Religion 217: The Life and Thought of Paul of Tarsus
Syllabus: Dr. E. Piscitelli
See Front Line's Page on Early Christianity PBS link in a New Window
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Paul On PBS 
Paul's Mission Paul's Letters and Mission
Paul's Communities Paul's Congregations
General Objectives: To introduce the student to an understanding of the life and thought of Paul of Tarsus. To help the student to achieve a critical understanding of the Pauline theological tradition.
Office Hour: Thursday 6:30-7:30 PM. CM 374
1. Authorship and Sources Pauline Writings.Paul's Letters and Mission
2. Pauline Schools.Paul's Congregations
3. Neo-Pauline Schools.Methodic Assumptions of Scholarly Biblical Research
5. Letters Between Pliny and Trajan
1. Chronology of Paul's Career.
2. Sketch of Paul's Life
3. Authority of Paul in the Early Christian Communities.
4. Paul's Urban Communities.
1. The Coming of Jesus: The Parousia: Paul's Eschatology
2. Structure of the Letter to the Thessalonians.
3. Meaning of the Letter to the Thessalonians. (Group of 3)
4. Commentary on First Thessalonians by Pheme Perkins
5 Burton Mack's Account of Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians
1. The Corinthian Community
2. Structure of the First Letter To The Corinthians.
3. Meaning of the First Letter To The Corinthians. (Group of 3-4)
Burton Mack's Account of the Corinthian Correspondance
1. Paul's Opponents
2. Structure of the Second Letter To The Corinthians.
3. Meaning of the Second Letter To The Corinthians. (Group of 3- 4)
4. Cullmann on the Resurrection
1. Historical Background to the letter to Philemon.
2. Christianity and slavery in the time of Paul
3. Historical Background of the Letter to the Philippians.
4. Structure and Meaning of the Letter to the Philippians. (Group of 2) .B.
Mack's Comments on Philemon and Philippians
1. Apologetic Letter Against the "Judaizers."
2. Paul's Rhetoric
3. Paul's Theology G. Bornkamm on Paul's Doctrine of Justification
4. Structure of the Letter to the Galatians.
5. Meaning of The Letter to the Galatians. (Group of 5)
B.Mack's Interpretation of Galatians 
1. Paul's Conflict with Jerusalem over the Circumcision of Gentile Converts.
2. Jews and Gentiles: Paul's Defense of his Understanding of Faith.
3. The Rhetorical Argument of Romans.
4. The Structure of Paul's Epistle to the Romans.
5. The Meaning of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. (2 Groups of 4)
Interpreting Paul's Epistle to the Romans by Stanley Stowers
TIME Magazine Article on Re-Judaizing Jesus: Week of March 16, 2008.
What Saint Paul Really Said by N.T. Wright, Eerdmans, 1998. Paul Among the Jews and Gentiles, by Krister Stendahl Fortress Press, 1964; In Search of Paul, John Domenic Crossan and Jonathan Reed, Harper ; What Paul Meant, Garry Wills, Viking, 2006; Final Account: Paul's Letter to the Romans, Krister Stendahl, Fortress Press, 1995.
Revised Standard Version or Oxford Bible or the New English Bible translations of the New Testament are appropriate scholarly resourses for the original texts Greek NT if you can read koine Greek. Interlinear Scripture Analyzer Down Load
Take-Home Essay Examination based on the Lectures and the Readings = 50% of Grade and an Oral Presentation of a section or sections of one of the Major Letters of Paul: First Thessalonians, First or Second Corinthians, Galatians, or Romans. Presentations will be given by a group of students. A group will consist of 3-5 students. Group assignments will be given the first day of class. Each student will present a written summary of their Oral Presentation one week after their oral presentation.. Oral Presentation = 25% and Written Summary = 25% of Grade.
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Criteria for Oral Presentations Content: 1. Was the topic chosen appropriate with a reasonable scope? Material: 1. Was the material properly introduced and explained? Discussion: 1. Did the presentation stimulate a discussion in the class? |
Please Read The General Syllabus For All Classes:
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