2NT716 THE TEXT AND CANON OF SCRIPTURE Instructor, C. E. Hill RTS Orlando Tuesdays 2:00-4:00 Fall 2018 Office Hours: Tue. 10-12; Th. 11-12 Course Description A study of the text and canon of scripture, focusing critically on seminal writings from antiquity and on contemporary research. The course will consist of readings, discussions, some lectures, and student presentations of research. Required Texts. Note: you may not need to buy them all but you will have some readings from each. We will be reading a number of articles as well, most of which will be posted online. Gallagher, Edmon, and John D. Meade, The Biblical Canon Lists from Early Christianity: Texts and Analysis (Oxford: OUP, 2017) ISBN-13: 978-0198792499 Hill, C. E., Who Chose the Gospels? Probing the Great Gospel Conspiracy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010) Holmes, Michael, ed., The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations (hardback) third edn. (Baker, 2007) Hurtado, Larry, The Earliest Christian Artifacts. Manuscripts and Christian Origins (Grand Rapids/Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2006) Kruger, Michael J., Canon Revisited (Crossway, 2012) Kruger, Michael J., The Question of Canon: Challenging the Status Quo in the New Testament Debate (IVP Academic, 2013) Recommended Texts. Consider adding many of these to your library! Aland, K. and B. Aland, The Text of the New Testament. An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism (Eerdmans, 1995) Auwers, J-M and H.J. de Jonge, eds., The Biblical Canons (Peeters, 2003) Burke, Tony, Secret Scriptures: A New Introduction to the Christian Apocrypha (Eerdmans, 2013) Beckwith, Roger, The Old Testament Canon of the New Testament Church: And Its Background in Early Judaism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986) Comfort, Philip W., New Testament Text and Translation Commentary (Carole Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008) ______, Encountering the Manuscripts: An Introduction to New Testament Paleography & Textual Criticism (B&H Academic, 2005) Comfort, Philip. W. and David P. Barrett, The Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts (Wheaton; Tyndale House, 2001) Ehrman, Bart, Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (San Francisco: HarperCollins Publishers, 2006) ______, Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make It into the New Testament (Oxford, 2005) Elliott, J. K., The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation (Oxford, 2005) 2 Eusebius of Caesarea, The Ecclesiastical History, 2 vols., tr. Kirsopp Lake, Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge/London: Harvard University Press/William Heinemann, 1926…) Evans, Craig, Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies: A Guide to the Background Literature (Hendrickson, 2005) Evans, Craig, and Emmanuel Tov, eds, Exploring the Origins of the Bible: Canon Formation in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective (Acadia Studies in Bible and Theology) Gamble, Harry Y., Books and Readers in the Early Church (Yale University Press, 1997) Hill, Charles E., The Johannine Corpus in the Early Church (Oxford, 2004 [get the paperback, 2006]) Hill, Charles E. and Michael J. Kruger, The Early Text of the New Testament (Oxford, 2012) Hengel, Martin, The Septuagint as Christian Scripture. Its Prehistory and the Problem of its Canon, with the assistance of Roland Deines, Introduction by Robert Hanhart, Translated by Mark E. Biddle (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004) Köstenberger, Andreas, and Michael Kruger, The Heresy of Orthodoxy (Crossway, 2010) McDonald, Lee M., The Biblical Canon (Hendrickson, 2007) McDonald, Lee and J. A. Sanders, eds., The Canon Debate (Hendrickson, 2002) Metzger, Bruce, The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance (Oxford, 1997) Metzger, Bruce and Bart Ehrman, The Text of the New Testament fourth edition (Oxford, 2005) Parker, David C., An Introduction to the New Testament Manuscripts and their Texts (Cambridge, 2008) Porter, Stanley E., How We Got the New Testament: Text, Transmission, Translation (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013 Porter, Stanley and Andrew Pitts, Fundamentals of New Testament Textual Criticism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015) Ridderbos, Herman, Redemptive History and the New Testament Scriptures, Biblical and Theological Studies (P&R, 1988) Stewart, Robert, ed., The Reliability of the New Testament: Bart Ehrman and Daniel Wallace in Dialogue (Fortress, 2011) Swanson, Reuben J., Galatians, New Testament Greek Manuscripts: Variant Readings Arranged in Horizontal Lines against Codex Vaticanus (Wheaton, Ill: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1999) – there are 8 other books in this series: the 4 Gospels, Acts, Romans, 1&2 Corinthians Tov, Emanuel, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible (Fortress, 3rd edn., 2011) Ulrich, Eugene, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Origins of the Bible (Grand Rapids/ Cambridge/ et al.: Eerdmans/Brill, 1999), 99-120. Vaganay, Leon, An Introduction to New Testament Textual Criticism, 2nd edn. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991) Wegner, Paul, A Student’s Guide to Textual Criticism of the Bible. Its History, Methods and Results (IVP Academic, 2006) 3 Wachtel, Klaus and Michael W. Holmes, eds., The Textual History of the Greek New Testament: Changing Views in Contemporary Research (Society of Biblical Literature, 2011) Classroom Procedure Generally, at least half of the semester’s meetings will consist of the discussion of readings, with the occasional lecture/soliloquy by the instructor. The last classes will consist of seminar presentations by the students, presenting papers, approximately 40 minutes in length, and discussion of those papers. Assignments and Grading COMPONENT % OF GRADE Summary of Reading and Discussion 30 Terminology Quiz 10 Research paper Classroom presentation 20 Final paper 40 100 The Research Paper is to be on some aspect of the textual criticism of the Bible or the canon of the Bible. The particular topic must be approved in advance by the instructor. This could be the study of a selected text critical problem, the study of a particular manuscript or group of manuscripts, the study of the witness of a Father or a text, a synthetic study of a theme or topic in the history of the canon, focusing on Scripture or on post-canonical history. Alternatively, it may be a critical interaction with a modern author on the text or canon of Scripture. Students will be assigned a one-hour slot in class in which to present and then defend their papers. All other students will submit a grade for this presentation (to be considered by the instructor). The papers may then be rewritten and will be submitted at the end of the semester. Paper Requirements for 2NT716 Text and Canon (Note, these only apply to the final paper which you turn in, not to the paper you present in class.) 1. Length. The paper will have a strict word limit of 8,000 words, footnotes included but bibliographies not included (pictures and captions not included). 2. Format. The body of the paper should be in 12 point font, 1.5 line-spaced. Please use footnotes rather than endnotes. Footnotes may be no smaller than 10 point, single- spaced. 3. Citation. Any consistent system of citation is acceptable, within these parameters: first reference to a source must give full bibliographic information; thereafter simply cite the author, an abbreviated title (if your paper uses only one work by a particular author, you may omit the abbreviated title), and page number. 4. Bibliography. Begin the Bibliography on a separate page. List in alphabetical order (by author’s last name) all works cited in the paper. 4 Summary of Reading and Discussion means that two to four times in the semester (depending upon the enrollment) each student will be responsible for summarizing that week’s readings and leading a discussion based on notes/questions from the readings, for the first hour of class. The notes for your presentation must be handed in after the presentation. Terminology Quiz. In addition, the student will take one quiz over basic terminology relevant to canon and textual criticism. Course Objectives Related to MDiv* Student Learning Outcomes MDiv* Student Learning Outcomes Rubric Mini-Justification In order to measure the success of the MDiv curriculum, RTS Strong has defined the following as the intended outcomes of the Moderate student learning process. Each course contributes to these Minimal overall outcomes. This rubric shows the contribution of this None course to the MDiv outcomes. *As the MDiv is the core degree at RTS, the MDiv rubric will be used in this syllabus. Articulation Broadly understands and articulates Strong Students will prepare and orally deliver a knowledge, both oral and written, of paper on an aspect of the textual criticism or (oral & essential biblical, theological, historical, the canon of the New Testament. written) and cultural/global information, including details, concepts, and frameworks. Scripture Significant knowledge of the original Strong Some of the content of Scripture is studied in meaning of Scripture. Also, the concepts detail in terms of its text and the manuscripts for and skill to research further into the which represent it. The whole subject of original meaning of Scripture and to apply canon is concerned with Scripture. Scripture to a variety of modern circumstances. (Includes appropriate use of original languages and hermeneutics; and integrates theological, historical, and cultural/global perspectives.) Reformed Significant knowledge of Reformed Moderate Stress on the doctrine of Scripture as Theology theology and practice, with emphasis on expressed in the WCF and other Reformed the Westminster Standards. confessional documents. Sanctifi- Demonstrates a love for the Triune God Minimal Although one could be a complete louse and cation that aids the student’s sanctification. be an expert on technical matters of canon and textual criticism, a proper approach and appropriation of this material will of great advantage to the ongoing process of the believer’s sanctification. Desire for Burning desire to conform all of life to the Moderate Understanding the origins of the text and the Worldview Word of God.