Winter 2008/Pasadena
NS500
M. Thompson

NS500: NEW TESTAMENT 1: GOSPELS. Marianne Meye Thompson.


DESCRIPTION: This course covers the study of the four canonical Gospels and their witness to Jesus in historical context.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated (1) a fundamental knowledge of the content and structure of these four books; (2) an acquaintance with a range of cultural and historical matters that may inform our understanding of them; (3) an understanding of the literary character of the Gospels and some of the implications for interpreting them; and (4) an appreciation of how these four different Gospels bear witness to Jesus.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: This course lays the foundation for the study of the Gospels. Satisfactory completion of the course should increase the student's confidence in reading, studying, and teaching the Gospels.

COURSE FORMAT: Lectures and discussion based on reading the New Testament and secondary sources. The course will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions.

REQUIRED READING:

Achtemeier, Paul, Joel Green, and Marianne Meye Thompson. Introducing the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.

Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels, English edition. OR Synopsis of the Four Gospels, Greek-English edition. United Bible Societies, 1993.

Cohen, Shaye J. D. From the Maccabees to the Mishnah. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1988.

Students need access to early Jewish and Christian sources; these can be found online at www.earlyjewishwritings.com and www.earlychristianwritings.com.

RECOMMENDED READING:
Bockmuehl, Markus. This Jesus: Martyr, Lord, Messiah. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994.

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993.

Green, J. B., S. McKnight, and I. H. Marshall, eds. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. InterVarsity Press, 1992.

Powell, Mark Allan. Fortress Introduction to the Gospels. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1998.

ASSIGNMENTS:

PREREQUISITES: None.

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

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.

This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (10/07)