DESCRIPTION:

This course is a general introduction to the New Testament texts from Acts through Revelation with major emphasis given to the letters of Paul and Pauline studies. Attention is given to the first century contexts (Judaism; Greco-Roman society; early church) of these documents, to the methodological issues of interpretation, and to the use of these texts in the church today.

These New Testament documents are a central component of Christian scripture, and offer indispensable insights into the church's core beliefs as well as illuminating the early history and development of church life. As well as considering historical and literary matters related to Christian origins, the course will also include selected issues related to contextualizing the New Testament's message for contemporary society, with a view to inspiring and informing relevant Christian thought and action.

The course will meet daily for two weeks for four-hour sessions. Class meetings will utilize a variety of different formats, including plenaries, small group discussion, role play, and lectures. Interaction between class members will be a fundamental part of the learning process.

Ascough, R. S. What Are They Saying About the Formation of Pauline Churches? Paulist, 1998.

Drane, John. Introducing the New Testament. 3rd ed. Fortress, 2001 (pages 237-474).

Ferguson, E. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 3rd ed. Eerdmans, 2003.

Horrell, D. An Introduction to the Study of Paul. Continuum, 2000.

Banks, R. Paul's Idea of Community. 2d ed. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994.

Cousar, C. B. The Letters of Paul. Abingdon Press, 1996.

Hawthorne, Gerald F, and Ralph P Martin, eds. Dictionary of Paul and His Letters. InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Martin, Ralph P. and Peter H. Davids, eds. Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments. InterVarsity Press, 1997.

Dunn, James D. G. The Theology of Paul the Apostle. Eerdmans, 1998.

Murphy-O'Connor, Jerome. Paul the Letter-Writer: His World, His Options, His Skills. Liturgical Press, 1995.

1. Students will be expected to participate fully in all activities in class meetings.
   Students who miss more than three class meetings will not receive a passing grade.

2. Written work consists of (a) a personal course journal following approved guidelines (50% of grade); (b) a paper of 12-15 pages on a subject to be proposed by the student and given advance approval in writing by the professor or teaching assistant (50%).
   Both pieces must be submitted to gain a grade. All written work is due September 13.

None.

Meets M.Div. core requirement in New Testament 2 (NT2).

None.