[…This syllabus is still a work in progress…]
RLST (###)
Theology of Culture:
Advocates and Critics
Instructor: Jessica DeCouEmail: jdecou@uchicago.edu
Office: S503
Office Hours: M/W 11:30-1:30
Description
| What attitude ought theology to take toward human cultural achievement? This course will introduce students to the major figures in "theology of culture," a theological discipline that attempts to answer this question. In the first half of the course, we will examine the history and development of "theology of culture" in the 20th century through the work of its advocates and its critics. We will then explore the relevance of these debates for today, engaging new voices in the field (including African, Anabaptist, and liberation theologies of culture and recent efforts in "theology and popular culture"). Our final sessions will survey possible directions for the future of the field. |
Readings
The following books are available for purchase at the Bookstore and are on reserve at the Library:
Course Requirements
Grades for the course will be based on:
Details on the assignments will be distributed in due time, but here is a preview of what to expect: The take home midterm will examine some aspect of the debate over theology of culture in the mid-20th century (Tillich, Niebuhr, Barth, etc.) For the paper, students will explore or interpret a particular cultural form, utilizing the concepts and methods of one (or more) of the authors from the class. Alternatively (because this course is focused primarily on Protestant thinkers) students may opt to write a paper arguing for or against “theology of culture” (or some aspect of it) from a perspective not explored in the course (e.g. Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Atheism, etc.). |
University policies
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SCHEDULE
Week 1: Two opposing views of culture- Augustine and Tertullian
| Date | Topic | Reading |
| 08/23 | Introduction | No Reading |
| 08/25 | Augustine and Tertullian on culture | (begin reading Long, Theology and Culture, p.1-52) |
Week 2: Theology and Culture since Augustine (a survey)
| 08/30 | Medieval and Early Modern views | Long, Theology and Culture, p.1-52 |
| 09/01 | Theology and Culture in the 19th Century | Schleiermacher, Speeches, First Speech |
Week 3: Theology of Culture in the 19th Century (a survey)
| 09/06 | Theology of Culture in the 19th Century | Schleiermacher, Speeches, Second Speech |
| 09/08 | Introducing 20th Century Debates | Long, Theology and Culture, p.53-84 |
Week 4: Paul Tillich’s Theologies of Culture- Tillich’s Early Theology
| 09/13 | Paul Tillich and the “Idea of a Theology of Culture” | Tillich, “On the Idea of a Theology of Culture” (RP) |
| 09/15 | Early Tillich Cont’d | Tillich, Theology of Culture (Selections) |
Week 5: Paul Tillich’s Theologies of Culture- Tillich’s Later Theology
| 09/20 | Tillich’s Later Method of Correlation Between Theology and Culture | Selections from Systematic Theology (RP) |
| 09/22 | Later Tillich Cont’d/ Review | (no reading) |
Week 6: H. Richard Niebuhr
| 09/27 | Niebuhr on Culture | Niebuhr, Christ and Culture, p. 1-115 |
| 09/29 | Niebuhr, continued | Niebuhr, Christ and Culture, p. 116-256 |
Week 7: Karl Barth: NO!
| 10/04 | Against the “Idea of a Theology of Culture”- Karl Barth’s Polemics | Barth, Selections from Church Dogmatics and Evangelical Theology (RP) (Optional: Cohen, “Life amid the Paradigms”- RP) |
| 10/06 | Beyond the Polemics: Barth on Culture | Barth, “Mozart,” and “Church and Culture” (RP) |
Week 8: Karl Barth's Constructive Response
| 10/11 | Barth on Culture Cont’d | Barth, "The Humanity of God” (RP) Metzger, The Word of Christ and the World of Culture, Ch. 1 |
| 10/13 | A Barthian Theology of Culture? | Metzger, The Word of Christ and the World of Culture, Chs. 2, 4 and 6 |
** Take Home Midterm Due in Class on October 13 **
Week 9: Adapting Tillich and Niebuhr
| 10/18 | Tillich Revisited | Excerpts from Gilkey, Society and the Sacred (RP) Klemm and Klink, “Constructing and Testing Theological Models,” (RP) |
| 10/20 | Niebuhr Revisited | Excerpts from Carson, Christ and Culture Revisited (RP) Carter, Rethinking Christ and Culture (selections TBA) |
Week 10: Postmodernity and Theology of Culture
| 10/25 | Review | (no reading) |
| 10/27 | Introducing the Postmodern | Long, Theology and Culture, p.85-102 |
Week 11: Postmodernity Cont’d
| 11/01 | Exploring the Postmodern and Theology of Culture | Taylor, After God, (Selections TBA) |
| 11/03 | Exploring the Postmodern, Cont’d | Taylor, After God, (Selections TBA) |
Week 12: New Voices in Theology of Culture
| 11/08 | Voices from other traditions | Long, Theology and Culture, p.103-112 Friesen, selections from An Anabaptist Theology of Culture (RP) |
| 11/10 | Voices from around the world | Ihuoma, selections from Tillich's Theology of Culture in Dialogue with African Theology (RP) |
Week 13: Liberation Theology and the Theology of Culture
| 11/15 | Liberation Theology | Gorringe, Furthering Humanity |
| 11/17 | Liberation Theology, Cont’d. | Gorringe (cont’d) |
Week 14: Introducing Theology and Popular Culture
| 11/22 | Introducing Theology and Popular Culture | Lynch, Understanding Theology and Popular Culture (first half) |
| 11/24 | THANKSGIVING | No reading |
Week 15: Theology and Popular Culture
| 11/29 | Popular Culture, Popular Scripture | Lynch (second half) Tanner, “Theology and Popular Culture” and “Scripture as Popular Text” (RP) |
| 12/01 | Theologies of Popular Culture | Romanowski, Eyes Wide Open (RP) |
Week 16: Concluding Reflections
| 12/05 | Theologies of Popular Culture, Cont’d | Detweiler and Taylor, Matrix of Meanings (RP) |
| 12/07 | Conclusions: Humanism, Ethics, and the Future of Theology of Culture | Klemm, “Theology of Culture as Theological Humanism” (RP) Schweiker, “Hermeneutics, Ethics and the Theology of Culture” (RP) |