The Theology of Presence and Discernment

Course Objective 

Students will be able: 

• to describe and understand contemporary discussions on the presence (and absence) of God and the question of discernment within Reformed and Evangelical traditions from various disciplinary positions 

• to relate the various theological positions regarding God’s presence to forms of societal engagement like justice and climate change, secularization and mission, to charismatic practices like healing and prophecy, and to the spirituality of believers within the contexts of the Reformed and Evangelical traditions. 

• to reflect on contemporary Reformed and Evangelical practices and to formulate the implicit theological meanings, positions and beliefs presupposed in these practices 

• to formulate their own theological position with regard to the issue of God’s presence and discernment 

Course Content 

One of the key concerns shared by theologians as well as believers relates to God’s presence and engagement in the world, in society, in the church as well in believers’ personal life. How can we discern God’s presence? And how can we speak and think about God’s absence? In the contemporary Evangelical and Reformed tradition, due to the increasing influence of charismatic movements, the presence of God is being emphasized by the attention for the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit like healing and prophecy. Due to this development, Gods presence is observed in the miraculous, understood as a ‘supernatural’, immediate encounter with God. At the same time, predominant within the Reformed tradition, presence of God is taken up in discussions on salvation and providence. Overall question in this course is how from various traditions within the Evangelical and Reformed tradition, we can speak of God’s presence and absence, encounters of immediacy together with the question of discernment. Also, the dynamic interplay between beliefs and practices will be addressed by discussing the consequences of the various positions with regard to providence, secularization and mission, ecology and creation, church leadership, and charismatic practices. 

Additional Information Teaching Methods 

The student prepares the lectures by reading the specified literature and or a practical assignment. In the classes the literature and or assignment will be assessed by means of a guided discussion. Students will give a presentation on a contemporary issue or practice related to the question of presence and discernment within the Reformed or Evangelical tradition and accordingly finalize a paper (appr. 3.500 words) on the topic. 
There are 6 ECTS for this course (= 168 sbu): 36 hours for classes, 20 hours for the preparation of the presentation and 30 for writing the paper. This leaves 82 hours for literature study (with an average of 8 pages per hour this means 656 pages in preparation for the classes).