Spring 2017/Pasadena

NE527

Sechrest

NE527: NEW TESTAMENT EXEGESIS: PHILIPPIANS AND PHILEMON (4 Units: 160 hours). Love Sechrest.

DESCRIPTION: This course will offer a detailed study of Philippians and Philemon, with particular attention given to the socio-historical setting, theological confession, ethical concerns and ecclesiological vision of these letters.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students will have demonstrated the ability (1) to interpret Philippians and Philemon within their socio-historical, literary, and canonical contexts; (2) to identify central issues in the critical study of Philippians and Philemon; (3) to articulate primary theological and ethical concerns of the two letters; (4) to use Greek based language tools for interpreting the text; and (5) to interpret this text for faithful use of Scripture in their own lives and ministries.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three hour sessions for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours.

REQUIRED READING: 1027 pages required.

Fitzmyer, Joseph. The Letter to Philemon. Doubleday, 2000. ISBN: 978-0300140552, Pub. Price $85.00 [122 pp.]

Fowl, Stephen. Philippians: The Two Horizons New Testament Commentary. Eerdmans, 2005. ISBN: 978-0802825513, Pub. Price $26.00 [235 pp.]

Osiek, Carolyn. Philippians and Philemon. Abingdon, 2000. ISBN: 978-0687058228, Pub. Price $24.99 [131 pp.]

Silva, Moises. Philippians. Baker, 2005. ISBN: 978-0801026812, Pub. Price $32.99. [213 pp.]

Sumney, Jerry L. Philippians: A Greek Student’s Intermediate Reader. Baker Academic, 2007. ISBN: 978-0801047794, Pub. Price $24.00 [152 pp.].

Thompson, Marianne Meye. Colossians and Philemon: The Two Horizons New Testament Commentary. Eerdmans, 2005. ISBN: 978-0802827159, Pub. Price $26.00 [73 pp.]

CHOOSE ONE VERSION OF THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT:

Aland, Kurt, et.al. The Greek New Testament. 5th ed. United Bible Societies, 2014 [UBS 5]. ISBN: 978-1619701397, Pub. Price $69.95; OR

Nestle, E., and Aland, K. Novum Testamentum Graece. 28th ed. Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012 [NA 28]. ISBN: 978-1619700307, Pub. Price $40.99.

E-RESERVES, that includes 101 pp. including the following:

Campbell, Constantine R. Colossians and Philemon: A Handbook on the Greek Text. Baylor University Press, 2013. ISBN: 978-1602582927, Pub. Price $29.95 [17 pp.]

Jervis, L. Ann. “Philippians” in pp 37-76, At the Heart of the Gospel: Suffering in the Earliest Christian Message. Eerdmans, 2007. [39 pp]

Osiek, Carolyn and Margaret Y. MacDonald. “Female Slaves: Twice Vulnerable” Pp. 95-117 in A Woman's Place: House Churches In Earliest Christianity. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2006. [23 pp.]

Marchal, Joseph.”Toward a Feminist Postcolonial Analysis of Philippians” in The Colonized Apostle: Paul in Postcolonial Eyes (Paul in Critical Contexts), edited by Christopher Stanley. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2011, pp. 146-160. [14pp]

Smith, Mitzi J. “Utility, Fraternity, and Reconciliation: Ancient Slavery as a Context for the Return of Onesimus" in Onesimus Our Brother: Reading Religion, Race, and Culture in Philemon, edited by Matthew V. Johnson, James A. Noel, and Demetrius K. Williams. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012, pp. 47-58. [11 pp.]

Stewart, Hannah R. “Self-emptying and Sacrifice: A Feminist Critique of Kenosis in Philippians 2,” Colloquium 44/1 2012, 102-110. [8pp]

Williams, Demetrius K. “‘No Longer as a Slave’: Reading the Interpretation History of Paul’s Epistle to Philemon” in Onesimus Our Brother: Reading Religion, Race, and Culture in Philemon, ed. by Matthew V. Johnson, James A. Noel, and Demetrius K. Williams. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012, pp. 11-46. (Phlm) [35 pp].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Bockmuehl, Marcus. “The Form of God" (Phil. 2:6): Variations on a Theme of Jewish Mysticism” Journal of Theological Studies, NS, Vol. 48, Pt. 1, April 1997 1-23. [23 pp]

Murphy-O'Connor, Jerome. “Christological anthropology in Phil 2:6-11” in Revue Biblique 83/1 Jan 1976, p 25-50. [25 pp]

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Attendance [30 hours].

2. Reading: 1027 pages [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-5] [68 hours].

3. Interpretive Working Papers: Students will choose a passage and prepare a three-page single-spaced summary of the interpretive and theological issues in that passage according to guidelines given in class (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-4] [18 hours].

4. Final Paper: Beginning with the working paper above, students will prepare a 12 page exegetical paper on the same passage (35%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome 1-5] [25 hours].

5. Journals: Using guidelines given in class, students will submit either (a) translations of assigned passages or (b) interpretive and theological questions about assigned passages and critical questions about secondary literature (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-5] [9 hours].

6. Directed Learning Activities: Forum postings on the Greek text (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1 and 4] [10 hours].

PREREQUISITES: LG510 or LG512A/B or LG512; BI500 or NE502; NT500 or NS500 or NS501.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets the Biblical Language Exegesis requirement in the 120 MDiv program. Meets the NTE in the 144 MDiv Program.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.