DESCRIPTION:

This Internet-based course constitutes an introduction to the nature, structure, and message of the New Testament Gospels in their historical, literary, and canonical contexts.

The four Gospels of the New Testament are our primary witnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus. A thorough knowledge of their contexts is crucial for understanding Jesus and his message, for shaping Christian discipleship, and for the various tasks of preaching and teaching in the church today.

1. articulate the character of the Gospels as witnesses to Jesus Christ;

2. demonstrate familiarity with the historical background, content, structure, and message of each of the New Testament Gospels;

3. articulate and critique contemporary reconstructions of the historical Jesus; and

4. demonstrate developing skill in the interpretation of the Gospels as appropriate for effective leadership in Christian communities.

The course will be conducted online. There will be ten weekly lessons. The course involves reading, writing, use of libraries and other resources, and interactive discussion. Each week students and the instructor will interact with the material through threaded discussions. Each week students will need to respond to posted questions and respond to each other's comments based upon weekly reading assignments.

Aland, Kurt, et al., eds. Synopsis of the Four Gospels. English Edition. New York: American Bible Society, 2010. ISBN: 9781585169429. $49.99.
OR Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels. Greek-English Edition. United Bible Societies, 1976. ISBN: 978-3438054050. $129.99.

Strauss, Mark L. Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Introduction to Jesus and the Gospels. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007. ISBN: 978-0310226970. $44.99.

Barton, Stephen C. The Cambridge Companion to the Gospels. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN: 978-0521002615. $30.99.

Evans, Craig A. Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0830833559. $16.00.

Bauckham, Richard. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008. ISBN: 978-0802863904.

Gathercole, Simon. The Preexistent Son: Recovering the Christologies of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006. ISBN: 978-0802829016.

Jeffers, James S. The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era: Exploring the Background of Early Christianity. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-0830815890.

Green, Joel B., and Scot McKnight, eds. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1992. ISBN: 978-0830817771.

Wright, N. T. The New Testament and the People of God. (Christian Origins and the Question of God.) Minneapolis: Augsburg/Fortress, 1992. ISBN: 978-0800626815.

1. Two Interpretive Assignments, 3-5 pages each (2 x 150 points, 30% of final grade). Addresses Learning Objective 4.

2. Book review of Evans, 4-5 pages (1 x 200 points, 20% of final grade). Addresses Learning Objective 1, 3.

3. One Synoptic Comparison, 2-3 pages (1 x 100 points, 10% of grade). Addresses Learning Objective 4.

4. Weekly participation in online discussions (1 x 100 points, 10% of grade). Addresses learning objectives 1, 2 and 4.

5. Research paper, 8-10 pages (1 x 300 points, 30% of final grade). Addresses Learning Objectives 1, 2, and 4.