THE 2200: THE MYSTERY OF GOD

St. John’s University, Queens Campus, Spring 2022

  • Section 11636: Tue and Fri, 7:30 - 8:55am, SJH 115

Dr. Matthew Lewis Sutton

Associate Professor of Systematic Theology

Office: St. John’s University, Queens Campus, St. John’s Hall B20–27

Student Hours: 9:00 - 9:30am; 1:45 - 2:45pm Mon and Thu, or appt.

718.990.5052 | suttonm@stjohns.edu | doctorsutton.net

Your Course Website: doctorsutton.net/the2200

Course Description:

Undergraduate Bulletin: “Prerequisite: THE 1000C. The Christian theology of the triune God, with its implications for issues such as faith and reason, theological language, Christian praxis, and dialogue with other religious traditions. Credit: 3 semester hours.”

This course provides the student with a theological encounter of Christianity’s faith in the mystery of the triune God with particular attention to the ages of the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Patristic Age as well as the modern retrieval of a thorough-going Trinitarian spirituality. The student will attain a biblical and theological literacy of the Christian belief in God as one and triune. He or she will see that, for Christians, the revelation of the God as Trinity is the ultimate foundation and concern because the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of the Father and the Holy Spirit as the Father and Son’s mutual love affects how Christians interpret the world, the human person, and the nature of God. In addition, the student will also gain a greater appreciation of the historical, cultural, and theological implications of the Christian faith.

Course Objectives:

By the conclusion of the course, the student should be able:

  • to articulate (in writing and speaking) a knowledge of the Christian faith’s understanding of the Trinity
  • to analyze critically scripture and other theological texts pertaining to God as Trinity
  • to appreciate intellectually the biblical and early church documents foundational place within Christianity

Course Texts: Required:

Purchased by Student

  • Bible, must be an appropriate translation for academic work, such as the RSV, NRSV, NAB, NABre, NIV, ESV, NKJV. (recommended translation The Ignatius Bible (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition). Second Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780898708349 Paperback or Kindle . If you have questions, see me.
  • Jean Daniélou. God and the Ways of Knowing. Translated by Walter Roberts. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2003. Paperback. Publicly Available Digital Version
  • Franz Dünzl. A Brief History of the Doctrine of the Trinity in the Early Church. Translated by John Bowden. New York: T & T Clark, 2007. Paperback
  • Raniero Cantalamessa. Contemplating the Trinity: The Path to the Abundant Christian Life. Translated by Marsha Daigle-Williamson. Ijamsville, MD: Word Among Us Press, 2007. Paperback

Provided by Professor

  • The Trinitarian Controversy: Sources of Early Christian Thought. Translated and edited by William G. Rusch. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1980. Paperback

Course Structure:

The course will be structured by the six major ages of Christianity, with particular focus on three of them. These six ages function as six learning units that that will give you an overall understanding of the development of the Christian understanding of God as Trinity. Each unit will have assignments and assessments designed to give you an initial mastery of Christianity’s understanding of the mystery of God.

Learning Assessment:

In this course, you can earn 100 points. You earn these points by successfully completing the following:

  • Class Participation: active engagement = 10 points
  • Course Ready Worksheet = 5 points
  • Encountering God Assignment Sheets = 25 points (1 point each)
  • Occasion of Joy Exams = 35 points (3 exams)
  • Occasion of Jubilation Final Cumulative Exam = 25 points

Grading Scale:

A = 100 - 93 points (100 - 93%); A- = 92 - 90 points (92 - 90 %); B+ = 89 - 87 points (89 - 87%); B = 86 - 83 points (86 - 83%); B- = 82 - 80 points (82 - 80%); C+ = 79 - 77 points (79 - 77%); C = 76 - 73 points (76 - 73%); C- = 72 - 70 points (72 - 70%); D+ = 69 - 67 points (69 - 67%); D = 66 - 60 points (66 - 60%); F = 59 - 0 points (59 - 0%)

We are at our best when:

  • We act with Academic Integrity, which means no plagiarism, no cheating, no damaging of other people’s work, and no assisting someone else’s dishonesty. Plagiarism is the act of appropriating and using the ideas, writings, or works of another person as your own without giving proper citation to the person who created it. I will follow the university’s procedure for plagiarism and discipline to the highest extent allowable, which can include an “F” for this course and the act of plagiarism noted in your academic file. Any further offenses entail suspension or expulsion. Additionally, the course is protected by and compliant with copyright law and intellectual property rights following university policy.
  • We are Actively Engaged with each other. As a student, you must participate in class regularly, attentively, and promptly with readings and assignments completed. As a professor, I must be available to you for encouraging and guiding you to excel in your education.
  • We are Responsible for Everything said in class. We make sure to be responsible for getting class notes and lectures from another students if we are absent. Only after we have received and read those notes can you contact me with further questions about the class.
  • We do what is Effective, not what is Popular. We do the hard and real work of growing our understanding. We do not do simple, fancy, or splashy assignments. We’re not interested in fads, but what works in growing young intellectuals that can achieve profound goals. No shortcuts.
  • We use any Digital Devices appropriately during class time such as cell phones, text messaging, smart watches, tablets, or laptops. If you do not follow this policy, you will not be able to earn participation points for the class meeting. If it continues to be a problem, your overall point total will be reduced according to the severity of your lack of engagement.
  • We turn in our Assignments and Papers promptly as directed by the professor. Even if you are absent, you are still responsible for turning in your assignments by the beginning of class or as directed. If your assignment is late, your grade for that assignment will be lowered at least by 10% for each day that it is late. Your grade will continue to be lowered to zero at my discretion until it is submitted.
  • We attend Prepared for all Exams. These should not be missed. If you cannot attend an exam, you must consult me in advance and receive clear approval from me. No make-up exams will be given unless you receive clear approval beforehand or as determined by me. Since the dates of the exams are clearly communicated, it is unlikely that you will receive approval.
  • We learn because We Are Human and we desire to know the truth about the divine, the world, and ourselves. We strive for Excellence without Excuses.