Fall 2014/Fuller Online

NE567

Stack-Nelson

NE567: NEW TESTAMENT BOOK STUDY: GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (English Text) (4 Units: 160 hours). Judith Stack-Nelson.

DESCRIPTION: This course will examine the Gospel according to Matthew with special attention to its literary features, theological perspective, cultural setting, and distinctive concerns, and will explore how its message both presents challenges and provides resources for ministry.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students will have demonstrated the ability (1) to interpret the Gospel of Matthewwithin its socio-historical, literary, and canonical contexts; (2) to identify central issues in the critical study of Matthew; (3) to articulate primary theological and ethical concerns of Matthew; and (4) to use English 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, which is outlined below in the assignment and assessment section. 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: 1,080 total pp. of required reading.

Allison, Dale C. The Sermon on the Mount. Herder & Herder/Crossroads Publishing, 1999. ISBN: 978-0824517915, Pub. Price $25.00 [175 pp. assigned].

Crossan, John Dominic. Cliffs of Fall: Paradox and Polyvalence in the Parables of Jesus. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2008. ISBN: 978-1556358234, $18.00 [128 pp. assigned].

Articles and essays available on Moodle as PDFs. (Generally two articles per week. Since major works/monographs on Matthew have predominantly been written by European/North American men, the majority of essays and articles will be from other voices.) [480 pp. assigned]

Choose ONE of the following commentaries to read each week in conjunction with the chapters we are working on [approximately 300 pp.]:

Harrington, Daniel. Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Matthew. Liturgical Press/Michael Glazier, 2007. ISBN: 978-0814659649, Pub. Price $30.00 [456 pp.].

Keener, Craig. The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009. ISBN: 978-0802864987, Pub. Price $55.00 [1,090 pp.].

Schnackenburg, Rudolph. The Gospel of Matthew. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002. ISBN: 978-0802844385, Pub. Price $33.50 [338 pp.].

Talbert, Charles. Matthew. Baker Academic, 2010. ISBN: 978-0801031922, Pub. Price $30.00 [400 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS:

1. Viewing of weekly video lectures/messages from instructor [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1 & 2] [10 hours].
2. 400-word bi-weekly forum posts (25%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 3 & 5] [18 hours].
3. 50-word forum replies (5%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 3 & 5] [2 hours].
4. 1,080 pages of reading [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1 & 2] [60 hours].
5. Reading each week’s portion of Matthew aloud [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 3 & 5] [4 hours].
6. Completing weekly study questions/exegetical exercises (30%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-5] [25 hours].
7. Group discussions (synchronous) or chats (asynchronous) regarding study question answers and topics [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 3 & 5] [10 hours].
8. 3,000-word exegetical final paper (40%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 3-5] [30 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Counts as a biblical elective for the 120 MDiv Program and the MATM and MAICS Programs (Winter 2010), and the NTBK requirement for the MAT Program (Winter 2010).

FINAL EXAMINATION: Final Paper in lieu of examination.