Units timetabled for 2013 and 2014 are provisional only, and details of semester and time will change. The official timetable for each year is released on 1 September of the prior year.

Archived unit descriptions for 2011 are available here.

Faith and Understanding

Unit Code: 
CT300
RTI: 
United Faculty of Theology
Unit Value: 
15 points

This unit is a foundation for further study in Christian Thought and History and complements CH300 Practice and Belief in the Early Church. The course proceeds in three sections. Firstly, it examines fundamental issues in systematic theology, such as the nature of theology; its relationship to philosophy; faith and reason; revelation; and issues of Scripture and tradition. Secondly, it looks at four significant moments in which significant issues, often philosophical in nature, offered challenges to and opportunities for Christian thought: Scholasticism, the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and Post-Modernism. Finally, some major areas of Christian doctrine will be introduced: God and God’s attributes; Creation and New Creation; Christ, Incarnation and Salvation; and the Holy Spirit and the Church.

Learning Outcomes: 

Upon successful completion of this unit, it is expected that students will be able to:

  1. Define common philosophical and theological terms used in systematic theology.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the various sources of Christian theology and their interrelations
  3. Articulate an account of the role of systematic theology.
  4. Analyse and articulate the significance of historical context for understanding theological development.
  5. Formulate a basic understanding of the core Christian doctrines examined.
Lecturer/s: 
Robin Koning
Timetabling
Semester: 
Semester 2
Day: 
Tuesday
Time: 
10 - 1
Location: 
Centre for Theology and Ministry
Unit Frequency: 
Annual
Years Offered: 
2011
Years Offered: 
2012
Years Offered: 
2013
Years Offered: 
2014
Unit Fields
Courses: 
Graduate Certificate in Theology
Courses: 
Graduate Diploma in Theology
Courses: 
Master of Divinity
Field: 
Field C Christian Thought and History
Disciplines: 
Systematic Theology
MDiv Field: 
Christian Thought and History
Department Name: 
Department of Christian Thought and History
Unit Level
GradDip Field: 
Foundational
MDiv Type of Study: 
Foundational
Mode of Teaching: 
Semester
Teaching Methods: 

Lectures and tutorials

Workload
Number of timetabled hours per week: 
3
Expected personal study hours per week: 
9
Total workload hours per week: 
12
Total workload hours for unit: 
144
Assessment
Assessment TypeWeightingLearning Outcomes Assessed
Assessment Type: 

1 x 1500 word short paper

Weighting: 
20%
Assessment Type: 

1 x 1500 word short paper

Weighting: 
20%
Assessment Type: 

1 x 3000 word essay

Weighting: 
60%
Recommended reading: 

* = set texts recommended for purchase

Allen, Diogenes. Philosophy for Understanding Theology. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1985.

Barth, K. Dogmatics in Outline. London: SCM, 1949 (1973).

Dulles, A. The Craft of Theology. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan, 1992.

Fiorenza, F. S. and Galvin, J. P. (eds.). Systematic Theology: Roman Catholic Perspectives. 2 vols. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991.

Ford,  D. F. Theology: A Very Short Introduction.  Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Guthrie, S. C. Christian Doctrine. Rev. ed. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1994.

Hunt, A. et al (eds). The Foundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction for Students. Southbank: Social Science Press, 2004

McGrath, A. E. Christian Theology: An Introduction. 4th ed. Oxford: Blackwells, 2007.

McKim, D. Theological Turning Points: Major Issues in Christian Thought. Atlanta: John Knox, 1988.

Migliore, D. L. Faith Seeking Understanding. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991.

Pannenberg, W. The Apostles’ Creed in the Light of Today’s Questions. London: SCM, 1972.

© United Faculty of Theology, 2008-2012.