DESCRIPTION: A general introduction to the New Testament texts from Acts through Revelation with major emphasis given to the letters of Paul and Pauline studies.

COURSE OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will (1) understand the content, literary forms, and historical settings of Acts-Revelation; (2) appreciate the social and religious context of the first-century Roman world; (3) develop appropriate hermeneutical skills for reading these texts in the postmodern cultural context; (4) gain insights into how these texts might be regarded as Christian Scripture in today's church.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: These New Testament documents are a key source of Christian belief, and informed understanding of them is essential for Christian life and ministry.

COURSE FORMAT: The course will meet twice weekly for ten weeks for two-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.

REQUIRED READING:

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

Drane, John. Introducing the Bible. 3d ed. Fortress, 2005 (pages 531-726 and relevant sections of the accompanying CD-ROM).

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

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

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

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