DESCRIPTION: This course is an exegetical study of the Gospel according to Matthew, which seeks to acquaint students with the larger movement of the narrative as well as the intricacies of select passages, develop their skill in reading the Gospel, and deepen their understanding of Jesus and Christian discipleship.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Matthew was a crucial guide for Christian discipleship in the early days of the Christian church, has served as such for much of the church's history, and remains so in our time. Matthew presents Jesus at the center of the story of the people of God and thus is crucial for ministers of that people today. This course also highlights Jesus' conflict with some of Israel's first-century Jewish authorities in order to promote better Christian engagement of the `Jewish-Christian difference' that has so shaped Christian self-understandings and concepts of social and political difference in the modern West.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who successfully complete this course will have demonstrated

1. knowledge of the structure, main themes, and message of Matthew;

2. the ability to marshal, with literary, historical, and theological sensitivity, an exegetical argument for a coherent reading of a passage of Matthew;

3. patient reflection on Matthew's witness to Christian faithfulness in the face of current social and political difference.

The Bible in the NRSV or the TNIV.

France, R. T. The Gospel of Matthew. NICNT. Eerdmans, 2007. ISBN: 9780802825018. $65.

Keener, Craig. The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Eerdmans, 2009. ISBN: 9780802864987. $50.

Choose one of the following:

Carter, Warren. Matthew and the Margins. London: T&T Clark, 2005. ISBN: 9780567040619. $85.

Or Hauerwas, Stanley. Matthew. Brazos, 2006. ISBN: 9781587430954. $29.99.

Or Luz, Ulrich. The Theology of the Gospel of Matthew. Cambridge University Press, 1995. ISBN: 9780521435765. $25.99.

Course reader on Moodle. Includes articles/chapters by Étienne Balibar, Shaye Cohen, Musa Dube, Frances Taylor Gench, Amy Jill Levine, and others.

Luz, Ulrich. Matthew. 3 vols. Hermeneia. Fortress Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780800660994, 9780800660345, and 9780800637705. $75, $69, and $90.

Matthew. 2 vols. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. InterVarsity Press, 2001, 2002. ISBN: 9780830814862 and 9780830814695. $40 and $40.

1. One exegetical outline of the Gospel of Matthew (15%)

2. One exegetical working paper on one passage in Matthew (25%)

3. One final exegetical paper arguing for a coherent reading of a single passage in Matthew (35%)

4. One essay reflecting on conflict in Matthew and its implications for Christian discipleship in the divisions of our time (25%)