Summer 2020/Fuller Online

NE527

Romano

NE527: NEW TESTAMENT EXEGESIS: GALATIANS (4 Units: 160 hours). James D. Romano.

DESCRIPTION: This course offers a detailed study and close reading of Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, with particular attention given to literary, socio-historical, and theological understandings of the letter.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students will have demonstrated the ability (1) to interpret Galatians within its socio-historical, literary, and canonical contexts; (2) to identify central issues in the critical study of Galatians; (3) to articulate primary theological and ethical concerns of Galatians; (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 course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.

REQUIRED READING: 1276 total pages required.

NRSV or CEB translation of the Bible.

Martyn, J. Louis. Galatians: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Yale University Press, 2004. ISBN: 978-0300139853; Pub. Price $50.00 [525 pp. assigned].

Elliott, Mark W., Scott J. Hafemann, N. T. Wright, and John Frederick, eds. Galatians and Christian Theology: Justification, the Gospel, and Ethics in Paul’s Letter. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014. ISBN: 9780801049514; Pub. Price $40.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [236 pp. assigned].

Silva, Moisés.Interpreting Galatians: Explorations in Exegetical Method. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001. ISBN: 9780801023057; Pub. Price $28.00 [226 pp. assigned].

Course reader freely available on the Canvas course page, including articles by Karen Jobes and Robert Ewusie Moses [approx. 58 pp. assigned].

Choose one of EITHER (for the Critical Review assignment):

Hays, Richard B. The Faith of Jesus Christ: The Narrative Substructure of Galatians 3:1-4:11. 2nd. Ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002. ISBN: 9780802849571; Pub. Price $30.50 [231 pp. assigned]; OR

Kahl, Brigitte. Galatians Re-Imagined: Reading with the Eyes of the Vanquished. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2010. ISBN: 9781451488074; Price $29.00 [303 pp. assigned].

Note: If students have already read one of the required texts in a previous course, an alternate book will be assigned to them by the professor.

Choose ONE Greek text. Electronic editions are allowed, but MUST be the same text as one of the following:

Nestle, E., and K. Aland. Novum Testamentum Graece. 28th ed. Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012 [NA28]. ISBN: 978-3438051400; Pub. Price $57.99 (the NA 27tth ed. is also acceptable); OR

Aland, K., et al. The Greek New Testament. 5th ed. United Bible Societies, 2014 [UBS5]. ISBN: 978-3438051165; Pub. Price $57.95 (the UBS 4tth ed. is also acceptable).

Students will consult the following resources regularly throughout the quarter:

Danker, F. W. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. University of Chicago Press, 2000 [BDAG]. ISBN: 978-0226039336; Pub. Price $184.49 [1188 pp.].

Wallace, D. B. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the NT. Zondervan, 1997. ISBN: 978-0310218951; Pub. Price $59.99 [860 pp.].

RECOMMENDED READING:

DeSilva, David A. Galatians: A Handbook on the Greek Text. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2014. ISBN: 9781602583177; Pub. Price $29.95 [167 pp.].

DeSilva, David Arthur. The Letter to the Galatians. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018. ISBN 978-0802830555; Pub. Price $55.00 [622 pp.].

Nanos, Mark D. The Galatians Debate: Contemporary Issues in Rhetorical and Historical Interpretation. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002. ISBN 9780801047275; Pub. Price $50.00 [576 pp.].

Riches, John K. Galatians Through the Centuries. Wiley-Blackwell, 2013. ISBN: 978-1118472668; Pub. Price $52.00 [301 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Weekly course lectures. Video lectures are posted for each week in Canvas. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1–5] [7 hours].
2. Canvas discussion forum postings in response to specified prompts. 250-word weekly forum posts (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1–3, 5] [10 hours].
3. 250-word weekly replies to forum postings (5%). These are two 125-word replies to the initial posts of other students. Please note the forum discussion posting and responses under Assignments and Assessment items 2 and 3 are quite important, it is not possible to pass the course without active participation in the online discussions. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1–3, 5] [10 hours].
4. Preparation of weekly translation assignments including lexical, grammatical, and syntactical comments—students should use the morphological search and other relevant features of Bible software to aid in this assignment. (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 2–4] [13 hours].
5. 1276 pages of logged, required reading (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1–5] [75 hours].
6. One 1200-word (excluding footnotes and bibliography), 5-page, double-spaced, properly formatted Exegetical Working Paper on an assigned passage (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1–5] [10 hours].
7. 1400-word, 5-page Critical Review in which students will analyze Hays’ book with a focus on the “pistis christou” debate OR Kahl’s book with close attention to the cultural issues of Galatians (15%). [This assignment is related to student learning outcomes 1–3] [10 hours].
8. Signature Assignment (Exegetical Research Paper on the student’s assigned pericope from Galatians): One 12-page, double spaced, properly formatted, 3000-word (excluding footnotes and bibliography) research paper (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1–5] [25 hours researching and writing].

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.

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. Copyright 2019 Fuller Theological Seminary.