Assignment:
Course Description:
The New Testament record of the development of Christianity from a sect within Judaism to becoming a world religion. This course will examine the foundational texts of Christian Scripture with attention to historical context, the intentions of the authors and the way the texts were edited.
Prerequisite:
None
Textbooks:
The Catholic Study Bible Third Edition, Edited by Donald Senior, et. al.(Oxford University Press, 2016).
Imperato, Robert. Portraits of Jesus. Revised edition. Lanham: Hamilton Books, 2018.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to
1. Describe historical and editorial development of early Christianity as reflected in the New Testament assessed in first test and in papers.
2. Articulate the relationships between religious or philosophical traditions and their cultural, historical, and/or political context(s) by exploring how the historical and cultural settings of the New Testament, including geography of Israel, groups of Jews, and the concerns of early Jewish groups influence the writing of the New Testament texts through first test and paper 1.
3. Describe the formation of the New Testament writings through discussion questions, first test.
4. Identify the literary and theological characteristics of each gospel and of the Pauline letters through first test, final exam, discussion questions.
5. Analyze N.T. texts using contemporary interpretive approaches through discussion questions, papers, and test.
6. Analyze beliefs, practices, values, texts and/or figures of different traditions (religious/philosophical/ethical) through integration of scholarly biblical reference materials to research meanings of biblical themes, and passages through papers.
7. Explain and contrast understandings of different portraits of Jesus and the meaning of Christian discipleship through first test final exam and discussion questions.
8. Communicate effectively for a determined purpose while engaging in a critical reading of the New Testament which involves discovery of values, contexts, styles, assumptions and intentions. By leading the students beyond naïve reading to critical reading will exemplify the core value of excellence papers, first test, final exam, discussion questions.