Content

This unit examines the life and teaching of Jesus and experiences of early Christian Churches in living out and sharing the Good News. Particular attention will be given to the manner and content of Jesus’ teaching of the Kingdom of God, and related issues of interpretation discussed in contemporary scholarship. Attention will also be given to ways in which the Acts of the Apostles represents the spread of the Good News in the years following the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Students will consider implications from these themes for contemporary contexts.

Unit code: BN2793B

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 2

Unit discipline: New Testament

Delivery Mode: Online

Proposing College: Eva Burrows College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Explain prevalent concepts of the Kingdom of God found in the New Testament

2.

Articulate differing ways in which early Churches carried the Good News of the Kingdom of God into the world.

3.

Critically evaluate contemporary scholarly debates regarding Jesus’ teaching of the Kingdom of God in its first century context

4.

Discuss implications of Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom for contemporary contexts

5.

Apply various tools of Biblical criticism in the exegesis of specific texts relating to the Kingdom of God and Acts

Unit sequence

18 points in BN

Pedagogy

Lectures, group work, online forums, videos

Indicative Bibliography

  • Aune, David E. The New Testament in Its Literary Environment. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1987.
  • Beasley-Murray, George R. Jesus and the kingdom of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986.
  • Blomberg, Craig. Interpreting the Parables. Illinois: Intervarsity press, 1990.
  • Byrne, Brendan. The Hospitality of God: A Reading of Luke’s Gospel. 2nd edition. Strathfield: St Pauls, 2015.
  • Horsley, Richard A. (ed). In the Shadow of Empire: Reclaiming the bible as a History of Faithful Resistance. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008.
  • Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Writings of the New Testament. 3rd edition. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 2010.
  • Kuhn, Karl Allen. The Kingdom of God According to Luke and Acts: A Social, Literary, and Theological Introduction. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2015.
  • Marshall, I. Howard and Peterson, David. Witness to the Gospel: The theology of Acts. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
  • Skinner, Matthew L. Intrusive God, Disruptive Gospel: Encountering the Divine in the Book of Acts. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2015.
  • Snodgrass, Klyne. Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008.
  • Witherington III, Ben. The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.
  • Wright, N.T. Jesus and the Kingdom of God. London: SPCK, 1996.
  • Zimmermann, Ruben. Puzzling the Parables of Jesus: Methods and Interpretation. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2015.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Exegetical Essay

2,000 word exegetical essay

0 50.0
Workshop

1,500 word workshop paper

0 30.0
Oral Presentation

1,000 word online presentation

0 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 1 Nov, 2017

Unit record last updated: 2022-10-05 15:57:30 +1100