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:
- Regular attendance
- Regular short (150-200 words) written assignments on a NT passage or
primary source (20%)
- An exam on historical and critical terms crucial for understanding study of
the Gospels (20%)
- A short paper on an assigned topic, to be distributed in class (30%)
- A final examination, covering lectures and reading (30%)
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)