Anna Maria College

Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry

Jesus: Fully Human, Fully Divine

Theo 610, Summer 2004

Paper Assignments

Note: If you wish to substitute another topic for any of the paper assignments here, that may be possible. You must discuss your proposal with me, and I reserve the right to approve or not approve it.

First Paper: Due June 2^nd

Write a 6-8 page paper on one of the following topics. You need only consult our class readings, but you will find it useful to look at material outside of class readings. For suggestions on bibliography, see my bibliography handout, also available on my web site. I am assuming that you have a basic knowledge of the New Testament.

1. Explain the christology of any one New Testament text. Choose key passages to analyze, and make sure you back up all of your points through textual analysis. What does the text tell you about Jesus’ function? About his person? About his relation to God? To humans? To Judaism?

2. Write a paper on the historical Jesus. Given limited space, choose what you see as the most important categories or events for understanding him, and then relate other categories to these. Make a case for your choice. For example, you may use his attack on the temple as central and way to organize all of the other material. Or you may choose the miracles. Or the parables. And so on.

3. Relate the historical Jesus to the Christ of faith as seen in the New Testament. You’ll need to narrow this down and focus it by concentrating on some point or points that you would consider the most important for understanding the relationship between “what actually happened” and the church’s theological reflection on it.

Second Paper, Due June 14^th

Write a 6-8 page paper on one of the following topics. Again, you do not have to go beyond class readings, but you may find it useful to do so.

1. Outline the main issues in developments and conflicts in christology in the patristic period. Be as specific as possible, particularly on the contributions of key individuals, councils, synods, and so on.

2. Relate patristic debates on christology to the christology of the New Testament. Be specific on issues, texts, and so on.

3. Analyze one or two texts or passages to determine what they have to tell us about the christology of the author. What issues do they address and how well do they do it. What are the strengths and weakness of the author’s positions?

Third Paper, Due June 23^rd

This is an 8-10 page paper. You need not go beyond class sources, but if you decide to do so and you use good sources (check with me on that), you will get extra credit. I will discuss that nature of the credit with you in class.

1. Write a letter setting out your own christology. Does it address the issues we have studied in the New Testament? In the patristic sources? In modern christologies.

2. Analyze any of the modern christologies treated by McBrien or by Johnson. What are their strengths and weaknesses. How do they relate to other christologies. How do they address the classic problems of christology?

3. Create a topic of your own choice, but make sure that you discuss it with me before you spend too much time on it. I reserve the right to approve topics or not.