Fall 2010/Pasadena
NS500
Downs
NS500: NEW TESTAMENT 1: GOSPELS. David J. Downs.
DESCRIPTION: This course constitutes an introduction to the nature, structure,
and message of the New Testament Gospels in their historical, literary, and
canonical contexts.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The four Gospels of the New Testament are
our primary witnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus. A thorough knowledge
of their contexts is crucial for understanding Jesus and his message, for
shaping Christian discipleship, as well as for the various tasks of preaching
and teaching in the church today.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students should
be able (1) to articulate the character of the Gospels as witnesses to Jesus
Christ; (2) to demonstrate familiarity with the historical background, content,
structure, and message of each of the New Testament Gospels; and (3) to
demonstrate developing skill in the interpretation of the Gospels as
appropriate for effective leadership in Christian communities.
COURSE FORMAT: The course, which consists of lectures and discussion, will
meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions.
REQUIRED READING:
- Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels. Greek-English,
13th ed. United Bible Societies, 2006.
OR the same synopsis in English
only. ISBN: 1598561774. $129.95.
- Barton, Stephen C., ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Gospels.
Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN: 0521002613. $30.99.
- Stanton, Graham. The Gospels and Jesus. 2nd ed. Oxford University
Press. 2002. ISBN: 0199246165. $34.99.
- Theissen, Gerd. The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest for the Historical
Jesus in Narrative Form. 2d ed. Fortress, 2007. ISBN: 9780800639006.
$22.00.
- Either: Gench, Frances Taylor. Back to the Well: Women's
Encounters with Jesus in the Gospels. Westminster John Knox, 2004. ISBN:
0664227155. $19.95.
- Or: Dietrich, Walter, and Ulrich Luz, eds. The Bible in a World
Context: An Experiment in Contextual Hermeneutics. Eerdmans, 2002. ISBN:
0802849881. $12.00.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Achtemeier, P., J. Green, and M. Meye Thompson. Introducing the
New Testament: Its Literature and Theology. Eerdmans, 2001. ISBN:
0802837174. $40.00.
- Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 3rd ed.
Eerdmans, 2003. ISBN: 0802822215. $38.00.
- Green, Joel B., Scot McKnight, and I. Howard Marshall, eds. Dictionary
of Jesus and the Gospels. InterVarsity Press, 1992. ISBN: 0830817778.
$60.00.
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in New Testament 1
(NT1); meets MAT (2010) program requirement.
FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (August 2010)