Winter 2013/Pasadena
NE567
R. J. Erickson
NE567: ROMANS (English text). Richard J. Erickson
DESCRIPTION: A detailed English-text-based study of Paul's epistle to Rome, which is, in some respects, the central document in the New Testament. Attention is focused primarily on the argument, message, and theological significance of the book itself and secondarily on exegetical method and certain aspects ofPaul's ideas.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: God's faithfulness to his covenant promise for all creation, applied by Paul to a real historical situation, shows the Bible to beboth human word and divine revelation. The course intends, in light of this, to inspire students with enthusiasm for reading the Bible responsibly in ministry and fordeeper obedience to Scripture in their own lives. We ourselves are to be "studied" by the text and by Him who meets us in it.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students successfully completing NE567 "Romans" will have demonstrated (1) knowledge and understanding of the letter to the Romans; (2) ability to interpret Romansthrough critical, community interaction, using historical, socio-cultural, literary and other methods; (3) and skill in reading the Bible theologically in view of diverse contexts.
COURSE FORMAT: Conducted online, the ten weekly lessons align with Fuller’s academic calendar. The course involves reading, writing, research, and interactive discussion with other students and the instructor.
REQUIRED READING (See syllabus for Recommended Reading):
Two rapid readings of Romans, at least one in the NRSV or the TNIV. [c. 40 pp.]
Weekly lectures, posted online
Cranfield, C. E. B. Romans: A Shorter Commentary. Eerdmans, 1985. [384 pp.] ISBN: 978-0802800121. Pub. Price: $30.00
Green, Joel B. Practicing Theological Interpretation: Engaging Biblical Texts for Faith and Formation (Baker Academic, 2011) [140 pp.] ISBN: 978-0801039638. Pub. Price: $21.99
Tamez, Elsa. The Bible of the Oppressed. Wipf & Stock, 2006 [orig. 1982; 88 pp.] ISBN: 978-1597525558. Pub. Price: $13.00
Wright, N. T. "The Letter to the Romans: Introduction, Commentary, and Reflections." In The New Interpreter's Bible, vol. 10, pp. 393-770. Abingdon, 2002. [376 pp.] ISBN: 978-0687278237. Pub. Price: $74.00.
Selected materials on reserve.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
Read rapidly through Romans, entirely and in one sitting (c. two hours). Use either the NRSV or the TNIV for this reading. Write a maximum 750-word reflective essay on your sense of (a) the message of Romans and (b) its relation to your previous assumptions of the book’s message. Essay due the end of Week 1. [10%]
Participate in six online forums focused on assigned texts from Romans and theological interpretations of those texts, as well as on assigned co-lateral readings. [30%]
Write two 1500-word maximum essays describing insights from close readings of selected texts from Romans [30%].
Write a 2500-word maximum essay on a selected text from Romans, relating its exegetically based theological interpretation to the kinds of concerns raised in Tamez, Bible of the Oppressed and Green, Practicing Theological Interpretation. Essay due in Week 10. [20%]
Read rapidly through Romans again, at one sitting, after Week 8 and before the end of Week 9. Describe in a maximum 750-word essay how your impressions of Romans in this second rapid reading differ from and resemble those from your first reading. This second rapid-reading essay is due at the end of Week 9. [10%]
PREREQUISITES: None. NS501 could be useful, however.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: MA: Biblical Studies; MDiv/MAT-BS: Elective; MA in Global Leadership Ministry Focus Elective.
FINAL EXAMINATION: No.