Content

How were the New Testament documents heard and interpreted by their earliest historical audiences? How should they be heard and interpreted by communities of faith today? Careful analysis of historical context--political, economic, social, military, cultural, linguistic and visual--leads to awareness of the New Testament as both contextual and living in faith communities today. Participants practise a range of exegetical methods (historical-critical, literary, socio-cultural and rhetorical) and related skills to develop their ability to hear and critically interpret the New Testament.

Unit code: BN8001S

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: New Testament

Proposing College: Stirling College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Describe how the New Testament documents were composed, heard and interpreted.

2.

Identify key characteristics of the historical worlds from which the New Testament writings emerged and describe their importance.

3.

Engage a range of views of the interpretive significance of the New Testament’s use of Old Testament traditions.

4.

Apply a range of appropriate exegetical approaches and analytical tools to exegete a selected New Testament text identifying practical implications for a range of contexts today.

Unit sequence

This is a foundational postgraduate unit, requiring no prerequisites.

Pedagogy

A selection of lectures, seminars, exegetical workshops, class discussions, set readings, forums.

Indicative Bibliography

Students are not expected to purchase any books other than a good study Bible (NRSV, NIV, NKJV) if they do not already have one. Recommended: Cambridge NRSV Reference Edition

Bailey, Kenneth E. Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels. London: SPCK, 2008.

Burge, Gary M, Lynn Cohick and Gene L Green. The New Testament in Antiquity. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.

Cardenal, Ernesto. The Gospel in Solentiname. NY: Orbis, 2010.

DeSilva, David Arthur. An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation. Downers Grove: IVP, 2018.

Eve, Eric. Behind the Gospels: Understanding the Oral Tradition. London: SPCK, 2013.

Fee, Gordon D. New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors. London: Westminster John Knox, 2002.

Green, Joel B, ed., Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 2013.

Green, Joel B, ed. Hearing the New Testament: Strategies for Interpretation. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2010.

Green, Joel B, and Lee Martin McDonald, eds. The World of the New Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2013.

Patte, Daniel and Teresa Okure, eds. Global Bible Commentary. Nashville: Abingdon, 2004.

Powell, Mark Alan, ed. Methods for Matthew. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Schottroff, Luise. The Parables of Jesus. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2006.

Witherington, Ben. Matthew. Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2006.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Blog - Blog post

Blog post reflecting on lectures and set readings

500 10.0
Document Study - Exegetical Workshop Paper 1 1000 10.0
Document Study - Exegetical Workshop Paper 2 1000 15.0
Document Study - Exegetical Workshop Paper 3

This task adds to skills developed in earlier tasks.

1000 15.0
Essay - Exegetical Essay 3000 50.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Maggie Kappelhoff on 21 Sep, 2021

Unit record last updated: 2021-10-28 10:57:46 +1100