DESCRIPTION: This course covers the study of the four canonical Gospels and their witness to Jesus in historical context.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated (1) a fundamental knowledge of the content and structure of these four books; (2) an acquaintance with a range of cultural and historical matters that may inform our understanding of them; (3) an understanding of the literary character of the Gospels and some of the implications for interpreting them; and (4) an understanding of how these four different Gospels bear witness to Jesus.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: This course lays the foundation for the study of the Gospels. Satisfactory completion of the course should increase the student's confidence in reading, studying, and teaching the Gospels.

COURSE FORMAT: Lectures and discussion based on reading the New Testament and secondary sources. The course will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions.

REQUIRED READING:

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

Evans, C. A. and Stanley E. Porter, eds. Dictionary of New Testament Background. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2000. Selected articles.

Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels, English edition. OR Synopsis of the Four Gospels, Greek-English edition. United Bible Societies, 1993.

Bockmuehl, Markus. This Jesus: Martyr, Lord, Messiah. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994.

Green, J. B., S. McKnight, and I. H. Marshall, eds. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Powell, Mark Allan. Fortress Introduction to the Gospels. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1998.

• Regular short (150-200 words) written assignments on a NT passage or primary source (35%).

• Two assignments (1000 words each) dealing with interpretation of a passage from the Gospels (30%).

• A final examination, covering lectures and reading (35%)