Rev. Thomas Barlow (call me Tom)
E-mail:
tbarlow@iliff.edu
(for emergencies, call my cell phone at 719-640-6726)
An exploration of the doctrinal heritage of United Methodism: its sources, distinctive marks, development in the United States, relation to contemporary doctrinal standards and practices of the UMC and role in ecumenical dialogue. This course meets the disciplinary requirements for ordination to elder or permanent deacon or diaconal ministry in the UMC.
"Doctrine" is "what the church teaches about Christian faith." This is the course for building the knowledge and skills needed
1) to engage in United Methodist theological debates about what to teach, and
2) to help lay persons make sense of Methodist ways of talking about and living Christian faith.
At the beginning of the course, please take the time to read through all of the pages listed below - these will save you from major headaches later on!
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 ¶, although, for clarity, we have included many of the page numbers in the Comprehensive Reading List By Week. 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! 2. Wesley's sermons: either John Wesley’s Sermons: An Anthology, ed. Albert Outler and Richard Heitzenrater, Abingdon Press, 1991. This is the "blue anthology" that you may have purchased already for UM History. -OR- The Sermons of John Wesley ed. by Collins/Vickers, Abingdon Press 2013 (retail $49, Amazon $38, Kindle $25). This thematically-arranged version has the complete 44 "standard" sermons and has a useful one page outline of each sermon. If you don't already own the sermons, I recommend this edition, even though we will be reading some sermons which are not included in it. -OR- The Wesley sermons are also available free on-line at http://www.umcmission.org/Find-Resources/John-Wesley-Sermons/Numeric-Index. You can locate them by title, but notice the date preached/published because Wesley used similar titles several times. 3. By Water and the Spirit, which is available at no cost from the General Board of Discipleship worship section site. This text was adopted by General Conference as the United Methodist understanding of baptism. Also found in the 2012 Book of Resolutions. Cokesbury carries a version of this document that includes a teaching commentary. Be careful if you use that version to be clear which column is the commentary and which column is the actual doctrinal text adopted by General Conference. 4. This Holy Mystery, which is available at no cost here. This text was adopted by General Conference as the United Methodist understanding of the Lord’s Supper. Also found in the 2012 Book of Resolutions. Cokesbury carries a version of this document that includes a teaching commentary. Be careful if you use that version to be clear which column is the commentary and which column is the actual doctrinal text adopted by General Conference. Many additional readings will be posted as pdf files on the Canvas course site. A full list is available here, although the specific readings you need to do will depend on which discussion group you are given. [Note: When it comes to Wesley's sermons, you will note that they are often numbered in the various collections. Unfortunately, there are several different numbering systems in use throughout Wesleyan scholarship, so a number from one system won't necessarily match the number from another system. The General Introduction to the Collins & Vickers edition has a lengthy discussion of this issue. Indeed, one optional sermon at the end of this class isn't in either of the two collections recommended for this class. In this list, the "Jackson" numbering system is provided (which will be of use if you are trying to find them online), along with specific page numbers for the Outler and Collins/Vickers collections. If you are trying to use an old Burwash edition, you really need to purchase one of the required versions for this course.] Primary Readings: ¶3 - Article III of the Constitution (2012 Discipline. page 24) ¶17 - Article I of the Restrictive Rules (2012 Discipline, page 29) ¶18 - Article II of the Restrictive Rules (2012 Discipline, page 29) ¶21 - Article V of the Restrictive Rules (2012 Discipline, page 29) ¶103 - Section 2 - Our Doctrinal History (2012 Discipline, pages 54-63) ¶104 - Section 3 - Our Doctrinal Standards and General Rules (Discipline, pages 63-78) Judicial Council Decision Number 358 Interpretive Debate Readings: A - Jones - Extreme Center - pp39-56.pdf B - Brooks in Staying at the Table - pp71-75.pdf C - Heitzenrater - At Full Liberty - pp109-124.pdf D - Oden - Response to Heitzenrater.pdf E - Oden - Appendix on Ward Motion.pdf Primary Reading: Wesley Sermon - The Scripture Way of Salvation (Jackson #43, Outler page 371; Collins/Vickers page 581) Interpretive Debate Readings: A - Collins ch3 87-113.pdf and T&T Clark 279-80 481-83 way of salvation.pdf B - Campbell chap 5 way of salv later interpretations 147-166.pdf and Rankin - People Called Methodists - pp36-47.pdf C - Klaiber & Marquardt 256-302.pdf (skip pages 259-267) E - Campbell chap 2 Wesley on way of salv 63-85.pdf Optional, additional: Thorsen chap 5 + way of salvation 58-71 + 80-87.pdf Primary Readings: ¶102 - Our Doctrinal Heritage (2012 Discipline. pages 45-54) ¶103 - Our Doctrinal History (2012 Discipline. pages 54-63) ¶104 - Our Doctrinal Standards and Rules (2012 Discipline. pages 63-78), with extra thought given to Article IV (page 64), Article VI (page 65), and Confession of Faith IV (page 71) ¶105 - Our Theological Task (2012 Discipline. pages 54-89) Interpretive Debate Readings: A - Green Reading Bible as Wesleyans vii-13.pdf B - Langford - UM Quadrilateral - pp232-244.pdf C - Thorsen chap 2 scripture 16-28.pdf D - Sprague - Affirmations of a Dissenter - pp20-35.pdf E - Moreau - The Real Disagreement - pp 97-103.pdf Optional, additional: Campbell on quadrilateral in T&TClark Companion.pdf, and/or Catalyst Nov 2011 articles on scripture interp.pdf Primary Readings: Wesley Sermon: The Unity of the Divine Being (Jackson #114; Outler page 531; not in Collins/Vickers, so read it online) Wesley Sermon: God's Love to Fallen Man (Jackson #59; Outler page 475; not in Collins/Vickers, so read it online) Wesley Sermon: Free Grace (Jackson #128; Outler page 49; Collins/Vickers page 20) Interpretive Debate Readings: A - Collins ch 1 God 19-48.pdf B - Jones - Extreme Center - Chap 3 pp99-125.pdf C - Abraham&Watson chap 1 God 1-12.pdf and Thorsen chap 1 God 1-15.pdf D - Maddox - A Responsible God - Chap 5 pp111-142.pdf E - Powell - Trinitarian Alternative to Process - Chap 6 pp143-167.pdf Optional, additional: Klaiber & Marquardt on God 27-40.pdf Primary Readings: ¶104, Articles XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, and XXII (2012 Discipline. pages 67-69) ¶104, Confessions of Faith VI, XIII, and XIV (2012 Discipline. pages 71-72, 74) This Holy Mystery (text online) By Water and the Spirit (downloadable text online) No Interpretive Debate readings this week (online case study discussions) Primary Readings: Wesley Sermon: Original Sin (Jackson #44; Outler 325; Collins/Vickers page 10) Wesley Sermon: The Repentance of Believers (Jackson #14; Outler 405; Collins/Vickers page 569) Wesley Sermon: Circumcision of the Heart (Jackson #17; Outler 23; Collins/Vickers page 591) ¶104, Articles VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII (2012 Discipline. pages 65-66) ¶104, Confessions of Faith VII (2012 Discipline. page 72) Interpretive Debate Readings: A - Wimberly - No Shame - ppxiii-xxii and 21-44.pdf B - Oord - A Process Wesleyan Theodicy - pp193-216.pdf C - Cobb - Way of Salvation I - pp77-96.pdf D - Klaiber & Marqhardt evil and sin 126-54.pdf E - Jones - Extreme Center - Chap 5 pp145-173.pdf Optional, additional - Abraham&Watson chaps 4&5 human being&sin 51-71.pdf Primary Readings: Wesley Sermon: The Danger of Riches (Jackson #87; Outler 451; Collins/Vickers page 312) ¶104, The General Rules (2012 Discipline. pages 75-78) ¶166, The Social Creed (2012 Discipline. pages 141-142) ¶160-165, The Social Principles (2012 Discipline. pages 103-141) Interpretive Debate Readings: A - Rieger - Between God and the Poor - pp83-99 and 195-197.pdf B - Bonino - Our Poor Today - pp181-193.pdf C - McDaniel and Farthing - Wesley Process Theo and Consumerism.pdf D - Tex Sample concl 78-105.pdf E - TBD Primary Reading: Wesley Sermon: The Way of the Kingdom (Jackson #7; Outler 123; Collins/Vickers page 53) Wesley Sermon: Christian Perfection (Jackson #40; Outler 69; Collins/Vickers page 609) Wesley Sermon: Justification by Faith (Jackson #5; Outler 111; Collins/Vickers page 134) Wesley Sermon: The Wedding Garment (Jackson #120; Outler 559; not in Collins/Vickers, so read it online) ¶104, Articles II and XIV (2012 Discipline. pages 64, 66-67) ¶104, Confession of Faith XII (2012 Discipline. page 74) Interpretive Debate Readings: A - Sprague - Affirmations of a Dissenter - chap 4.pdf B - Long chap 3 Christ 19-31.pdf C - Sample ch 2-4 pp 9- 35.pdf D - Riss Wesley's Christology in recent literature.pdf Optional, additional - Abraham&Watson chap 2 13-33.pdf Primary Reading: Wesley Sermon: The Witness of the Spirit I from 1746 (Jackson #10, Outler 145; Collins/Vickers page 194) -OR- Wesley Sermon: The Witness of the Spirit II from 1767 (Jackson #11; Outler 393; Collins/Vickers page 204) Wesley Sermon: The Means of Grace (Jackson #16; Outler 157; Collins/Vickers page 70) ¶126-132, The Ministry of All Christians (2012 Discipline. pages 94-96) Interpretive Debate Readings: A - Rankin - Chap 31 - pp345-353.pdf C - Staples - Wesley's doctrine of HSpirit 1986.pdf D - Dabney - Pneumatology - pp573-586.pdf E - Kelsey Holy Spirit, Communities 15oct10.pdf Optional, additional - Long chap 4 Holy Spirit 32-40 and chap 6 church 52-62.pdf Primary Reading: ¶138-139, Servant Leadership (2012 Discipline. pages 98-99) Review ¶126-137, The Ministry of All Christians (2012 Discipline. pages 94-98) Interpretive Debate Readings: No new readings Optional, additional - Wesley Sermon entitled On Faith (Jackson #106, not included in either Outler or Collins/Vickers - click the title to read it online). If you choose to read this, you need to "read between the lines," at least to some extent. Focus on the last sentence of I.4. Required:
Week 1 - Sources & Standards
Week 2 - The Ordo Salutis
Week 3 - The "Quadrilateral" and the Authority of Scripture
Week 4 - The Nature of God
Week 5 - The Sacraments
Week 6 - Evil and the Need for Grace
Week 7 - Reign of God, Social Justice
Week 8 - The Role of Jesus Christ
Week 9 - The Holy Spirit and the Church
Week 10 - Now What?
If you have not had UM History yet, you will find these chapters help you get a bit oriented to the changes in Methodist practice: Read chapters 3 and 9 in Russell Richey, Doctrine in Experience: A Methodist Theology of Church and Ministry (Kingswood Abingdon, 2009). Here are links to the chapters: and/or Cambridge Companion to Wesley, "The Long Eighteenth Century." We produced this video, which offers an overview of the Wesleyan framework of grace. The portions about Calvinism are less relevant for this course, but, if you haven't seen it before, this will be helpful as you think about your doctrinal work. Click here to view the video.
Chapter 3
Chapter 9
These are various resources mentioned during the course, but not required for reading.
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: Since this course is being taught by Adjunct Faculty, incompletes are not 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 end of the day on the second Friday of the term. Before selecting this option, please be in conversation with your conference District Committee on Ordained Ministry and/or your Board of Ordained Ministry - some will accept pass/fail and others will not. Participation: Active participation in the online discussions is required. Two or more weeks of non-participation will usually result in the student being dropped from the class. 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 adviser 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; this is particularly true for assignments at the graduate school level. 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. The writing lab can provide support both on-campus and online. 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. Course Expectations
The content of this course is organized by doctrinal loci that are particularly important in United Methodism, and, in some cases, constitute the theological distinctives of Wesleyan/Arminian theology. Through the term, we will address 13 of these loci. Beginning in week 2 each module addresses one or two of these doctrinal loci. (As it happens, these same doctrines are the topics for the questions that persons being ordained in the UMC have to answer in writing when they are being considered for commissioning.) The final paper for this course involves answering these 13 questions as if you were John Wesley (when you update this for submission as part of your ordination process, you will need to build upon Wesley's thought with your own). You will submit portions of this final paper TWICE during the term and get feedback, (see the overall course schedule on the Home page for the dates). The entire final paper is due one week after the final day of the term (but read the next section - you can make this much easier on yourself). See the instructions for exactly what these papers involve: Final Paper Submission Engagement each week builds toward the final paper.You can see the question number(s) we are addressing each week by looking at the module version of the course. You could actually draft your answer to the questions week by week and avoid being overwhelmed when they have to be submitted. Every week has an assignment called "primary reading" that will include a link to my comments about the topic for the week and the reading that everyone is required to do. When you have completed that reading, join the class discussion named for the topic. Note that you post at least twice to this discussion each week, adding a significant additional interpretive contribution to our collaborative thinking about the topic. This means that you are expected to read the posts that have occurred before yours and to further the conversation. Simply repeating what has been said before or positing rhetorical questions without beginning to explore their answers are insufficient postings. Your group's cumulative discussion will be a rich resource for you to use in writing the related question that appears in the final paper, so this discussion helps you, week by week with that assignment. Update 1/8/15: There are no guidelines for the length of your initial posting for the first week, when we are examining the core issues around sources and standards of doctrine in United Methodism; what is useful to you is fine, as long as it is clear you have engaged the material, and understand the cluster of issues that exist. Beginning the second week, when we are looking at specific doctrinal questions, the initial post should be around 300-450 words. There will be a second reading for you to do and summarize for your Interpretive Debate group. You will find a link to it in the Interpretive Debate discussion each week. You are asked to post twice to this discussion each week: the first time please summarize in 300 words or less the distinctive interpretation that your reading makes. The second posting should be made after at least three of the five different summaries have been posted. In the second posting your group is invited to discern together which interpretation(s) you find most consistent with your own reading of the doctrinal sources and/or most useful for United Methodists in your contexts. To summarize, this means you have FOUR postings due every week: 1. Due Thursday night: post your contribution in the Primary Reading Group to furthering interpretation of the doctrine(s) for the week using our primary texts. 2. Due Thursday night: in your Interpretive Debate Group, post your summary for your group members of the argument made in the reading that you are assigned. Each group member will read a different interpretation. These secondary readings are all available as pdf files in the discussion. 3. Due Sunday night: post a second time in your Interpretive Debate Group, discussing the various summaries and figuring out which one(s) are more accurate or more useful in your context(s). Update 1/8/15:This posting can be shorter, as long as it is useful and demonstrates engagement with the postings of others - around 100 words is ok, a little longer is fine if that is helpful. 4. Due Sunday night (unless otherwise indicated for a given week): post an update or a response to the posting(s) of others in the Primary Reading Group. Update 1/8/15: This posting can also be shorter, whether you are posting an amendment to your initial work, or responding to the post of a colleague. Again, 100 words is sufficient, somewhat longer is fine too, if that allows you to engage the concept more fully. Keep in mind that, in the online environment, your engagement online is critical, both for yourself and for your online colleagues. Two or more weeks of missed online participation may result in removal from the course! If you encounter unexpected personal circumstances which make it impossible to keep up, contact the instructor right away. Content
Final Paper
Engagement
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, no more than three)– double spaced. Total page limit is 25 pages.
Each of your 13 answers must have three distinct parts, and I must be able to clearly identify them. Additional credit is given for exceptional clarity, distinctions made, insightful observation of strengths or weaknesses, and/or clarity in your own position.
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). You may freely use the answers we have created together during the course, but they must be improved by putting them in your own words. 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.
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!
C) A 4 sentence 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 10 points the first time it is handed in. For three questions (1, 2 and 9) this will be in the assignment due early in the term, for four questions (3, 4, 7, and 13) this will be in the assignment due later in the term, and for six questions (5, 6, 8, 10, 11, and 12) this will be in the final submission due a week after the end of the term.
In the final submission, you are required to submit all 13 questions. You are invited to revise your answers to 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9 and 13 in light of comments you received on them. Please show these revisions either with track changes or by putting revisions in bold print. You may be awarded up to a total of 5 additional points for these revisions as a group. (Thus, you get the most points in the course by submitting strong answers the first time and then improving them in the final paper.)
(the thirteen questions we will be discussing are listed here)
How can you be successful in taking an online class? It can be more than a little challenging - after all, in a face-to-face class, you meet once or twice a week, and, in that time, the instructor can make sure you are on-track in terms of course progress and your understanding of the material. Online, though, is different in some key ways, and your success in the course hinges on understanding those differences. You can't participate if you don't know what's going on! In your Canvas Profile (which you can access using the Profile link at the top right of every page), you can specify how you should be contacted. Make sure that your preferred email address is properly set on that page. From that page, you also have the ability to change your notifications (that is an option on the left menu on that page). Make sure that your notification settings are set so that you are kept reasonably informed of events related to the class. As each week progresses, you need to pay attention to class-related activities! Keep an eye on whatever notifications you have chosen to receive. If you choose to ignore them, you can quickly find yourself way behind (and, remember, after two weeks of non-involvement, you may be removed from the class). Finally, if you have a personal emergency (i.e. family crisis, illness, or even the burdens of life just getting in the way of completing the assignments) please (please please please) contact Tom immediately. The final week of the class is not the right time to initiate a conversation with your instructor about incomplete assignments from earlier in the course! Online classes are, by their very nature, highly collaborative in terms of learning. That means that the majority of your learning will take place as you engage other students regarding the material that everyone is reading. Collaborative learning is a common approach at Iliff, both in online and face-to-face classes. The discussions and other activities that you participate in here are similar to in-class discussions in the face-to-face session. It is a little harder to "hide" in the online classes than it is in the face-to-face, but, otherwise, the approach is the same. And yes, the readings are the same in the the online and face-to-face classes - the load is no heavier in the online class, although the 3.5 hours of "face time" in the face-to-face class is replaced by reading, thinking about what other students have said and responding online. As with any class, your commitment to learning will greatly impact your success (both in terms of grades and in terms of actually mastering new information). In this class, we don't all meet online at the same time, so it is up to you to set up a schedule that allows you to engage other students about the material. There is a significant difference in terms of commitment in an online class, though, and it is this: Since the learning process is highly collaborative (and since different students will be reading material in different ways), your failure to participate will reduce the effectiveness of the class for other students as well. Taking an online class really does require commitment, and a special kind of discipline, in order for everyone to be successful.Learning in the Online Environment
Communication
Collaboration
Commitment
Students will be able to articulate (in writing) the central theological emphases that shaped the United Methodist doctrinal sources identified in the Constitution.
Students will reflect on the ways in which these theological emphases may shape a response to needs in our cultural contexts today.
Students will be able to articulate (in writing) John Wesley’s responses to the theological questions required of persons applying to be commissioned toward either deacon’s or elders orders in The United Methodist Church.
Students will be equipped to preside or assist at baptism and at the Lord’s Table in a way appropriate to United Methodist understanding of the sacraments.
Students will articulate how they see the relationship between practices in United Methodist traditions and United Methodist doctrine.
Students will articulate a nuanced critique of the secondary literature that interprets UM doctrine in current denominational discourses.
Students will articulate - in the language of at least one contemporary sub-culture - an understanding of the process of human transformation historically articulated in the Methodist via salutis and specify the implications it has for the transformation of organizational structures in ecclesial and civic realms.
This course helps fulfill the following learning goals for the MDiv degree at Iliff:
1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the development of Christian texts, doctrines, and institutions.
1.3 analyze the strengths and liabilities of these various expressions of Christianity as they continue to impact the tradition(s) in which the student has been formed and/or is currently engaged.
3. Think theologically in a contemporary context and articulate a constructive theological position.
4.2 critically engage historical theological expressions of Christianity in relation to contemporary events and/or situations
Introduce Yourself!!!
Unlike other courses, this course is really laid out in a weekly format. The best way to view it is using the Modules view.
| Date | Day | Details | |
| Jan 12, 2015 | Mon | Week 1: Primary Readings in Sources & Standards | due by 06:59AM |
| Jan 19, 2015 | Mon | Week 2: Primary Readings on the Via/Ordo Salutis | due by 06:59AM |
| Jan 26, 2015 | Mon | Week 3: Primary Readings on the Quadrilateral and the Authority of Scripture | due by 06:59AM |
| Feb 02, 2015 | Mon | Week 4 Primary Readings: The Nature of God | due by 06:59AM |
| Feb 09, 2015 | Mon | Week 5 Class Discussion on the Sacraments: Holy Communion | due by 06:59AM |
| Feb 09, 2015 | Mon | Week 5 Class Discussion on the Sacraments: "Real Presence" | due by 06:59AM |
| Feb 16, 2015 | Mon | Week 6 Primary Readings: Sin, Evil, and the Need for Grace | due by 06:59AM |
| Feb 23, 2015 | Mon | Week 7: Primary Readings on the Kingdom of God & Social Justice | due by 06:59AM |
| Mar 02, 2015 | Mon | Week 8 Primary Readings: The Role of Jesus | due by 06:59AM |
| Mar 02, 2015 | Mon | Week 8 Interpretive Debate: The Role of Jesus | due by 06:59AM |