010026 SE Concepts of Systematic Theology (2019S)

Course Content:
In order to understand the essence of Christianity, its foundational concepts and its place in the world, the discipline of theology always thoroughly reflected its historical context. The task of theology and of theologians is to advance and redefine our understanding of the content of Christian faith in the given culture. First modernity, and then the so-called postmodern culture, exposed theology to difficult questions challenging its fundamental concepts and self-understanding. This course will explore major theological reactions, and especially the developments in theological methodology, in relation to the cultural revolutions of the past century. The German Protestant theologian Paul Tillich constructively-critically reacted to modernity by developing existential theology and the method of correlation as a new mode of inculturation. Nevertheless, modernity has been radicalized or surpassed by postmodernity. The Catholic author John D. Caputo does not repudiate the postmodern challenges. Rather he embraces the situation of the end of metaphysics and engages with the present day secular culture from a hermeneutical perspective. This effort results in the concept of weak theology and a theology of the event. However, even postmodern radicalism seems to lose its sharpness. On the one hand, we witness the restorative theological tendencies (for example, the Radical Orthodoxy movement), on the other hand, the return of religion (alternatively called the theological turn) in contemporary philosophy makes its way forward. The French theologian and phenomenologist Emmanuel Falque, who represents the creative tension between theology and philosophy at its high, responds to the current culture with a thought-provoking reinterpretation of Christianity, rendering Christian theology as a powerful transformative movement in the world. How are we called to do theology in the present-day secular culture? What is the relationship between theological thinking and contextual cultural and philosophical consciousness? What does it mean to theologize in the wake of the end of metaphysics? By a close reading of authors like Paul Tillich, John D. Caputo, and Emmanuel Falque, we will investigate and reinterpret fundamental theological concepts, such as the incarnation, resurrection, and transcendence and will relate these theological concepts with their secular equivalents (e.g. embodiment, finitude and immanence). Against this background, the course will elucidate recent developments in theological method and systematic theology in general.

Method:
Preparation for class by reading key texts. Presentation of systematic theological concepts, followed by the in-class reading of texts and discussion.

Course Goals:
The goals of this course are:
• To deepen knowledge of the contents and methods of systematic theology.
• To become familiar with the systematic-theological perspective on the relation between Christianity and contemporary (postmodern) culture.
• To provide instruction in a critical reading of primary theological sources.
• To practice the task of interpreting and also thinking beyond studied theological texts.
After the completion of the course, students will have:
• The competence to apply theoretical insights gained for practical theological purposes.
• The ability to independently read and critically interpret theological literature.
• The insight into a complex question of the relationship between theology, philosophy and postmodern culture.