Living Tradition

Reading the New Testament

Information and Readings for Auditors

Course Syllabus

Download Syllabus

Attending Class

As an auditor, you may flexibly avail of the following options:

  • Attending class in person (Larkin 341, Wednesdays at 11am ET, NB: class starts promptly at 11.10am)
  • Attending class online synchronously (via Zoom: https://bit.ly/trt2110)

Additionally, video recording of class sessions will be posted here after class each week.

Required Study Bible

The following NRSVue study Bible is required for the course:

  • The SBL Study Bible: Including Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books (HarperOne, 2023)

This is a newly-released (November 2023) updated version — including the updated edition of the NRSV as well as with revised notes and essays — of the following, which remains an adequate substitute for students who already own a copy:

  • The Harper Collins Study Bible: Including Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books with Concordance (HarperOne, 2006)

Please ensure you have this study Bible with you for all class sessions.

Highly Recommended Course Book

The following book is just short of required, and weekly recommended readings from it are provided throughout the course:

Week 1: Course Introduction

Topics

  • Course introduction and overview, including resources and expectations
  • What is the New Testament? The Scriptures, pesher and midrash
  • Apostolic ‘kerygma’, exegesis and hermeneutics
  • The New Testament as history, literature, theology
  • Development of the New Testament canon, gospel parallels and harmonisation
  • Canonical perspective and ‘shaping’ (Childs et al)
  • Textual criticism, manuscript traditions, and English translations
  • Setting the scene: history and geography of the world of Jesus

Readings

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • Part I: Introduction to reading the New Testament, pp 38-83
  • Part II: The world of Jesus and the early church, pp 86-169
  • Textual criticism of the New Testament, pp 850-865
  • The canonisation of the New Testament, pp 866-875

Week 2: The Gospel According to St Matthew

Topics

  • authorship, date, location of Matthew
  • relationship between the synoptic gospels (focus of source criticism) — we’ll develop this more in week 3
  • structure (fivefold and twofold)
  • purpose and themes: God with us, church’s access to Christ, role of the disciples, Jesus and the Scriptures, Torah (covenant teaching) and righteousness, the church of the Messiah
  • who is Jesus?

Guest speaker: Bishop Patrick Yu

Readings

  • The Gospel According to St Matthew

Questions to Consider in Reading Matthew

  • Approach Matthew with fresh eyes (and separate from other depictions of Jesus in other Gospels or Epistles): who is Jesus for Matthew?
  • What is the structure of the gospel? How is it deliberately organised?
  • How are these terms used: Son of David, Son of God?
  • How does Matthew depict Jesus as teacher and his followers as disciples?
  • How is the theme of the Torah treated?

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • Gospel of Matthew, pp 578-603

Other Recommended Reading

Week 3: The Gospel According to St Mark

Topics

  • Structure and themes in Mark
  • Who is Jesus?
  • Literary context of New Testament writings
  • Comparison with other forms of literature from the period
  • The ‘gospel’ as unique Christian literary genre
  • Oral dynamic of proclaiming the Word of God
  • Further development of the ‘synoptic problem’ (source criticism)

Readings

  • The Gospel According to St Mark

Questions to Consider in Reading Mark

  • What is the structure of Mark?
  • What is different from Matthew? How might you explain these differences and similarities?
  • How are the disciples characterised?
  • What is Mark’s theology?

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • Gospel of Mark, pp 554-576
  • Study of the historical Jesus, pp 172-186

 

Week 4: The Gospel According to St Luke

Topics

  • Gospel of Luke: structure, themes, who is Jesus?
  • Overview of historical-critical (form, redaction) and new literary-critical methods
  • Response to and use of these methods
  • The Old Testament in the New

Readings

Questions to Consider in Reading Luke

  • What is the structure of the gospel? Pay attention to movement
  • How do the infancy narratives work in this gospel? (compare to Matthew)
  • How are different groups presented (disciples, crowds, opponents)? Especially, how does Jesus minister to outcasts?
  • How does time work in Luke?
  • What role does the temple play in the narrative?
  • What are the key themes of Luke’s account of the passion narrative, the resurrection and ascension?

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • Jesus and the victory of God:
    • Profile and praxis of a prophet, pp 188-214
    • Who did Jesus think he was?, pp 216-240
    • The death of the Messiah, pp 242-262
  • Gospel of Luke, pp 604-627

Week 5: The Gospel According to St John

Topics

  • Gospel of John: structure, themes, what makes John different? does John contradict the synoptics? who is Jesus?
  • Historical Jesus vs Christ of faith
  • Contemporary questions in the encounter with Christ
  • The New Testament as theology

Readings

  • The Gospel According St John

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • Gospel of John, pp 648-678
  • Making of the Gospels, pp 680-700
  • Afterlife in Greek, Roman, and Jewish thought, pp 264-294
  • The story of Easter according to the Evangelists, pp 316-334

Week 6: The Acts of the Holy Apostles

Topics

  • Acts of the Apostles: why is Luke writing this book? what is the message? what is the church for Luke?
  • Early church context from Pentecost
  • Apostolic missions and spread of the Gospel
  • Other early writings

Guest speaker: Randy Williams

Readings

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • Acts of the Apostles, pp 628-646
  • Story of Paul’s life and ministry, pp 336-364

Week 7: Romans

Topics

  • Epistle to the Romans: author and themes
  • Introduction to Paul’s preaching and theology, including issues in his ministry and proposed solutions, views of Judaism in light of Christ and the new covenant, meaning of faith, person of Christ
  • Textual, authorial and historical issues in the Pauline corpus
  • Rhetorical criticism: Paul as a rhetor

Guest speaker: Rebecca Bridges

Readings

  • Romans

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • Primer on Pauline theology, pp 366-394
  • Romans, pp 502-526
  • The story of Easter according to the Apostle Paul, pp 296-314

Week 8: I & II Corinthians, Galatians

Topics

  • Epistles: I & II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians: main themes
  • Critical Realism
  • “New” and “Fresh” Perspectives on Paul

Guest speaker: Alison Hari-Singh

Readings

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • I and II Corinthians, pp 474-500
  • Galatians, pp 396-414

Optional Background Reading on Critical Realism and New/Fresh Perspectives on Paul

Week 9: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians [online only]

Please note that there will be no in-person class this week. The class will take place entirely over Zoom.

Topics

  • Epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians: main themes
  • Paul within Judaism
  • Further consideration of Paul’s teaching: the church, the Holy Spirit, further reflection on Christ and the Kingdom

Readings

  • Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • Philippians, pp 434-449
  • Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians, pp 450-472

Week 10: I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews

Topics

  • Epistles: I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews: main themes, question of authorship
  • Conclusion of reflection on Paul and his teaching
  • Overview of early patristic exegesis
  • Two schools? Alexandria and Antioch
  • What if we took our christology from St Paul?

Readings

  • I Thessalonians; II Thessalonians, I Timothy; II Timothy; Titus; Philemon; Hebrews

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • I and II Thessalonians, pp 416-432
  • Pastoral Epistles, pp 528-552
  • Hebrews, pp 710-728

 

Week 11: James, I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude [online only]

Please note that there will be no in-person class this week. The class will take place entirely over Zoom.

Topics

  • General Epistles: James, I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude
  • Overview of the ‘general’ epistles, including comparison with Pauline collection
  • Further consideration of patristic exegesis of the New Testament

 Readings

  • James; I Peter; II Peter; I John; II John; III John; Jude

Other Background Reading

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • Introduction to early Christian letters, pp 702-708
  • James and Jude, pp 730-754
  • Petrine letters, pp 756-782
  • Johannine letters, pp 784-806

Week 12: Apocalypse (Revelation) and Course Review

Topics

  • Book of the Apocalypse (Revelation): canonicity, authorship, purpose, place in the church, the person of Christ
  • Works that were nearly included in the New Testament
  • Recapitulation of course themes
  • Retrieval of an early Christian exegetical vision

Readings

Recommended Reading from The New Testament in Its World

  • Revelation, pp 808-848
  • Living the story of the New Testament, pp 878-889