Paul, the Cross-shaped Church and its Mission (BN3709W)

Undergraduate, 18.0 points

Content

This unit will examine the call of the church to participate in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus according to Paul’s letters. The students will study key passages in Romans, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians and other Pauline letters concerning the call of the church to be conformed to the crucified Christ. The unit will explore the concept of participation in Christ and its interrelationship with the mission of the church in the Pauline corpus. More specifically, the unit will survey the outworking of the corporate life of cruciform Christ-communities in the first century, which includes hospitality, multi-ethnic harmony, economic justice, peace-making, faithful witness and the embodiment of the justice of God in the context of the Roman Empire.

Unit code: BN3709W

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: New Testament

Delivery Mode: Online

Proposing College: Whitley College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Articulate Paul’s understanding of conformity with the crucified Christ and its relationship to the call and mission of the church
2.

Interpret texts in the Pauline corpus in their rhetorical and socio-historical context
3.

Identify and articulate elements of Pauline thought and teaching that are interconnected with participation in Christ’s death and resurrection
4.

Reflect critically on the implications of the Pauline concept of conformity with the crucified Christ for the mission of the church today
5.

Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of participation in Christ in view of the recent developments in Pauline scholarship

Unit sequence

First-level introductory unit in New Testament (BN1001W or equivalent)

Pedagogy

Interaction with online resources, including peer discussion, lectures (audio and/or visual), lecture notes, readings

Indicative Bibliography

  • Campbell, Constantine R. Paul and Union with Christ: An Exegetical and Theological Study. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012.
  • Campbell, Douglas A. The Quest for Paul's Gospel: A Suggested Strategy. London: T&T Clark, 2005.
  • Gaventa, Beverly Roberts. Our Mother Saint Paul. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2007.
  • Gorman, Michael J. Inhabiting the Cruciform God: Kenosis, Justification and Theosis in Paul’s Narrative Soteriology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009. (recommended for purchase)
  • ___________ Becoming the Gospel: Paul, Participation,and Mission. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015. (recommended for purchase)
  • Hooker, Morna D. From Adam to Christ: Essays on Paul. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
  • Hooker, Morna D., and Frances M. Young. Holiness and Mission: Learning from the Early Church About Mission in the City. London: SCM Press, 2010.
  • Tannehill, Robert C. Dying and Rising with Christ: A Study in Pauline Theology. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2006. [Previously published by Berlin: Alfred Töpelmann, 1967.]
  • Wright, N. T. Paul and the Faithfulness of God. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2013.
  • Wu, Siu Fung. Suffering in Romans. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2015. [Forthcoming in 2015.]

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

2,000-word thematic essay

 2000 40.0
Exegetical Essay

2,000-word exegetical essay

 2000 40.0
Seminar or Tutorial

Online tutorial participation (at least five entries of approximately 200 words each) responding to set readings and peer interaction approximately every two weeks

 1000 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 30 Sep, 2015

Unit record last updated: 2020-09-23 17:29:04 +1000