Course Syllabus

CHRISTOLOGY
INTD 0910

WINTER 2010

Fridays [Jan., 22 & 29; Feb., 05, 12, 19 & 26]

8:30am – 12:30 pm

INSTRUCTOR: DR. DENNIS NGIEN

Email: dngien@tyndale.ca

Office hours: by appointment

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION

Christology, the study of the person of Christ, has been the centerpiece of theological
reflection in the Christian tradition, from the earliest times to the present day. This course will
begin with the New Testament and recent attempts to understand its Christology. It will
examine the principal issues (theological and philosophical) extending from Arianism in the
fourth century to Kenotic Christ and the question of the uniqueness of Christ in the twentieth
century. A particular attention will be given to the contemporary discussions on the
impassiblity-passibility issue in relation to the suffering and death of God.

II. LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

1. Understand the Christological controversies leading up to Council of Chalcedon and

beyond.
2. Give an account of who Jesus is and why he is central to our identity and Christian life.
3. Know the range of doctrinal issues inherent in Christology.
4. Understand how and why the doctrine of Christ’s dual nature is basic to soteriology.
5. Understand the significance of the suffering and death of God for contemporary
discussions on the doctrine of God.

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III. COURSE REQUIREMENTS

A. REQUIRED TEXTS (Must purchase)

1. Macleod, Donald. The Person of Christ (Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1998). Hereafter
cited Macleod.
2. Crisp, Oliver D. Divinity and Humanity (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2007). Hereafter cited Crisp.

B. SUPPLEMENTARY/RECOMMENDED READING (Put on Reserve at Library)

1. Norris, Richard A., Jr., trans., & ed., The Christological Controversy. Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1990. Hereafter cited as Norris.
2. Ngien, Dennis. The Suffering of God according to Martin Luther’s ‘Theologia Crucis’.
Foreword by Jürgen Moltmann. New York: Peter Lang, 1995; reprint with Regent College
Publishing, 2005. Read chapter three only. Hereafter cited Ngien.
3. Tylenda, Joseph N. “Calvin’s Understanding of the Communication of Properties.”
Westminster Theological Journal 38 (1975): 54-65. Hereafter cited Tylenda.

C. ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

1. Reports based on readings: Due weekly; 15% of final grade.

Beginning February 12, all students will prepare a four-page summary of the assigned
readings and hand it in at the end of the class.

2. Class presentation: Due dates vary; 15% of final grade.

The course will be conducted in lecture as well as seminar style. Each student will do
at least one presentation as scheduled and lead the discussion. The presenter should
provide for the class a four-page summary of the designated topic

3. Book review: Due on March 7, 2010; 30% of final grade.

Select from the list of bibliography a book, provide a four-page summary and a four-
page critical interaction with it. The assignment should include a careful and thorough
examination of the basic issue(s) at stake in the text and evaluate the relative
strengths and/or weaknesses of the author’s case. Seek to review the work critically,
focusing on the dominant issues and argument of the work.

4. Research Paper: Due on April 8, 2010; 40% of final grade.

A list of essay topics will be given in class. However students are allowed to select
their own topic after consultation with the professor. The length of the essay must not
exceed 18 pages, preferably 15 pages. The essay should be rigorously documented,
with a minimum of 50 footnotes from 15 different sources. It should not simply report,
summarize, or review class materials (though students are encouraged to draw from
class lectures, discussions and readings). It should demonstrate thorough reflection,
analysis, and should embody a conceptual argument in which various angles of the
question are explored in fairness and at length.

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 **Note: Non-thesis students may choose to write an extended paper of 40-50 pages
on a specific topic in lieu of assignment 3 and 4. Due on April 08, 2010; 70% of final
grade.

D. GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN WORK

Students should consult the current Academic Calendar for academic polices on Academic
Honesty, Gender Inclusive Language in Written Assignments, Late Papers and Extensions,
Return of Assignments, and Grading System. The Academic Calendar is posted at
www.tyndale.ca/seminary/calendar.

Please take note the following items:

Paper Format

Written assignments must adhere to academic standards for style, format, citations and
references as found in the most recent edition of a recognized style manual (e.g., The
Chicago Manual of Style, the Turabian Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and
Dissertation, The SBL Handbook of Style, The Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association). The course instructor will advise students as to the preferred
academic style format for the course.

Academic Grading System

The standards and definitions used by Tyndale Seminary in the assignment of letter grades
and percentage grades are outlined in the Academic Calendar.

Policy on Late Papers and Extensions

All papers and course assignments must be submitted by the due dates indicated by the
instructor or in the course outline. Unless the instructor already has a policy on grading late
papers in the course outline, grades for papers submitted late without advance permission
will be lowered at the rate of 1/3 of a grade per week or part thereof (e.g., from A+ to A, from
B to B-). Students who have not completed course requirements by the end of the semester
(or Registrar approved extension date) will be assigned a grade of F.

Faculty may grant an extension only up until the last day of exams for the semester.
Requests for extensions beyond this date must be addressed in writing to the Registrar and
will be considered only in cases such as a death in the family, medical emergency,
hospitalization of oneself or immediate family member or prolonged illness requiring
treatment by a physician. Factors such as assignments for other courses, holidays and
technology related difficulties or malfunctions are all insufficient grounds for requesting an
extension.

Application for an Extension Due to Extreme Circumstances

Requests for extensions will only be considered in the circumstances noted above and only
upon submission of a completed application form to the Registrar. Application forms are
available from the Registrar’s office or online at www.tyndale.ca/registrar/downloads
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Student Medical Certificate

Applications for extensions for medical reasons must be accompanied by a Medical

Certificate signed by a physician. The Student Medical Certificate form is available from the
Registrar’s office or online at www.tyndale.ca/registrar/downloads

E. SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Evaluation is based upon the completion of the following assignments:

Reports based on readings 15 %

Class presentation 15 %
Book Review 30 %
Research paper 40 %
Total Grade 100%

Option for non-thesis students:

Reports based on readings 15 %

Class presentation 15 %
Research paper 70 %
Total Grade 100%

IV. COURSE SCHEDULE, CONTENT AND REQUIRED READINGS

A significant part of class time will be spent in critical interaction with each other’s ideas and
assignments. Thus students must do the assigned readings, and be prepared to interact with
others in class. In the first half, professor will lecture more, with some group discussions.
Beginning February 12 onwards, student presentations will occur. All students will prepare a
four page summary of the assigned readings, and hand in at the end of the class. Each
student will do at least one presentation as scheduled. The presenter must prepare for the
class enough copies of the synopsis.

January 22: (1) Introduction to Method in Christology (Macleod, introduction)

(2) The virgin birth (Macleod, chapter 1)
(3) Pre-existence of Christ (Macleod, chapter 2)

January 29: (1) Christ, the Son of God (Macleod, chapter 3)

(2) The Jesus of History (Macleod, chapter 4)
(3) The Christ of Faith: “Very God of very God” (Macleod, chapter 5)

February 05: (1) Incarnation (Macleod, chapter 6)

(2) Athanasius’ Orations against the Arians (Norris, part VI)

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 (3) Chalcedon: “Perfect in Godhead, Perfect in Manhood” (Macleod, chapter 7)
(4) The controversies leading up to Chalcedon (Macleod, chapter 8)

February 12: (1) Seminar #1: Problems with perichoresis (Crisp, chapter 1)
**Special attention will be given to Luther and Calvin in their respective usage of
the doctrine of communication idiomatum (see Ngien, chapter 3; Tylenda’s
article on Calvin’s view)

(2) Seminar #2: The Human Nature of Christ (Crisp, chapter 2)

February 19: (1) Seminar #3: The anhypostasia-enhypostasia distinction (Crisp, chapter 3)
(2) Seminar #4: Did Christ have a fallen/sinless human nature? (Crisp, chapter
4; Macleod, chapter 9)

February 26: (1) Seminar #5: Divine kenosis (Crisp, chapter 5; Macleod, chapter 8))
(2) Seminar #6: Non-incarnational Christology (Crisp, chapter 6; Macleod,
chapter 10)

V. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Baillie, Donald M. God Was in Christ. London: Faber and Faber, 1961 & Scribner, 1980.

Bloesch, Donald G. Jesus Christ. Saviour and Lord. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP, 1997.

Dunn, James D. G. Christology in the Making. London: SCM Press, 1989.

Dupuis, Jacques. Jesus Christ at the Encounter of World Religions. Trans. R. R. Barr.
Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1991.

Edmondson, Stephen. Calvin’s Christology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Evans, Stephen C. The Historical Christ and the Jesus of Faith. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1996.

Evans, Stephen C., ed. Exploring Kenotic Christology. The Self-emptying of God. Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2006.

Fredriksen, P. From Jesus to Christ. The Origins of the New Testament Images of Jesus.
New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1988.

Fuller, Reginald H. Who is This Christ? Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983.

Gunton, Colin. Yesterday and Today. Second Edition. London: SPCK, 1997.

Hick, John. The Metaphor of God Incarnate. London: SCM Press, 1993.

Holmes, Stephen R & Murray A. Rae, eds. The Person of Christ. London: T. & T.
International Clark, 2005.

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Kasper, Walter. Jesus the Christ. Trans. V. Green. London: Burns & Oates, 1976.

Küschel, Karl-Josef. J. Born Before all Time? The Dispute over Christ’s Origin. Trans. John
Bowden. London: SCM Press, 1992.

Macquarrie, John. Jesus Christ in Modern Thought. London: SPCK & Trinity Press
International, 1990.

McIntyre, John. The Shape of Christology. London: SCM Press, 1966.

Moltmann, Jürgen. The Way of Jesus Christ. Trans. Margaret Kohl. London: SCM Press,
1990.

Morris, Thomas V. The Logic of God Incarnate. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1986.

O’ Collins, Gerald. Incarnation. London: Continuum, 2002.

Schwarz, Hans. Christology. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1998.

Siggins, Ian D. Martin Luther’s Doctrine of Christ. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1970.

Thompson, William M. Christology and Spirituality. New York: Crossroad, 1991.

Weinandy, Thomas. Does God Change? The Word’s Becoming in the Incarnation. Still River,
MASS.: St. Bede’s Publications, 1984.

Willis, David E. Calvin’s Catholic Christology. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1966.

Wright, Nicholas Thomas. The Resurrection of the Son of God. London: SPCK, 2003.

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