Syllabus for NT102 Acts and the Pauline Epistles

NT/BT717 New Testament Theology (FALL 2011)

SYLLABUS

BT/NT717 New Testament Theology Thorsten Moritz Fall 2011 Bethel Seminary 9/26 – 12/5 E-mail: [email protected] Monday 1-5 pm Research Fellow: Julie Dahlof Kramme – [email protected]

Office appointments: Pre-arranged by email or ad hoc after class

Course Description:

This course has three main ingredients. Students will work their way through (1) select NT passages; (2) J.D.G. Dunn’s New Testament Theology and present some of their findings as part of the assessment requirements [details below]. Some of this will happen verbally in class, and some by written assignment (2) TM will introduce his notion of what a NT theology might or should look like in theory, as well as what the theological outcomes of such an approach look like.

Intellectually there will be a much greater emphasis on the need to think than the reception of 'information'. Where a student is not confident about his/her hermeneutical/philosophical skills, try this for a summary of what I consider to be crucial hermeneutical issues:

www.thorstenmoritz.com (click on Report at the top)

For what it’s worth, there is also an advanced hermeneutical bibliography on that website (though that may be overkill for this class).

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this course students should have acquired the following:

 In-depth awareness of the interface of theology, literature and history in NT studies  An increased appreciation of what it takes to recover Scripture hermeneutically and theologically  The ability to digest and to cogently present complex interpretative issues orally  Improved hermeneutical sensitivity to 'theological meaning' issues  An advanced epistemological awareness as it pertains to biblical theology

Text book/compulsory reading:

J.D.G. Dunn, New Testament Theology (Abingdon 2009) BT/NT717: Syllabus page 2

Assignments (equally weighted):

All assignments to be weighted equally. Each student will make one prepared verbal contribution in class, submit one written paper on Moodle and offer one ad hoc response to the professor’s teaching in class. The paper is the only submitted work. It will be graded and returned via Moodle.

 One verbal critique of the contents of parts of New Testament Theology (NTT). Consult schedule below (end of syllabus) and sign up by email to TM for one slot each.

 One written critique of another section of Dunn’s NTT – 2000 words EXCLUDING footnotes [but use footnotes strictly for clarification, references and asides). The written paper is due on Moodle. Due Sunday, Nov 27th by 11:55pm at the latest. The submission link will close at that point.

 One reflective response to the professor’s teaching earlier that afternoon

Grading:

This is an upper level class. Average work can expect to receive a B or B-. The grading scale used on Moodle to compute the letter grades is as follows:

100 A 95 A- 90 B+ 85 B 80 B- 75 C+ 70 C 65 C- 60 D+ 55 D 50 F

Verbal Evaluation

This is about digesting and presenting the most pertinent issues arising from the relevant book chapter (Dunn). The student should (1) aim to sum up the chapter in a few minutes by focusing on its gist and hermeneutical relevance. (2) You should contextualize the contents of your chapter against the canvas of wider NT scholarship(!). That obviously requires prior research in the library that casts its net wider than just the text at hand. (3) Reflect, if you can, on the particularities of Dunn’s approach to NT Theology and his awareness of the challenges inherent in attempting such a theology. Your presentation will be followed by a plenary discussion led by you. As you moderate the discussion after your presentation, be sure to lead BT/NT717: Syllabus page 3 proactively and not to let the participants take over and shape the direction of the conversation. Try to finish by summarizing succinctly what has been achieved in your presentation and the discussion and what open questions remain. Plan on 10-15 min of presentation followed by up to 10 min of guided discussion.

Written Critique

This paper aims to provided a fair and polished hermeneutical and theological assessment of the book section discussed (again Dunn). I will read up to the first 2000 words submitted by each student. My advice is to write a 2500 word draft and then to cut out the fluff (we all produce fluff!) to reduce it to 2000 words. Be succinct and lucid. Avoid material that may be very interesting, but fails to contribute directly to your main argument. Make sure the paper reflects an appropriately 'sympathetic yet critical' stance towards the book. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in the book’s arguments and present your findings in a selective and coherent fashion. Important: Interact with other relevant scholarship. The ideal scenario is for you to develop a thesis vis-à-vis NTT, which you then test and defend in the process of reviewing this work. If this proves unrealistic, it's best simply to critique the relevant section fairly, thus effectively turning a summary of your evaluation of that chapter into the 'thesis'.

'Critique' implies 'analysis'. 'Analytical' means asking 'why' and searching for and evaluating pertinent arguments. You analyze and evaluate the chosen chapter. Don't recapitulate its content – Life’s too short for that. Instead, engage the book’s content. You should have positive as well as critical things to say about NTT. I am looking for a scholarly in-depth assessment of this work. Use other literature to help you review the book. There are plenty of general scholarly reviews available. The ‘written critique’ genre combines a very brief review component (descriptive) with an extended research approach (analysis) characterized by hermeneutical ability to synthesize.

Reflective Response

This response (to the professor) can range from reflective processing to critique (or a combination). Students are free to agree or disagree with the professor. The response is about ‘processing’ (hermeneutically, methodologically, theologically, integratively), not about winning arguments. It’s about depth of insight, not debating skills. This being a processive exercise, the professor has no specific content requirements or expectations other than the need for the student to interact with the immediately prior presentation of the professor either on the level of processing, or critiquing, or both. Selectivity of content is key. It is not expected that the student cover all main points made by the professor or that results are reached and presented. This is a processive exercise, not a conclusive one. But it will involve a demonstration of critical awareness. Plan a 5-10 min response. Any subsequent discussion, if applic., will be led by the professor.

COURSE SCHEDULE

The quarter spans 11 weeks, but two of those are reading weeks (between week 4 and 5). I will also be in San Francisco (Oct 21st). That leaves eight weeks of lectures (numbered 1 – 8 below). BT/NT717: Syllabus page 4

 week 1 Introduction (1): What is New Testament Theology not? Introduction (2): Did Jesus have a NTT? Introduction (3): What criteria can we establish for a NTT?

Weeks 2 – 8 show the story part which we will focus on each week (first line), Thorsten’s weekly contributions (second line), student names (to be inserted) for the reflective responses (line three) and the section from Dunn’s book which we will have student presentation on (fourth line - student names to be inserted for verbal critiques). BTW, I have not tried to match Dunn’s topics to mine. In other words, line 4 does not correlate with lines 1-3.

 week 2 ‘I have proclaimed to you the entire plan of God’ 10/03(TM) A story of divine commitment (TM) Dunn – Section I

 week 3 ‘Are you now going to restore the kingdom?’ 10/10(TM) A story of selfish anticipation (Jason Peterson + Andrew Gross) (Toni Thulen) Dunn – Section II

 week 4 ‘Save yourself and us’ 10/17(TM) A story of sacrificial recreation (Jon Prince) (Keven Johns.-G. + Joelle Anders.) Dunn – III. 1 &2 + III. 3 & 4

 10/24 and 10/31 - Two reading weeks. No class. Research your papers!!

 week 5 ‘But God made us alive with Christ’ 11/07(TM) A story of mutual participation (Joelle Anderson + Toni Thulen) (TM) Dunn – IV. 1 & 2 + IV. 3 & 4

 week 6 ‘Seeing the kingship of God having come with power’ 11/14(TM) A story of divine victory (Steve McCormick) (Jason Peterson + Andrew Gross) Dunn – V. 1 & 2 + V. 3 & 4

 11/21 TM at SBL in San Francisco - and thinking of you at all times  No class

 week 7 ‘The fullness of God dwelled in him’ 11/28(TM) A story of an incarnated savior (Keven Johnson-Glassel) (Jon Prince + Steve McCormick) Dunn – VI. 1 & 2 + V. 3 & 4

 week 8 ‘Come, follow me’ 02/04(TM) A story of a fulfilled remnant (TM) Dunn – Conclusion