Triune God

Interactive Online Syllabus

 

Meeting Time:  Wed, 6:30-9:30 p.m. THL 305
Meeting Place:  Academic Building 107 Fall 2005

 

Professor:  Daniel G. Van Slyke, S.T.L., Ph.D.  

Office:  Gabriel Hall 107

Phone:  734-337-4193

 

Course Purpose

This course is an invitation to contemplation of the highest mystery of Christian faith, the Holy Trinity. The motivation must come from God as a gratuitous gift – love. The method is a careful reading of core texts drawn from various periods of Christian history. Goals of the course include enabling the students to articulate and defend Catholic Christology, to recognize the marks of a properly Catholic understanding of the Godhead, and to describe the development of Christian doctrine on the Trinity.

 

Required Texts: 

  1. Strobel, Lee. The Case for Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998. [0310209307]
  2. Rusch, William G., ed. and trans. The Trinitarian Controversy. Sources of Early Christian Thought. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1980. [0800614100]
  3. Augustine. The Trinity. Trans. John E. Rotelle. The Works of Saint Augustine 1.5. Hyde Park, NY: New City, 1991. [0911782966]
  4. Some readings will be photocopied and distributed by the Professor. These are marked TBD (to be distributed) on the course calendar below.

 

Highly Recommended Texts:

  1. Neuner, J., and J. Dupuis, eds. The Christian Faith in the Doctrinal Documents of the Catholic Church. 7th ed. New York: Alba House, 2001.
  2. John Paul II. Encyclical Letter Redemptor hominis (1979) – on the Son.
  3. John Paul II. Encyclical Letter Dives in misericordia (1980) – on the Father.
  4. John Paul II. Encyclical Letter Dominum et vivificantem (1986) – on the Holy Spirit.
  5. Kereszty, Roch A. Jesus Christ: Fundamentals of Christology. Revised edition. Alba House, 2002.
  6. Norris, Richard A., ed. and trans. The Christological Controversy. Sources of Early Christian Thought. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1980.

 

Course Requirements and Evaluation

  • 15% Attendance
  • 20% Midterm Exam
  • 25% Final Exam
  • 15% Heretics' Soapbox
  • 25% Research Paper

 

Aid in Preparing Written Assignments / Grading Criteria

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COURSE CALENDAR†

 

Class 1, Wednesday August 31

 

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PART I:  Christology and Scripture

 

Class 2, Wednesday September 7

 

TOPIC:  Historical Foundations of Faith in Jesus

READINGS

The Eyewitness Evidence.  Strobel, chap. 1

          Testing the Eyewitness Evidence.  Strobel, chap. 2

          The Documentary Evidence.  Strobel, chap. 3

The Rebuttal Evidence.  Strobel, chap. 6 

"Five Gospels but No Gospel."  N. Thomas Wright [TBD] 

Pius X, Syllabus Condemning the Errors of the Modernists Lamentabili sane (3 July 1907)

 

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Class 3, [Wednesday September 14] RESCHEDULED Monday September 12

 

TOPIC:  Jesus’ Implicit Christology and Knowledge

READINGS

The Identity Evidence.  Strobel, chap. 7

The Psychological Evidence.  Strobel, chap. 8

The Profile Evidence.  Strobel, chap. 9

Summa theologiae III. q. 7, art. 3-4

Summa theologiae III, q. 9 (all articles) and q. 10 (all articles)

Summa theologiae III, q. 12, art. 1-2

Summa theologiae III, q. 15, art. 10

 

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Class 4, Wednesday September 21

 

TOPIC:  Death, Resurrection, and Priesthood

READINGS 

          The Medical Evidence.  Strobel, chap. 11

          The Evidence of the Missing Body.  Strobel, chap. 12

          The Evidence of Appearances.  Strobel, chap. 13

          The Circumstantial Evidence.  Strobel, chap. 14

Hebrews, entire (from any Bible)

Pius XII, Mediator Dei 1-3, 66-79

 

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PART II: Trinitarian Controversies of the Fourth and Fifth Centuries

 

Class 5, Wednesday September 28

 

READINGS:  Trinitarian Controversy, pp. 1-94

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Class 6, Wednesday October 5

 

READINGS 

          Trinitarian Controversy, pp. 94-161

Basil, On the Holy Spirit

 

ASSIGNMENT:  Heretics’ Soapbox, Round 1

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Class 7, Wednesday October 12

 

READINGS

Readings on the Council of Chalcedon [TBD]

Quiqumque or Athanasian Creed [TBD]

"The Filioque Clause." Alasdair Heron [TBD]

 

ASSIGNMENT:  Heretics’ Soapbox, Round 2

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Class 8, Wednesday October 19

 

MIDTERM EXAM

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Part III: Augustine on the Trinity

 

Class 9, Wednesday October 26

 

READINGS:  De Trinitate I and II

 

ASSIGNMENT:  Heretics’ Soapbox, Round 3

 

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Class 10, Wednesday November 2

 

READINGS:  De Trinitate, III and IV

 

ASSIGNMENT:  Heretics’ Soapbox, Round 4

 

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Class 11, Wednesday November 9

 

READINGS:  De Trinitate, V, VII and VIII

 

ASSIGNMENT:  Five formatted footnotes

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Part IV:  Aquinas on the Trinity

 

Class 12, Wednesday November 16

 

READINGS:  Summa theologiae, I, qq. 27-32

 

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THANKSGIVING BREAK:  Wednesday November 23

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Class 13, Wednesday November 30

 

READINGS:  Summa theologiae, I, qq. 33-38

 

ASSIGNMENT Due Friday December 2nd:  Research Paper

 

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Class 14, Wednesday December 7

 

READINGS:  Summa theologiae, I, qq. 39-43

 

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FINAL EXAM:  to be held during the exam period, December 12-15

 

 

†  The Professor reserves the right to make substitutions, deletions, or additions to the schedule of readings. 

 

 

in te domine speravi non confundar in aeternum

© 2006 Daniel G. Van Slyke