DESCRIPTION: An exploration of the historical, theological, and ethical significance of the proclamation of the kingdom of God, centered especially in the witness to the mission and message of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels, but also in other New Testament voices and beyond.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The message of the kingdom of God is a central coordinate for theology and ethics in and of the New Testament. Consequently, it provides an important focal point for engaging in the synthetic, critical, and constructive work of biblical theology that is pivotal to day-to-day ministries of all kinds.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students will have demonstrated the ability (1) to articulate the importance of both the Old Testament witness to God's dominion and the context of the first-century Roman Empire for explicating the witness of New Testament writings to the kingdom of God; (2) to work with the New Testament materials relevant to the kingdom of God in a synthetic way that takes seriously the particularity of these materials and the potential of a coordinated New Testament witness to the kingdom of God; (3) to exhibit the relationship between exegesis and theological interpretation of New Testament texts concerned with the kingdom of God; and (4) to articulate the ongoing significance of the witness of Jesus and early Christian writers to the kingdom of God for critical reflection on ecclesial practices.

COURSE FORMAT: This course is concerned with the practice of New Testament theology, which necessarily involves sociocultural and canonical interests. As a result, the course will require regular exegetical and theological work with biblical texts. The course meets twice weekly for two-hour sessions for lecture and discussion.

REQUIRED READING:
Bryan, Christopher. Render to Caesar: Jesus, the Early Church, and the Roman Superpower. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Chilton, Bruce D. Pure Kingdom: Jesus' Vision of God. Studying the Historical Jesus. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.
Bible (selections). Students may use either NRSV or TNIV. Those with Greek may use either UBS⁴ or NA²⁷.
Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1996.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: (1) Class preparation and participation. (2) Three interpretive exercises on selected passages (2 pages each) (30% of final grade). (3) A critical review of either Bryan or Chilton (25% of final grade). (4) Research essay related to one or more of the learning outcomes (ca. 10 pages) (45% of final grade).

PREREQUISITES: NS500 New Testament 1: Gospels.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in New Testament Theology (NTT).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.

This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (11/09)