Note:
Course content may be changed, term to term, without
notice. The information below is provided as a guide
for course selection and is not binding in any form,
and should not be used to purchase course materials.
THEO 620 Course Syllabus
COURSE SYLLABUS
THEO 620
ECCLESIOLOGY
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is a study of the origin, nature, purpose, mission, polity, and ministry of the church; a
major emphasis will be on Baptist ecclesiology.
RATIONALE
This course provides students with the opportunity to explore the biblical and theological issues
involved in the doctrine of the church in a deeper and more extensive manner than possible in the
introductory systematic theology course. A particular focus of this class is the practical
preparation of students for effective ministry in local churches, based on a biblical understanding
of the local church.
I.
PREREQUISITE
For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic
Course Catalog.
II.
REQUIRED RESOURCE PURCHASE
Click on the following link to view the required resource(s) for the term in which you are
registered: http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/liberty.htm
III.
IV.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR LEARNING
A.
Computer with basic audio/video output equipment
B.
Internet access (broadband recommended)
C.
Microsoft Office
MEASURABLE LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
A.
Identify various issues and views in ecclesiology.
B.
Examine ecclesiology from the Baptist perspective.
C.
Describe the nature, purpose, organization, and ministry of the church.
D.
Relate ecclesiology to other areas of theology such as Christology, Pneumatology,
soteriology, anthropology, and eschatology.
E.
Develop an ecclesiology from evangelical convictions.
Page 1 of 4
THEO 620 Course Syllabus
F.
V.
Apply the teachings of ecclesiology to his or her own Christian life and ministry.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS
A.
Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes
B.
Course Requirements Checklist
After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will
complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1.
C.
Discussion Board Forums (3)
Discussion boards are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student
will participate in 3 Discussion Board Forums. The student will submit a thread of
400–500 words in response to the provided prompt for each forum. In addition to
the thread, the student will reply to at least 2 peers’ threads in 200–250 words.
D.
Comparison Paper
The student will compare and contrast the ecclesiological portions of the Baptist
Faith (B. F.) and Message (M.) doctrinal statements of 1925, 1963, and 2000 in a
2–3-page paper. After briefly introducing the role of the B. F. and M. in Baptist
life, the student will detail similarities and differences using 3 statements,
especially explaining changes in the documents.
E.
Book Critique
Students will submit a 3–4-page book critique. This critique is not a book report
or a summary of the book contents, but rather it is a critique that will focus on
examining and discussing issues that the book raises or fails to raise. The job of
the book reviewer is to detail any merits and/or shortcomings the book may have.
F.
Application Paper
Church discipline is not a practice that is taught in many churches. After reading
an article on the topic of church discipline, the student will write a 2–3-page paper
on how to implement church discipline in his or her own ministry context. After
briefly (1 page or less) introducing his or her ministry context, the student will
provide a detailed description of how the application of church discipline would
be presented.
G.
Research Paper
1.
Topic and Thesis
The students must select a topic for his or her Research Paper. Some
topics are listed in the Research Paper Instructions located in the
Assignment Instructions folder. The student must state the general topic in
which he or she is interested, followed by a thesis on a specific focus
within the topic.
2.
Proposal and Bibliography
After the topic and thesis have been approved, the student must complete a
Research Paper Proposal and Bibliography. This portion of the research
Page 2 of 4
THEO 620 Course Syllabus
paper will contain the following components: paper title, revised thesis
statement, project summary, preliminary bibliography, and bibliographic
summary. The Proposal and Bibliography must be 2 double-spaced pages
and must be written in paragraph form (using the provided template).
3.
Final Submission
The student must write his or her Research Paper using the Topic and
Thesis and the Proposal and Bibliography. The paper must include 8
sections: Cover Page, Table of Contents, Introduction, Thesis, Body,
Conclusion, Footnotes, and Bibliography. The portion consisting of the
body of research (Introduction to Conclusion) needs to be 12–15 doublespaced pages.
H.
Exams (2)
There are 2 exams in this course: a midterm exam and a final exam. Both exams
are open-book/open-notes and must be completed in 40 minutes each. The
Midterm Exam will cover material from Modules/Weeks 1–4. The Final Exam
will cover material from Modules/Weeks 5–8.
VI.
COURSE GRADING AND POLICIES
A.
Points
Course Requirements Checklist
Discussion Board Forums (3 at 50 pts ea)
Comparison Paper
Book Critique
Application Paper
Research Paper
Topic and Thesis
Proposal and Bibliography
Final Submission
Midterm Exam
(Modules/Weeks 1–4)
Final Exam
(Modules/Weeks 5–8)
Total
B.
10
150
100
150
100
10
40
250
100
100
1010
Scale
A = 940–1010 A- = 920–939 B+ = 900–919 B = 860–899 B- = 840–859
C+ = 820–839 C = 780–819 C- = 760–779 D+ = 740–759 D = 700–739
D- = 680–699 F = 0–679
C.
Late Assignment Policy
If the student is unable to complete an assignment on time, then he or she must
contact the instructor immediately by email.
Assignments that are submitted after the due date without prior approval from the
instructor will receive the following deductions:
Page 3 of 4
THEO 620 Course Syllabus
1.
Late assignments submitted within one week of the due date will
receive a 10% deduction.
2.
Assignments submitted more than one week late will receive a 20%
deduction.
3.
Assignments submitted two weeks late or after the final date of the
course will not be accepted.
4.
Late Discussion Board threads or replies will not be accepted.
Special circumstances (e.g. death in the family, personal health issues) will be
reviewed by the instructor on a case-by-case basis.
D.
Style Guidelines
All assignments for this course are to be formatted in accordance with the LUSD
Writing Guide and the latest edition of the Turabian style manual (A Manual for
Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations). Discussion assignments
and essay examinations may use the parenthetical citation style. All other written
assignments should use the footnote citation style. Supplemental writing aids are
available via the Online Writing Center.
E.
Extra Credit
No additional “for credit” assignments will be permitted beyond those given in the
course requirements stated above.
F.
Course Changes
Course requirements are subject to change by the administration of the University
at any time with appropriate notice.
G.
Disability Assistance
Students with a documented disability may contact Liberty University Online’s
Office of Disability Academic Support (ODAS) at LUOODAS@liberty.edu to
make arrangements for academic accommodations. Further information can be
found at www.liberty.edu/disabilitysupport.
Page 4 of 4
COUR ### Course Schedule
COURSE SCHEDULE
THEO 620
Textbooks: Hammett, Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches (2005).
Stanton, The Baptist Way: Distinctives of a Baptist Church (2005).
*Schreiner & Crawford, The Lord’s Supper (2010). OR *Schreiner & Wright,
Believer’s Baptism (2006).
WEEK/
MODULE
READING & STUDY
1
Hammett: Intro & chs. 1–3
Schreiner: chs. 1–4
Stanton: chs. 1–2
1 presentation
2
Hammett: chs. 4–5
Schreiner: chs. 5–8
Stanton: ch. 3
1 presentation
3
Hammett: ch. 10
Schreiner: chs. 9–10 or 9–13
Stanton: ch. 7
1 presentation
4
Hammett: ch. 6
Stanton: ch. 5
1 presentation
5
Hammett: chs. 7–8
Stanton: ch. 6
1 presentation
6
ASSIGNMENTS
POINTS
Course Requirements Checklist
Comparison Paper
10
100
Discussion Board Forum 1
Research Paper: Topic and Thesis
50
10
Book Critique
150
Research Paper: Proposal and Bibliography
Midterm Exam
40
100
Discussion Board Forum 2
50
Stanton: ch. 4
1 presentation
1 website
Application Paper
100
7
Hammett: ch. 9
1 presentation
Discussion Board Forum 3
50
8
Hammett: chs. 11–12
Stanton: Epilogue
1 presentation
Research Paper: Final Submission
Final Exam
250
100
TOTAL
1010
NOTE: Each course week begins on Monday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on Sunday night at
11:59 p.m. (ET). The final week ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Friday.