Developing Dogmatic Courses on Various Levels of Instruction

Abstract

Abstract Presented at the Fourth World Seminary Conference in 1976, Ernest Zimdars’ essay outlines a framework for developing doctrinal instruction across three tiers of church leadership: lay leaders, evangelists, and pastors. Emphasizing the foundational role of dogmatics in personal faith, gospel proclamation, and defense against error, Zimdars explores how cultural, educational, and religious backgrounds affect theological training. He advocates tailoring instruction to each level’s responsibilities, from catechism and “This We Believe” for lay leaders, to structured Bible Institute curricula for evangelists, and seminary-level dogmatics for ordained pastors. Recommended resources include works by Koehler, Mueller, Schuetze, and Meyer, with emphasis on review, terminology, and contextual adaptation. Zimdars concludes by urging collaboration among instructors to refine doctrinal education for diverse mission fields, ensuring national churches produce well-equipped theologians. Abstract prepared with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4).