using the Bible, the history of Christianity, and the practices of the various Christian churches as our sources and guides, we will explore these different dimensions of Christian belief and how they pertain to matters you care about. While we will also discuss reading and writing assignments, lectures and discussion will not cover all the course material.