Jesus: Fully Human, Fully Divine
THEO 610
Summer, 2004
Anna Maria College
Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry
Prof. Frederick J. Murphy
Home Phone: 508-854-1004
e-mail: fmurphy@holycross.edu
website: www.holycross.edu/departments/religiousstudies/fmurphy/homefjm.html
Class Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 5-8 PM
Office hours: Since for the most part we are not on campus except for class, I will make myself available when needed before and after class. I am also available through e-mail and telephone.
Goals of the Course
There are three main goals in this course. The first is to attain an overview of the history of christology. We will look closely at the New Testament, both for its individual christologies and for the resources it supplies later tradition and modern theology for coming to a deeper understanding of the person and work of Jesus. We will then look at the formative period, stretching from the time of the New Testament to the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE to see what directions the post-apostolic church took in its thinking about Christ and to analyze the classic statements of the central doctrines about Christ and the Trinity.
The second goal is to understand how some representative modern christologies have viewed Christ. At issue are their use of and faithfulness to classic doctrines and the ways in which they respond to and seek to shape new historical circumstances. We look at the recent statements of Vatican II and the new catechism, as well as some liberationist and feminist readings.
Finally, we aim to explore our own christologies. What are their presuppositions, sources, influences? How do they relate to traditional formulations and contemporary circumstances? Are they changed by the study in which we engage in this course?
Course Format
Course format will consist primarily in discussion of the readings. I will lecture only to complement the readings and to supply background and additional explanations. Students are expected to come to class having done the readings, thought about them, and written out comments and questions about them (we’ll call these “reading notes”). They will use those notes during our class discussion, and I will then collect them to evaluate them.
Reading Notes
There is no lower or upper limit to the length of your notes. In general, they should probably be about one page. Do not summarize the readings, and do not think of this as an assignment to answer set questions. Rather, you should be jotting things down as you read, with the idea that they will be helpful for class discussion.
Some of what we read may seem dense at first, or it may seem to ask questions or address issues that you have not thought of before. You will not necessarily understand fully every aspect of what you read. Try to catch the drift. When you do not understand, try to articulate why and put it in your reading notes. Try to isolate and bring to the class’s attention the specific parts of each reading that you find most significant, helpful, problematic, and so on. We will look at many of those passages in detail in class.
As you read, keep questions in mind. Important questions include the following. Does the christology under discussion do justice to Jesus’ humanity? To his divinity? How does it conceive of the relationship of Christ to God? What is the conception of God (and perhaps Trinity) to be found in the reading? How does the reading explain what God accomplished in Christ? What Christ accomplished? How does all this relate to “salvation history”? That is, does the christology in question think of Christ in the broad framework of everything that God has done to save humanity? And what does salvation consist of?
But, again, do not think of the reading notes as simply answering all of these questions. Rather, think of them as pinpointing what is most crucial to your own reaction to the readings, and as what can most inspire class discussion.
Readings
I assume you have Bibles. The edition below is suggested, but any Bible will do. You need to purchase only Brown, Johnson, and Norris. I will arrange for you to have access to the excerpts from McGrath, Murphy, and Pagels. The Catechism is available to you online.
The Catholic Study Bible (New American Bible). New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.
Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to New Testament Christology. New York: Paulist Press, 1994.
Johnson, Elizabeth. Consider Jesus: Waves of Renewal in Christology. New York: Crossroad, 1990.
McBrien, Richard P. Catholicism. Revised and updated. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1994.
Murphy, Frederick J. “Jesus the Jew.” From Early Judaism: The Exile to the Time of Jesus. Peabody: Hendrickson, 2002. Available online at my web site and via e-mail.
Norris, Richard A., Jr. The Christological Controversy. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1980.
Evaluation
Students will be evaluated for their class preparation and participation. I understand that there may be different levels of preparation for the course, so I will be looking for each student to participate at his or her level.
There will be three papers in the course. The first will be an analysis either of a specific New Testament christology (or a comparison of two). The second will be an analysis of some aspect of christology addressed in the period after the New Testament, up to and including Chalcedon. On the third paper you have an option. The first is to make a personal assessment of your own christology and how it has been affected by our study. The second is to analyze some aspect of modern christology as outlined by Johnson. Each of these three papers should be between five and ten pages long.
|
Evaluation |
|
|
Attendance, Participation, Reading Notes |
20% |
|
First Paper – due June 2 |
25% |
|
Second Paper – due June 14 |
25% |
|
Third Paper – due June 23 |
30% |
Computer Matters
I maintain a web site whose address is at the top of this syllabus. I will post the syllabus and other materials there for your convenience. I do keep up with my e-mail, so when you try to reach me that way you will usually get prompt responses. I am also in the habit of communicating with my classes as a whole through e-mail, so I will make up a mailing list of everyone in the class who gives me an e-mail address. I will sometimes send out tips, comments, suggestions, etc. in this way.
SYLLABUS
Although I expect to stick to the syllabus, I reserve the right to make alterations when I feel it is necessary. You are responsible for such changes, which will be announced in class and via e-mail.
May 17, Monday
From the New Testament, read Mark, John, Hebrews, and the following sections from Paul’s letters: Romans 3, 5-8; 1 Corinthians 15; Philippians 2; 2 Corinthians 3-5. Based on your reading and on your previous work in the New Testament, outline the basic christology of each of these works. Write down in note form what you think. We will use your notes for class discussion.
May 19, Wednesday
Read Brown, parts I and II. Make sure to consult the New Testament when he refers to it. Feel free to agree or disagree with his interpretations. Take careful reading notes and bring them to class for discussion.
May 24, Monday
Read Brown, Part III. The same instructions apply here as in the previous assignment. Also read McBrien, pp. 275-331, and take reading notes on it.
May 26, Wednesday
Read McBrien, pp. 415-60. Read Murphy. Remember to refer to the New Testament when he analyzes it. Take careful reading notes and bring them to class for discussion. Is the picture of the historical Jesus that emerges from this chapter plausible? Convincing? Why or why not?
June 2, Wednesday
Read Norris, chapters 1-6. Read McBrien, pp. 461-89. Take careful reading notes. Please note that we have only one meeting this week because of Memorial Day.
June 7, Monday
Read McBrien, pp. 395-413, 491-566. Read Norris, chapters 7-9. Take reading notes.
June 9, Wednesday
Read Johnson, chapters 1-4. Take reading notes.
June 14, Monday
Read Johnson, chapters 5-9 and “Afterword.” Take reading notes.
June 16, Wednesday
In this class we will view a video on Jesus (to be announced) and discuss it immediately afterward.