Spring 2012/Pasadena
NT826/NT526
Green
NT826/NT526: ADVANCED GREEK: HISTORIANS AND HISTORIOGRAPHY. Joel B. Green.
DESCRIPTION: This seminar combines work with (primarily Attic) Greek among
ancient historians, together with exposure to the practice of historiography in
the Classical and Roman Periods and to recent developments in the philosophy of
history.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Situating questions about the historical
character of the NT documents within wider perspectives on the philosophy of
history, both ancient and contemporary, is vital to grappling with the nature
of their witness. Advanced facility with Greek is crucial for ministries of
research and teaching, for which this course is preparatory.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, participants will
be able: (1) to demonstrate facility in Greek-reading skills, particularly with
reference to Attic Greek; (2) to articulate the nature and development of
historiography in the Hellenistic world and in the Roman period, particularly
in their relation to the socioliterary environment of Second Temple Judaism and
early Christianity; and (3) to reflect on the major concerns of the philosophy
of history vis-à-vis the interpretation of the Bible's historical
narratives.
COURSE FORMAT: This seminar meets twice each week, once for translation and
once for presentation on and discussion of literature on the philosophy of
history.
REQUIRED READING:
- Selections from the following: Holladay, Carl R. Fragments from
Hellenistic Jewish Authors, vol. 1: Historians (SBLTT 20;
Pseudepigrapha 10; Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1983 [978-0891303497; $30]);
Dionysius of Halicarnassus (vol. 1; LCL 319; Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press, 1937 [978-0674993525; $24]); Josephus, Antiquities of the
Jews and Contra Apion (vols. 1, 4; LCL 186, 242; Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press, 1926, 1930 [978-0674992054; $24; and 978-0674995758;
$24]); Lucian (vol. 6; LCL 430; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press,
1959 [978-0674994744; $24]); Polybius (vol. 1; LCL 128; Cambridge, MA:
1922 [978-0674996373; $24]); and Thucydides (vol. 1; LCL 108;
Cambridge, MA; Harvard University Press, 1919 [978-0674991200; $24]).
- Bevir, Mark. "Why Historical Distance Is Not a Problem." History and
Theory 50, no. 4 (2011): 24-37.
- Lowenthal, David. The Past Is a Foreign Country. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1985 (978-0521294805; $45).
- Marincola, John. Authority and Tradition in Ancient Historiography.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997 (978-0521545785; $82).
- Pitcher, Luke. Writing Ancient History: An Introduction to Classical
Historiography. London: Tauris, 2009 (978-1845119584; $29).
- Rae, Murray A. History and Hermeneutics. London: T. & T. Clark,
2005 (978-0567080929; $60).
- Stock, Brian. Listening for the Text: On the Uses of the Past.
Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1990; Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Press, 1997 (978-0812216127; $25).
- White, Hayden. The Content of the Form: Narrative Discourse and
Historical Representation. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University
Press, 1987 (978-0801841156; $24).
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Lidell, H.G., and R. Scott. Greek-English Lexicon with a Revised
Supplement. Revised by H. S. Jones and R. McKenzie. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1996 (978-0198642268; $185). (LSJ)
- Mastronarde, Donald J. Introduction to Attic Greek. Berkeley:
University of California Press, 1993 (978-0520078444; $40).
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: (1) Preparation, Attendance, and Participation,
including preparation of short responses to selected readings (25% of grade).
(2) Seminar Presentation (20%). (3) Translation Consultant (10%). (4) Mid-Term
Exam (20%). (4) Either a Final Exam or a Final Paper (25%).
PREREQUISITES: Admission into the ThM or PhD program; at master's level:
permission of the professor.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Satisfies PhD requirement in Advanced Greek.
ThM/MDiv elective.
FINAL EXAMINATION: Optional.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (February 2012)