From the Gospel to the Gospels (NT I)

An introduction to the four Gospels in their social, historical and theological settings. Using a "socio-literary" approach, we will study the Gospels within a two-dimensional framework, both centred on what the early Christians called the "gospel" or "Kerygma." One dimension has to do with social history — the origin and development of Christianity as a distinct social entity, from its foundations in the ministry of Jesus and the Easter experience, through its emergence as a Jewish renewal movement, and on to its development into a separate, largely Gentile, institutionalized religion. The second dimension has to do with literature — the process by which the Gospels came to be written, their literary form and texture, and their character as narrative versions of the "gospel." Tutorial from 10 - 11 am. Weekly lectures; assigned papers; final exam or integration paper.