RLT2160

Christian theology II: Christology and trinity

P Connell

8 points - 3 hours per week - Second semester - Clayton

Objectives Students who successfully complete this subject should have gained some knowledge and appreciation of the historical development of the articulation of the central Christian teachings about Jesus Christ as the divine-human saviour and about God as a trinity of persons; be able to evaluate a variety of contemporary attempts to express these teachings in the light of the philosophical and scientific ideas shaping today's culture; have gained an acquaintance with the principal sources of official Christian statements of these teachings; the critical and analytical skills needed to interpret such statements; have acquired the theological understanding required for effective communication (both verbal and written) of the core meaning of these teachings.

Synopsis The subject is intended to be a presentation of the development of thought about the founder of Christianity, Jesus, and the trinitarian conception of the divinity from the formation of the original Christian texts through the classical formative periods of the church Fathers and mediaeval theology, to the post-Reformation and post-Enlightenment discussions.

Assessment Two seminar papers (1000 words each): 30% Research essay (2500 words): 45% Oral examination (15 minutes) or an optional written examination (1.5 hours): 25%

Recommended texts

Brown R E An introduction to New Testament Christology Paulist, 1994
Dupuis J Who do you say I am?: Introduction to Christology Orbis, 1994
Kasper W The God of Jesus Christ SCM, 1984
Macquarrie J Jesus Christ in modern thought SCM, 1990
O'Donnell J The mystery of the triune God Sheed and Ward, 1988

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