Fall 2013/Pasadena

NS500

Thompson

NS500: NEW TESTAMENT 1: GOSPELS AND ACTS. Marianne Meye Thompson.

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 life and works of Jesus of Nazareth constitute the core datum of the Christian faith. Much of the church's “memory” of this event, together with four of the earliest interpretations of the meaning of that memory, are deposited in the New Testament Gospels and Acts. Understanding of these documents on their own terms is absolutely essential for faithfully proclaiming the Gospels' significance for the church and the world today.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students will have demonstrated the ability to (1) articulate the character of the Gospels and Acts as witnesses to Jesus Christ and the Spirit of his church; (2) demonstrate familiarity with the historical background, content, structure, and message of each of the Gospels and Acts; and (3) demonstrate skill in the interpretation of the Gospels and Acts as appropriate for effective leadership in Christian communities.

COURSE FORMAT: The class will meet for ten weekly classroom sessions, three hours each, for a total of thirty hours. The course involves reading, writing, large group discussion, and hands-on exercises.

REQUIRED READING:

The Gospels and Acts in either the NRSV, CEB, or TNIV. A Bible in one of these translations is required for reading aloud in class and for all class assignments.

Achtemeier, Paul, Joel Green, and Marianne Meye Thompson. Introducing the New Testament. Eerdmans, 2001. ISBN: 978-0802837172, Pub. Price $44.00 [269 pp. assigned].

Green, Joel B. and Lee Martin McDonald. The World of the New Testament. Cultural, Social and Historical Contexts. Baker 2013. ISBN: 978-0801039621, Pub. Price $49.99. [400 pp. assigned].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels, English edition. American Bible Society, 2010. ISBN: 978- 1585169429, Pub. Price $31.98 OR Synopsis of the Four Gospels, Greek-English edition. United Bible Societies, 1993. ISBN: 978-1598561777, Pub. Price $76.52.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Three written assignments about 1200 words each on passages from the Gospels and Acts (60%).

  2. A written assignment of about on the Kingdom of God (20%)

  3. An exam on key terms, figures, places and dates relevant to the study of the Gospels (20%)

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in New Testament 1 (NT1); meets MAT (2010) program requirement.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.


NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change.