Content

This unit will examine the role of the Holy Spirit in the life and mission of the early church in the Greco-Roman world. The students will study key passages in the New Testament, especially John’s Gospel, Acts and Paul’s letters concerning the work of the Spirit in the Christian communities. Special attention will be given to the Spirit-Paraclete in the Johannine Farewell, the Spirit-orchestrated trans-ethnic Jesus-communities in Acts, and the Spirit-empowered body of Christ in Pauline literature. The unit will investigate the function and the power of the Spirit in the ongoing transformation of individual Christ-followers, as well as the identity-formation and the mission of the multi-ethnic ekklēsiai in the Roman Empire.

Unit code: BN9011W

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: New Testament

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Whitley College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Articulate the role of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, especially in John’s Gospel, Acts, and the Pauline corpus.

2.

Demonstrate the ability to conduct critical analysis of the key New Testament texts on the Holy Spirit within their own rhetorical and socio-historical contexts

3.

Identify and articulate the work of the Spirit regarding the formation of early Christian communities in the New Testament, as well as the identity and transformation of Jesus-followers in the Greco-Roman world.

4.

Reflect critically on the contribution of the NT literature to understanding the work of the Spirit in the life and mission of the church today.

5.

Critically evaluate recent New Testament scholarship regarding the role of the Spirit

Pedagogy

lectures, discussion, tutorials

Indicative Bibliography

  • Brown, Tricia Gates. Spirit in the Writings of John: Johannine Pneumatology in Social-Scientific Perspective. London: T & T Clark, 2004.
  • Burge, Gary M. The Anointed Community: The Holy Spirit in the Johannine Tradition. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987.
  • Dunn, James D. G. The Christ and the Spirit: Vol. 2. Pneumatology. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998.
  • Eastman, Susan G. “Oneself in Another: Participation and the Spirit in Romans 8.” In “*In Christ” in Paul, edited by Michael J. Thate, Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Constantine R. Campbell. WUNT 2.384. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2014.
  • Fee, Gordon D. od’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2009.
  • Kuecker, Aaron J. The Spirit and the ‘Other’: Social Identity, Ethnicity and Intergroup Reconciliation in Luke-Acts. London: T & T Clark, 2011.
  • Keener, Craig S. The Mind of the Spirit: Paul's Approach to Transformed Thinking. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2016.
  • Lee, Dorothy. “’In the Spirit of Truth’: Worship and Prayer in the Gospel of John and the Early Fathers.” Vigiliae Christianae 58 (2004) 277–97.
  • Levison, John R. Filled with the Spirit. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2009.
  • Marshall I. H., Volker Rabens, and Cornelis Bennema, eds. The Spirit and Christ in the New Testament and Christian Theology: Essays in Honor of Max Turner. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012.
  • Rabens, Volker. The Holy Spirit and Ethics in Paul: Transformation and Empowering for Religious-Ethical Life. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 2014.
  • Turner, Max. Power from on High: The Spirit in Israel’s Renewal and Witness in Luke-Acts. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2015.
  • Twelftree, Graham H. People of the Spirit: Exploring Luke's View of the Church. London: SPCK, 2009.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

2,500-word thematic essay

2500 40.0
Exegetical Essay

2,500-word exegetical essay

2500 40.0
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper

1,000-word thematic tutorial paper

1000 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 1 Oct, 2016

Unit record last updated: 2020-10-09 10:03:40 +1100