United Methodist Doctrine

Instructor: Professor Michele Watkins

Course Synopsis

This course centralizes Wesleyan reflection on theological doctrine: Doctrine of God, Christology, Theological Anthropology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology, and Eschatology as expressed and upheld in the United Methodist Church with special attention to the practice of ministry and social justice.

Pre-Class Reading: An Introduction to Wesleyan Theology by William M. Greathouse and H. Ray Dunning (This text will be the subject of your first week's discussion post online.

  1. The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2012 ,  The United Methodist Publishing House, 2013  (This is the source for all items identified with ¶ symbol. It is organized by ¶ rather than by page and is always cited by ¶.)  Some portions of the Discipline are available on-line, but not all of it. If you are a certified candidate, you need your own copy of 2012 because it is the Discipline that governs your ordination process, regardless of what changes are made later! https://www.cokesbury.com/forms/DynamicContent.aspx?id=87&pageid=920
  1. John Wesley’s Sermons: An Anthology , ed. Albert Outler and Richard Heitzenrater, Abingdon Press, 1991. or FREE at https://www.umcmission.org/find-resources/john-wesley-sermons http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-alphabetical-order/
  1. Thomas C. Oden, John Wesley’s Teachings ---Complete Set Vol. 1-4 Zondervan, 2014.
  1. By Water and the Spirit FREE at the General Board of Discipleship worship section site. http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/by-water-and-the-spirit-full-text
  1. This Holy Mystery FREE at the General Board of Discipleship site. http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/this-holy-mystery-a-united-methodist-understanding-of-holy-communion1
  1. Scott Jones, United Methodist Doctrine: The Extreme Center (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2002)  Supplemental Reading

7.. F. Douglas Powe, Just Us or Justice? Moving Toward a Pan-Methodist Theology, (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2009.)

Overview of Assignments

1) Weekly Online So What Posts & Responses on the Ca (45%)

2) Weekly Outline of 3 of Wesley's Sermons (25%)

3) Critical Book Review (10%)

3) Rough & Final Draft of Disciplinary Questions (20%)

Lectures

  1. Lectures will be posted on Canvas site 10:00am (PST) on Wednesday of every other week.
  2. These lectures are important in completing your assignments for the course. So, don’t skip them. Engagement of both lecture material and required readings should be present the submission of all graded assignments. Lectures will be posted Weeks two, four, six, eight, and nine.

The Flow of a Typical Week

  1. By “week,” I mean 9:00 am on Monday through 11:59pm on Sunday.
  1. Each week consists of the following activities: (1) required reading; (2) watching the lecture every other week; (3) submitting a “So What” reflection; and (4) responding to your group peers’ “So What?” reflections.
  1. This flow of activities has a certain cumulative logic: Beginning with the assigned readings introduces you to basic issues and terminology about the topic with which we will work throughout the week. Having read the materials allows you to benefit more fully from the lecture, which will be posted every Wednesday. At this point you are ready to write a “So What?” reflection, since the reflection must draw on both the assigned reading and the lecture. Your responses to your group peers’ “So What” reflections round out the week.
  1. Of course, in addition, you will work on the book review, sermon outlines, and rough and final drafts of doctrinal questions, to be submitted on the dates specified below.

Assignments

NOTE: All assignments are due on the dates and at the times indicated. No late submissions will be accepted, except in the case of extenuating circumstances, and with prior written approval from the instructor .

Weekly “So What?” Reflections (45% of total grade)

The intent of the exercise is twofold: (1) to invite you into theological reflection on doctrine and (2) to reflect critically on the meaning and significance of key events and themes in Wesleyan theology for contemporary life and ministry.

Your task is to reflect practically on the case study posted online (with the exception of Week One in which the discussion is solely on the pre-class reading) and the implications of the particular doctrinal category for that week referenced in the material that is helpful for Christian witness today. Each student is required to submit Five reflection posts -1 per week (400-450 words each) submitted on the appropriate Canvas discussion forum and Five response posts - 1 per week (150-200 words each), submitted as replies in Canvas discussion forum.

Here is how it breaks down:

AND

Weekly Outline of 3 of Wesley's Sermons (25% of Final Grade)

Choose, Read, and Outline three (3) of Wesley’s sermons per week listed in Outler/Heitzenrater John Wesley’s Sermons: An Anthology, Sermon outlines are due on Saturday of each week (except for Week 10 in which the outlines for that week are due March 15th). 150 pts. (5 pts per sermon outline/3 per week = 15 pts. per week)

Each sermon outline should include the following: 1) sermon title, 2) date preached, 3) a concise one or two sentence summary of the sermon, and 4) outline of the main and sub points in your own words.

Each sermon outline should include a 3 to 5 sentence reflection on how the sermon addresses one of the main United Methodist doctrinal themes (i.e. 1) sin, evil, and the need for grace, 2) experience of salvation, 3) the sacraments of baptism or communion, 4) the role of Jesus Christ, 5) the role of the Holy Spirit, 6) the reign of God and ministry with the poor

Each sermon outline should be no more than one page (single-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman).

By March 15 th , each student is required to have submitted 30 sermon outlines covering all six of the doctrinal themes.

Critical Book Review (10% of Final Grade)- Due March 3rd

The review should be three pages double spaces with a clear statement of the thesis of the text, an evaluation of whether the text actually makes the point(s) suggested in the title and the thesis, an identification of the author’s sources, an assessment of the argument relative to the sources used, a statement of strengths and weakness of the argument, and a note on practical implications of the text for everyday Christian life. The last page should contain a reflection on how this book helps you understand the relationship between justice and the reign of God as a United Methodist.

Rough & Final Draft of Disciplinary Questions (20% of Final Grade)

Rough Draft of Ordination doctrinal Questions

#1-6 Feb. 13th

#7-13 Due Feb. 25th

You will receive your graded questions back with suggested revisions by March 3rd.

Final Draft of Ordination doctrinal Questions paper ALL questions Due March 15 th. Points are given based on how well each question has been revised based on the suggestions and feedback from the professor.. In order for the reader to recognize where revisions have been made, use either track changes or make changes in bold typeface .

Students are responsible for timely submission, regardless of technical issues.

Grading Criteria :    I am looking for four things in weekly class discussions and your papers:

  1. an accurate understanding of the course texts, which means: a description of the content that could be defended by referring directly to the primary text (Wesley himself or Discipline or secondary author).
  2. description of the implications of the doctrinal position: a) for other theological/doctrinal themes and b) for faith-in-practice.
  3. description of the strengths/benefits and the weaknesses/liabilities of the doctrinal position in reference to a) its coherence in itself and b) its implications (as in #2 just above).
  4. awareness of the range of different ways in which Wesley’s thought about specific doctrines is interpreted by theologians and pastors.

Course Expectations

Collegial Discourse: You are becoming a colleague in a denominational culture that is very divided right now. It is essential for every leader (including you!) to cultivate skills for talking about matters that raise strong feelings in ways that allow one to keep listening and speaking with respect and with accuracy. Each of us will practice those skills in every interaction we have in this course. The online environment makes this commitment to skilled engagement even more important because misunderstandings are easier.

Incompletes : Incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail: Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the 17th of January (second Friday of the term). (Be sure your Annual Conference will accept a pass/fail grade in this course before choosing this option!)

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant: All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations : Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146.

Writing Lab: Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft.

Inclusive Language: It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community.

In the final submission on March 15th, you are required to submit all 13 questions. You are invited to revise your answers in light of comments you received on them. Please show these revisions either with track changes or by putting revisions in bold print.

The final paper has 13 sections, each one a doctrinal question. Please label each one. To get passing credit, your answer to each question has three parts, see below. The 13 Doctrinal Questions are:

Your answer to each question should be about two pages long (no less than 1.5, no more than two)– double spaced. Total page limit is 20- 25 pages.

Each of your 13 answers will have three distinct parts:

Part A) one or two paragraphs which answer the question as John Wesley or the 2012 Discipline would have answered it (the question specifies which one of those two).  See the numbers in the week by week course description – all 13 questions will be covered in our common work. If you agree with a particular secondary author’s interpretation of Wesley, you may indicate that agreement, but you still need to articulate the content of the actual interpretation in your own words.

Part B) A paragraph with your 3 sentence “commentary” on that answer in A. Indicate one strength of Wesley’s/Discipline’s answer AND one weakness of Wesley’s/Discipline’s answer.  Get clear and be succinct – 3 sentences total!

Part C) A paragraph that indicates the direction of your own preferred answer to the question.

You are deliberately being asked to be BOTH NUANCED AND SUCCINCT.  Brevity alone is not good enough; your answer must strive for distinctions that are important to the doctrine. When you have a doctrine clear in your mind, it IS possible to do this.   In addition to the sermons, you may assume that Wesley agreed completely with the Articles of Religion and the General Rules and therefore use them as primary sources. Please note your sources so that if we disagree in our interpretation of Wesley I can look at your source (and potentially revise my own judgment of the point). To note something you may put the sermon title and section (eg. II.5) or Disciplinary paragraph in parentheses in the text, this will save you space.  The sermons and the Discipline are your primary sources for this paper. You are being asked to join the company of secondary interpreters of Wesley – which means referring to Wesley rather than quoting what others have said about him.

Further clarity about awarding of points:

Each question will be awarded up to 5 points the first time it is handed in.

In the final submission on March 15th, you get the most points in the course by submitting strong answers the first time and then improving them in the final paper.)

Degree Learning Goals: Please take some time to look over the Professional Degree Learning Goals (MDiv, MASC, MAPSC) and the Academic Degree Learning Goals (MTS, MA).

Incompletes:  If incompletes are allowed in this course, see the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the second class session.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community. 

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