Religion 215b
Spring 2002
Prof. Anne McGuire
610 896-1028 OH: T, Th 9:30-11:00 a.m. and by appt.

THE LETTERS OF PAUL

The Full Syllabus for This Course (available only within the Tri-College network) will be updated regularly. Be sure to check the site at least weekly for changes and updates, including new links and revisions to the assignments.

Course Description: This course focuses on critical reading and interpretation of the 13 New Testament letters attributed to the apostle Paul. The primary goals of the course are: 1) to become familiar with the language, argument, and theology of Paul's letters; 2) to develop the skills of critical analysis and interpretation through close reading, discussion, and frequent writing assignments; 3) to relate Paul and his letters to their original social settings, to the historical development of Christian theology, and to contemporary interpretive approaches.

COURSE REOUIREMENTS

A. A weekly 1-page single-spaced critical response paper on the primary text assigned for class, to be handed each Monday in class. Regular attendance, preparation of all reading assignments, and participation in class discussion (20%)

Each of these papers should focus on a particular verse, concept, or theme in the primary text assigned for class. You should offer a brief analysis of the material, focusing your remarks on the text and its language. Due in class every week except the week when the student is preparing a 5-page paper for class.

B. Two Short Papers (30%):

• A 2-3 page paper due by 3 p.m. on Friday, January 25, 2002. This paper must be turned in by this time if you intend to register for the class. See instructions on Syllabus below under 1/21/01 (10%).
  
• A 5-page interpretive paper on the primary text assigned for a particular class + a brief oral presentation in class (20%).

  This paper should offer a more sustained analysis of the text assigned for class, together with an interpretive argument about its significance. This analysis and interpretation should be integrated with some critical response to the secondary sources assigned for class. Dates for this paper will be assigned at the second class meeting.

  A first draft of this paper must be submitted to the instructor by 11 a.m. the day of class. Students should be prepared to make a 5-8 minute oral presentation in class on the central issues of their analysis. A revised version of the paper will be handed in the following week in class, except for the week after spring break, when the final version is due on Wednesday.

C. Two Research Papers (50%):

• An exegetical research paper of 7-8 pages (25%), due F, April 12. An Exegesis paper is a close interpretive study of a particular passage based on careful research involving study of the original language (Greek) of the text, concordances, commentaries, and recent scholarship on the text.
  • Guidelines on Writing an Exegesis Paper (links coming soon)
    
• A research paper on 8-10 pages on a topic in Pauline studies (25%),. This paper will be due at the end of the exam period.
  • Some Guidelines on Writing the Research Paper

REOUIRED TEXTBOOKS:

• Wayne A. Meeks, ed. The Writings of St. Paul, 2nd edition
• E.P. Sanders, Paul: A Very Short Introduction
• Krister Stendahl, Paul Among Jews and Gentiles
• Dale Martin, The Corinthian Body
• Daniel Boyarin, A Radical Jew Paul & the Politics of Identity
• The New Oxford Annotated Bible, NRSV
• Links to Numerous Web Resources are included in the syllabus below. More will be added on the semester progresses. Please inform me of links that don't work and of new web sites you've found useful. I am indebted to many colleagues for their useful web sites on the Letters of Paul, especially:
  • New Testament Gateway, by Dr. Mark Goodacre, University of Birmingham, England
  • Pauline Studies Resources, from a course on The Writings of St. Paul by Dr. Sheila McGinn, John Carroll University
• Additional readings will be handed out in class or will be available online or on Reserve in Magill Library (res.)

Click here for the fyll syllabus of readings (available only in Tri-college network).

Reserve Books for Rel. 215b, The Letters of Paul

Alfred Marshall, ed. The RSV Interlinear Greek-English New Testament. BS 1965 1970.

Wayne Meeks, The First Urban Christians. BR166. M44 1983.

C.K. Barrett, The Epistle to the Romans. B52665 .B18 1957a.

C. K. Barrett, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Canaday BS2675.3 B32 1973.

J. Bassler, Pauline Theology. Vols. 1 and 2. H Magill BS2651 .P284 1991 v. 1, v. 2

H.D. Betz, Galatians: A Commentary. B526853 B47

Daniel Boyarin, A Radical Jew: Paul & the Politics of Identity. H Magill BS2506 .B68 1994

Hans Conzelmann, 1 Corinthians: A Commentary. BS2675.3 C613.

Victor P. Furnish. The Theology Of The First Letter To The Corinthians H Magill BS192.2.A1 1964 .G3 v.32A

Richard B. Hays, Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul. B52655 .R32 1439 1989

Richard Horsley, ed. Paul and Politics : Ekklesia, Israel, Imperium, Interpretation : Essays in Honor of Krister Stendahl BS2655.P64 H67 2000 

Ernst Kasemann, Commentary on Romans. BS2665.3 K33 13.

Eduard Lohse, Colossians and Philemon. Canaday BS27153 L6413

Dale Martin. Salvation as Slavery. The Metaphor of Slavery in the Letters of Paul. B52665 .555 M37 1990.

Dale Martin. The Corinthian Body. Magill BS2675.6.B63 M37 1995

Alan Segal, Paul the Convert. BS2655 .J4 544 1990.

E.P. Sanders. Paul and Palestinian Judaism. Canaday BM535 .S24 1977.

E.P. Sanders. Paul: A Very Short Introduction.

James Tabor. Things Unutterable: Pau ‘s Ascent to Paradise. BS2675.2 T33 1986.

Peter J. Tomsen. Paul and the Jewish Law. B52655 .L35 T66 1990.

Antoinette C. Wire, The Corinthian Women Prophets: A Reconstruction through Paul’s Rhetoric. 1990. BS 2655 .W5 1990

 

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