RS180 Senior Seminar: Eschatology

Westmont College - Spring, 2012

Professors:         Bruce Fisk and Telford Work

Class:                 Mon/Wed, 3:15-5:05, VL 106

Contact:        Fisk: fisk@westmont.edu, x7020, Porter Center 15

Work: work@westmont.edu, x6199, Porter Center 5

Office hours:        Fisk: Tues 3:15-5:30 (office or DC); Wed 11:30-1:00 in the DC (sign up) and by appt

Work: Wed 11:30-12:30 in DC (sign up), Thurs 9:25-11:55 & 1:10-2:10 at office (sign up)

I. Course Description

An exegetical and theological exploration of Christian eschatology. This seminar will engage key biblical texts, explore theological themes, and discuss historical and contemporary questions in eschatology and thus will call upon, strengthen, and integrate students’ skills in areas of Biblical exegesis and interpretation, church history, and historical and systematic theology. It will also draw on the areas of special interest of both instructors so as to develop interconnections and interdependencies more effectively than either instructor could do on his own. RS 180 satisfies the Integrating the Major Discipline requirement of Westmont’s general education curriculum.

II. Learning Outcomes.

Students will

1. apply a range of recognized skills in the interpretation of biblical and other religious literature focusing on Christian doctrines of eschatology.
2. reason according to the logic of the Christian faith as they engage readings and topics in eschatology.
3. participate in Christian life and mission with engaged ecclesial commitment.

III. Textbooks

Required readings:

Dante, The Portable Dante , Penguin

Hans Schwarz, Eschatology , Eerdmans

Nicholas Perrin, Jesus the Temple, Baker

Joseph Mangina, Revelation, Brazos

Ted Grimsrud, Compassionate Eschatology, Cascade

Book report options:

Dale Allison, Historical Jesus and the Theological Christ

Richard Bauckham, Theology of the Book of Revelation

Richard Bauckham, Trevor Hart, Hope against Hope: Christian Eschatology at the Turn of the

Millennium

Rob Bell, Love Wins

Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent, Heaven Is for Real

Douglas Harink, Paul among the Postliberals

Craig Hill, In God’s Time: The Bible and the Future 

Eric Hoffer, The True Believer

Rachel Jacoff, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Dante

C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

Regis Martin, The Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell

Bernard McGinn, ed., Apocalyptic Spirituality

Donald McKim, Theological Turning Points chapter 9 and Greg Boyd and Paul Eddy, Across the Spectrum chapters 11, 16, 17, and appendix selections

Jurgen Moltmann, The Coming of God: Christian Eschatology 

Kenneth Newport & Crawford Gribben, eds., Expecting the End: Millennialism  in Social and Historical Context

Oliver O’Donovan, The Ways of Judgment

Robin Parry and Christopher Partridge, eds., Universal Salvation? The Current Debate

Joseph Ratzinger, Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life

Gerhard Sauter, What Dare We Hope? Reconsidering Eschatology

Stephen Sizer, Zion’s Christian Soldiers? The Bible, Israel and the Church

Geoffrey Wainwright, Eucharist and Eschatology

Michael Wise, The First Messiah: Investigating the Savior before Christ

N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope

John Howard Yoder, The Politics of Jesus

IV. Assignments and Assessment

1. Participation in class activities and discussions, including in-class presentations. These will be focused on putting our readings, other instructional resources, and our own concerns and contexts into conversation with each other. This may include submission of written questions on the day’s readings at the beginning of class. (20%)
2. Periodic written assignments.
3. Delivery of two or so in-class written presentations on the reading for the day. These may include biblical exegesis, applied topics, and critical engagement with readings and other course materials.
4. Analysis and in-class report on a book from the list of recommended books.

        Assignments 2, 3 & 4 total 80%.

V. Schedule

Date        Reading        Book reports

1-9        unveiling

1-11         Schwarz chapter 1

1-17         Schwarz chapter 2 (1-16 is MLK Day)

                John Howard Yoder, The Politics of Jesus

1-18         Perrin chapter 1; Luke 3

Dale Allison, Historical Jesus and the Theological Christ

1-23         Perrin chapter 2; Acts 7; Rev 11, 21

1-25         Perrin chapter 3; Isaiah 56; Jeremiah 7; Mark 11

1-30         Perrin chapter 4; Mark 10, 14

2-1         Perrin chapter 5; Mark 5-8

2-6         Schwarz chapter 3

K. Newport & C. Gribben, eds., Expecting the End: Millennialism  in Social & Historical  Context

2-8         Schwarz chapter 4

R. Bauckham, T. Hart, Hope against Hope: Christian Eschatology at the Turn of the Millennium

2-9         7pm - Guest lecture: Professor Steven Friesen, UT Austin

2-10        5pm lecture at UCSB - Steven Friesen - UCSB-Westmont Annual Lecture in New Testament: "Violence, Holy War, and the Book of Revelation: Žižek and John, Together at Last." Reception to follow. UCSB, Humanities and Social Science Building, Room 4020.

2-13         Grimsrud chapters 1-2 plus Lesslie Newbigin, “The Kingdom of God and the Idea of Progress”

2-15         Grimsrud chapters 3-5

Michael Wise, The First Messiah: Investigating the Savior before Christ

2-20         Presidents’ Holiday

2-22         Grimsrud chapters 6-8

Oliver O’Donovan, The Ways of Judgment

2-27         Grimsrud chapters 9-12

                Harink, Paul among the Postliberals

2-29         Grimsrud chapters 13-16

Jurgen Moltmann, The Coming of God: Christian Eschatology 

3-5         Schwarz chapter 5 [Fisk absent]

N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope

Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent, Heaven Is for Real

3-7         Dante Inferno A [Fisk absent]

Rachel Jacoff, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Dante

3-12 / 3-14 Spring Break

3-19         Dante Inferno B

3-21         Dante Purgatorio A

Gerhard Sauter, What Dare We Hope? Reconsidering Eschatology

3-26         Dante Purgatorio B [Work absent]

C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce

3-28         Dante Paradiso A [Work absent]

Joseph Ratzinger, Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life

4-2         Dante Paradiso B

4-4         Schwarz chapter 6

Rob Bell, Love Wins

Eric Hoffer, The True Believer

Robin Parry and Christopher Partridge, eds., Universal Salvation? The Current Debate

Donald McKim, Theological Turning Points chapter 9 and Greg Boyd and Paul Eddy, Across the Spectrum chapters 11, 16, 17, and appendix selections

4-9         Easter Recess

4-11         Schwarz chapter 7

Regis Martin, The Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell

Bernard McGinn, ed., Apocalyptic Spirituality

Geoffrey Wainwright, Eucharist and Eschatology

4-16         Mangina - Rev 1-3

        Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of Revelation

4-18         Mangina - Rev 4-11

Craig Hill, In God’s Time: The Bible and the Future 

4-23         Mangina - Rev 12- 18

        Stephen Sizer, Zion’s Christian Soldiers? The Bible, Israel and the Church

4-25         Mangina - Rev 19-22 plus Fidon R. Mwombeki, The Book of Revelation in Africa 

4-30         Final Exam @ 3pm