Winter 2012/Pasadena
NS500
Givens
NS500: NEW TESTAMENT 1: GOSPELS AND ACTS. Tommy Givens.
DESCRIPTION: This course constitutes an introduction to the nature, structure,
and message of the New Testament Gospels and Acts in their historical,
literary, and canonical contexts.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The Gospels and Acts are our primary
witnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus and the Spirit by which he began to
lead the church after his resurrection. 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 will
have demonstrated (1) the ability to articulate the character of the Gospels
and Acts as witnesses to Jesus Christ and the Spirit of his church; (2)
familiarity with the historical background, content, structure, and message of
each of the Gospels and Acts; and (3) developing skill in the interpretation of
the Gospels and Acts 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:
- The Bible in the NRSV, TNIV or CEB.
- Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels. Greek-English, 13th ed.
United Bible Societies, 2006. ISBN: 1598561774. $129.95. OR the same synopsis
in English only. ISBN: 1585169420. $49.99.
- Barton, Stephen C., ed. The Cambridge Companion to the Gospels.
Cambridge University Press, 2006. ISBN: 0521002613. $30.99.
- Theissen, Gerd. The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest for the Historical
Jesus in Narrative Form. 2d ed. Fortress, 2007. ISBN: 9780800639006.
$22.00.
- Course packet: Includes Gospel texts and articles/chapters by Frances
Taylor Gench, Joel Green (on Acts), Amy Jill Levine, Teresa Okure, Elsa Tamez,
Marianne Meye Thompson, N. T. Wright, and others.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Achtemeier, P., J. Green, and M. Meye Thompson. Introducing the
New Testament: Its Literature and Theology. Eerdmans, 2001. ISBN:
0802837174. $40.00.
- Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 3rd ed.
Eerdmans, 2003. ISBN: 0802822215. $38.00.
- Green, Joel B., Scot McKnight, and I. Howard Marshall, eds. Dictionary
of Jesus and the Gospels. InterVarsity Press, 1992. ISBN: 0830817778.
$60.00.
- Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God. Fortress Press, 1996.
ISBN: 0800626826. $41.00.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
- Exegetical outline of each Gospel and Acts (ca. 750-1000 words each, worth
total of 50%)
- One exegetical working paper (ca. 1500-2500 words; 25%)
- Final exam assessing students' familiarity with the Gospels and Acts and
understanding of central course issues (e.g., genre of Gospel and Acts
narratives, the relation of Jesus and the church to the biblical hope of
Israel) (25%)
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in New Testament 1
(NT1); meets MAT (2010) program requirement.
FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (October 2011)