Religions of the West

Part III

God's Answer through God's Self-Manifestation and Providence:

Wednesday, October 3rd: Judaism: What Do Jews Believe? "The Chosen People," Pages 108-133

• Lecture Notes
• Midterm Study Questions

Thursday and Friday, October 4th and 5th: End of week recitations: Jewish and Christian understandings of Isaiah and of the Messiah. Please read: Christian Theology, pp. 272-281. Thursday sections will meet in BRNG 1254 at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. Please read:

• Isaiah 40-45
• Luke 24: 13-35
• Acts 8: 26-40
• John 19
• Yoseph Albo
• Yitzchak Troki
• Questions for Reflection

Monday, October 8th: Fall Break

Wednesday, October 10th : Judaism: What Do Jews Believe? "The Meaning of Torah" pp. 134-158.

• Lecture Notes
• Mishnah, Abot, ch. 1
• Moses and Rabbi Akiba
• Related Resource: "The Oral Law" from The Jewish Virtual Library.

Friday, October 12th: Midterm Examination.

Monday, October 15th: The Meaning of Torah continued.

• Lecture Notes
• Related Resource: Eliezer Segal's Interactive Page From the Talmud

Wednesday, October 17th: Christianity: The Identity and Function of Jesus Christ. Please read: Christian Theology, pp. 272-286. Please begin tomorrow's reading for recitation.

• Lecture Notes

Thursday and Friday, October 18th and 19th. End of the week recitations. Thursday sections will meet in room 1254. Be prepared to discuss early Christological Controversies

• Arius
• Athanasius on Arian Arguments from Scripture.
• Athanasius on Arianism and the Status of the Word
• Athanasius on the Relation of Christology to Soteriology.
• Questions for Reflection
• Recommended Resources:

1. The Search for the Christian doctrine of God: the Arian Controversy 318-381 by R.P.C. Hanson, Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1988.
2. Arianism after Arius : Essays on the Development of the Fourth Century Trinitarian Conflicts, edited by Michel R. Barnes and Daniel H. Williams, Edinburgh: T.& T. Clark, 1993.
3. "A World Full of Arians." Informative article by F. C. Steenburg on Arianism from 360-380.

Monday, October 22nd: Identity and Function of Jesus Christ continued. Christian Theology, pp. 286-294.

• Lecture Notes

Wednesday, October 24th: Models of Divine Presence in Christ. Christian Theology, pp. 294-304.

• Lecture Notes

Friday, October 26th: More Christological Controversies:

• Apollinarianism
• Nestorius
• Cyril of Alexandria
• The Symbol of Chalcedon.
• Quiz Two Study Guide
• The Christological Controversy: Excellent website with essays and resources pertaining to the controversy. Noteworthy in particular is M. C. Steenburg's article "What Was at Stake at Chalcedon?"

Monday, October 29th: Islam: Ideals and Realities of Islam, "The Quran," pp. 29-56; Translations from the Quran:, Suras 1, 6, 53, 98.

• Sura 1 Al-Fâtihah; Introduction to Al-Fâtihah by Syed Maududi.
• Sura 6 Al-An'âm; Introduction to Al-An'âm by Syed Maududi.
• Sura 53An-Najm; Introduction to An-Najm by Syed Maududi.
• Sura 98 Al-Baiyinah; Introduction to Al-Baiyinah by Syed Maududi.
• Lecture Notes

Recommended Resources:

• Quranic Recitation
• Translations of the Quran

Wednesday, October 31st: Islam: Ideals and Realities of Islam, "The Prophet and the Prophetic Tradition," pp. 57-83.

• Lecture Notes

Friday, November 3rd: Islam on the Qu'ran and the Prophet continued.

• Lecture Notes

Monday, November 6th: Comparison of the roles of Jesus and Muhammad in Christianity and Islam.

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