Religion 122a, Fall 2007

INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

Prof. Anne McGuire, Haverford College

Here are the results of Lottery B, in case you couldn't find it at the Registar's web page.

This is the entry page for Relg. 122a, Introduction to the New Testament. This page is available online at http://www.haverford.edu/relg/courses/122a/F07IntroNT.html. The full course syllabus is available at the Blackboard website and in the Tri-Co network at: http://www.haverford.edu:8080/relg/relg122a/F07NT.html.

Course Description: This course offers an introduction to the scholarly study of the New Testament and early Christian literature. Our primary focus throughout the course will be literary and historical analysis of the 27 writings of the New Testament and selected non-canonical sources, such as the recently discovered Gospel of Judas, The Gospel of Thomas, and The Gospel of Mary Magdalene. Topics include: the Jewish origins of the "Jesus movement"; the development of oral and written traditions about Jesus; various images of Jesus, especially in the NT gospels, the letters of Paul, and non-canonical texts; the relation of texts to their communities; and the formation of the "New Testament" canon.

Course Outline:

1. Introduction to the Course; The Worlds of Jesus and the First Christians
2. Jesus in the Memory of the Early Church I: The Jesus Movement and the Formation of the Gospels
3. Jesus in the Memory of the Early Church II: The Letters and Communities of Paul
4. Later Writings of the New Testament: Apostles and their Authority; The Gospel and Letters of John; Revelation; the Formation of the New Testament canon

• New Oxford Annotated Bible. NRSV.
• Gospel Parallels: A Comparison of the Synoptic Gospels, ed. B. Throckmorton. T. Nelson.
• Bart Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. 3rd rev. edition. Oxford University Press.
• Marvin Meyer, ed. The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus: The Definitive Collection of Mystical Gospels and Secret Books about Jesus of Nazareth.  HarperSanFrancisco.
• Additional Readings: Links on the course web page, on reserve in Magill Library, or handed out in class.

• Participation in class discussion (10%)
• Postings on the Blackboard Discussion Board.
  • A Discussion Board Posting of 2-3 paragraphs on the reading for class. This post should offer a critical analysis of the readings for class in response to one of the study questions on the syllabus and must be posted by 10 p.m. the night before the class at which the material will be discussed (20%).
    • One half of the class will post for each Tuesday class, the other half for Thursday.
  • 3 brief responses to the Postings for class on the day you have not written a 2-3 paragraph post.
• 2 short papers of 5-6 pages involving close textual analysis of primary sources: an essay on the Gospels due in two drafts; a paper on Pauline or post-Pauline texts (40%)
• Final exam (30%)

SYLLABUS

I. Introduction to the Course; The Worlds of Jesus and the First Christians (9/4-9/6)

T 9/4 Introduction to the Course: Key Questions in the Study of the New Testament: Who Was Jesus? What is the Relation between the New Testament and the Varieties of Early Christianity?

• Recommended reading before or after class of 9/4 : Begin to familiarize yourself with the maps and timelines in the appendices of the New Oxford Annotated Bible (NOAB ) and the introductory matter in Ehrman, The New Testament, xxxi-xxxv & 1-17.
• Use the NOAB to become familiar with the names and order of the 27 writings of the New Testament.

Th 9/6 The Religious and Cultural Worlds of Jesus and the Earliest Christians: Varieties of Judaism and the Roman Empire

• Reading assignment to prepare before class of 9/6:
• Ehrman, 18-47
• Selections from the Hebrew Bible: Genesis 12; Exodus19-20; 2 Samuel 7; focus esp. on the apocalyptic vision of Daniel 7
  • As you read, be attentive to notions of "covenant" (or "testament") and conceptions of the relation between God and Israel as a whole, and between God and such individuals as Abraham, Moses, David
• The War Scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls
• Frontline: From Jesus to Christ: Selections
  • A Portrait of Jesus' World 
  • Judaism's First Century Diversity
  • The Essenes and the Dead Sea Scrolls

II. Jesus in the Memory of the Early Church I: The Synoptic Gospels (9/11-10/11)

T 9/11 The Jesus Movement and the Beginnings of the Early Church (Ekklesia); The Synoptic Gospels

• Ehrman, 48-66
• 1 Corinthians 15; The Gospel of Mark 1-4 (first reading, excluding Introduction and annotations)
• Frontline Web Pages, From Jesus To Christ
  • A Chronology of Early Christian History
  • What are the Gospels?
  • L. Michael White, Importance of the Oral Tradition
• Recommended (assigned later in the semester): Ehrman, 194-212; 231-274

  Gospel Parallels: Look at the GP Index (xxxiii-xl) and GP #1-6 (pp. 11-14) to become familiar with its structure and form

Go to full Course Syllabus online for the rest of class assignments; Topics listed below are subject to change
Full syllabus and links to additional readings will soon be available on Blackboard and within the Tri-College network at: http://www.haverford.edu:8080/relg/relg122a/F07NT.html.

Jesus as Prophet, Teacher, Healer, "Messiah"; Mark and the Origin of the Genre "Gospel"
The "Secret" of the Kingdom in Mark; The Identity of Jesus and the Blindness of the Disciples in Mark
The Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark
The Kingdom of God and the Identity of Jesus in The Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mark
The Literary Form, Theology, and Social Setting of the Gospels of Thomas and Judas
Introduction to Matthew: Wisdom, Law, and Scripture in the Gospel of Matthew
Christology, Kingdom, and the New Righteousness in Matthew
Luke's Interpretation of the Gospel: Jesus the Eschatological Prophet
Prophecy and Fulfillment, Forgiveness and Mercy in Luke-Acts; Women in the Gospel of Luke
Due: First Draft of Paper on Synoptic Gospels
III. Jesus in the Memory of the Early Church II: The Letters and Communities of Paul
The Life and Theology of Paul; 1 Thessalonians and Galatians
Due: Revised Paper on Synoptic Gospels
Power and Wisdom, Freedom and Limits in 1 Corinthians
Christology, Community, and Ethics in 1 Corinthians and Philippians
Christology and Salvation in the Letter to the Romans
III. Later Writings of the New Testament: Apostles and their Authority; The Gospel and Letters of John; Revelation; the Formation of the New Testament Canon
The Portrayal of the Earliest Community ("ekklesia" or "church") in Acts of the Apostles 1-15 and in selected non-canonical texts; Apostles and their Authority in Early Christian Communities
Women, Prophecy, and Authority in Pauline and Post-Pauline Communities
Christology and Salvation in The Gospel of John: Jesus as Incarnate Word (Logos)
Johannine Christianity and "Gnosis": The Gospel and Letters of John
The Gospel of John compared with the Gospel of Truth
Due: Second Paper (on Paul, GJohn, or Post-Pauline Texts)
Christology and Salvation: The Redemptive Work of Christ in the 'Letter' to the Hebrews
Comparative Christology: The Images of Jesus in canonical and non-canonical texts
Persecution and the Vision of the End: The Book of Revelation
The Beast and the New Jerusalem: Symbolism and Millennium in the Book of Revelation
Orthodoxy and Heresy in the Formation of Early Christianity
Last Class: Unity and Diversity in the New Testament, Early Christianity, and the Christian Tradition

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This page is maintained by amcguire@haverford.edu, Last updated 8/30/07