NT-761 Romans Methodist Theological School in Ohio

Transcription

1 NT-761 Romans Methodist Theological School in Ohio Fall 2015 Ryan Schellenberg Wed., 2:00 4:50pm Gault Hall 140 Gault Hall 231 (740) Course Description Inquires into the social and historical situation of the Christ-believing communities in first-century Rome and reads Paul s letter to the Romans against this backdrop. Considers major theological themes addressed by Paul, and reflects on their contemporary significance. In light of the divisive effect of religion today, special attention will be given to Paul s proclamation of a gospel that transcends religious divisions and unites the world s peoples. Strategy Although this course will certainly involve traditional lecture and classroom discussion, we will also spend a significant portion of our time role-playing first-century Roman Christ-followers. Each of you will select a character from Romans 16, whose biography and characteristics you will develop imaginatively but plausibly throughout the semester. So, please come to class prepared to stumble playfully into a first-century Roman house church. Learning Objectives Students will: 1) Describe key elements of the social and historical situation of first-century Christian communities. 2) Summarize major theological themes in Romans, and explain how they address concrete issues in the communities to which Paul wrote. 3) Provide informed hypotheses regarding the role diverse social and cultural backgrounds would have played in shaping diverse responses to Paul s letter among its original recipients. 4) Identify situations in their own contexts analogous to those addressed by Paul, and represent Paul s message into such situations. Office Hours I am generally in the office Tuesday 2:00 4:30pm, though please feel free to drop in at other times as well. If you want to be sure to catch me, please make arrangements by , which I check frequently during office hours. Required Texts Reta Haltemann Finger, Roman House Churches for Today: A Practical Guide for Small Groups. Eerdmans, Robert Jewett, Romans: A Short Commentary. Fortress, Stanley K. Stowers, A Rereading of Romans: Justice, Jews, and Gentiles. Yale, Please bring a non-digital copy of the Bible with you to class. I will generally use the NRSV. Other acceptable translations include the NASB, NIV/TNIV, ESV, and the NJB. Please do not use the KJV/NKJV (which relies on outdated Greek editions) or paraphrases like The Message or The Living Bible. If you read Greek, please bring both your Greek New Testament and an English Bible that contains the Old Testament.

2 2 Online Resources The following resources can by accessed on Populi: 1) Formatting and Style Requirements 2) Research Guide for New Testament Studies 3) Course Bibliography (including course reserves) 4) Additional course readings Summary of Assignments and Due Dates: 1) Preparation and Participation 10% 2) Character sketch (Sept. 16) 15% (should also be completed by auditors) 3) Social context research paper (Oct. 7) 20% 4) Simulation journal (Oct. 28) 10% 5) Integration/research paper (Dec. 9) 45% Assignment Details 1) Preparation and Participation 10% Given the nature of this class, thoughtful preparation and participation is very important. Please complete the assigned readings prior to each class, and be prepared to discuss what you have learned, both from your own perspective and that of your first-century character (see below). Your participation will be evaluated in three ways: 1) my observation; 2) a self-assessment undertaken halfway through the semester; 3) evaluations by fellow-members of your house church simulation group. 2) Character sketch (Sept. 16) 15% Throughout the semester, we will engage in simulations in which each student will play the role of a member of a first-century Roman house church. Your first assignment is to describe your character. After selecting your character from the list of options I provide, your task is to create for him or her a realistic back-story. This will take both research (in order to determine what is realistic!) and imagination. Questions to be addressed include the following (see also Finger p. 24, ): What is your age? What is your gender? What is your ethnic background? Are you a slave, a freed-person, or free born? Describe your social status. What is your occupation? Describe your family/household. What are your relationships with the other members of your household like? Does anyone else in your household believe in Jesus? When did you (or your ancestors) come to Rome? Why? Describe your religious background. What is your attitude toward traditional Jewish practices? How did you become associated with Christ-followers? Have you ever heard of Paul? What do you know about him? A strong character sketch has the following characteristics: addresses all the questions above; concrete and detailed; demonstrates significant engagement with recommended resources on the social life of Jews and Christians in first-century Rome; demonstrates creativity and imagination. Your sketch can be in point or paragraph form or a combination of the two, and should be approximately 3 pages in length. Consult the course bibliography for helpful resources to get you started. 3) Social context research paper (Oct. 7) 20% This paper will provide an opportunity for you to engage in more detail one aspect of the social context of early Christianity in Rome and other cities of the Roman Empire. Potential topics for study include: gender and gender relations; slavery; patronage; honor and shame; ethnic relations (Jews, Greeks, Romans, and others); views of foreigners and their religious rites; ancient views of wealth and poverty;

3 3 the social status of first-century Jews and Christians; housing and living conditions; food and diet; medical care and healing; marriage and sexuality; childhood; literacy and letter-writing; guilds and voluntary associations; synagogues in Rome; God-fearers ; church leadership and organization; imperial ideology and the Pax Romana; travel and translocal relationships; etc. Select a topic in which you are interested, then write a short (approx. 5-6 page, double-spaced) research paper that describes what scholars know about your topic and how it is relevant to understanding Romans and/or early Christianity at Rome. 4) Simulation journal (Oct. 28) 10% In order to give you an opportunity to consolidate what you are learning through the house-church simulations, you will submit a brief reflection, in the (fictional) first-person, on your character s experience of Paul s letter. You will be graded on the thoughtfulness and clarity of your reflections, as well as your ability meaningfully to interact with topics covered in the course. Suggested areas for reflection include: What has your character found most helpful about Paul s letter? What has he or she found most troubling or problematic? Reflect on an instance in which another member of your house church had a response to Paul s letter that was quite different from your own character s response. How do the social and relational dynamics of your house church influence what Paul s letter means to various members? Identify a situation in the contemporary world that is analogous to a situation faced by your character or your house church. How does making this comparison affect your perspective on both the ancient and the modern situation? Describe an instance in which your character had a response to Paul s letter (or your house church s discussion of it) that was quite different from your own personal response. Why do you think you and your character reacted differently? Can you see your character s point of view? Do you think your character would be able to see your point of view? Your reflection should be approximately 3 pages, double-spaced. 5) Research paper: Locating a Theological Theme (Dec. 9) 45% Romans is, of course, a theological text. But what we have emphasized in this course is that it is a theological text rooted in a concrete social and historical context. This final paper gives you an opportunity to consolidate what you have learned by reflecting on how a particular theological theme in Romans reflects the first-century context of the letter. Select a theological theme in Romans, such as: faith; the people of God; the righteousness of God; justification; salvation; the wrath/judgment of God; God shows no partiality ; the law; circumcision; grace; predestination. Your paper should include the following elements 1) an introduction to your theme and an overview of the scholarly discussion surrounding it; 2) careful exegesis of key passages; 3) a description of how this theme pertains to concrete issues in the life of the first-century church in Rome. Your paper should be approximately pages, double-spaced; formatting and citations should conform to SBL style. During our final class session (during exam week), each student will summarize her or his findings, and comment on how the theological theme you studied might be recontextualized in the 21st century. Late Assignments Assignments should be handed in at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Late assignments will be subject to a 10% penalty, plus 5% for each additional week that passes without my having received them, to a maximum of 20%. Extended due dates may be granted in exceptional cases (e.g., medical or family emergencies).

4 4 Course Schedule * = reading available on Populi Week 1 (Aug. 26) Introduction to Romans; syllabus Week 2 (Sept. 2) Jews and Christians at Rome Finger ch. 1, 3 5; Stowers ch. 2 Jeffers, Jewish and Christian Families in First-Century Rome * desilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship and Purity, 23 42* Week 3 (Sept. 9) The Purpose(s) of Romans Romans (in one sitting, and preferably aloud) Finger ch. 2; Jewett, introduction; Stowers ch. 1 Week 4 (Sept. 16) Romans 1:1 17; 15:14 16:23 Finger ch. 6 & 8; Jewett ch 1, 17, and 18 Character sketch due Week 5 (Sept. 23) Romans 1 3 Finger ch. 9; Jewett ch. 2 4; Stowers ch. 3 5 Week 6 (Sept. 30) Made Righteous by Faith(fulness) Jewett ch. 5; Stowers ch. 6 and 7 Sanders, Paul: A Very Short Introduction, 52 75* Week 7 (Oct. 7) Romans 4 Finger ch. 10; Jewett ch. 6; Stowers ch. 8 Social context paper due Week 8 (Oct. 21) Romans 5 6 Finger ch. 11; Jewett ch. 7 and 8 Week 9 (Oct. 28) Romans 7 Finger ch. 12; Jewett ch. 9; Stowers ch. 9 Simulation journal due Week 10 (Nov. 4) Romans 8 Finger ch. 13; Jewett ch. 10 Week 11 (Nov. 11) Romans 9 11 Finger ch. 14; Jewett ch ; Stowers ch. 10 Week 12 (Nov. 18) Romans Finger ch. 15; Jewett ch. 14 and 15 Oakes, Romans 12 for a model craftworker house church * Week 13 (Dec. 2) Romans and conclusion Finger ch and appendix 2; Jewett ch. 16; Stowers ch. 11 and conclusion Exam week (Dec. 9) Report on research papers Research papers due

5 5 School Policies: (Please see MTSO Student Handbook for sections providing policy details.) ADA MTSO seeks to remove barriers to inclusion in its learning communities. Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a documented disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs at the beginning of the semester. Please contact the Director of Student Services to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Any accommodation must be agreed upon prior to the due date of the affected course requirement. Class attendance Regular attendance is expected in all classes. During unavoidable absences, students are responsible for missed work. An excessive number of absences may result in grade reduction or course failure, despite successful completion of all assigned work. In most cases, a student will not be allowed credit for a course if he or she is absent for 25% of the class sessions. Electronic Devices Turn mobile devices off or vibrate only during class. Browsing the Internet or engaging in or social network conversations during class is discouraged. Instructors have the right to impose grading penalties for disruptions due to electronic devices. Human Subjects Research Research by MTSO faculty, students, or affiliated personnel that collects nonpublic information from and/or about living individuals or contemporary organizations/groups for purposes of publication or public presentation (including class assignments) must be approved by the Human Subjects Research Committee. MTSO faculty, students, or affiliated personnel should err on the side of caution and apply for committee approval of any activity that may fit this description. Inclusive Language In accordance with MTSO s policy on inclusive language, all students are expected to use gender inclusive or gender neutral language in their writing and in the classroom discussions when referring to human beings. Incompletes To receive a course grade of Incomplete, students must submit the petition form from the Registrar with all signatures to the Dean s Office before the last day of regularly scheduled classes. See Student Handbook for intensive term deadlines. Any petition submitted without a due date for outstanding work will be denied. If work is not complete by the due date the Registrar will record the grade of F for the course. Pass/Fail The decision to exercise this option must be made before the end of the second week of the course by completing the appropriate form available through the Registrar. To receive a grade of "pass" the student must do at least the equivalent of C minus work in the course. Plagiarism Plagiarism is a serious matter of academic, professional, and personal integrity. All students at the Masters level are expected to understand the requirement to provide attribution when the work of others is used. Students are also expected to be familiar with and understand the school s policy on Academic Misconduct found in the Student Handbook. If a student has questions about attribution, citation, and how to avoid plagiarism they should consult the course instructor, the school s writing instructor, or library staff. When in doubt it is better to provide attribution even if one is uncertain about the proper citation form. Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct that results in disciplinary actions per the Student Handbook that may range from failing an assignment or course to expulsion.