Introduction to the New Testament II: The Early Church and the Living Word

An introduction to a portion of the New Testament: Acts, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, Philippians, 1 Peter, Hebrews and Revelation. The course has three principal foci: (i) the nature of Graeco-Roman society and the significance of that context for interpreting New Testament Texts, (ii) Paul's theology, explored in the context of the debates of recent decades concerning its relationship to Second Temple Judaism, and (iii) the understanding of the identity of Jesus expressed in the New Testament texts studied, with significant emphasis on Jesus as the one who saves. The course encourages students to engage issues through a close reading of the biblical texts and critical engagement with a variety of scholarly perspectives. The main assessments both develop students' exegetical skills and take them deeper into the Christological questions explored in the third focus of the course. This course functions as the second half of the Wycliffe introduction to the New Testament, or it can be taken on its own.