Spring 2005/Pasadena
NT824/NS524
M. M. Thompson

NT824/NS524: JOHANNINE THEOLOGY. Marianne Meye Thompson.


DESCRIPTION:

This course, designed first of all as a doctoral seminar, will focus on Johannine christology, particularly as that christology is developed and presented vis-à-vis Judaism. Study of selections from primary sources, including the Old Testament Apocrypha, Philo, and the Dead Sea Scrolls, will acquaint students with the contours of Johannine christology, as well as with some of the issues which arise in interpreting the Fourth Gospel. Attention will also be given to important secondary works which have shaped study of the Fourth Gospel in the twentieth century.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY:
NT824 prepares students primarily for the ministry of teaching and research. While the course focuses on critical issues relevant for advanced study in the Gospel of John, it will also aim to help students grapple with such issues as the historical character of the Gospel, and the consequences for our understanding of Jesus' ministry and purpose, and the nature of Scripture.

COURSE FORMAT:
The class meets weekly for three-hour sessions.

REQUIRED READING FROM THIS LIST:
Ashton, John, ed. The Interpretation of John. 2d rev. ed. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1997.

Barrett, C. K. The Gospel According to St. John. 2d rev. ed. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1978.

Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the Gospel of John. New York: Doubleday, 2003.

Culpepper, R. Alan and C. Clifton Black, eds. Exploring the Gospel of John. Louisville: Westminster John Knox: 1996.

Dodd, C. H. The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1953.

________. Historical Tradition in the Fourth Gospel. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1963.

Martyn, J. L. History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel. Rev. and expanded. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2003.

Thompson, Marianne Meye. The God of the Gospel of John. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.

ASSIGNMENTS:
  1. Regular attendance, preparation for, and participation in class discussions.

  2. Brief presentation of the exegetical issues in a passage from the Gospel of John.

  3. Weekly short 2-page papers, as listed in the syllabus, analyzing primary and/or secondary sources. Five papers required for master's students.

  4. A 25-30 page paper (10-15 pages for master's students), inclusive of footnotes, doubled-spaced.

PREREQUISITES:
Open to a limited number of master's level students with the following prerequisites: LG512, NE502, NS500 and written permission of instructor.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:
Elective.

FINAL EXAMINATION:
None.