Religion 343a: Interpreting the
Gospels
Haverford College
The full syllabus for this course
is available only through the Tri-College network at http://www.haverford.edu:8080/relg/relg343/gospels06.htm.
Course Description
This course offers a close reading
of selected gospels and a selection of recent interpretative approaches. Primary
sources will include the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, the Gospel of Thomas,
the Infancy Gospel of James, and other non-canonical gospels. The primary goals
of the course are to become thoroughly familiar with the text of the gospels
selected, to develop the skills of close textual analysis and scholarly research,
and to work critically with a variety of interpretative approaches.
Among the topics we will consider
are: theories of the composition of the gospels; the literary genre of the various
gospels and their parts - such as parables, miracle stories, controversy stories,
passion narrative; close reading and interpretation of selected passages; attention
to theories about the social and cultural contexts in which the gospels were
written and circulated; and the reinterpretation of the gospels in various cultural
contexts, including those of New Testament scholarship and contemporary culture.
Required Reading
The following books are available
for purchase at the Haverford College Bookstore:
- Mark A. Powell, Fortress Introduction
to the Gospels
- Janice Anderson & Stephen
Moore, Mark & Method: New Approaches in Biblical Studies
- David Aune, The Gospel
of Matthew in Current Study
- Marvin A. Meyer, The Gospel
of Thomas: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus
- John R. Donahue, The
Gospel in Parable
- Additional readings will
be available in Magill Library, in class handouts, and through links from
the course syllabus online
Recommended if you don't already
own:
- The New Oxford Annotated Bible
with the Apocrypha, NRSV
- K. Aland, ed. Synopsis
of the Four Gospels
Course Outline
- I. Interpreting the Gospel of
Mark
- II. Interpreting the Gospel of
Matthew; Synoptic Comparison
- III. Interpreting The Gospel
of Thomas
- IV. Interpreting The Gospel of
John
- V. Presentation of Seminar Papers
Course Requirements
This is a seminar course. All students
are expected to come to class prepared to participate in discussion, to make
frequent presentations to class, and to respond actively to others' comments
and reports. Students are responsible for close reading of primary and
secondary sources each week.
- Weekly analytical response
to class reading, participation in class discussion, and oral response to
another student's seminar paper (30%).
- Two seminar papers of 5-7
pages (40%).
- A final interpretative research
papers of 12-15 pages (30%).
Syllabus of Class
Topics and Readings
M
1/16 Introduction to the Course: Interpreting the Gospels
- "Mark" the
Evangelist and the Gospel Text in the History of NT Interpretation
- Close reading
of a portion of the Gospel of Mark
- Introductions
- Discussion
of gospel texts to be covered this semester
I. The
Gospel of Mark (1/23-2/6)
1/23 Interpreting
the Gospel of Mark: Parables, Secrecy, and Misunderstanding
- The Gospel
of Mark (first reading): Read the entire gospel through, but focus
more closely on Mark 1-8, with special attention to the Parables of Mark 4
and the themes of Secrecy, Hiddenness, and Misunderstanding
- Mark A. Powell,
Introduction to the Gospels, 38-60 [1-37 recommended, esp. for those
who haven't taken Intro. to NT recently)
- E. Malbon, "Narrative
Criticism," Mark and Method, 24-49
- J. Donahue, The
Gospel in Parable, 1-52
- Recommended for
further reading: Essays by Powell, Tolbert, and others in Kingsbury, ed. Gospel
Interpretation: Narrative-Critical and Social-Scientific Approaches
1/30 Boundary
Crossings and Reversals in Mark: Power and Weakness, Inside and Outside: Interpreting
the Kingdom in Mark's Story of Jesus
- The Gospel of
Mark, focus on Mark 4, 8-16
- R. Fowler, "Reader
Response Criticism," Mark and Method, 50-81
- David Rhoads,
"Social Criticism," Mark and Method, 135-159
- J. Donahue, 52-62
- Recommended for
further reading and for critical reviews:
- *Frank Kermode,
The Genesis of Secrecy, 1-47, 125-45
- R. Fowler, Let
the Reader Understand
2/6 Reading
and Interpreting the Gospel of Mark: Discussion of Selected Passages and of
the Gospel as a Whole
- Reread the Gospel
of Mark; Choose a particular passage or theme to focus on
- Stephen D. Moore, "Deconstructive
Criticism," and Janice Capel Anderson, "Feminist Criticism,"
Mark and Method, 84-134
- David Rhoads,
"Social Criticism: Crossing Boundaries," in Mark and Method, 135-61
(On Blackboard; carry over from last week)
- Compare the methods
of analysis employed by the various scholars on Mark that you've read. How
does each arrive at his interpretive claims about the Markan narrative? How
adequate do you find each of these approaches?
- Jack D. Kingsbury,
"The Significance of the Cross in Mark's Story of Jesus," Gospel Interpretation:
Narrative-Critical and Social Scientific Aproaches (Blackboard)
II. Interpreting
the Gospel of Matthew and Synoptic Comparison (2/13-2/27)
Spring Break (3/3-3/12)
III. Interpreting The Gospel of
Thomas (3/13-3/20)
IV. Interpreting the Gospel of
John (3/27-4/10)
V. Presentation
of Seminar Papers in Progress (4/17-4/24)
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