Course syllabus
Welcome to the Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion
Here, you can obtain general information about the course, such as syllabus, reading list and schedule.
- Syllabus (enter the course code RT2311 in the search box)
- Reading List
- Schedule - This schedule link contains times that are relevant only for students who will attend the campus version of the course. The wider class schedule is as follows:
CLASS AND READING SCHEDULE
Week 1 (begins 2 September) -- Introduction
ON CAMPUS STUDENTS: Seminar, Monday 2 September, 10:15-12, Room H331.
ONLINE STUDENTS: Watch introductory lecture, which should be posted under ’Files’. Begin preparing for week 3 seminar.
Week 3 (begins 16 September) – God, history, and perfection
Reading: Jenson, Systematic Theology, Vol 1.
ON CAMPUS STUDENTS: Email reading response assignment to instructor by midnight on Sunday, 15 September. Take part in seminar on Monday 17 September, 10:15-12, Room H331.
ONLINE STUDENTS: Post reading response assignment in the discussion forum on Canvas by midnight on Sunday, 15 September. Complete seminar discussion by posting *at least* four comments engaging with other students by midnight on Sunday 29 September.
Week 5 (begins 30 September) – Trinity and humanity I
Reading: Coakley, God, Sexuality, and the Self, chapters 1, 3, 5-7.
ON CAMPUS STUDENTS: Email reading response assignment to instructor by midnight on Sunday, 29 September. Take part in seminar on Monday 30 September, 10:15-12, Room H331.
ONLINE STUDENTS: Post reading response assignment in the discussion forum on Canvas by midnight on Sunday, 29 September. Complete seminar discussion by posting *at least* four comments engaging with other students by midnight on Sunday, 13 October.
Week 7 (begins 14 October) – Trinity and humanity II
Reading: Tonstad, God and Difference, Prelude, chapters 3-7.
ON CAMPUS STUDENTS: Email reading response assignment to instructor by midnight on Sunday, 13 October. Take part in seminar on Monday 14 October, 10:15-12, Room H331.
ONLINE STUDENTS: Post reading response assignment in the discussion forum on Canvas by midnight on Sunday, 13 October. Complete seminar discussion by posting *at least* four comments engaging with other students by midnight on Sunday, 20 October.
Week 8 (begins 21 October) – Oneness of God
Reading: Sonderegger, Preface, §§1-2, 3, 3a-3b (not 3c-3d), 4, 4a-4c (not 4d-4i), 5, 8, 9.
ON CAMPUS STUDENTS: Email reading response assignment to instructor by midnight on Sunday, 20 October. Take part in seminar on Monday 21 October, 10:15-12, Room H331.
ONLINE STUDENTS: Post reading response assignment in the discussion forum on Canvas by midnight on Sunday, 20 October. Complete seminar discussion by posting *at least* four comments engaging with other students by midnight on Sunday 3 November.
**ESSAYS FOR BOTH CAMPUS AND ONLINE STUDENTS DUE FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER.**
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSESSMENT INFORMATION
Course assessment involves two assignment elements:
(1) Preparation for and participation in seminar sessions. Students are required to prepare for and participate in each seminar session.
Preparation: every student, both campus and online, is required to prepare for seminar by writing a 700 word assignment that summarizes the reading for the week (think about answering two key questions: (i) What is the author's main point? (ii) How does the author develop or defend the main point?) and raises a couple of questions for discussion. Every student is also responsible for leading one seminar session. Leading the seminar means giving a presentation that introduces the author, the author's context, and the author's goal in writing, and gives some assessment of the author's success in meeting the goal. For on campus students, this presentation is given orally in class. For online students, this presentation is posted in written form in Canvas. Students who are leading the session do not need to prepare a 700 word response assignment.
Participation: every student, both campus and online, is required to participate in the seminar session by participating in discussion of the text and topic for the week.
If you are unable to participate in a particular session, email the instructor and arrange an alternate assignment. Seminar participation is graded only with a 'G' or a 'U'. Participation in every seminar is required in order to receive a 'G'.
ON CAMPUS STUDENTS: Seminars occur as part of the scheduled class sessions. Students are to email their 700 word reading response assignments to the instructor by midnight on the day before the seminar, and take active part in the seminar discussion. A schedule for leading the seminar will be arranged during the first class session.
ONLINE STUDENTS: Seminars are conducted through the discussion forum in that is found on the course's Canvas page. Each student is required to post their 700 word assignment in the discussion forum by midnight on the Sunday before the seminar week begins (so, e.g., the assignment is to be posted by midnight on Sunday 15 September for the text that will be discussed during week 3 of the course). The seminar leader for the week is responsible for posting a written introduction by this same deadline. Each student is then required to participate in the seminar by making *at least* four comments engaging with other students, beginning with a comment in response to the seminar leader's introduction. Comments are due before the next seminar begins.
(2) Final essay. Final essays for both campus and online students are due by midnight on Friday 1 November. Essays are to be submitted by email to martin.westerholm@lir.gu.se. They are to be approximately 2000 words, and are to address a question that is relevant to questions and material covered in the course. Students are welcome to formulate their own question; but some example questions follow here. You may work with one of these questions if you wish.
- Compare and critically evaluate the understandings of the person and work of the Holy Spirit that are developed by Robert Jenson and Sarah Coakley.
- Compare and critically evaluate the understandings of the relation between the immanent and economic trinities that are developed by Robert Jenson and Sarah Coakley.
- Critically evaluate Linn Tonstad’s critiques of Sarah Coakley’s work, and discuss their significance EITHER for evaluating Coakley’s work OR for understanding Tonstad’s argument.
- Compare and critically evaluate the constructive theologies of the Trinity developed by Robert Jenson and Linn Tonstad.
- Compare and critically evaluate the strategies for ’testing’ theological propositions that are developed by Sarah Coakley and Linn Tonstad.
- Compare and critically evaluate Robert Jenson’s concentration on the theology of the Trinity and Katherine Sonderegger’s emphasis on the oneness of God.
- Compare and critically evaluate the understandings of divine love that are developed by Robert Jenson and Katherine Sonderegger.
- Choose two figures whom we studied and compare and critically evaluate their strategies for avoiding idolatry.
Some resources that might help you in our work:
(1) There is a sizeable body of literature on Robert Jenson’s work. See, e.g., Farrow, Demson, De Noia, ’Robert Jenson’s Systematic Theology: Three Responses’, International Journal of Systematic Theology 1.1 (March 1999); and the essay and response by Molnar and Jenson in Scottish Journal of Theology 52.1 (Winter 1999), and the essays and response by Hunsinger, Watson, and Jenson in Scottish Journal of Theology 55.2 (Spring 2002).
(2) On Coakley’s book, see Katherine Sonderegger, ’God, Sexuality and the Self’, International Journal of Systematic Theology 18.1 (January 2016), and the symposium in Modern Theology 30.4 (October 2014).
(3) On Tonstad’s book, see the symposium at Syndicate, available here:
https://syndicate.network/symposia/theology/god-and-difference/
(4) On Sonderegger, see the symposium in International Journal of Systematic Theology 19.2 (April 2017).
When you are a registered student you will have access to further information related to the course.
You will find information about the Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion on our web site www.lir.gu.se
Course summary:
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