DESCRIPTION: A study of the rich variety of interpretations of the death of Jesus in the New Testament, as well as the challenge of conveying its significance today.

SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The cross of Jesus lies at the heart of NT theology, informing our understanding of God, the mission of Jesus, and the character of Christian faith. It is, therefore, crucial to be able to articulate a biblical theology of the cross, particularly in order to be able to communicate its significance in our diverse cultural contexts today.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed the requirement for an NTT course, students will have demonstrated the capacity

1. to articulate various interpretations of the death of Jesus in the NT and a synthetic witness to the significance of the cross in the NT;

2. to constructively engage challenges to traditional articulations of atonement;

3. to offer an exegetically grounded theological interpretation of various passages having to do with the cross.

Carroll, John T., and Joel B. Green. The Death of Jesus in Early Christianity. Hendrickson, 1995. 336 pp. ISBN 978-0801045844. $24.99.

Beilby, James K., and Eddy, Paul R., eds. The Nature of the Atonement: Four Views. InterVarsity Press, 2006. 208 pp. ISBN 978-0830825707. $20.00.

Gorman, Michael J. Cruciformity: Paul's Narrative Spirituality of the Cross. Eerdmans, 2001. 442 pages. ISBN 978-0802847959. $36.00.

Articles on Moodle e-reserve.

Choose one book for book review:

Either McKnight, Scot. A Community Called Atonement. Abingdon, 2007. 177 pp. ISBN 978-0687645541. $18.00

OR Reid, Barbara. Taking up the Cross: New Testament Interpretation through Latina and Feminist Eyes. Rev. ed. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2007. 200 pp. ISBN 978-0800662080. $16.00.

1. Regular attendance and preparation for class.

2. Three exegetical and theological papers on a passage on the cross and/or death of Jesus from the NT (25% each).

3. A book review of either Scot McKnight, A Community Called Atonement OR Barbara Reid, Taking up the Cross: New Testament Interpretation through Latina and Feminist Eyes (25%).