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THEO 594 - Special Topics: Luther Reception into Pentecostalism

Teacher Dr. D. Courey
Semester Spring Duration 8 Weeks
Frequency Every three years
Credits 5 ECTS Workload 150 Hours
Module format Intensive
Applicability The Module seeks to make the Pentecostal scholar aware of Luther‘s contribution to Pentecostal theology. It provides a fresh approach, it is useful for an understanding of German Pentecostalism, Pentecostal, and contemporary theology.
Course structure See module and courses
Contact time 40 Hours Self-Study 110 Hours
Participation requirement See access to the program
Evaluation
Evaluation Hours Weight
Phase 1 50 20%
Readings & Preparation
 50 20%
Phase 2 40 30%
Participation
 30 10%
Presentations
 10 20%
Phase 3 60 50%
Research Paper
 60 50%
Total 150 100%
Content of the Module The course seeks to examine the roots and development of triumphalism within the Pentecostal churches. Martin Luther and his theology will be studied in detail to assess if triumphalism had its roots at the beginning of the Reformation. His Theology of the cross will inform a redefinition of Pentecostal theology and challenge the whole aspect of triumphalism.
Learning Objectives

A. General Learning Objectives

  1. To see Pentecostalism in the context of historic Christianity and Reformation Christianity
  2. To see Pentecostalism in the context of American Evangelicalism.
  3. To analyze the problem of triumphalism in Pentecostalism.
  4. To contemplate means of reconfiguring Pentecostalism for the twenty-first century.

B. Specific Learning Objectives
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

  1. Appreciate the tension inherent in Pentecostal pneumatology.
  2. Contemplate the work of the Spirit in various dimensions of the Christian experience.
  3. Coordinate Pentecostal emphases with other movements in history, particularly with Luther and the Reformation.
  4. Reformulate a Pentecostalism informed by suffering.
  5. Use the gifts of the Spirit from a richer theological matrix.
  6. Cultivate an awareness of and yearning for the Spirit’s presence
Outline 1. The Roots of Pentecostal Triumphalism
     a. What is Triumphalism?
     b. Triumphalism in American Religious History
     c. Another Look at the Pentecostal Story
     d. The Tectonic Plates
     e. A Re-reading of the History of Evangelicalism
2. Luther as Proto-Pentecostal
     a. Luther and the Supernatural
     b. Luther and the Priesthood of All Believers
     c. Luther and the Apocalypse
     d. Luther and Experience
          i. The Enthusiasts
          ii. The Ultimate and the Penultimate
3. Luther’s Theology of the Cross
     a. Understanding the Theology of the Cross
     b. The Cross and Personal Sin
     c. The Cross and Institutional Glory
     d. The Mechanics of the Cross
4. Redefining Pentecostalism
     a. The Janus-Like Nature of the Baptism in the Spirit
     b. Pneumatologia crucis
     c. Eschatologia Crucis
5. Testing a Cruciform Pentecostalism
     a. Replacing Restorationism: Experience
     b. Replacing Perfectionism: Sanctification
     c. The Pentecostal Nexus: The Miraculous
Examination See Evaluation
Core Literature

Textbooks:
Courey, D. What Has Wittenberg to Do with Azusa? Luther‘s Theology of the Cross and Pentecostal Triumphalism. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2015.
Althaus, Paul.The Theology of Martin Luther. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1966.
Lohse, Bernhard. Martin Luther’s Theology: Its Historical and Systematic Development. Reprint edition. Minneapolis, Mich.: Fortress Press, 2011.

Reading List:
Bayer, Oswald. Martin Luther’s Theology: A Contemporary Interpretation. Translated by Thomas H. Trapp. Grand Rapids, Mich: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2008.
Braaten, Carl E., and Robert W. Jenson, eds. Union with Christ: The New Finnish Interpretation of Luther. Grand Rapids, Mich: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998.
Brecht, Martin. Martin Luther The Preservation of the Church 1532-1546. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1999.
Deutschlander, Daniel M. The Theology of the Cross: Reflections on His Cross and Ours. Edited by Curtis A. Jahn. Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2008.
Forde, Mr Gerhard O. On Being a Theologian of the Cross: Reflections on Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation, 1518. Grand Rapids, Mich: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997.
Hall, Douglas John. The Cross in Our Context: Jesus and the Suffering World. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.
Hoffman, Bengt R. Theology of the Heart: The Role of Mysticism in the Theology of Martin Luther. Translated by Pearl Willemssen Hoffman. Minneapolis, Minn: Kirk House Pub, 2003.
Kolb, Robert, and Charles P. Arand. The Genius of Luther’s Theology: A Wittenberg Way of Thinking for the Contemporary Church. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2008.
Loewenich, Walther von. Luther’s Theology of the Cross. 1st edition. Minneapolis: Augsburg Pub. House, 1976.
Marty, Martin E. Martin Luther: A Life. Reprint edition. New York: Penguin Books, 2008.
McGrath, Alister E. Luther’s Theology of the Cross: Martin Luther’s Theological Breakthrough. 1 edition. Oxford, UK; New York, NY, USA: Wiley-Blackwell, 1991.
Moltmann, Jurgen. The Crucified God: The Cross of Christ as the Foundation and Criticism of Christian Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993.
Oberman, Heiko A. Luther: Man Between God and the Devil. Translated by Eileen Walliser- Schwarzbart. New Haven, CT.; London: Yale University Press, 2006.
Root, Andrew. Christopraxis: A Practical Theology of the Cross. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014.
Veith, Gene Edward. Spirituality of the Cross Revised Edition. 2 edition. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing, 2010.
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