Systematic Theology for College Sunday School

[ScottB]

I will be helping teach a brief ~10-week survey course of systematic theology for our college Sunday School class this summer. (Yes, I know what you're thinking, but this is going to be a survey course...very survey. ) Do any of you know of any material that has been prepared for this? I found this from Capitol Hill Baptist Church (of Mark Dever and 9Marks), but I was wondering if anybody had other suggestions:

Capitol Hill Baptist Church Systematic Theology

I've also suggested considering Christian Beliefs by Grudem as a possible basis. (Attempting to distill his Systematic Theology on my own might be more of a monumental task than I'm up to doing.)

FYI, the church at which I am a member is not Reformed (though it is not anti-Reformed), so in respect of that I will have to attempt to be "neutral" around the "controversial" doctrines of grace, but that just adds to the fun.

 

[Whitefield]

Take a look at Boice's Foundations of the Christian Faith. It may be too long for your needs, though. I used it as a basis for Sunday School in an Arminian church. I got good responses to it.

 

[VilnaGaon]

Take a look at Berkhof's a "Summary of Christian Doctrine". Very Concise yet Informative, plus incredibly cheap at $9.00 on Amazon.com. My church used it at the Sunday School class a few years back. The Best Sunday School I ever attended!!

 

[Presbyterian Deacon]

Indeed. Berkhof's Summary of Christian Doctrine would be a very good text for such a class.

 

[Idelette]

Take a look at Berkhof's a "Summary of Christian Doctrine". Very Concise yet Informative, plus incredibly cheap at $9.00 on Amazon.com. My church used it at the Sunday School class a few years back. The Best Sunday School I ever attended!!

I'd have to agree! Our church used Berkhof's "Summary of Christian Doctrine" and it was excellent!

 

[KMK]

Take a look at "Things Which Become Sound Doctrine" by Pentecost: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Things-Which-Become-Sound-Doctrine/dp/0825434521]Amazon.com: Things Which Become Sound Doctrine: Doctrinal Studies of Fourteen Crucial Words of Faith: J. Dwight Pentecost: Books[/ame]

It covers 14 doctrines in only 160 pages so it is 'very survey'.

 

[Brian Withnell]

I'll add to those that have stated Berkhof would be a good choice, but you might want to consider "Manual of Christian Doctrine" which was the same kind of material, but designed for High School and College aged students.

 

[A S]

I know it's not quite a systematic theology, but might I recommend a study of God? Check out Paul Washer's book, (Free to print-out), "One True God."

http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/download.php?file=One_True_God.pdf

Or even if you must do a systematic study-- this could be useful in the future!

 

[Scott1]

From a reformed theology perspective, one of the best concise summaries is Concise Theology, by JI Packer

Concise Theology - By: J.I. Packer - Christianbook.com

It is more of a handbook summary so it might not lend itself as easily to a class. One could, however, discuss 2 or 3 topics (many are 1 or 2 pages) each class. It is extremely concise, potent, well written, with many Scripture references.

 

[ScottB]

Thanks for all those suggestions. I will take a look at them and may end up using a combination of sources. The class coordinator had actually already found Grudem's Christian Beliefs himself before I mentioned it, and he liked it, so that may be our primary source.

About J. Dwight Pentecost's book: I see he's from Dallas -- anybody know where he is on dispensationalism?

 

[Scott1]

Thanks for all those suggestions. I will take a look at them and may end up using a combination of sources. The class coordinator had actually already found Grudem's Christian Beliefs himself before I mentioned it, and he liked it, so that may be our primary source.

About J. Dwight Pentecost's book: I see he's from Dallas -- anybody know where he is on dispensationalism?

Mr. Pentecost is a dispensationalist teacher.

Mr. Pentecost wrote, Things to Come in 1958, which is something of a classic for dispensational theology. Mr. John Walvoord, another well known dispensationalist teacher, wrote the introduction.

Remember, dispensationalism is primarily 2 things (both of which are wrong, biblically):

1) God accomplishing redemption in substantially different ways in different [of man's] time periods
2) Eternal separation of those with some Jewish ancestry from the body of Christ

In his book, Things to Come, Mr. Pentecost begins the modern retraction of point#1, conceding that God's people in the Old Testament were saved by faith in the coming Messiah, redeemer, Jesus Christ. This had not been the case in dispensationalism when it began as a system with Mr. Darby in the mid 1800's and when it was popularized through the Bible study notes of Mr. Schofield about the time of World War I.

When first created then, dispensationalism at least implied that man was saved differently at different periods on man's time calendar (e.g. by "law" in the dispensation of the "law."). In this system, it is described as man somehow "failing" redemption tests given by God so, in effect, God had to try something else. This almost totally lacks the perspective of God, sovereign, infinite and eternal as we understand it from reformed theology.

Dispensationalism today has pretty well retreated from point #1 and Mr. Pentecost began the process, at least, of getting that right biblically.

But, he is still full blast on point #2, although more recently many dispensationalists are backing away from 'eternal separation' of people with some Jewish ancestry from the Body of Christ, accepting now they do eventually get together. [Covenant theology says, of course, they are together now through faith in Christ alone, always have been, always will be].

Having only perused this dense book of Mr. Pentecost with many Scripture citations, there are many awkward, even odd interpretations, particularly of Old Testament Scriptures in order to fit the dispensational framework- that is, what's left of it.

 

[ScottB]

1) God accomplishing redemption in substantially different ways in different [of man's] time periods
2) Eternal separation of those with some Jewish ancestry from the body of Christ

In his book, Things to Come, Mr. Pentecost begins the modern retraction of point#1, conceding that God's people in the Old Testament were saved by faith in the coming Messiah, redeemer, Jesus Christ. This had not been the case in dispensationalism when it began as a system with Mr. Darby in the mid 1800's and when it was popularized through the Bible study notes of Mr. Schofield about the time of World War I.

The distinction you're making is between that of so-called classic dispensationalism and so-called traditional dispensationalism (confusing terms, no doubt). Darby represented the classic school; apparently Pentecost is among the proponents of the traditional view. I was not aware of his historical significance -- thanks for the information!

That said, I'm not sure that the way you phrase point #2 is fair to the dispensationalist view. I've grown up in strictly dispensationalist circles (though I am now moving away from it myself to at least some degree), and I know many in those circles would take great issue with your description (not least my dispensationalist seminary professor for Hermeneutics). True, dispensationalists don't identify the church with Israel, but they would not claim that Jewish people cannot possibly also be part of the body of Christ. They see the church and Israel as two parallel institutions that serve different purposes in God's plan, but they do believe there is overlap.