Thursday, June 16, 2011

Course Prep

Slow start today, but time for a quick post. I just submitted my required and recommended texts for both Fall courses.

For Introduction to Theology I chose:
  • Stone, Howard & Duke, James, How to Think Theologically (Fortress, 1996)
  • Ormerod, Neil, Introducing Contemporary Theologies (Orbis, 1997)
  • Recommended: Moltmann, Jürgen, Experiences in Theology (Fortress, 2000)
My focus in this course will be methodology. I'm also starting to line up speakers who will come in for up to 30 minutes and share how they do theology within their area of specialty.

For Christian Spirituality I chose:
  • David Perrin, Studying Christian Spirituality (Routledge, 2007)
  • Jean Vanier, Becoming Human (Anansi, 1998)
  • Recommended: Ramón Matínez de Pison, God: From Knowing to Experiencing (Novalis, 2009)
This course is really easy to put together. Perrin's book is a great guide for the first part of the course, but for the reconstructive bit I'm turning to Vanier.

I've gathered all the books I need to prep for these courses. August I'll put together the first 4-5 sessions as outlines with PowerPoint slide decks.

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Introduction to Theology (THO 2189)

This is a dream come true. I was just asked if I could teach this course in the Fall. Literally a dream because when I was in my second year I took this course from one of my favourite profs, and in a dream one night he gave me his course. Freaky eh. I hope I do justice to the excellent course this was when I took it.

Basically this is a course on how to think theologically. I'm looking into textbooks now, I'm thinking of Stone and Duke (How to Think Theologically) and maybe Soelle's Thinking about God. I have eliminated McGrath's text simply because I need something ecumenical.

This was the course where I discovered Moltmann. Trinity and the Kingdom of God was my first introduction and the start of a deep respect for German political theology that influences almost everything I do theologically. I hope I can use it to introduce others to the amazing theologians that will shape their future work. This is the course where it all begins.

Can you tell I'm stoked?