DESCRIPTION:

An English Bible study of Ephesians, the epistle that has been called "the quintessence of Paulinism" for its development of key theological themes in Paul and that is especially loved for its meditative quality and thematization of the church as the body of Christ. Attention will be given to this and other great theological themes in the letter as well as to its character and style, possible conceptual backgrounds and literary dependence, and the question of authorship.

The study of Ephesians allows us to deal with some of the major issues facing Christian ministry and the church today, such as enmity between peoples and reconciliation, unity and diversity in the church, a Christian manner of life in the "world," "spiritual warfare," and the relevance of Christ's death and Lordship for such matters. This epistle thus offers a wealth of material for preaching, teaching and spiritual reflection.

Class time will be devoted to lectures on the text of Ephesians and discussion of the role of its theology in the life of the church. The class will meet weekly on Mondays for a three-hour session.

Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. NICNT; Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1984.

Furnish, Victor P. "Ephesians, Epistle to the," in The Anchor Bible Dictionary Vol. 2. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

Lincoln, Andrew T. and A. J. M. Wedderburn. The Theology of the Later Pauline Letters. NTT; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

Arnold, Clinton E. Ephesians, Power and Magic: The Concept of Power in Ephesians in Light of Its Historical Setting. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992.

Barth, Markus. Ephesians 1-3; Ephesians 4-6. A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. AB; Garden City: Doubleday, 1974.

Best, Ernest. Ephesians. Sheffield: JSOT, 1993.

Dahl, Nils. "Interpreting Ephesians Then and Now," TD 25 (1977) 305-15.

Lincoln, Andrew T. Ephesians. WBC 42; Dallas: Word, 1990.

Schnackenburg, Rudolf. Trans. Helen Heron. Ephesians. A Commentary. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1991.

Stuhlmacher, Peter. "`He is our Peace' (Eph. 2:14). On the Exegesis and Significance of Ephesians 2:14-18," in Reconciliation, Law & Righteousness: Essays in Biblical Theology. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986, 182-200.

Stowers, Stanley. Letter Writing in Greco-Roman Antiquity. LEC 5. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1986.

1. Reading the assigned commentary on Ephesians plus supplementary readings.

2. Preparing written reflections on the practical use and implications of the epistle (work in small groups is encouraged).

3. A research paper on a text from Ephesians.

None.