Syllabus for TH 405: Contemporary Black and Liberation Theology

Section 1: Overview

TH 405 Study Guide for Midterm

Class meets Mondays from 5:30 - 8 PM in Classroom D in the Baptist World Center building

This is an online resource for students participating in the class.

Professor David Dault, Chair of Division of Bible and Theology

To contact me by email, please write to dault.work@gmail.com (please put TH 405 in the subject line)

Office located on second floor of the Library

Office hours for Fall: Wednesdays 4:15 - 5:15 pm and by appointrment

Texts: The following texts are required for the course

To print the online texts I would recommend going to the 'File' menu and selecting 'Print Preview' - you should then see the text laid out properly for standard paper. Look to make sure words aren't being cut off on the edges in the preview. From there you can press 'Print' and all should be well. If cut-offs are happening you will need to find out how to adjust that particular machine's settings, or another option would be to 'Select all' in the edit menu, and copy and paste the text into a Word document and print from there.

Some tips on reading academic texts

Purpose of the class: This class has two objectives. The first is to equip you with a basic familiarity of the issues, concepts and terms that concern Black, Womanist, and Liberation theologies through direct reading of primary and secondary texts in these subjects. The second is to develop your ability to effectively communicate those skills

You will be responsible for knowing and understanding the content of the assigned textbooks, content of the lectures, and class discussions. Class participation will be a significant portion of your final grade.

By the end of the course a successful student will have 1) demonstrated a range of familiarity with key terms from basic understanding to mastery through their use in class discussions and written assignments, 2) demonstrated this knowledge through successful performance on the mid-term examination, and 3) produced and revised an 8 - 10 page (~2000 - 2500 word) research essay that addresses a specific theological doctrine or problem in Black or Womanist Liberation theologies.

Details about the writing assignments will be given in class and posted as hyperlinks in the schedule below. Please refer back to this website as the course proceeds for updated information.

Section 2: Class Schedule

August 18 - Introduction to course
August 25 - Read Cone, A Black Theology of Liberation, Chapters 1 - 4 (pages 1 - 81). Read the The Theological Declaration of Barmen
September 1 - NO CLASS TODAY - HAPPY LABOR DAY
September 8 - Read Cone, A Black Theology of Liberation, Chapters 5 - 7 (pages 82 - 142). Listen to ML King, Jr, "I Have a Dream" Speech
September 15 - Read Cone, A Black Theology of Liberation, Chapters 5 - 12 (pages 145 - 188).
September 22 - Read Douglas, The Black Christ, Introduction and Chapters 1 - 3 (pages 1 - 77) TH 405 Study Guide for Midterm
September 29 - Read Douglas, The Black Christ, Chapters 4 and 5 (pages 71 - 117)
October 6 - Mid Term Exams -
October 13 - Read Cone, Black Theology, A Documentary History Volume II, pages 1-11, 18-34, 53-75 (Selections from "The Second Generation")
October 20 - Read Cone, Black Theology, A Documentary History Volume II, pages 177-254 ("Black Biblical Interpretation")
October 27 - Read Cone, Black Theology, A Documentary History Volume II, pages 79 - 174 ("Black Theology and Pastoral Ministry")
November 3 - No class - Dault at AAR/SBL conference
November 10 - Read Cone, Black Theology, A Documentary History Volume II, pages 355-425 ("Global Context")
November 17 - In-class presentations on paper topic
November 24 - Wrapping up and last discussions
December 1 - Final paper due -

Section 3: Expectations

Please bring a Bible to every class meeting. Feel free to bring whatever translation you feel comfortable with, with the exception of paraphrase Bibles (we need chapters and verses) - the more variety, the better.

Please complete the reading and writing assignments for each class before you arrive. Please be on time. Roll will be taken. In accordance with ABC school policy, students are allowed one (1) absence during the semester. Any further absence will result in academic penalties in accord with the school policy: "Each subsequent absence above the allotted number ... may cause the total grade to be lowered by 1/3 of a letter grade until the grade 'F' is reached."
Please do not use your cell phones during class. If you must bring them, leave them off, or - better yet - leave them in your car or at home.

In accordance with the Aberican Baptist College Student Academic Dishonesty Policy (from the 2008 course catalog, reproduced below), it is expected that the work done in your name for this class will be your work alone. There will be no tolerance for the giving or receiving of unauthorized help on any assignment for credit in this course. It is certainly acceptable to work together, study together, and discuss material for the course. However, cheating, 'cribbing' and plagiarism will result in severe academic consequences. If you have any questions regarding this expectation, ask.

There will be no 'extra credit' assignments offered outside of the scheduled tests, nor will late work be accepted. The final grade of this course will be based solely upon the work completed during the semester. No additional assignments during or after the class will be accepted as a means of "boosting" the final grade. Unless prior arrangements are made and confirmed by the professor at least 48 hours in advance of the midterm or final, absence from class on either testing day will result in a grade of -0- for the test, resulting in probable failure of the course. Again, all grades as reported at the close of the Fall semester are final and will not be changed.

STUDENT ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY

American Baptist College acknowledges the need to preserve an orderly process with regard to teaching, research, and

public service, as well as the need to preserve and monitor students’ academic rights and responsibilities. Since the

primary goal of education is to increase one’s own knowledge, academic dishonesty will not be tolerated at American

Baptist College. Possible consequences of academic dishonesty, depending on the seriousness of the offense, may range

from a revision of an assignment, and or a reprimand, a written reprimand, an F or zero for grade work, removal from the

course with a grade of F, to possible suspension or exclusion from the College. Academic dishonesty includes the

following examples, as well as similar conduct aimed at making false representation with respect to academic

performance:

a. Cheating on an examination;

b. Collaborating with others in work to be presented, contrary to the stated rules of the course;

c. Plagiarizing, including the submission of their ideas of papers or information from the internet,

(whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained) as one’s own. When direct quotations are

used in themes, essays, term papers, tests, book reviews, and other similar work, they must be

indicated; and when the ideas of another are incorporated in any paper, they must be

acknowledged, according to a style of documentation appropriate to the discipline;

d. Stealing examination(s) or course materials(s);

e. Falsifying records, laboratory results, or other data;

f. Submitting, if contrary to the rules of a course, work previously presented in another course;

g. Knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above, including assistance in

an arrangement whereby any work, classroom performance, examination, or other activity is

submitted or performed by a person other than the student under whose name the work is

submitted or performed. Students’ accused of academic dishonesty may appeal through the

Student Academic Dishonesty Procedures in effect at American Baptist College.