Spring 2015/Pasadena

NT500

Givens

NT500: NEW TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION (4 Units: 160 hours). Tommy Givens.

DESCRIPTION: New Testament Introduction orients students to the literature of the New Testament in its various literary, historical, and theological contexts and to New Testament interpretation in service of Christian practice.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course students will have demonstrated that they (1) have an introductory knowledge of the literature, history, and theology of the New Testament; (2) can identify a range of questions (e.g., historical, literary, canonical) that might be addressed to particular New Testament texts and can explore those questions in the process of interpreting particular New Testament texts; (3) are able to take into account the varied contexts of both the biblical materials and their contemporary interpreters; and (4) can read the New Testament in ways that foster faithful Christian practice.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets twice weekly for two hour sessions for a total of 40 instructional hours in the classroom for lecture and discussion.

REQUIRED READING: 765 pages of required reading.

The NRSV, CEB, or TNIV translation of the New Testament.

Achtemeier, P., J. Green, and M. Meye Thompson. Introducing the New Testament: Its Literature and Theology. Eerdmans, 2001. ISBN: 978-0802837172, Pub. Price $44.00 [235 pp. assigned].

Green, Joel B. Seized by Truth: Reading the Bible as Scripture. Abingdon, 2007. ISBN: 978-0687023554, Pub. Price $25.00 [185 pp.].

Theissen, Gerd. The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest for the Historical Jesus in Narrative Form. 2nd ed. Fortress, 2007. ISBN: 978-0800639006, Pub. Price $23.00 [232 pp.].

Course reader. [articles/chapters by Frances Taylor Gench, Justo González, Amy Jill Levine,

Teresa Okure, Elsa Tamez, Marianne Meye Thompson, N. T. Wright, and others]. [113 pp.].

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

  1. Entire New Testament + 765 pages of logged, required reading (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4.] [76 hours].

  2. Book Reviews [2 papers; 1,000 words each] (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-3.] [10 hours]

  3. Interpretative Working Papers [2 papers; 1,500 words each] (40% total ; 20% for the first, 20% for the second). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4.] [24 hours].

  4. FINAL Exam (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4.] [10 hours].

PREREQUISITES: School of Psychology students only.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets NT Seminary Core Requirement (SCR) for MAFS (effective Winter 2010).

FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.


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.

For your convenience, order these texts online through the Archives Bookshop.