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C410:BaptistCovenantTheology
ShortCourse
COURSEINSTRUCTORS
Dr.FredMaloneservesaspastorofFirstBaptistChurch,Clinton,LA.
Dr.JimRenihanisProfessorofHistoricalTheologyandAcademicDeanoftheInstituteofReformedBaptistStudiesonthecampusofWestminsterSeminary,Escondido,CA.Andguestspeakers
COURSEDESCRIPTION
ThestudyoftheCovenantshasoftenbeencalledthe"marrow"ofdivinity.HowweunderstandthecovenantsishowweunderstandthewholeofGod'sredemptiveplaninhistory.ThiscourseprovidesanintroductiontoaReformedBaptistviewofthecovenants,comparingandcontrastingitwithotherprominentviewincluding:
1)PresbyterianCovenantTheology,2)Theonomy,3)Dispensationalismand4)NewCovenantTheology
REQUIREMENTS
READING
• BaptismofDisciplesAlonebyFredMalone(FoundersPress,2007)• CovenantTheology:ABaptistDistinctiveeditedbyEarlBlackburn(SolidGroundChristian
Books,2012)Additionalreadingassignments/articleswillbeprovidedonline.
COURSEPARTICIPATION—Thestudyguideforeachsessionwillincludediscussionquestionsoverthereadingandlecture(s).Pleaselistentothelecturesandcompleteallthereadings.Ifyouareworkingthroughthecourseinastudygrouporwithamentor,printoutahardcopyofyouranswerstothediscussionquestionssoyouarepreparedtodiscussthecoursecontent.
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MAJORPROJECT:Yourmajorprojectforthiscoursewillbeapositionpaper.
PositionPaper
Youwillchoosefromalistoftopicscoveredinthiscourse(TheKingdomofGod,TheNewCovenant,TheLawandGospel...).Yourpapershouldcover:
1)Yourownunderstandingofthetopic2)Abiblicaldefenseofyourview3)AbriefcomparisonofyourviewtothatofDr.MaloneandDr.Renihan,4)Devotionalandpastoralapplication.
Yourpapershouldbe5to7pages(notincludingtitlepage),double-spaced,nolargerthan12-pointfont(TimesRomanorArial)with1inchmargins.MoredetailedinstructionswillbeprovidedinSession6.
Allcourseworkmustbecompletedbythefinalweekofthecourse.
TOPICSANDCOURSESCHEDULE
Class LectureTopic Reading AssignmentDue
1 AnOverviewofCovenantTheologyandtheNewCovenant(JimRenihan)
CovenantTheology:AReformedBaptistView
DiscussionQuestions(fromreadingandlecture)
2 Baptism—Part1(FredMalone) Baptism(Preface) DiscussionQuestions (fromreadingandlecture)
3 Baptism—Part2(WaltChantry)
Baptism(Chapter1) DiscussionQuestions (fromreadingandlecture)
4 HermeneuticsofBaptistCovenantTheology(FredMalone)
Baptism(Chapter2) DiscussionQuestions (fromreadingandlecture)
5 NewCovenantTheology(JimRenihan)
Baptism(Chapter3) DiscussionQuestions (fromreadingandlecture)
6 TheFoundersoftheSBCandCovenantTheology(FredMalone)
Baptism(Chapter4) DiscussionQuestions (fromreadingandlecture)BeginworkonPositionPaper
7 TheDoctrineofElectionandCovenantTheology(JimRenihan)
Baptism(Chapters5–6) DiscussionQuestions (fromreadingandlecture)
8 Dispensationalism(SteveGarrick)
Baptism(Chapters7–8) DiscussionQuestions (fromreadingandlecture)
9 TheSpiritualNatureoftheKingdom(FredMalone)
Baptism(Chapters9–11) DiscussionQuestions (fromreadingandlecture)
10 OurCovenantKeepingGod(JimRenihan)
Baptism(Chapters12–14) DiscussionQuestions (fromreadingandlecture))PositionPaperDue