Creation and Redemption: Reformed and Evangelical Theology and Evolution

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/G_RMRE05

Course Objective

The goal of this course is to gain knowledge and insight in recent Christian-theological, and more specifically (but not exclusively) Reformed and evangelical, thinking about creation care in light of the current global climate crisis. After having finished the course, the student has acquired:elementary knowledge of the main issues that figure in Christian eco-theology, especially that of climate change;some familiarity with ways in which biblical theological notions of creation and redemption (can or should) impact our thinking about ecological responsibility;a grasp of the basic contours of a biblical theology of the natural world;an understanding on how the contemporary climate crisis can be seen as, at heart, a religious crisis that originated in the West and should be addressed by drawing on theological resources;insight in the ways in which the current climate crisis can be fruitfully addressed from, but may also profoundly challenge, traditional doctrinal assumptions, such as the doctrine of creation, theological anthropology (including harmartiology), eschatological redemption, ecclesiology, et cetera.

Course Content

In this course the theme of "Creation and Redemption" will be applied to issues of creation care and eco-theology. So, unlike what is suggested by its subtitle
- which is a remnant from past years which unfortunately I cannot change anymore due to bureaucracy
- the focus will NOT be on theories of evolution. Instead, we will focus on Reformed and evangelical attitudes towards creation in the light of humanity's ecological responsibility. What are viable concepts and metaphors to theologically articulate this responsibility? E.g., what are the pro's and cons of the famous notion (first applied to creation care by John Calvin!) of human "stewardship"? We will address such questions first of all from a biblical-theological perspective. We will add to that, though, a systematic-theological approach that will be more ecumenical in scope, i.e. including other approaches/denominations than only Reformed and evangelical ones. In particular, we will examine how various classical doctrinal topics (or "loci"), e.g. the doctrine of sin, can be brought to bear on the issue of climate change.

Teaching Methods

This course will be offered as a seminar. During each class part of one of the two course books will be introduced by one or two of the participating students, who will in this way initiate a more in-depth exploration and discussion of the relevant themes. After the introductions/presentations, all students in class should be able to ask a relevant question (either a critical one or a follow-up question) to the presenter(s). So as to secure that all students have properly prepared, a CACQ-report of the assigned text shall be submitted on Canvas by all students prior to the class meeting in which that text will be discussed.

Method of Assessment

The student writes a paper in which one of the discussed themes (both in the literature and in class) is explored and evaluated in greater detail. The paper should incorporate additional scholarly sources next to the texts studied in class. Amount of pages: 12-15. Proper use of foot
- or endnotes will be made and a (modest) bibliography should be added. Preferably the papers are written without making use of AI-tools, but if such use is made this shall be accounted for in a very precise and transparent way (mentioning the names of the used software programs, the prompts being given, etc.). The final mark for the course is determined by the student's presentation and active participation during the classes (20%) and by this paper (80%).

Literature

Mandatory: Douglas J. Moo and Jonathan A. Moo, Creation Care. A Biblical Theology of the Natural World (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018). Michael S. Northcott and Peter M. Scott (eds.), Systematic Theology and Climate Change (London: Routledge, 2014). Recommended: Ernst M. Conradie, The Earth in God's Economy: Creation, Salvation and Consummation in Ecological Perspective (Zürich: LIT Verlag, 2015) Paul Tyson, Theology and Climate Change (London: Routledge, 2021).

Target Audience

All master-students in religion and /or theology are most welcome to participate.

Explanation Canvas

Canvas will provide our main means of communication.