Reformed Theology: Calvin and Barth, Rel 369

Professor Mark Husbands

Instructors Contact Information: Office: Lubbers Lubbers 115 Phone: 395-7214 Email: husbands@hope.edu Office Hours: M,W,F 3-4 web.mac.com/churchdogmatics

Course Information: REL 369 Fall, 2008 Lubbers 220, M,W,F 2:00-2:50 Course website on Moodle

For in the cross of Christ, as in a splendid theater, the incomparable goodness of God is set before the whole world. The glory of God shines, indeed in all creatures on high and below, but never more brightly than in the cross, in which there is a wonderful change of thingsthe condemnation of all men was manifested, sin blotted out, salvation restored to all men; in short, the whole world was renewed and all things restored to order. Calvin, Institutes, II.16.16 man only wants to judge. He thinks he sits on a high throne, but in reality he sits only on a childs stool, blowing his little trumpet, cracking his little whip, pointing with frightful seriousness his little finger, while all the time nothing happens that really matters. He can only play the judge. Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, V/1, 446

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Course Description This course is a significant introduction to the Reformed tradition. By focusing upon the 1559 edition of Calvins Institutes of the Christian Religion and selected portions of Karl Barths Church Dogmatics, it offers a detailed account of the theology of John Calvin and Karl Barth. 1. Course Objectives We shall acquire a basic grasp of Reformed Theology by seeking to: ! examine in detail doctrines that are central to a Reformed dogmatic understanding of the Christian faith; ! understand how these doctrines are related to each other and how their relationship illustrates the unity and coherence of Calvin's and Barths thought; ! situate Calvin's theological understanding in the history of the Church, in the sixteenth century Reformation, and in Reformed developments subsequent to the Reformation; ! situate Barths theological understanding in the history of the Church, in the twentieth century, and in theological developments marking the contemporary period; ! assess critically the adequacy and consistency of Calvin's and Barths theological work. Seeking to help you grasp an understanding of the essential shape of Reformed Theology, this course aims to responsibly represent the doctrinal commitments of the Church. Cheerfully aware of the ways in which Christian theology demands careful and disciplined reading of Holy Scripture, this course seeks to cultivate wellreasoned theological commitments in the service of depicting what it would mean to think and live Christianly. II. Course Requirements Required Readings John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, ed., John T. McNeil, Library of Christian Classics, volume 20, (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960). Selections from Barths Church Dogmatics. I recommend students consider purchasing the following: John Webster, Karl Barth, 2nd ed., (New York: Continuum, 2004). Randall Zachman, John Calvin as Teacher, Pastor and Theologian (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006). On the course Moodle site you will find additional readings and course material that you will have to read in order to successfully pass this course.

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Expectations Scheduled classes will be occasions for lectures, discussions and small group work. I expect you to come to class: 1. having completed all of the assigned reading 2. having contributed a piece of exploratory writing online 3. with a one-page summary and outline of the reading in hand and list of informed questions There are no shortcuts to learning it takes concentration, patience, generosity, time, effort and love. Because this course touches on a number of the most important ideas that you could possibly consider, it will be demanding. III. Assignments The following assignments have been chosen with a view to helping you to acquire a lively sense of the meaning, shape and significance of Christian theology. In particular, these assignments have been designed with the express purpose of helping you to acquire a significant familiarity with the theology of John Calvin and Karl Barth. Each assignment in the course must be completed for a student to receive a passing grade. A. Class Participation and Outlines (15% of the final grade) Given the seminar/lecture format of this course, it is essential that you attend class. Progress in theology requires more than simply reading and listening to others; you must begin to speak and use the often-unfamiliar language of theology. If you are absent, you will miss a vital part of this course. While perfect attendance is admirable, by itself it will not earn you full marks. Class participation is essential, even if you are shy. You must come prepared to engage in a critical assessment of the readings and class material. This requires you to come to class with your readings marked up, with questions and even judgments about what is most helpful or even confusing about the reading. In other words, do everything you can to avoid being a passive learner. Education and your time are much too valuable to simply coast or passively receive information. Regular and insightful participation in class discussion will be rewarded in the final grade. Less than inspiring contributions will also be reflected in a lower participation grade for the course. Missing more than five classes will result in failure of this course. Class Discussions will follow Richard Penaskovics (Professor of Religion, Auburn ) Moral Principles of Discussion:

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I am critical of ideas, not of people I listen to all ideas, even if I do not agree with them. I restate what others have said if it is not clear to me. I endeavor to look at all sides of the question. I am interested in arriving at the best decision possible for my group/classI will do this at the expense of trying to look good myself. I change my mind when the evidence indicates that I should! Written Outlines and Questions I expect each student to arrive at the seminar with a one-page summary of the assigned readings. This will constitute part of your participation grade. Your onepage response to the reading should consist of a concise one-paragraph summary of the essential point of the essay, your favorite quote, and a few discussion questions. I will be looking for the following in your daily reading response: 1. what is the thesis of the reading what, in your view, is the author really seeking to argue for? 2. what is the one (i.e., the most significant) thing that you believe your colleagues must take away from reading this piece? Why, in other words, is this really important or, perhaps, problematic, challenging or provocative? 3. offer two discussion questions for the class: the questions should presume a close reading of the article and lead us directly to two of the most significant aspects of the work in question. Your one page analysis should highlight what you take to be the most important issues addressed in the reading so take care in writing this outline and seek to provide accurate and informative comments. Note: on occasion you will be asked to read your one page summary for the class. On an irregular basis, I will ask you to hand in your one page summary in order to assign you a grade. B. Daily Exploratory Writing (25% of the grade) It is expected that you will think deeply and reflect upon the content and arguments presented in the assigned readings and class discussion. This writing assignment provides you with an opportunity to further explore the ideas that you encounter in this course. You will be rewarded for both the process of thinking and for the end product. This kind of writing is called exploratory writingthat is, thinking out loud on paper. Spelling, sentence structure and clarity matter. Writing of this kind is something akin to a musicians practice of scales and etudes care, focus and energy are all required to do this well. Do not think about the
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reading in terms of what new information it offers. Rather, think in terms of what interesting, challenging, and/or provocative ideas are offered to you in the reading. Questions you may have about this writing: 1. How long is an exploratory writing entry? In general, I want each entry to be the result of at least 15 minutes of concentrated thinking and writing. A skilled writer can compose one lucid page of single-paced prose. Each entry is to be one page (approximately 300-350 words) in length. 2. Do I get automatic credit for just doing the entries? No! I am looking for quality work here: by this I mean work that shows intellectual labor and thoughtful reflection. A good to excellent collection of entries is one that accurately applies concepts explained in class discussion and the readings. Throughout the semester, I will be looking for evidence of a growth in conceptual analysis. 3. Can I take risks / make mistakes here? Yes! Unlike a final research paper, exploratory writing is a vehicle for you to learn and apply concepts. I am looking for evidence of your best efforts at using the categories, terms, and forms of argument that we have articulated as a class throughout the semester. A really fine exploratory entry is one that is interesting for someone else to read because it shows a mind busily at work, earnestly seeking to learn and acquire the skills necessary to become a good theologian. 4. How will I know how I am doing? Your contributions should demonstrate an awareness of the most significant ideas covered in the lecture/class discussion and assigned readings. The quality of your contribution will be evaluated using the following criteria: 95 = Outstanding contributions demonstrate a serious engagement and growing mastery of the assigned reading and class discussion. 87 = Good contributions show an intelligent grasp of the material presented in the assigned reading and class discussion. 80 = Satisfactory contributions show an adequate but not entirely clear or accurate grasp of the material presented in the assigned reading and class discussion. 60 = Unsatisfactory contributions show a poor grasp of the material presented in the assigned reading and class discussion. Contributions of this kind show inattention to the most important details of course.

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C. Write and submit a Research Paper (60% of the grade) Write a 3000-4000 word (double-spaced, typewritten, 10 or 12 point font) research paper in which you integrate the analysis, concepts, theological and historical judgments that emerged out of this course. Note: traditional cut-and-paste assemblage of passages paraphrased from a couple of sources, or strictly informational (a collection of facts known by anyone who spends time in this discipline) will not work here. There is a difference between an all-about paper (which I dont want) and a thesisdriven paper (which I do want). I am asking you to provide an analytical and argumentative paper. In other words, think of your research in terms of a question rather than a subject area. Review the relevant primary and secondary sources, construct an original thesis and write a paper that demonstrates understanding, creative and imaginative analysis. In this paper you should choose an aspect of Calvins and Barths theology with which you are most interested. The thesis of your paper must emerge from a really interesting question. I want you to live with this question for about a month so pick something that really moves you. Recognizing that some of this may be new to you, this assignment is divided up into various parts, each of which will be awarded a grade: ! Paper Prospectus (5% of the final grade) due on November 4. Having participated in the two library research sessions, and narrowed down your topic with the use of a specific research question, I want you to post a prospectus online to Moodle, in which you respond to the following questions: 1. What specific research question are you seeking to address in this paper? 2. Why is this an interesting / significant question? Why is it problematic? Who thinks so? 3. How far along are you in your research and thinking? 4. What do you hope to discover by doing this research? ! Annotated Paper Bibliography (10%) due on November 14 Use this opportunity to get a jump start on the analysis of research material by showing me three things: 1. who are the players when it comes to your specific research question? 2. what are the most interesting questions emerging out of this academic conversation? 3. where do the fault lines of scholarly difference lie when it comes to your research question? What are the really important and contested issues here?
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! Paper Title, outline and thesis statement (10% of the final grade) is due on November 21. 1. Here I am looking for an engaging and meaningful title for your paper. 2. Write a penetrating and original thesis statement that shows that you have found a research question and are able to take a position that is worthy of careful analysis. 3. Offer a thorough and a clear outline of your paper in which you show the broad outlines of the argument that will be eventually written up. ! Final Paper (35% of the final grade) is due on December 8. I will commit myself to working with the very best submission and, upon successful revision, recommend it for inclusion in Hope College's 8th annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research & Creative Performance (March, 2009) You must submit your paper online to the Moodle site. The filename for your paper must be as follows lastnameCalvinBarth, i.e., vanwylenCalvinBarth.doc I will not accept any paper that has not been saved and uploaded as a Microsoft Word document (if you submit it any other format and you fail to address this prior to the due date, your paper will be marked as late). Follow the general guidelines for writing below. In addition, a sample of the criteria by which this paper will be evaluated is available on the Moodle site. III. General Guidelines for The Submission of Written Work A. Your work should demonstrate the Following! Characteristics Accurate: Is what I say correct? Is it valid? Organized: Have I expressed myself in the form of an argument? Does my argument have a meaningful order? Clear: Specific: Thorough: Does what I say make sense? Will others clearly understand what I am seeking to express? Have I moved from generalities to specific issues and statements? Is my work complete? Have I fully and accurately documented where I have relied upon the work of others? Have I provided complete information about my research sources? Will others be able to locate these sources on the strength of my documentation?

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It is expected that written work will be submitted in a clear, straightforward style of academic prose: your writing should conform to the standards put forward by Diana Hacker in A Writers Reference 6th edition: ! Written work ought to be free of spelling mistakes, punctuated correctly, and adhere to basic rules of grammar. ! Written work must reflect clear organization, argument and coherent thought (all written assignments must be uploaded prior to the assigned class on the scheduled due date). ! Papers in this course must conform to the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS this is the standard form of papers in the Humanities). The formatting, style and references in your paper must conform to CMS. Diana Hacker has extensive guides and examples of this style in A Writers Reference, 6th edition, pp. 460488. I expect you to (1) review these pages prior to writing your paper and (2) to write your paper in a form that conforms to CMS. Pay particular attention to the use and proper formatting of footnotes. B. Plagiarism and Honesty You are obliged to pay careful attention to matters of intellectual property, honesty and integrity. Plagiarism is to be avoided at all costs and will not be tolerated in any form. Cheating is using someone elses work and passing it off as your own. Plagiarism will result in an automatic F for the course. A good source for learning more about Hope Colleges institutional policy regarding plagiarism can be found at the following URL http://www.hope.edu/lib/plagiarism/index.html Review Diana Hackers account of how to use and document your sources in A Writers Reference, 6th edition, p. 463. C. Title Page and Documentation All written work must include a title page with the following information: ! the title of the paper, date of submission, your name and campus address in the standard form. D. Late Assignments & Make-Up Policy Assignments for this course must be submitted to the Moodle site before class starts on the day that the assignment is due. It is never advisable to skip class in order to finish the assignment. Assignments and papers that are late receive a deduction of .33 grade deduction for each day late (for example, a paper that is due at 2:01that upon evaluation would normally receive a B (3.0), submitted at 9:21, receives a grade of B- (2.7). Late assignments will generally not receive marginal feedback and comments. They will be read carefully and receive only a letter/numerical grade. This means that when you hand in a late paper you will not be able to benefit from marginal commentary intended to help you to improve your writing, style, argumentation,
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etc. To avoid losing credit for your work, plan ahead and hand things in on time! E. The use of Inclusive Language I expect you to resist using language that might exclude others from the Gospel promise. The question of gender-inclusive language is a matter of the public integrity and aims to express the dignity of human persons. This requirement is in place in order to help students to avoid inadvertently placing barriers between people and the Gospel. Attend to the following guidelines: When you speak and/or write of humanity in general, refrain from using the term man. It is perfectly acceptable to employ the generic pronoun she rather than he. Your prose must reflect the fact that humanity is comprised of males and females. When referring to the first person of the trinity, you may wish to employ the locution Godself rather than He. The use of the term Father, however, is proper given the fact that the biblical usage of the term is one that identifies the first person of the trinity as the father of Jesus. Christ invites us to join with him in the prayer, Our Father. Should you desire further clarification on why the use of inclusive language is required in my classes, please consult my brief article on inclusive language that appeared in the 2005 Spring B. Quad Library newsletter of Wheaton College. I have put a copy of this on the Moodle website. Accompanying this article you will find an articulate defense of the opposing viewpoint by a close friend and former colleague, Dr. Josh Hochschild. F. Submission of Written Work Students are required to retain a copy of all assignments (hard copy or electronic version). Written work is to be uploaded to the course site on Moodle as a Word document. IV. Grading and Standards of Evaluation A. Criteria for the Evaluation of Written Work 1. Grammar and Writing Is the text clean of spelling mistakes? Is the text punctuated correctly? Does the sentence structure consistently adhere to basic rules of good grammar? Have you used inclusive language? 2. Accuracy /Fairness! Have you properly understood the text in question? Is the evidence marshaled to support the argument used judiciously? Have you provided a fair, generous and careful consideration of competing or divergent views/arguments on the issues?
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3. Analysis Critical Thinking Force of Argument Does your paper have a clear, straightforward account of the central point in question? Does the work in question provide a coherent and convincing case? Have you provided evidence of theological reflection on the subject matter? 4. Organization and Coherence of Ideas Have you formulated your response to the work in question in a clear and thoughtful manner? Is there a clear progression and development of ideas throughout your paper? Is there a clear point to your paper? Is this stated in the introduction and conclusion of your analysis? 5. Clarity and Style of Presentation Is the paper written in a clear, straightforward style of academic prose (cf. the guidelines in Diana Hacker in A Writers Reference 6th edition. In addition, you may wish to consult: Strunk and White, Elements of Style or Joseph M. Williams, Style: Toward Clarity and Grace? Where you provide exposition or summary, have you done so succinctly, or is much of your paper simply a paraphrase of the work in question? Does the running text of the paper/book review adhere to the outline, and are the larger divisions of your work clearly indicated (there is no necessity to have section headings in a book review, clear and coherent paragraphs are enough)? Students often need both encouragement and incentive to work hard at writing. If you are still bewildered or perhaps worried about writing well, please carefully read Jack Lynchs (Rutgers University Newark) webguide to writing called Getting an A on an English Paper at the following URL: http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/EngPaper/ Professor Lynch and I employ roughly the same set of standards and expectations. It would be to your advantage to read through his webguide and approach me with any of your questions. 2. Summary of Assignments and Grading Evaluation is based upon the completion of the following assignments:
Assignment

Assignment 1. Class Participation 2. Daily Exploratory Writing 3. Research Paper Paper Prospectus Annotated Paper Bibliography Paper Title/Outline/Thesis Final Paper

Grade/Weight 15% 25% 5% 10% 10% 35% 100%

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Grades will be assessed using the following percentages and scale: Grade Grade Range Grade Range A 94-100 C+ 77-79 A90-93 C 74-76 B+ 87-89 C70-73 B 84-86 D 60-69 B80-83 F 0-59 Ra What Grades Mean Grading schemes vary from one institution (and on occasion, discipline, department, or professor) to the next. The grading scheme employed in this course reflects the standards sketched below. The following material gives you a sense of what standard letter grades may be taken to mean regarding your work. I have adapted this material from remarks made by Professor Alasdair MacIntyre while visiting Yale University during the 1990s. ! A solid B essay is well organized and documented and gives the reader enough information to get from sympathetic skepticism to interested respect. It shows a mastery of both matter and the progress of an argument. ! A B+ essay shows promise in extending beyond mastery, solid research and documentation of sources. ! A B- essay exhibits sufficient reading and has shown strides towards providing the essentials of an argument. ! Beyond mastery of the material and a standard argument, an essay within the A range demonstrates originality, nuance and mature judgment. ! Essays whose grade falls within the C range lack essential material and show insufficient reading and effort to be acceptable, perhaps, even to the point of showing obvious misunderstanding ! Essays which receive an F manifest scarcely any evidence of either reading or understanding; it fails to meet the basic expectations of the assignment.

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Class Schedule
INTRODUCTION Aug 27 Aug 29 Sept 1 Introduction: Course Syllabus Biography Calvin Biography Barth

I. KNOWLEDGE OF GOD Sept 3 Sept 5 Sept 8 Sept 10 Calvin on Knowing God and ourselves; Calvin on Knowing God and ourselves Barth, On Religion Barth, On Religion Calvin, Institutes, Book I, chapters 1, 2 and 3 Calvin, Institutes, Book I, chapters 4 and 5 Barth, On Religion, 2. Religion as Faithlessness, 53-84 Barth, On Religion, 3. The True Religion, 85-125

II. HOLY SCRIPTURE Sept 12 Sept 15 Sept 17 Calvin on Scripture Barth on Scripture: The Word of God in its Threefold Form Barth on Scripture: The Word of God in its Threefold Form Calvin, Institutes, Book I. 6, 7, 9, 10 Barth, Church Dogmatics, I/1, 88-111 Barth, Church Dogmatics, I/1, 111-124

III. CREATION & PROVIDENCE Sept 19 Sept 22 Sept 24 Sept 26 Calvin: Creation and Providence Calvin: Creation and Providence Barth: The Doctrine of Providence Barth: The Doctrine of Providence Calvin, Institutes, Book I. 14(1-3),16 Calvin, Institutes, Book I. 17, 18 Barth, Church Dogmatics, III/3, 3-14 Barth, Church Dogmatics, III/3, 14-33

IV. THE TRIUNE GOD Sept 29 Oct 1 Oct 3 Calvin: The Trinity No Class Critical Issues Symposium Barth: The Triune God Calvin, Institutes, Book I. 13 Barth, Church Dogmatics, I/1, 348-383,

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Oct 6

Barth: The Triune God

Barth, Church Dogmatics, I/2, 203-228

V. LAW AND GOSPEL Oct 8 Oct 10 Oct 13 Oct 15 Calvin: Law and Gospel Calvin: Law and Gospel No Class Fall Recess Barth: Gospel and Law Calvin, Institutes, Book II. 7, 9 Calvin, Institutes, Book II. 10-11 Barth, Gospel and Law from Community, State and Church, 71-100

VI. JESUS CHRIST Oct 17 Oct 20 Oct 22 Oct 24 Oct 27 Calvin: Christ the Mediator Calvin: Christ the Mediator Barth: Jesus Christ, the Lord as Servant Barth: The Judge Judged in our Place Barth: The Exaltation of the Son of Man Calvin, Institutes, Book II. 6, 12, 13, 14 Calvin, Institutes, Book II. 15,16 Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/1, 157-177 Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/1, 197-224 Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/2, 42-73

VII. THE HOLY SPIRIT Oct 29 Oct 31 Nov 3 Nov 5 Nov 7 Calvin: The Spirit and Faith Calvin, Institutes, Book III. 1, 2 Library Advanced Research Skills class place TBA Library Advanced Research Skills class " Paper prospectus is due on Nov. 4th. place TBA Barth: the Holy Spirit Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/2, 614-623, 799821 No Class Reading the Decalogue Conference Wheaton College Note you are invited to attend this conference details to follow.

VIII. JUSTIFICATION Nov 10 Nov 12 Calvin: Justification by Faith Barth: Justification by Faith Alone Calvin, Institutes, Book III. 11,14 Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/1, 608-642

IX. PREDESTINATION / ELECTION Nov 14 Calvin: The Way we Receive the Grace of Christ Barth: The Election of God Barth: The Election of God Calvin, Institutes Book III: 21,22 (omit 6-9), 23,24 " Annotated Paper Bibliography is due today Barth, Church Dogmatics II/2, 94-127, 155-175, Barth, Church Dogmatics II/2, 180-188, 195-205, 313-325, 338-340, 417-419

Nov 17 Nov 19

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X. CHURCH AND MINISTRY Nov 21 Calvin: The Holy Catholic Church Calvin, Institutes Book IV: 1, 3, " Paper Title, Outline and Thesis statement is due today Barth, Church Dogmatics IV/3.2, 722-762

Nov 24

Barth: The People of God in WorldOccurrence

XI. SACRAMENTS & BAPTISM Nov 26 Nov 28 Dec 1 Calvin: The Holy Catholic Church No Class Thanksgiving Break Barth: The Teaching of the Church Regarding Baptism Calvin, Institutes Book IV: 14,15,17 Barth, The Teaching of the Church Regarding Baptism, 9-15, 34-64

XII. PRAYER AND THE MORAL LIFE Dec 3 Dec 5 Calvin: Prayerthe Chief exercise of faith Barth: Prayer, Zeal for the Honor of God Calvin, Institutes Book III: 20 Barth, The Christian Life, 168-204 " Final Paper is due on Monday, December 8.

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