General Syllabus For All Classes

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Religion 215: New Testament Studies Syllabus Dr. E. Piscitelli

General Objectives: To introduce the student to an understanding of the world of the New Testament using contemporary Biblical Scholarship. To help the student achieve a critical understanding of the three major theological traditions of the New Testament writings: The Synoptic, The Pauline, and the Johannine.

Office Hour: Immediately after class E-Mail

Unit I: The Methods of New Testament Scholarship: Their Scope and Limits.

1. Authorship and Sources of the New Testament.

2. Form, Redaction, and Historical-Tradition Criticism.

3. The Synoptic Problem of the Gospels.

4. Philosophic Assumptions: Eric Voegelin's Gospel and Culture (Week 1-2)

5. Thomas Aquinas on the use of authority in academic theological questions: Quodlibetal Question IV, Q 9, art. 3

The Methodic Assumptions of Contemporary New Testament Scholars And Early Christian Gnosticism

Unit II: The New Testament as an Historic Text: The Problems of Myth and History, Symbol and Story, Science and Fiction.

1. The Genres of the New Testament Writings.

2. The Philosophical-Religious Significance of a theory of Myth and Language.

3. Critical and Existential History. (Week 3-4)

Norman Perrin on the Problem of Myth

My Article On Paul Ricoeur's Theory of Myth and Symbol

Unit III: The Formation of the New Testament as an Historic Text: The Fusion of Religious Traditions.

1. Apocalyptic Christianity.

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2. The Phases of New Testament Christianity.

3. The Stages of the Fusion of the Traditions:

a) The Fall of Jerusalem,

b) The Delay of the Parousia,

c) The Resurgence of Apocalyptic, and

d) The Institutionalization of the Traditions.

4. The Pluralism of early Christianity. (Week 5-6)

The Formation of the Jesus Movements According to Burton Mack New

Jewish/Christian Split

Gospel of Thomas Early Gnostic Gospel found in North Africa dated between 55-70 CE

Unit IV: The Gospel According to Mark: Apocalypticism and Gnosticism.

1The Tensions in Mark's Community. 2. The Structure of Mark's Gospel. 3. The Theology of Mark and Authentic Faith in Jesus. 4. Mark's Understanding of Jesus and True Discipleship. 5. Group Presentation of Mark. (Week 7-9) Michael White On Mark Burton Mack's Interpretation of Mark

Unit V: The Narratives of Luke: Story of Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles

and Matthew's Catechism For Jewish Christians

1. Luke's Solution to the Problem of the Delayed Parousia. 2. History as Salvation History. 3. The Structure of Luke's" Connected Narrative". 4. The Theology of Luke and his Understanding of Jesus. 5.Group Presentation of Matthew & Luke (Week 10-11) 6. Attridge, Koester, etc On Luke/Acts PBS 7. Burton Mack's Connected Narrative of Luke:Ancient Romance: Jesus, Peter, & Paul Off to Rome! 8 Matthew According To Burton Mack 9. Matthew: H. Koestler Etc. PBS 10. Notes On Matthew's Gospel.

Unit VI: Paul: The First Christian Dialectician: Epistle To the Romans.

Paul

1. Paul's Conflict with Jerusalem over the Circumcision of Gentile Converts. 2. Paul's Rabbinical Defense of his Understanding of Authentic Faith. 3. The Argument of Romans. 4. The Structure of Paul's Thought: Symbolic Dialectics. 5. Group Presentation of Paul (Week 12-13) 6. G. Bornkamm on Paul's Doctrine of Justification 7. W. Meeks etc. On Paul's Mission & Letters 8. Paul's Communities 9.Stanley Stowers On Interpreting Paul's Epistle to the Romans 10.Paul On Law and Justification by N.T. Wright 11PBS: Peter and Paul: The Christian Revolution

Please Note That References in Your Research, in Your Reports, and in Your Examinations must be limited to Recognized Biblical Scholars contained in the Selected Bibliography listed Here:

Bibliography

Texts:

An Introduction To the New Testament, D. Duling (Latest Edition), Revised Standard Version or New English Bible translation of the New Testament. The bibliography at the back of the text is useful. 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 Scrpture Analyzer Down Load

Supplementary Text: What The Gospels Meant, Garry Wills, Viking. This is a helpful summary of New Testament scholarship.

1. NRSV Translation of the Bible On-Line.

2. Internet Resources For Biblical Studies

Evaluations:

Two Take-Home Essay Examinations:

1. First Examination from Unit I-IV (35% of Grade);

2. Second Examination from Unit V to end of material covered in class (35% of Grade). All examinations are based on the Lectures and the Readings.

3.Group Presentation on a Scriptural Tradition + Written Report (Paul, Synoptics, John) (30% of Grade) Criteria For Presentations

Final Examination date for take homes and research papers: See Exam Schedule.

Go To The Examination Questions

Final Exam Schedule