Fall 2016/Houston

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) 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.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three-and-a-half hour sessions for a total of 35 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 5 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours. Class time will be (roughly) equally divided between lectures on content and method, and hands-on application and group discussion. A high degree of student participation is expected; students will be responsible for preparing assigned passages of the New Testament to discuss in class.

REQUIRED READING: 849total pages of books and articles required, plus reading the entire NT.

The entire New Testament in English, using the CEB, NRSV or TNIV translations.

DeSilva, David A. An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods, and Ministry Formation. IVP Academic, 2004. ISBN: 978-0830827466, Pub. Price $50.00 [540 pp. assigned].

González, J. L. Santa Biblia: The Bible through Hispanic Eyes. Abingdon, 1996. ISBN: 978-0687014521, Pub. Price $18.99 [124 pp. assigned].

Green, Joel B. Seized by Truth: Reading the Bible as Scripture. Abingdon, 2007. ISBN: 978-0687023554, Pub. Price $25.99 [185 pp. assigned].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Required reading and class participation. 849 total number of pages of reading required, plus reading the entire NT. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4.] [81 hours reading; 35 hours of class].

  2. Two Interpretive Working Papers [2 papers; 1,350 words each, or about 2 pages single-spaced] (35%; 15% for the first, 20% for the second; for assessment purposes, the second IWP will be designated as an 'interpretive assignment'). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4.] [12 hours preparation and writing].

  3. A book review on González, Santa Biblia (1,200-1,400 words, or 3-4 pages one-and-a-half spaced) (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #3-4.] [10 hours writing].

  4. Forum discussion on González, Santa Biblia (625 words including posts and replies) (5%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2-4.]. [5 hours of DLAs].

  5. Final research paper on an assigned NT passage (1,500 words, or 5-6 pages one-and-a-half spaced) (35%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4.] [18 hours research and writing].

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.


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.