Fall 2005/Pasadena
NS500
Michaels

NS500: NEW TESTAMENT 1: GOSPELS. J. Ramsey Michaels.


DESCRIPTION: This course introduces students to the canonical Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with particular attention to the theological and literary purpose of each, and to their historical value as sources for the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

COURSE OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES: The objectives of this course are that students will have gained (1) a basic knowledge of the content and structure of each of the four Gospels, their interrelationships and their place in the New Testament, and why just these four were included; (2) some familiarity with the Jewish and Graeco-Roman world within which these accounts were written and in which Jesus carried out his ministry; (3) an acquaintance with the theology of each of the Gospel writers; (4) an understanding of how to assess and make use of the historical information they provide about Jesus of Nazareth.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: The four "Gospels" were given that name because together they present the one "gospel," that is, the heart of the Christian message and the foundation of Christian life and ministry--the coming of Jesus Christ into the world, his proclamation of the Kingdom of God, his teaching and miracles, his death, and his resurrection--everything that our ministries are about.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet twice weekly for lecture and discussion in two-hour sessions, with a break.

REQUIRED READING:

Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels (Greek-English Edition). New York: American Bible Society, 1993, or the same synopsis in English only.

Hedrick, Charles W. When History and Faith Collide: Studying Jesus. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1999.

Hooker, Morna D. Endings: Invitations to Discipleship. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2003.

Miller, Robert J. The Complete Gospels. Annotated Scholars Version. Revised and Expanded Edition. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1994.

Stanton, Graham. The Gospels and Jesus. Second edition. Oxford University Press, 2004.

RECOMMENDED READING:
Green, J. B. and S. McKnight. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. InterVarsity Press, 1992.

ASSIGNMENTS:
  1. One short paper (4-5 pages each) on a specific Gospel passage (20% of the grade).

  2. A major midterm examination on the four Gospels: content, structure, interpretation (40%).

  3. One longer paper (10-15 pages) on a major theme in the study of Jesus (40%).

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in New Testament 1 (NT1).

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.