Guide for Research Paper: REL131

Pick one focused idea, question or doctrine. This may be anything that we discuss in class this
semester. Pick one theologian from the list at the end of this document. Your paper topic then
becomes: The Idea/Doctrine/Question of A in the Theology of B. You must have permission
from me in advance to write on someone who is not on this list. You are welcome to meet with
me for help in deciding on a paper topic. The more clearly I understand your paper topic, the
more help I can give you with it. 

In making decisions about your paper topic, you may start with either side of this equation, but if
you start with a topic, please be sure that you pick a theologian who writes about your topic in
some depth, not just in passing. If you start with a theologian, please be sure that you pick a topic
that your theologian cares about deeply, not just as a side issue. If you cannot find at least two
journal articles that address both your topic and your chosen theologian, the topic you are
considering is probably too obscure for an intro-level class.  

You MUST use at least two primary sources for this paper; i.e., you must read material by your
theologian, not just books or articles about your theologian. You must also use at least two
articles from peer-reviewed theological journals about your topic and theologian. You must
also use at least two academically credible books about your topic and/or your theologian. You
MAY NOT use Wikipedia, Academia, or blog posts.
 If you need an encyclopedia, use the Encyclopedia Britannica, accessible as one of the
Library databases. Such reference books are often helpful, but they do not count toward
your minimum number of academic books. 

 In some cases, it might makes sense to use something that we’ve read for class as a
source for your paper. That’s fine, but class material does not count toward your required
minimum number of sources. 
 You may find it appropriate to cite the Bible in your paper; that’s fine too, but again, it
doesn’t count toward your minimum number of sources. 
 If you must use a dictionary, please do not use Dictionary.com or anything similar. Either
use a theological reference book or a dictionary such as the Oxford English Dictionary
that includes theological meanings for terms. Again, this does not count toward your
minimum sources.
I suggest that you begin your bibliographic search by consulting the ATLA database.  

This is a formal research paper. You must have a thesis that you defend throughout the paper. A
thesis is not merely a factual statement; it is a statement of analysis that requires defense. If you
cannot imagine a reasonable person questioning your thesis, then it’s not yet a thesis statement.
“John Calvin believed in predestination” is not a thesis statement. “John Calvin’s doctrine of
predestination is a doctrine of grace” is a thesis statement. Your paper must include analysis as
well as summary, and having a thesis statement is what guarantees that this happens. Analysis
involves more than a few sentences of general appreciation. It requires making a judgment about
your topic and then defending that judgment. 
The structure of the paper should be determined by your thesis, which should result in you
presenting a well-researched account of the theological position of a significant theologian on a
theological topic, along with your evaluation of that position. It is often a good idea to include
some biographical information about your theologian and/or some historical context near the
beginning of the paper, but such biography should not be allowed to take over the paper. This
paper must be at least 2500 words, but there is no upper limit for length. 

You must include an outline, detailed to at least three levels of sub-points. Please do not title
your points as Introduction, Body, Conclusion without any further elaboration. Do not simply list
the points of your paper. An outline distinguishes between main points and sub-points, whereas a
list does not. A good outline should allow me to see the structure of your argument all at once.

The first page (or two) of the paper should include your name, your word count, your title, your
thesis and your outline. If this takes more than two pages, your outline is too long for a 2500
word paper. This front-page material does not count toward your 2500-word requirement. The
thesis should occur again within the paper, generally at the end of your introduction. You must
also include a bibliography at the end of your paper. That doesn’t count toward your 2500 words
either.

The Religion Department requires Turabian style (also known as Chicago style) for citations in
formal papers: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html. You
can find that information in print in The Chicago Manual of Style. I require you to use footnotes,
rather than endnotes or parenthetical citation. Parenthetical citation was developed to
accommodate the difficulty of inserting footnotes when typing a paper on a typewriter, but it is
ugly and interrupts the flow of your text. Since none of you is likely to be using a typewriter to
produce your paper, and since footnotes are extremely easy in any word processor (check out
either the “insert” menu or the “reference” menu), it no longer makes sense to avoid footnotes. 

When I grade final papers, I typically look for the following things: 
1. How well do you know your theologian’s way of thinking? 
2. How well do you understand the theological issues at stake in your topic?
3. How strong is your analysis of your theologian’s position on those issues?
4. How strong are the sources that you are using for this paper?
5. How well do you write?  
THEOLOGIANS

Thomas Aquinas Hildegard of Bingen

Anselm Charles Hodge
Athanasius Julian of Norwich
Augustine William Law
Hans Urs von Balthasar Martin Luther
Karl Barth Jürgen Moltmann
Basil the Great Nicholas of Cusa
Herman Bavinck John Owen
Leonardo Boff Karl Rahner
Bonaventure John Sanders
John Calvin  Teresa of Avila
Jonathan Edwards Francis Turretin
Gregory of Nazianzus John Wesley
Gregory of Nyssa John Zizioulas