DESCRIPTION: This course constitutes an introduction to the nature, structure, and message of the New Testament Gospels in their historical, literary, and canonical contexts.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The four Gospels of the New Testament are our primary witnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus. A thorough knowledge of their contexts is crucial for understanding Jesus and his message, for shaping Christian discipleship, as well as for the various tasks of preaching and teaching in the church today.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students should be able (1) to articulate the character of the Gospels as witnesses to Jesus Christ; (2) to demonstrate familiarity with the historical background, content, structure, and message of each of the New Testament Gospels; and (3) to demonstrate developing skill in the interpretation of the Gospels as appropriate for effective leadership in Christian communities.

COURSE FORMAT: The course, which consists of lectures and discussion, will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions.

REQUIRED READING:

Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels. Greek-English, 7th ed. United Bible Societies, 1984.
OR the same synopsis in English only.

Barton, Stephen C., ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Gospels. Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Stanton, Graham. The Gospels and Jesus. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. 2002.

Theissen, Gerd. The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest for the Historical Jesus in Narrative Form. Fortress, 1988.

Achtemeier, P., J. Green, and M. Meye Thompson. Introducing the New Testament: Its Literature and Theology. Eerdmans, 2001.

Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 3rd ed. Eerdmans, 2003.

Green, Joel B., Scot McKnight, and I. Howard Marshall, eds. Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. InterVarsity Press, 1992.

1. A midterm exam (25%)

2. A review (3-4 pp.) of Theissen's Shadow of the Galilean (10%)

3. A short paper (6-8 pp.) on an assigned topic to be distributed in class (30%)

4. Final exam (in class during exam week) (35%)