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THEOLOGICAL CURRICULUM: A PROGRESSIVE CLASSIFICATION

THEOLOGICAL CURRICULUM:
A PROGRESSIVE CLASSIFICATION

A CLASSIFICATION LIST
for

an Essential Theological Library,

including the titles
of
over 500 Books
that introduce the main fields
and sub-sections listed therein

doubling as

A TAXONOMY OF FIELDS AND TOPICS

for

consideration in
Curriculum Development

October 2007 EDITION

C. Paul Burgess
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Part 1
of
a Nine Part Listing
of
Curriculum Fields and Topics
for
Theological Education to M.Div. Level

-----------------------
INTRODUCTION
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THEOLOGICAL CURRICULUM: A PROGRESSIVE CLASSIFICATION

SCHEME OUTLINE
Section 1.
The Church’s MESSAGE: Salvation
100 BIBLICAL STUDIES (including HERMENEUTICS, OT and NT)
The Primary SOURCE of the Christian Faith

200 CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

The CONTENT of the Christian Faith

Section 2.
The Church’s MISSION: Witness
300 PHILOSOPHY & APOLOGETICS
The PHILOSOPHY that enquires into the basis of the Christian Faith

400 CONTEMPORARY STUDIES (including ISLAM)

The CONTEXT in which the Christian Faith is lived

500 COMMUNICATION & MISSIOLOGY

The COMMUNICATION of the Christian Faith

Section 3.
The Church’s MOVEMENT: Discipling
600 CHURCH HISTORY & HISTORICAL THEOLOGY
The HISTORY of the Christian Faith

Section 4.
The Church’s MINISTRY: Nurture, Care, & Worship
700 PRACTICAL THEOLOGY
The APPLICATION of the Christian Faith

800 PASTORAL THEOLOGY

The (AD)MINISRATION of the Christian Faith

900 GENERAL (SECULAR) subjects

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PREFACE
This project began as a simple question put to a class of first-year students:
“What do you think should be included in the curriculum of this Seminary to which you
have come to study?” Responses were listed on a blackboard and the classification was
born. Months later, after much scanning of the “contents” pages of theological
dictionaries, handbooks, journals and seminary syllabi, a fuller list was compiled of items
identified as important or worth including.
Then came the problem of arranging the growing list of subjects. The classical
four-fold grouping of BIBLE, DOCTRINE, HISTORY and PASTORALIA, is generally
considered today to lack a convincing rationale. Instead a way was sought to arrange the
subject matter in some kind of logical order that would bring everything together as a
related whole. (Note was taken of the current endeavour to re-discover the unity of
“theologia” as the true basis for Seminary studies.)
In the end, there emerged eight fields of theological concern, each relating to
the Christian Faith in some direct way, with a ninth section providing a catchall for other
areas of study not directly related to Theology.
Later reflection suggested that, if it were possible to arrange the subjects within
each field in such a way that each subject led naturally to the next, a progressive journey
through the entire world of theological concern might be made with the minimum of
jumping from one field to another.
Since most theological study is supported by the reading of theological books,
the classification created for its curriculum ideally should be mirrored in the layout
of a Seminary Library. Where this is so two advantages become apparent:
1. Students are able to find books on a particular subject more quickly
because
they are looking along shelves that follow an easily understood progression.
2. For the Librarian cataloguing new accessions, the nine-fold division of fields
retains the advantages of Dewey’s decimal classification system without
restricting the theological class to the 200 range of numbers. (Note: Periodicals
and comprehensive series of books can be put under 000 by title/date/author.)
In a few fields, notably those to do with CONTEXT, COMMUNICATION, and
CHURCH HISTORY, detail is omitted. Also the emphasis given to a particular subject
may not seem applicable to every situation. This is because local context will vary and
generalisations are impossible. In any case any listing is bound to be subjective to a
greater or lesser degree.
This list is descriptive rather than prescriptive. It is simply a menu to consult
and from which to select according to agreed priorities. To include every subject listed
here in a working Seminary curriculum would no doubt take a lifetime to teach. May it
rather inspire some teaching faculties to review their own curriculum more frequently
and to ask questions about the over-all balance of their collective teaching!
PAUL BURGESS
Gujranwala Theological Seminary,
Pakistan
January 1997

This list has since been revised in the light of a recent re-numbering of 2,000 of the
Seminary Library’s more accessible theological books. The Progressive Classification
listing was followed and various minor adjustments made. June 1998
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2000 Edition
The following revisions have been made for this edition:

 A complete re-write of the sections on ISLAM (450), DISCIPLESHIP

(710) and PUBLIC WORSHIP (830)
Note: The numbers 460-469 are left open for entries of other religions
according to locality.

 Titles of 460 key books printed in small italics at the right hand side of the
classification listing on the right hand pages. These are mainly introductions
for beginners in the topic concerned. A star (*) indicates that the book
concerned provides an over-view of a general field of study. Some, however,
refer to accessible dictionaries; some are classic / substantial statements (#)
and a few simply fill a gap in the field concerned. In making this selection,
always the needs of a basic theological library have been considered.
Note: Many books listed are out of print but may still be obtainable in second-hand bookshops in the UK.
The author will be glad to hear about other titles of a basic introductory nature where subjects have not
yet been covered

 A Librarian’s Guide added on the left hand pages to explain alternate

locations of subjects. This alerts classifiers and users to other sections where
the same topic is treated in a different context. Thus worship is covered under
early church worship (169.3), worship in the Bible (199.4), the Church’s
worship (as doctrine, i.e. liturgical theology, 294), worship as a means of
grace (716.4), public worship (leading in worship, content and liturgical form,
830) and forms of worship (denominational emphases and orders, 883).

 Dewey Decimal classifications are printed in small italics to the left of the
Progressive Classification numbering. Those underlined indicate publisher’s
suggestions.

 Further additions and minor changes of list numbering.

A Note on Dewey.

The Dewey Decimal System has been abandoned for many reasons, including the following:
* The complication of lengthy numbering after the decimal point (usually a mystery to
all except trained librarians!)
* A bias towards American ecclesiology.
* A disproportional amount of space given to Roman Catholic categories and interests.
* The largely non-theological framework of a system devised for a general library.
This latter aspect of Dewey can result in some strange juxtapositions, such as the following
under the heading of “Social theology and inter-religious relations”:
261.835 “Relation of the sexes, marriage, family”
261.836 “Ecology and population”
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SUMMARY CHART
of
CURRICULUM FIELDS
for
THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION
(Pakistan Context)
Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of Dept. of

Biblical Studies, Philosophy, Historical Theology Practical & Pastoral

Hermeneutics Communication & & Theology
& Contemporary Church History &
Systematic Theology Studies Christian Education
THE MOVEMENT THE MINISTRY of
THE MESSAGE of THE MISSION of
of THE CHURCH:
THE CHURCH: THE CHURCH:
THE CHURCH: NURTURE-CARE-
SALVATION WITNESS
DISCIPLING: PRAISE
100 BIBLICAL 300 PHILOSOPHY 600 CHURCH 700 PRACTICAL
STUDIES (The philosophical HISTORY THEOLOGY
(The primary SOURCE BASIS of our Faith) (How the Faith SPREAD (The APPLICATION
of our Faith) and became effective) of our Faith)
350 PHILOSOPHICAL 710 DISCIPLESHIP
110 BACKGROUND THEOLOGY
STUDIES 601 THE EARLY (Following Jesus in the Way)
360 APOLOGETICS CHURCH 720 CHRISTIAN ETHICS
115 The Canon of The Text (Finding the implications
(Commending &
The Transmission of the defending of Faith for conduct)
Text (Describing
607 THE WEST
the Faith as truth &
the extent of the text & how it The Middle Ages 730 EDUCATION
wisdom)
was handed down) The Renaissance 750 STUDY METHODS
117 HERMENEUTICS 400 CONTEMPOR 770 CHRISTIAN
(Clarifying what the Text -ARY STUDIES 615 THE MODERN ERA
says & what the Text means) The Enlightenment EDUCATION
(The contemporary
CONTEXT of our Faith) The Evangelical 780 THEOLOGICAL
120 OLD TESTAMENT
Revival EDUCATION
159 INTER-TESTA 435 COMPARATIVE 788 Languages
-MENTAL PERIOD RELIGION 620 ASIA
Near East & Central 800 PASTORAL
160 NEW TESTAMENT THEOLOGY
450 ISLAM Asia
200 CHRISTIAN 624 INDIAN SUB- (The ADMINISTRATION
DOCTRINE 490 CONTEXTUAL of our Faith)
THEOLOGY CONTINENT
(The CONTENT of our Missionary Agents 810 PASTORAL CARE
Faith) Spheres of Mission of the Individual
203 NATURAL 500 COMMUNICA-
THEOLOGY TION 830 PUBLIC WORSHIP
(What may be discovered (The COMMUNICATION 640 S. E. ASIA 835 CONGREGATION
about God apart from of our Faith) 650 AFRICA -AL OVERSIGHT
revelation)
520 HOMILETICS 840 LOCAL CHURCH
204 BIBLICAL 656 AMERICA LEADERSHIP
(Preaching the Faith to-day)
THEOLOGY
(Summary of Biblical teaching 690 HISTORICAL 850 ORGANISATION
545 EVANGELISM
following the story of the 870 DENOMINATIONAL
THEOLOGY
Bible)
550 MISSIOLOGY (How the Faith was ETHOS
205 SYSTEMATIC (Defining the Christian STATED in the past) 900 GENERAL
THEOLOGY task in the world)
(Summary of topics in the Bible)
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Continued on separate file….

Part 2
of
a Nine Part Listing

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100 BIBLICAL STUDIES