Spring 2010/Pasadena
NE517
M.M. Thompson
NE517: GOSPEL OF JOHN (ENGLISH TEXT). Marianne Meye Thompson.
DESCRIPTION:
- This course is a study of the Gospel of John, which seeks to
increase the student's knowledge of its content, give practice and skill in
interpreting it, and deepen understanding of Jesus and the way in which he was
understood and interpreted by early believers.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY:
- For many Christians, the most beloved of our Gospels is John,
prized above all for its distinctive portrayal of Jesus. And yet, precisely
because of its distinctive christology, as well as its many differences from
the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John also presents its own challenges to
interpretation. This course highlights John's portrait of Jesus in the context
of first-century Judaism and Christianity in order to foster faithful
understanding of the Gospel and of the one it presents as Messiah and Son of
God.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who complete this course will have demonstrated
- knowledge of the content and main themes of the Gospel;
- the ability to interpret a passage from the Gospel, taking various
literary, historical, and theological issues into account;
- reflection on the ways in which social location, including the students'
own, affects interpretation of the Gospel.
COURSE FORMAT:
- There will be two main aspects to the course: (1) class discussion
of selected passages assigned for the day; (2) lectures to facilitate
understanding of the text. The class will meet twice weekly for two-hour
sessions.
REQUIRED READING:
- The Gospel of John. A good modern inclusive translation (such as
the NRSV or the TNIV).
- Brown, Raymond E. The Gospel According to John. Anchor Bible.
2 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1966, 1970.
- Lincoln, Andrew. The Gospel of John. Black's NT Commentary 4.
Peabody, MA: Hendrickson/New York: Continuum, 2005.
- Koester, Craig. Word of Life. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008.
- Course reader, including feminist, Latino, and African interpretations of
selected passages (see assignment #2, below).
RECOMMENDED READING:
- There are numerous good commentaries on the Gospel, and these will
be discussed in class. Most are available in the bookstore and on reserve, as
are a number of books with articles relevant for the reflection paper
(Assignment #2 below).
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
- Three interpretative assignments on passages from the Gospel (50%).
- A short paper reflecting on one of the essays from the course reader
(20%).
- A final exam (30%), testing an understanding of the content and main themes
of the Gospel.
PREREQUISITES:
- NS500.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM:
- Meets the MA program requirements for New Testament book study
(NTBK).
FINAL EXAM:
- Yes.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (Posted February 9, 2010)