Summer 2012/Pasadena
Two-week Intensive: July 16-27
NS500
Evans
NS500: NEW TESTAMENT 1: GOSPELS AND ACTS. Craig A. Evans.
DESCRIPTION: This is the first of a two-course sequence designed to provide a
basic introduction to the New Testament, including not only the traditional
elements of "introduction," such as authorship, date, provenance, background,
structure, and use of sources, but also the theologies of the various writings.
The orientation is both historical and exegetical. The present course is
devoted to the four Gospels and Acts, and traces their origin,
interrelationship, theological distinctives, and value as sources for life of
Jesus research. Some attention will be given to the hermeneutical problem of
preaching from the Gospels and Acts today. The course will commence with an
overview of intertestamental history.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: An understanding of the Gospels is
indispensable not only in teaching and preaching, but in developing a
biblically informed theology that equips one for everyday living.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated (1)
a foundational knowledge of the content of the NT documents studied in this
part of the course; (2) an acquaintance with a range of cultural and historical
matters that may inform our understanding of them; (3) appreciation of the
world in which Jesus lived and ministered; (4) an understanding of some of the
factors contributing to the diverse portraits of Jesus that came to expression
in the four Gospels; and (5) appreciation for the evangelist's narration of the
expansion of the infant church (in Acts).
COURSE FORMAT: Meeting daily for two weeks, for four-hour sessions, the course
will be presented as a series of lectures on various topics and exegesis of
important passages. Students are expected to keep their reading current and to
be prepared to discuss topics in class.
REQUIRED READING:
- Aland, Kurt, ed. Synopsis of the Four Gospels: Greek-English
Edition of the Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorium, with the Greek Nestle-Aland
26th Edition Text and Parallel English Revised Standard Version 2nd Edition
Text. 10th ed. United Bible Societies (New York: American Bible Society),
1994 (or equivalent). ISBN: 9783438054050. Pub.price: [[sterling]]60.95 ( =
$76.00).
- Achtemeier, Paul, Joel B. Green, and Marianne M. Thompson, eds.
Introducing the New Testament: Its Literature and Theology. Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001. ISBN: 978-0-8028-3717-2. Pub.price: $40.00.
- Evans, Craig A. Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the
Gospels. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780830833559.
Pub.price: $16.00.
- NS500 lecture notes and handouts; available on Moodle at no cost; also
available, along with additional files and videos, on flash drives. The flash
drive is $40.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
- Recommended reading prior to the first class meeting:
Achtemeier-Green-Thompson, pp. 1-269; and Evans, 15-235.
- Midterm (20%) and final exam (30%) covering course lectures and reading.
The midterm will be administered the first hour of Monday the second week of
class (23 July 2012); the final exam will be administered in the last 90
minutes of Friday of the second week of class (27 July 2012).
- One 3,000 word exegetical paper (50%). There are two deadlines for turning
in the exegesis paper: For Professor Evans to read and grade it the deadline is
10 August 2012 (post-marked no later than this date); for the TA it is 14
September 2012 (dropped off at the Academic Advising Office).
PREREQUISITES: None.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in New Testament 1
(NT1) and MAT requirement (effective Winter 2010).
FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (April 2012)