DESCRIPTION: This course engages the student in a study of that branch of New Testament Theology concerned with Christian life and ethics. More specifically, the course attempts to help the student develop a theological framework for Christian ethics that employs a critical and responsible use of the New Testament documents in conjunction with other sources of theological authority. How those sources combine to produce a coherent Christian worldview on any number of critical issues facing Christians today will be the ultimate aim of the course.

COURSE OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES: Successful completion of the course should enable students to (1) develop the necessary exegetical skills for interpreting New Testament texts; (2) appreciate the unity and diversity of canonical voices that speak through the New Testament texts; (3) interpret New Testament texts as part of the hermeneutical task of the church; (4) think theologically utilizing various sources of theological authority; (5) apply the principles of the course to certain "cutting edge" issues confronting the church today.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: With many faith communities deeply divided over how the Bible relates to such issues as homosexuality, abortion, and just-war theory, this course seeks to guide students in the exercise of a theological method in which New Testament texts play a seminal and sustaining role.

COURSE FORMAT: This course relies heavily on the student's grasp of the assigned readings to inform and guide classroom discussion and interaction. Lectures will augment the assigned readings, offering both clarification and critique. Student participation is critical in a course that seeks to model the kind of ethical decision-making process so badly needed in the church today. The course will meet weekly for three-hour sessions.

REQUIRED READING:

Furnish, Victor Paul. The Moral Teaching of Paul: Selected Issues. 2nd ed., revised. Nashville: Abingdon, 1985.

Hays, Richard B. The Moral Vision of the New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1996.

Johnson, Luke Timothy. Scripture and Discernment: Decision-Making in the Church. Nashville: Abingdon, 1996.

Stone, Howard W., and James O. Duke. How to Think Theologically. 2nd ed., revised. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2006.

1. A written midterm examination covering the first half of the course (25%).

2. A 12-15 page exegetical paper on a New Testament text whose meaning (or range of meanings) weighs heavily in ethical construction (35%).

3. A small group project highlighting the role of Christian community in the process of theological and ethical discernment (10%).

4. A final examination measuring the student's overall grasp of the course (30%).