Fall 2015/Pasadena

NT860

Thompson

NT860: THE NEW TESTAMENT IN ITS ANCIENT CONTEXTS (6 Units: 363 hours). Marianne Meye Thompson.

DESCRIPTION: This CATS seminar, open to a limited number of advanced Master’s students, focuses on specific topics in the study of the ancient contexts of the NT. In the fall quarter, 2015, the topic will be the understanding of the divine and related topics (e.g., worship and cult; divine agency and human conduct; sacred scripture; people and identity in relationship to the divine) in antiquity. While we will focus particularly on texts from early Judaism, we will also take into account selected topics and sources from the Greco-Roman world.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated the ability (1) to employ a range of texts that inform study of the NT in responsible ways; (2) to interact thoughtfully and critically with the work of others; (3) to identify and discuss a variety of important issues in understanding of the divine and related topics in selected ancient sources of Judaism and ancient Greco-Roman texts; and (4) to design and carry out a research project on a text or theme related to the course material.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three-hours for review of assignments, discussion of primary and secondary texts, seminar presentations, and occasional brief lectures. The final week of the course will involve student presentations of work and critical responses to that work.

REQUIRED READING: 1500 total number of pages required.

Charlesworth, J. H., ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. 2 vols. Hendrickson Publishers, 2010. ISBN: 978-1598564891, Pub. Price $69.95 [213 pages].

Collins, John J., and Daniel C. Harlow. The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism. Eerdmans, 2010. [EDEJ]. ISBN: 978-0802825490, Pub. Price $95.00 [382 pages].

García Martínez, Florentina and Eibert J. C. Tigchelaar. The Dead Sea Scrolls: Study Edition. 2 vols. Eerdmans, 1999. ISBN: 978-0802844934, Pub. Price $100.00 [67 pages].

Green, Joel B. and Lee Martin McDonald. The World of the New Testament. Cultural, Social and Historical Contexts. Baker, 2013. [WOTNT]. ISBN: 978-0801039621, Pub. Price $49.99 [163 pages]

Klauck, Hans-Josef. The Religious Context of Early Christianity: A Guide to Graeco-Roman Religions. Fortress Press, 2003. ISBN: 978-0800635930, Pub. Price $34.00 [330 pages].

The SBL Handbook of Style: For Biblical Studies and Related Disciplines, 2nd ed. SBL Press, 2014. ISBN: 978-1589839649, Pub. Price $39.95 (Now also available electronically)

It is expected that students have access to a number of primary texts, including the Septuagint, Josephus and Philo. Based on the Loeb Classical Library volumes, 41 pages will be read of Philo and 93 pages of Josephus. Additionally, 130 pages will be read in the OT Apocrypha; 30 pages from Pliny and Suetonius; and 51 pages from selected Greek texts collected in Early Christian Life and Thought in Social Context: A Reader (ed. Mark Harding); some of these texts will be on e-reserve; others are easily available in various formats (on line; bible software; etc.).

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Attendance at and readiness to participate in all sessions of the Seminar [33 hours].
  2. Assigned primary and secondary reading (1500 pages). [100 hours].
  3. Directed Learning Activities: 5 written assignments on primary sources (1200 words each) and oral presentation (35%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 3] [70 hours].
  4. Directed Learning Activities: 5 written assignments on required secondary reading (500-1000 words each) and oral presentation (15%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2] [20 hours].
  5. Preparation and presentation of a major research paper, on a topic related to the theme of the course, and drawing primarily on primary sources other than the NT: 7000 - 9000 words (40%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 4] [120 hours].
  6. 1200 word critical response to a final paper prepared by a seminar member (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome #2] [20 hours].

PREREQUISITES: Admission into the ThM or PhD program. Open to a limited number of advanced master’s level students with the following prerequisites: LG502, LG512, NE502 or BI500; NS500 and NS501, or NT500; and written permission of instructor.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Required for the PhD in New Testament; elective for MA/MDiv students.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.

For your convenience, order these texts online through the Archives Bookshop.