This syllabus is ONLY intended as a sample.

All information contained

within is subject to change the next time this course is offered.
Christology: The Doctrine of Christ
BT 612
David S. Norris, professor
Spring, 2008
Urshan Graduate School of Theology
Office hours: by appointment
(314) 921-9633 appointment
Email: dnorris@ugst.org.

Tuesday evening
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
On Line/In Class Course
Cell: (314) 566-4923

Course Description:
Christology is an exploration of the biblical doctrine of that explores the identity and
work of Jesus Christ. This course has a number of foci. We will consider historically, the
development of various Christological models and in early church history. In conjunction
with this, we will look at perspectives of oneness authors on church history. Further
historical work will focus on various Christological perspectives in the last two hundred
years, including a special focus on Oneness writers and perspectives.
During the semester, we will work to focus, not merely on theological constructs about
Jesus Christ; in conjunction with this, we will take time in class to do exegetical work
from a oneness perspective, focusing on establishing a consistent hermeneutic as well as
answering challenges involved in a oneness position. The biblical focus will work to
provide students a model as they work exegetically on a text of their choice; this text will
serve as a basis for an exegetical paper on Christology. Students will determine not only
the biblical context, but the various theological and hermeneutical presuppositions
involved in interpreting any christological text.
Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to:
1. Develop a working hermeneutical approach towards interpreting Christological
texts; this includes understanding how the text has been interpreted historically,
along with working tools to do original exegetical work
2. Explain historically how the first century understood messianism and how the
claims of Jesus, as demonstrated by the New Testament and other historical
documents
3. Write exegetically on important passages of Scripture that are central to the
Oneness understanding of Christology
4. Synthesize the important claims of modern academics in a changing theological
milieu; demonstrate an ability to articulate our message in conversation with the
constructs and methods that are current in theological reflection today.
Student Requirements: Students are expected to complete the assigned readings, attend
all classes and participate by posting for each threaded discussion. Because you are
professionals, please anticipate your busy times during the semester and post ahead of

time. For on campus students, as a courtesy, please let me know if you need to be absent.
Exegetical papers and oral report should be turned in the date they are assignedboth the
report and the papers are an integral part of the focus of the class.
Threaded Discussion: Weekly threaded discussion will include the first post on the
reading material that seeks to answer the discussion question that it is asked. This first
post is formal; as in other classes, this post should be two hundred and fifty words at a
minimum. Then two additional posts should be offered in conversation with others who
are posting. The discussion questions are available on final site.
Oral Report: You may at any time (even before the class begins) pick a theologian about
whom you would like to report. The theologians from whom you may choose are in
blue on the syllabus below. Of interest to the class for you (1) to situate this person
within their larger Christological milieu; (2) utilizing primary sources if they are
available, explain what it is that this person taught in terms of the christological
perspective. The oral report should be ten minutes in length and heavy in material. The
due date is in blue; it is the date upon which the theologian appears in blue on the
syllabus below. The deadline for distance learners to present a video of their oral report
is the Friday prior to the class where it should be presented. If you would like students to
read anything ahead of time, please get it Marjorie to post a week in advance.
Exegetical Paper: The exegetical paper is to be done in four steps. You may at any time
select a particular christological verse upon which you will focus. Please indicate this in
the threaded discussion that appears regarding your choice.
Grading Structure:
Paper
1. Select Text
2. Initial Exegesis
3. Rough draft
4. Final draft
Threaded Discussions
Oral Report

60%
0%
10%
20%
30%
30%
10%

[Select text any time; only one student per text

[Due March 28]
[Due April 15]
[Due May 13]
[Due Weekly]
[select any time; see syllabus to
determine presentation due date]

Text books, readings, and tape

Students will do readings in several different ways. First, there are readings that are
posted on Final Site. Readings on the syllabus indicated on Final Site will be colored in
red [the 60 questions on the Godhead may be downloaded from another site. Second,
readings will be offered in a READER and some marked with an * will be in a Reader
Addendum. Students may purchase the reader and its addendum from the front office.
If you are taking this class from a distance, contact Sister Yoder in order to purchase it.
Again, I have colored the readings from the reader and the reader addendum* in
green. Third, the textbooks (and tape) that you will need to purchase I have colored in
purple. While there seem to be a number of these items, they are all nominal in price. I
have included where they may be ordered below.

Excerpts from the Reader:

Hendrikus Berkhof, Christian Faith.
Oscar Cullman, The Christology of the New Testament
James D. G. Dunn, Christology in the Making
*Delroy Gayle, Our Roots. After the Way Called Heresy
Marinus de Jonge, Christology in Context
Richard Longenecker, Contours of Christology in the N. T.
Alister McGrath, Christian Theology. An Introduction
_____. The Making of German Christology: 1750-1950
Gregory Riley. One Jesus, Many Christs
N. T. Wright, Judas and the Gospel of Jesus

*Thomas Weisser, After the Way Called Heresy.

*Amos Yong, The Spirit Poured Out on all Flesh. Pentecostalism and the
Possibility of Global Theology. Chapter 5: Oneness and Trinity. Identity,
Plurality, and World Theology
*Dan Brown, Da Vinci Code,
*Michael Conn, Treasures form Job and Parable of the Insect

Materials from Final Site that may be downloaded directly

James N. Anderson, Preexistent Christology and Certain Passages
____. Response to Avoiding the Achilles Heel of Modalistic Monarchianism
____. Future of Oneness Pentecostalism
Jason Dulle, Avoiding the Achilles Heel of Modalistic Monarchialism
Vonelle Kelly, The UPCI and Divine Flesh
David S. Norris, Origins and Biblical Theology of Modalistic Monarchianism
____. G. T. Haywood and the Antiquity of the Earth
____. I AM. A Oneness Pentecostal Theology. [PPH: forthcoming Fall, 2008]
____. Modalism and the Johannine Prologue, June, 1995
Lisa Reddy, Response to Pre-Existent Christology and Certain Passages

60 questions on the Godhead may be downloaded by accessing:

http://www.bromac.com/Godhead/Godhead.htm

Books and tape which you need to purchase. All but one are available from PPH:
(http://www.pentecostalpublishing.com/)
David K. Bernard, The Oneness View of Jesus Christ
____. Debate between Bernard and Cook [Audio or Video]
Gordon Magee, Is Jesus in the Godhead or is the Godhead in Jesus
Kenneth Reeves, The Godhead Book I
William Chalfant, Ancient Champions of Oneness

The following book may be purchased from Christ Temple Book store
(http://www.christtempleac.org/bookstore_main.html
G. T. Haywood, The Victim of the Flaming Sword

Paper:
The paper will be done in four stages, and I want to utilize both the subjects as well as
your writing into the class curriculum Therefore, it is essential that you do your work in a
timely manner. Normally, your grade is not affected in my class by a late paper, but
because of the nature of this class, your work needs to be done by the due date.
Stage 1: Select your Christological text that you want to write your paper about and
indicate that choice by posting it on the discussion board. Once you choose your text, no
one else may choose the same biblical text. While a number of Scriptures have been
offered from which you may choose, you are not required to choose any of these. You
may utilize an Old Testament text only if it is universally recognized as being
christological [for example, Psalm 110; Psalm 22; Isaiah 53, etc.] but my preference is
that you will select a New Testament text.
Stage 2: Write a four page paper that works towards surveying the various positions
have taken about the text, and identifies important words and concepts to consider and
essential for working through a correct understanding of the text in question. Students
should offer a working thesis for the paper, a one sentence statement of the tentative
position you are taking with a subordinating clause that hints at what is at stake. A
bibliography should include twenty academic sources that you intend to include in your
longer paper. Due March 28th.
Stage 3: There are no good writers. There are only good re-writers. Please allow me
time to look at your paper before the semester ends. Your paper should be in what you
deem to be its final form when you turn it in as a rough draft. If you satisfy this criterion
by the due date of the rough draft, there will be extra credit offered equivalent to half a
letter grade (to be applied at the end of the grading period). This is an incredible amount
of grace for a graduate level course, but it is grace that has to be earned. How about that
for a theological oxymoron. Due April 15.
Stage 4: Turn in final paper after my critique. Your total percentage of the class grade for
your paper is 60%. Due May 13.

Class Schedule
Date

Topic in Class

February 5

Overview Syllabus

Reading/Assignment
Postings Due Weekly
Cullman Reader 31-37

Explain Strategy of class

February 12

Methods of doing
Christological study

Reader 54-76 (Cullman)

Greg Riley 160-181
Bernard, Oneness View 9-31

February 19th

Jesus as Covenant Partner

As Ebed Yahweh
As Answering to Adam

Excerpt DSN I AM
Reader 31-54 Cullman
Reader 82-98 Dunn

February 26th

Philippians 2
Issues in exegesis

DSN MasTH 89-98

Bernard/OneView 41-50
Segraves Phil. 2

March 4

Oral Reports
Justin, Hippolytus
Tertullian [oral reports]
M Term

Norris MThes 1-45

William Chalfant 11-64
Tom Weisser *2-11 [add]
NO CLASS

March 18

Reading Week
Due

4 page exegetical paper

DUE

March 25
124-59

Origen

March 11

McGrath, History

Athanasius
Arius [oral reports]

DSN MThes 45-83

D. Gayle, *12-24 [add]

April 1

A sweep of church History

Karl Barth
Jrgen Moltmann

Chalfont, 65-140
German Christology
McGrath, 198-211

April 8

Bart Ehrman
Larry Hurtado [oral reports]
N. T. Wright

N. T. Wright, Judas 183-97

Brown, Da Vinci Code
*53-67 [addendum]
Hendrikus Berkhof 99-123

Thursday April 11 History of Controversies

8:00-11:00 amBernard: Guest Speaker
April 15

Early Pentecostal
Reflections

David Bernard
Oneness Controversy
Amos Yong, Oneness/Trin
The Victim of the Flaming
Sword by G. T.

Haywood
DSNHaywood and
Revelation

Rough Draft Due

April 22

Differing Approaches

BernardOnenesView51-109
Kenneth Reeves The
Godhead Book I.
Conn, A Oneness Logos
Christology

April 29

Oneness Controversies
What does procreation mean?

Vonelle Kelly
Divine Flesh
Prologue of John
DSN Paper on

Prologue
James Anderson Prologue
L Reddy response
Segraves on Prologue
DSN MasTh 83-89
Bernard OnenessView 33-40
May 6

Oneness Approaches

Gordon Magees:
60 Questions (see web site)
Debate of Bernard
vss Gene Cook

May 13

Oneness Strategies

Dulle: Achilles heel

Bernard: Response
Bernard: Future of
Apostolic Movement
Final Paper Due

****************************

Bibliography for Studies in Christology

Required Reading
Color Code:
Red: Retrieve Document on-line
Purple: Purchase book or tape. See above for more info.
Green: An excerpt of a book in the reader
Green: with an *. This comes from [addendum] to the reader
Anderson, James M. Preexistent Christology and Certain Passages, a paper presented
at the 2005 UGST Symposium, Florissant, MO.

Bernard, David K. Addendum to a Position Paper for discussion at SPS

____. Debate. Oneness vss. Trinity. (Video and Audio) Hazelwood: Pentecostal
Publishing House,
____. The Oneness View of Jesus Christ. Hazelwood, MO: Word Aflame Press, 1994.
____. Response to Avoiding the Achilles Heel of Modalistic Monarchianism, a
paper presented at the 2002 UGST Symposium, Florissant, MO.
Berkhof, Hendrikus, Christian Faith. An Introduction to the Study of Faith, translated
by Sierd Woudstra, (rev. ed.) Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.
* Brown, Dan. The Da Vinci Code. New York: Anchor Books, 2003.
Chalfant, William. Ancient Champions of Oneness (1979). Hazelwood, MO: Word
Aflame Press, 1984.
* Conn, Mike. Treasures from Job. Tecumsah, KS: 2007.
Cullmann, Oscar. The Christology of the New Testament. trans. Shirley C. Guthrie and
Charles M. Hall; Philadelphia: Westminster, Philadelphia, PA, 1963.
James D. G. Dunn. Christology in the Making: A New Testament Inquiry into the Origins
of the Doctrine of the Incarnation. Philadelphia: Westminster Press Philadelphia,
1980.
Dulle, Jason. Avoiding the Achilles Heel of Modalistic Monarchialism, paper
presented for the 2002 UGST symposium, Hazelwood, MO.
* Gayle, Delroy Gayle. Our Roots. After the Way Called Heresy. A History of the
Apostolic Church. (3rd Edition) Cincinnati, OH: Bethesda Ministries, 2000.
Haywood, G. T. The Victim of the Flaming Sword. Indianapolis, IN: n. d.
Jonge, Marinus de. Christology in Context. The Earliest Response to Jesus.
Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1988.
Kelly, Vonelle. The UPCI and Divine Flesh, paper presented for the 2002 UGST
Symposium, Hazelwood, MO.
Richard Longenecker, Contours of Christology in the New Testament. Grand Rapids,
MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub., 2005.
Magee, Gordon. Is Jesus in the Godhead or is the Godhead in Jesus? Hazelwood, MO:

Word Aflame Press, 1988.

McGrath, Alister E. Christian Theology. An Introduction. Third ed. Malden, MA:
Blackwell Publishers, 2001.
_____. The Making of German Christology: 1750-1990.Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
1994.
Norris, David S. Origins and Biblical Theology of Modalistic Monarchianism,
Unpublished Masters Thesis, Wynnewood, PA, Eastern Baptist Theological
Seminary, May, 2005.
____. G. T. Haywood and the Antiquity of the Earth: Revisiting Revelation as a Source
for Theology, paper presented at the Society for Pentecostal Studies, March
2008, Durham, NC.
____. I AM. The God Who is in Covenant. A Oneness Pentecostal Theology. [PPH:
forthcoming Fall, 2008]
____. Modalism and the Johannine Prologue, a paper for a class at Temple University,
December, 1995
Reddy, Lisa Response to Pre-Existent Christology and Certain Passages, a paper
presented at the 2005 UGST Symposium, Florissant, MO.
Reeves, Kenneth. The Godhead Book I. Granite City, IL: 1962.
Riley, Gregory J. One Jesus, Many Christs. How Jesus Inspired not one True
Christianity, but Many. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1997.
60 Questions on the Godhead, (tract) Hazelwood, MO: Pentecostal Publishing House,
n. d. http://www.bromac.com/Godhead/Godhead.htm
* Weisser, Thomas. After the Way Called Heresy. Kearney, NE: 1981.
Wright, N. T. Judas and the Gospel of Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House,
2006.
*Amos Yong, The Spirit Poured Out on all Flesh. Pentecostalism and the Possibility of
Global Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2005.