DESCRIPTION: This course provides an introduction to the study of the book of Acts, the letters of the New Testament, and the book of Revelation. Questions such as the authorship, purpose, structure, date, and occasion of each of these documents are considered insofar as they aid our understanding of the New Testament and contribute to our grasp of the theology of each of these documents.

COURSE OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated (1) a fundamental knowledge of the content of the NT documents studied in this part of the course; (2) an acquaintance with a range of cultural and historical matters that may inform our understanding of them; (3) an understanding of some of the factors contributing to the growth and development of the early church, the various struggles it faced, and the theological positions that emerged as a result; and (4) an appreciation of how documents bear witness to the Risen Lord.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: An understanding of these documents is foundational for developing a biblically informed theology that equips one for preaching and teaching, for thinking carefully and creatively about Christian faith in today's world, and for faithful Christian discipleship.

COURSE FORMAT: Lectures and discussion of the assigned primary and secondary readings. The class meets for four hours daily over a period of two weeks (i.e., in the intensive format).

REQUIRED READING:

Those portions of the NT studied in this course (Acts, the letters, Revelation).

Achtemeier, Paul, Joel Green, and Marianne Meye Thompson. Introducing the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.

Skarsaune, Oskar. In the Shadow of the Temple: Jewish Influences on Early Christianity. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002.

Westerholm, Stephen. Understanding Paul: The Early Christian Worldview of the Letter to the Romans. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004.

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003.

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

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

1. A midterm examination; 20% of the grade (first hour of Monday of second week).

2. A final examination; 30% of the grade (last two hours of last day of class).

3. One essay on an assigned topic; 50% of the grade. Due September 7th.