Bibliology and Hermeneutics

Fall 2008 Online Certificate Students:
View all sessions below. Then log all your comments, questions, discussion question answers, criticisms, or thoughts below. Time spent in the comments section will apply toward your one hour of community time per week. To download audio sessions, visit the course homepage on the TTP site. The new session will be posted every Wed.

____________________________

Whom do we trust for authority? Should we trust an institutionalized Church? Is there any validity in the tradition? Or should we rely upon the Scriptures alone as the Reformers insisted? This lesson should provide the student with a better understanding of the various views of Christian authority that have been held throughout history. The student should have a basic overview of the beliefs concerning authority of the three major traditions (Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholicism). The student should also have a better understanding of the significance of Martin Luther’s famous (infamous) “Here I stand” speech at the Diet of Worms. As well, the student should understand the extremes in which some modern Protestant denominations have gone in neglecting the authority of tradition all together, misunderstanding and misrepresenting the Reformation doctrine of sola Scriptura.

 

 Part 1: Class Introduction [13:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Part 2: Where do we go for authority? [18:38m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Part 3: What is tradition? [16:28m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Part 4: Main view of Christian authority [26:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Post your case study below in the response area 300-500 words.

This is going to be a “real life” case study. You are to find a person who would be willing to sit down and talk to you for an hour or two. It would be good if this person was a seeker, unbeliever, or a skeptic, but he or she can be a Christian. With notes in hand, the topic of your conversation is going to be explaining why we believe the Scriptures are inspired.

• Ask these questions before you begin:

1. Do you believe that the Scriptures are the inspired word of God? If so, why? If not, why?
2. Do you believe that God expects Christians to simply trust that the Scriptures are inspired, or do you think He want Christians to take a critical approach to the Scriptures?

• Proceed to explain the entire “Proving Inspiration” section in your notes.

• Now ask what evidence they found the most convincing concerning the inspiration of the Scriptures.

• Then ask what evidence they found the least convincing concerning the inspiration of the Scriptures.

• If they are still doubtful concerning the Inspiration of the Scriptures, ask them what evidence short of God shouting from heaven that they would accept to verify that the Scriptures are inspired.

After you are done, write a half page to a page summary of the encounter and hand it in. Online student are to post their summary in their class forum. Grades will be based upon the completion of the assignment, not the effectiveness of the presentation. Everyone who completes this will receive credit for the case study.

Post your case study below in the response area 300-500 words.

This is going to be a “real life” case study. You are to find a person who would be willing to sit down and talk to you for an hour or two. This person should be a Bible believing Christian of any tradition. With notes in hand, the topic of your conversation is going to be explaining the difference between the Roman Catholic dual-source view of authority and the Evangelical (or Protestant) sola Scriptura view.

• Ask these questions before you begin:

1. Where do you go for religious authority?
2. How much authority do you give your denomination or tradition?
3. Do you think that a person should interpret the Bible on their own or do you think that they should seek the guidance of others in authority?

• After this, explain the different views of authority.

• Then go through the arguments for the Dual-source Theory of authority and the Sola Scripture theory of authority.

• Final question to ask. Do you think that the difference between sola Scriptura and dual-source theories was significant enough to be a major cause for the split between Roman Catholics and Protestants in the sixteenth century?

The object of this assignment is to help people understand the issue of authority in the Church and what divides the major traditions today.

After you are done, write a half page to a page summary of the encounter and hand it in. Online student are to post their summary in their class forum. Grades will be based upon the completion of the assignment, not the effectiveness of the presentation. Everyone who completes this will receive credit for the case study.