Fall 2019/Pasadena

NT866/566

Givens

NT866/566: CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE STUDY OF PAUL (6 Units: 380 hours/4 Units: 184 hours). Tommy Givens.

DESCRIPTION: This six-unit CATS seminar, open to a limited number of master’s students by the professor’s approval, consists of a critical examination of selected topics in the current study of Paul’s letters, including exegetical, theological, philosophical, and historical issues.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who successfully complete this course will have demonstrated (1) an intimate and critical knowledge of Paul’s letters, (2) advanced skill in the interpretation of the Greek text of Paul’s letters; (3) competent acquaintance with a range of theological, philosophical, and historical matters that bear upon the interpretation of Paul’s letters (4) substantive, careful, and critical engagement with diverse contemporary scholarship on Paul and his letters, and (5) earnest attention to the stakes of the interpretation of Paul’s letters with respect to matters of Christian practice, especially church and justice.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: Through focused study of a particular biblical book or topic, students acquire deeper mastery of the interpretation of the Bible, taking into account its ancient and contemporary contexts, which is consistent with the SOT PLO “Students will have demonstrated competence in the practice of biblical interpretation for faithful use of Scripture in their own lives and ministries”(MDiv, MAT, MATM).

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets once per week for three-hour sessions of lecture and discussion for a total of 30 hours in the classroom, plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours. Class time will include presentations on and discussions of selected topics in current study of Paul and his letters.

REQUIRED READING: For doctoral students, 4100 pages. For master’s students, 1400 pages:

Course Reader, including articles by Giorgio Agamben, Cavan Concannon, Sophie Fuggle, Beverly Gaventa, Tommy Givens, Pamela Klassen, Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Matthew Novenson, Angela Parker, Lilian Portefaix, Krister Stendahl, and others. [517 pp.].

Barclay, John M. G. Paul and the Gift. Eerdmans, 2015. ISBN: 978-0802868893, Pub. Price $70.00. Available as e-book through Fuller Library [570 pp. assigned].

Blanton IV, Thomas R. and Raymond Pickett (eds). Paul and Economics: A Handbook. Fortress, 2017. ISBN: 978-1506406039, Pub. Price $39.00. Available as e-book through Fuller Library [444 pp. assigned].

Campbell, Douglas. Paul: An Apostle’s Journey. Eerdmans, 2018. ISBN: 978-0802873477, Pub. Price $22.00. Available as e-book through Fuller Library [219 pp. assigned].

Eastman, Susan. Paul and the Person: Reframing Paul’s Anthropology. Eerdmans, 2017. ISBN: 978-0802868961, Pub. Price $30.00 [185 pp. assigned].

Harink, Douglas (ed.). Paul, Philosophy, and the Theopolitical Vision. Wipf & Stock, 2010. ISBN: 978-1606086629, Pub. Price $69.00 [354 pp.].

Nanos, Mark and Magnus Zetterholm (eds.). Paul within Judaism: Restoring the First Century Context to the Apostle. Fortress, 2015. ISBN: 978-1451470031, Pub. Price $39.00. Available as e-book through Fuller Library [300 pp.].

Sechrest, Love. A Former Jew: Paul and the Dialectics of Race. T&T Clark, 2009. ISBN: 978-0567462749, Pub. Price $160.00. Available as e-book through Fuller Library [288 pp.].

Stanley, Christopher. The Colonized Apostle: Paul in Postcolonial Eyes. Fortress, 2011. ISBN: 978-0800664589, Kindle Price $35.00 [365 pp.]. Available from Kindle.

Taubes, Jacob. The Political Theology of Paul. Stanford, 2003. ISBN: 978-0804733458, Pub. Price $22.00 [179 pp].

Thiessen, Matthew. Paul and the Gentile Problem. Oxford, 2016. ISBN: 978-0190271756, Pub. Price $34.95. Available as e-book through Fuller Library [336 pp. assigned].

Wright, N. T. Paul and His Recent Interpreters. Fortress, 2015. ISBN: 978-0800699642, Pub. Price $39.00. Available as e-book through Fuller Library [343 pp. assigned].

RECOMMENDED READING: See course syllabus.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Participation in all seminar meetings [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5] [30 hours for 800- and 500-levels].
2. Assigned reading [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, #3-5] [4100 pp. for 205 hours for 800-level, 1400 pp. for 70 hours for 500-level students]
3. Weekly exegetical work, including translation [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5] [600 words each for 50 hours for 800-level; 400 words each for 35 hours for 500-level]. (20% for 800-level; 25% for 500-level)
4. Response papers (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #3-5] [five for 800-level for 15 hours; three for 500-level for 9 hours].
5. One seminar presentation (15%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5] [10 hours for 800-level; 10 hours for 500-level].
6. Research exegetical paper (40%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5] [70 hours for 800-level students; 30 hours for 500-level students].

PREREQUISITES: For NT566, written permission of the professor is required. No auditors. BI500 (or NE502) and NT500 (or NS500).

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Counts as a biblical elective for the 120 MDiv, 80 MAT, and 80 MATM Programs (Fall 2015).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.