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Sunday, November 21, 2004

(4:24 PM) | Adam Kotsko:

20th Century Theology

Prof. Ted Jennings of Chicago Theological Seminary has leaked me a copy of the syllabus for his seminar on Twentieth Century Theology, to be offered in the spring of 2005. It is preparatory to the doctoral exam in 20th century theology required of all PhD candidates at the seminary.

The first week is a light one:

Kant, Religion within the limits of reason alone
Schleiermacher, Speeches on religion
Hegel, Philosophy of history

The second week is a bit more intense:

Kierkegaard, Fear and trembling or Philosophical fragments
Feuerbach, The Essence of religion
Marx, 1844 manuscripts
Harnack, What is Christianity?
Ritschl, The Christian doctrine of justification and reconciliation
Troeltsch, Protestantism and progress or The Absoluteness of Christianity
Rauschenbusch, A Theology for the Social Gospel

By week three, we're done with the tedious background and moving into the 20th century itself:

Otto, On the Idea of the holy
Weiss, The Preaching of Jesus
Barth, Romans or Credo
Gogarten, Christ the Crisis
Bultmann, Jesus and the Word or Existence and faith
Rosenzweig, The Star of redemption
(See also Zahrnt, The Question of God and Robinson, Beginnings of dialectical theology)

By that time, we will have hit our stride -- that's the volume of reading, every week, without mercy. In addition, one must prepare several presentations and write a 15 to 20 page paper involving at least five of the theologians discussed (from at least three sessions).

My question: Should I take this course? Keep in mind that I will also be taking a course on the New Testament Epistles, finishing my Derrida translation or Derrida/Zizek/Milbank clusterfuck of a thesis, writing my Badiou/Wesley paper and then presenting it on the other side of the country at the Olivet Reunion Tour, going to see Agamben et al. at Syracuse, and of course, the one non-negotiable in my life: blogging. It sounds like a pretty realistic schedule, actually. I've been sleeping way too much, and in any case, my body is currently undergoing the major structural changes that accompany excessive coffee consumption. I can hopefully quit my job and move into a bathroom stall at the Regenstein (or "The Reg," or, as I always mentally call it, "The Bod"), making my living through Google Ad-Sense and Amazon.com's referral system. I can meet my drinking requirements by leeching off the many pitchers at Wednesday Pub Nights, and I can meet some of my alimentary requirements by joining sudent organizations such as the African-American Student Organization or the Sisters of Mary Magdalene on an ad hoc basis, then quitting once refreshments have been served.

But seriously: Should I take this course?

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(Adam Kotsko has asserted the moral right to be identified as the author of this post.)