Content

This unit focuses on the undisputed letters of Paul and what they reveal to us about the apostle, his co-workers, his mission, the communities he addresses and his theology within the context of Second Temple Judaism and the first century Greco-Roman world. Insights to Paul’s strategies to build sustainable faith communities, support local leadership, expand broader networks and secure identity in Christ are explored. Relevant engagement with the disputed letters and the Acts of the Apostles will be made as appropriate. This unit will encourage theological discussion of the legacy of Paul for the church today.

Unit code: BN2200C

Unit status: Approved (Assessment revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 2

Unit discipline: New Testament

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Explain the importance of Paul’s correspondence to the growth of the early ekklesia

2.

Illuminate the context in which these letters are written

3.

Examine passages from Paul’s letters within their first century context using basic exegetical skills

4.

Articulate key theological themes of Paul’s letters and their relevance to the life of the church today

Unit sequence

BA1001C and BN1001C or equivalent

Pedagogy

Lectures, Focus Text Workshops, online Context Forum. This unit will be offered online and face-to-face with two hours each week delivered synchronously (F2F and OLS) + 1 hour asynchronous learning activity (OLA).

Indicative Bibliography

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Forum - Online Context Forum

Submission of one discussion topic of at least 3 points of context for each of 5 Pauline letters across the teaching period e.g. Thessalonians, Galatians, Corinthians, Philippians and romans.

600 10.0
Report - Focus Text Report

1000 word report on one of the first three Focus Texts.

1000 20.0
Portfolio - In class Portfolio Hurdle/Compulsory task

The Portfolio consists of three (3) writing tasks conducted in class:

  1. In class focus text in Week 10 (10%). (This is assessed against Learning Outcomes 1, 3 and 4).
  2. In class exegesis of a passage for the essay (20%) in Week 5. (This is assessed against Learning Outcomes 1, 3 and 4).
  3. In class 500 word summary of context from a choice of two (2) of the Pauline letters (10%) in Week 12. (This is assessed against Learning Outcome 2)

This Portfolio is a hurdle/compulsory task. This means passing this Portfolio assessment is required to pass the unit.

1400 40.0
Essay - Main Essay

1500 word essay on the exegesis passage chosen in the portfolio assessment task.

1500 30.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 16 Jan, 2026

Unit record last updated: 2026-01-16 11:13:04 +1100