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New Testament History Spring 2011

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New Testament History Spring 2011 GORDON-CONWELL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY NT 914 New Testament History Spring 2011. Mondays, 9:10–12:10 am. Eckhard J. Schnabel. email: [email protected] COURSE DESCRIPTION A study of the origins and the growth of the early church in the context of the history and the culture of the early Roman Empire, with particular attention to historical events, developments, and personalities, including chronological questions, exegetical interpretation of key New Testament and extra-biblical passages, and theological analyses of major trajectories. COURSE OBJECTIVES Students will become familiar with the relevant historical sources, the basic critical issues, and the historical developments in earliest Christianity between A.D. 30–70. Students will be able to consolidate their expertise in biblical research, focusing on historical and exegetical issues in terms of a close reading of relevant texts. Students will expand their knowledge of both the Jewish and Greco-Roman world and the history of the early church. Students will acquire a deepened awareness of the relevance of history for the church. REQUIREMENTS 1. Students are expected to read Barnett, Dunn, Schnabel (see Texts). 2. Students will write a summary (500 words) of the various proposals that have been made for the star of Bethlehem (Matt. 2:1–12) (Paper I). 3. Students will submit a review (2,000 words) which compares the treatment of the Apostles’ Council (Acts 15) in Barnett, Schnabel, Dunn, and Witherington (Paper II). 4. Students will write a short paper (2,000 words) on the date of Jesus’ crucifixion (Paper III). 5. Students will write a brief biography of Peter (2,000 words) (Paper IV). [1] 6. Th.M. students write a major paper (8,000 words) on one of the following topics (Paper V). Students will distribute a one page summary of their research in class. 1. The Claudius edicts and their impact on the history of the church 2. The church in Jerusalem: A prosopographical study 3. The death of Stephen: Historical and legal issues 4. Peter’s departure from Jerusalem: Facts, assumptions, and questions 5. The proposal of a Pauline mission to northern Galatia 6. The social situation of wealthy Christians: The test case of Corinth 7. The establishment of the church in the city of Rome: Historical questions 8. The death of Peter in the city of Rome: Archaeology and faith 9. The early churches and their meeting places: An historical investigation 10. The origins of christology: The meaning of Χριστο' ς 11. The origins of christology: The worship of Jesus 12. The expectation of Jesus’ parousia in the early church Grading: Paper I 10%; Paper II 10%; Paper III 20%; Paper IV 20%; Paper V 40%. Grading scale: A:96-100. A-:93-95. B+:91-92. B:87-90. B-:84-86. C+:80-83. C:77-79. C-:72-76. D+:69-71. D:67-68. D-:65-66. F:65-0. TEXTS Barnett, Paul W. Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999 Dunn, James D. G. Beginning from Jerusalem. Christianity in the Making II. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009 Schnabel, Eckhard J. Jesus in Jerusalem: The Last Days. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2018 [2] WARNING ON PLAGIARISM: Helpful guidelines on plagiarism can be found here: https://wts.indiana.edu/writing- guides/plagiarism.html. This document has the official recognition of the Gordon-Conwell faculty and provides helpful tools to guide you as you prepare for your assignments. Students who are caught plagiarizing will receive the consequences of this act according to the process established by the seminary. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS: To protect the professor’s intellectual property rights with regard to classroom content, students are asked to refrain from audio and video recording of classes, as well as audio, video, and written publication (including internet posting and broadcasting) or live transmission of classroom proceedings. INTERNET USAGE: Students are asked to refrain from accessing the internet at any point during class sessions, unless otherwise instructed by the professor. “Surfing the web,” checking email, and other internet-based activities are distracting to other students and to the professor, and prevent the student from fully participating in the class session. EXTENSION POLICY: Students who wish to submit course work after the last day for written work must receive prior approval from the Student Life Office upon formal petition. Additional time will be granted to students who have lost time for unforeseen reasons. Students should consult the full extension petition and policy, located in the Registration Hub in Canvas for detailed instructions. Petitions must be filed before the last day for written work as specified in the Academic Calendar. Students who require ongoing extensions for medical or physical reasons should review the Disability Accommodations Policy outlined in the Policies & Procedures section of the handbook and consult the Dean of Students. ADA ACCOMMODATIONS: Gordon-Conwell is committed to creating a learning environment that meets the needs of its diverse student body. If you have a special need or disability, please meet with the Dean of Students to request an official accommodation through the Request for Accommodations form. Students who receive an accommodation are asked to meet with the Dean of Students to discuss the provisions of their accommodation as soon as possible. [3] SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY New Testament History: Introductory texts Barnett, Paul W. Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999 Bruce, F. F. New Testament History. New York: Doubleday, 1969 [1972] Conzelmann, Hans. History of Primitive Christianity. Nashville: Abingdon, 1973 Dunn, James D. G. The Partings of the Ways. Between Christianity and Judaism and their Significance for the Character of Christianity. London / Philadelphia: SCM / Trinity Press International, 1991 Dunn, James D. G. Jesus Remembered. Christianity in the Making I. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003 Dunn, James D. G. Beginning from Jerusalem. Christianity in the Making II. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009 Hyldahl, Niels. The History of Early Christianity. SRHEC 3. Frankfurt: Lang, 1997 Schnabel, Eckhard J. Early Christian Mission. Vol.1: Jesus and the Twelve. Vol. 2: Paul and the Early Church. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2004 (orig. Urchristliche Mission. Wuppertal: R. Brockhaus, 2002) Stegemann, Ekkehard and Wolfgang Stegemann, The Jesus Movement: A Social History of its First Century. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1999 Witherington, Ben. New Testament History: A Narrative Account. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001 New Testament History: Selected Studies Barnett, Paul, The Birth of Christianity: The First Twenty Years. After Jesus Volume 1. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005 Bauckham, Richard, ed. The Book of Acts in its Palestinian Setting. The Book of Acts in Its First-Century Setting Volume 4. Exeter: Paternoster, 1995 Bauckham, Richard. God Crucified. Monotheism and Christology in the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999 Bauckham, Richard. Gospel Women: Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002 Blinzler, Josef. The Trial of Jesus. Cork: Mercier, 1969 Blinzler, Josef. The Gospels for all Christians: Rethinking the Gospel Audiences. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998 Bock, Darrell L. Studying the Historical Jesus: A Guide to Sources and Methods. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002 Bock, Darrell L., and Robert L. Webb, eds., Key Events in the Life of the Historical Jesus: A Collaborative Exploration of Context and Coherence. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010 Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the Infancy Narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. New York: Doubleday, 1993 Brown, Raymond E. The Death of the Messiah: From Gethsemane to the Grave. A Commentary on the Passion Narratives in the four Gospels. 2 vols. Anchor Bible Reference Library. New York: Doubleday, 1994 Bruce, F. F. “Chronological Questions in the Acts of the Apostles.” BJRL 68 (1986) 273–295 Bruggen, Jakob van. Christ on Earth: The Gospel Narratives as History. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998 Casey, Maurice. “Chronology and the Development of Pauline Christology.” In Paul and Paulinism. FS C.K.Barrett. Edited by M.D.Hooker et al. London: SPCK, 1982, 124–134 Chilton, Bruce and Craig A. Evans, eds., James the Just and Christian origins. NT.Sup 98. Leiden: Brill, 1999 Chilton, Bruce and Craig A. Evans, eds. Authenticating the Activities of Jesus. NTTS 28.2. Leiden: Brill, 1998 Clarke, Andrew D. Secular and Christian Leadership in Corinth: A Socio-Historical and Exegetical Study of 1 Corinthians 1–6. AGAJU 18. Leiden: Brill, 1993 Evans, Craig A. and Bruce Chilton, ed. Authenticating the Activities of Jesus. NTTS 28.2. Leiden: Brill, 1998 Gehring, Roger W. House Church and Mission: The Importance of Household Structures in Early Christianity. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2004 Griggs, C. Wilfred Early Egyptian Christianity from its Origins to 451 C.E. Coptic Studies 2. Leiden: Brill, 1991 Guarducci, Margherita. La tomba di San Pietro. Una straordinaria vicenda. Milan: Rusconi, 1989 Hengel, Martin, and Anna Maria Schwemer. Paul Between Damascus and Antioch: The Unknown Years. London: SCM 1997 (expanded German version: Paulus zwischen Damaskus und Antiochien. Die unbekannten Jahre des Apostels. WUNT 108. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1998) Martin Hengel and Anna Maria Schwemer, Jesus and Judaism (trans. W. Coppins; Waco/Tübingen: Baylor University Press/Mohr Siebeck, 2019) Hengel, Martin. Between Jesus and Paul: Studies in the Earliest History of Christianity. London: SCM, 1983 [4] Hengel, Martin. “Christology and New Testament Chronology.” In Between Jesus and Paul. 1972. London: SCM, 1983, 30–47, 155–166 Kee, Howard Clark. The Beginnings of Christianity: An Introduction to the New Testament. New York: T&T Clark, 2005 Lampe, Peter. From Paul to Valentinus: Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003 Meier, John P. A Marginal Jew. Rethinking the Historical Jesus. Vol. 1. The Roots of the Problem and the Person. Vol. 2. Mentor, Message, and Miracles.
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