A&H 265 Christian Scripture, Doctrine, and Interpretation

Content

Christianity has an ambiguous position in Western culture: it has shaped its worldview for almost two mil­len­nia and left its traces in music, art and architecture. The Western world, however, also experiences an increasing secularisation and Chris­tian­ity is sometimes perceived as an outdated religion. This course explores the foun­da­tions of the Christian faith. Its first half is dedicated to the primary material, the New Testament, engaging with both the text itself as well as some major issues of modern critical scholarship, such as the quest for the his­­torical Jesus. Its second half highlights a num­ber of important episodes in Christian history, including the for­­mation of the fundamental doctrines of God and Christ, Medi­eval monasticism, the Reformation, and En­light­en­ment. The course concludes with the discussion of contemporary trends in Christian theology, such as Feminist and Liberation Theology.

Instructor

Dr. Tassilo Erhardt

Track

Religious Studies

Period

Spring / 2011

Prerequisites

The following course is required in order to take this course:

• A&H 165 World Religions