Spring 2016/Pasadena

NE527

Sechrest

NE527: NEW TESTAMENT EXEGESIS: EPHESIANS (4 Units: 160 hours). Love Sechrest.

DESCRIPTION: This course is an exegetical study of the epistle to the Ephesians, which seeks to develop confidence in interpreting the Greek text as well as familiarity with historical, literary, and theological themes in this document, particularly with reference to the theology and ethics of unity and diversity in the church.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students will have demonstrated (1) the ability to interpret Ephesians within its socio-historical, literary, and canonical contexts; (2) the ability to identify central issues in the critical study of Ephesians; (3) a grasp of the epistle’s ecclesiology, concept of Christian identity, and ethics; (4) the use of Greek based language tools for interpreting the text; and (5) the ability to interpret this text for the faithful use of Scripture in their own lives and ministries.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three hour sessions for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours.

REQUIRED READING: 962 pages required

The epistle to the Ephesians. A critical text of the Greek New Testament (choose one: UBS 4th edition (ISBN: 978-3438051493, Pub. Price $34.95); UBS 5th edition (ISBN: 978-3438051165, Pub. Price $57.95); Nestle-Aland 27th edition (ISBN: 978-1598562002, Pub. Price $59.95); 28th edition (ISBN: 978-3438051592, Pub. Price $34.95).

Also see the Biblical Division bibliography “Linguistic and Exegetical Books Required in the Master of Divinity Program” available in the Academic Advising office and online at http://schedule.fuller.edu/sot/ecds/Ling-Exeg-Biblio.html.

Glancy, Jennifer A. Slavery as Moral Problem: In the Early Church and Today. Fortress, 2011. ISBN: 978-0800696702, Pub. Price $11.99 [97 pp. assigned].

Best, Ernest. Ephesians. International Critical Commentary. T&T Clark, 2004 edition ISBN: 978-0567084453, Pub. Price $65.00 [659 pp. assigned].

Perkins, Pheme. Ephesians. Abingdon New Testament Commentary. Abingdon Press, 1997. ISBN: 978-0687056996, Pub. Price $22.99 [116 pp. assigned].

Osiek, Carolyn, Margaret Y. MacDonald, and Janet H. Tulloch. A Woman's Place: House Churches in Earliest Christianity. Fortress, 2005. ISBN: 978-0800637774, Pub. Price $21.00 [90 pp. assigned].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Lincoln, Andrew T. Ephesians. Word Biblical Commentary 42. Word, 1990. ISBN: 978-0849902413, Pub. Price $49.99.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Reading: 962 pages [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-3, 5] [64 hours].

2. Interpretive Working Papers: Students will choose a passage and prepare a three-page single-spaced summary of the interpretive and theological issues in that passage according to guidelines given in class (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-5] [18 hours].

3. Final Paper: Beginning with the working paper above, students will prepare a 10 page exegetical paper on the same passage (35%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome 1-5] [20 hours].

4. Journals: Using guidelines given in class, students will submit either (a) translations of assigned passages or (b) interpretive and theological questions about assigned passages and critical questions about secondary literature (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 3 and 5] [18 hours].

5. Directed Learning Activities: Forum postings in response to specified prompts (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 3 and 5] [10 hours].

PREREQUISITES: LG510 or LG512A/B or LG512; BI500 or NE502; NT500 or NS500 or NS501.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets the Biblical Language Exegesis requirement in the 120 MDiv program. Meets the NTE in the 144 MDiv Program.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.