Fall 2014/Fuller Online

NT500

Young

NT500: NEW TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION (4 Units: 160 hours). Stephen E. Young.

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 explore those questions in the process of interpreting particular New Testament texts; (3) can identify significant, critical resources for New Testament study and deploy those sources critically in New Testament study; (4) are able to take into account the varied contexts of both the biblical materials and their contemporary interpreters; and (5) can read the New Testament in ways that foster faithful Christian practice.

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:

The entire NT in English (using the NRSV, TNIV, or CEB) [283 pp. assigned].

DeSilva, David A. An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods, and Ministry Formation. IVP Academic, 2004. ISBN: 978-0830827466, Pub. Price $50.00 [591 pp. assigned].

González, J. L. Santa Biblia: The Bible through Hispanic Eyes. Abingdon, 1996. ISBN: 978-0687014521, Pub. Price $18.00 [124 pp. assigned].

Green, Joel B. Seized by Truth: Reading the Bible as Scripture. Abingdon, 2007. ISBN: 978-0687023554, Pub. Price $25.00 [185 pp. assigned].

Posted lectures online [145 pp. assigned]

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: Each of the following items (assignments #2-5) is worth 25% of the final grade:

  1. Required readings from the textbooks (1,328 total pages assigned) [88 hours].

  2. Contributions to ongoing, weekly discussion forums (two forums each week) on NT texts, interpretive exercises and PDF lectures. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes # 1-3.] [17 hours]

  3. Two interpretive exercises on assigned texts (1,350 words each, or about 2 pages single-spaced). [This assignment is related to learning outcome # 2.] [26 hours preparation and writing]

  4. A book review on González, Santa Biblia (1,200-1,500 words, or 3-4 pages one-and-a-half spaced). [This assignment is related to learning outcome # 3.] [10 hours writing]

  5. Final research paper on an assigned NT passage (1,800 words, or 4-5 pages one-and-a-half spaced). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes # 2-4.] [19 hours research and writing]

PREREQUISITES: None.

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

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.

For your convenience, order these texts online through the Archives Bookshop.