Summer 2020/Online

NT500

Sousa

NT500: NEW TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION (4 Units: 164 hours). Mathew E. Sousa.

DESCRIPTION: New Testament Introduction orients students to the literature of the New Testament in its various literary, historical, and theological contexts and to New Testament interpretation in service of Christian practice.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course students will have demonstrated that they (1) have an introductory knowledge of the literature, history, and theology of the New Testament; (2) can identify a range of questions (e.g., historical, literary, canonical) that might be addressed to particular New Testament texts and can explore those questions in the process of interpreting particular New Testament texts; (3) are able to take into account the varied contexts of both the biblical materials and their contemporary interpreters; and (4) can read the New Testament in ways that foster faithful Christian practice.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: This course will introduce students to content and interpretation of the NT in its historical and contemporary context, which is consistent with the SOT PLO “Students will have demonstrated competence in the practice of biblical interpretation for faithful use of Scripture in their own lives and ministries” (MDiv, MAT, MATM).

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: 1,094pages of books and articles required, plus reading the entire NT.

The entire NT in English (using the NRSV, TNIV, or CEB) [25 hours].

Achtemeier, Paul J., Joel B. Green, and Marianne Meye Thompson. Introducing the New Testament: Its Literature and Theology. Eerdmans, 2001. ISBN: 978-0802837172, Pub. Price $48.00 [608 pp.; 573 assigned].

Gorman, Michael J. Reading Paul. Cascade, 2008. ISBN: 978-1556351952, Pub. Price $17.60. This is available from the Fuller library as an eBook [206 pp.].

Longenecker, Bruce W. The Lost Letters of Pergamum: A Story from the New Testament World. 2nd Edition. Baker Academic, 2016. ISBN: 978-0801097966, Pub. Price $21.99. This is available from the Fuller library as an eBook [187 pp.].

Course Reader: essays/chapters by Brian K. Blount, Diane G. Chen, Susan Grove Eastman, Justo L. González, and Nijay K. Gupta, among others [approx. 128 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1.1,094 total number of pages of books and articles required, plus reading the entire NT. This assignment relates to learning outcomes #1-4. [94 hours, including 25 hours of reading the entire NT]

2.Participation (two parts; 50% total): (A) timely completion of assigned readings and listening to or watching online lectures (10%); (B) weekly online forum posts (one 250 word post per week) and responses (two 125 word responses per week) concerning assigned readings and lectures (40%). These assignments relate to learning outcomes #1-4. [35 hours]

3.Interpretive Practices (10% total): Two working papers (each 600 words in length; each 5%) respectively consisting of observations and questions on the significance of an assigned NT text's literary, historical, and theological contexts for the text's interpretation. These assignments relate to learning outcomes #1-4. [10 hours]

4.Interpretive Essays (40% total): Two essays (each 1,500 words in length; each 20%) respectively arguing for and articulating a central theological claim of an assigned NT text. These assignments relate to learning outcomes #1-4. [25 hours]

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets a core requirement in the 120 MDiv, 80 MAT, 80 MATM, and 80 MAICS Programs (Fall 2015) and the MATM, MAICS, and MACL Programs (Winter 2010).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.