April 4 to June 6 7:00 pm 9:40 pm Dennis R. Edwards E-mail: dedwards@faculty.seminary.edu Purpose of the Course (from catalog): This course aims to acquaint students with the mission, letters and theology of Paul. The focus is on exegesis and theology in the service of building up one s own biblical-theological basis for preaching, teaching and other practices of ministry. Prerequisite: IN 301; Curricular area: NT (Required) Objectives/Outcomes: The student, upon completion of this course, will be able to: Articulate the major understandings of Paul in contemporary discussion as well as the significance of each view for church life and ministry. Understand the location of Paul s apostolic work in the Story of the Israel, Jesus and the Church. Sketch the basic features of the life of Paul, the historical context of Paul, and the message of Paul. Apply theological themes in Paul s letters to a contemporary ecclesial questions or problems. Demonstrate a capacity to interpret Pauline letters attuned to the linguistic structure of the argument, sensitive to the historical context, consistent with the rule of faith, and relevant for the 21st century church. Required Textbooks: Bird, Michael F. Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission and His Message. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2009. ISBN: 9780830828975. 192 pages. $14.16. Longenecker, Bruce W., & Todd Still. Thinking Through Paul: A Survey of His Life, Letters, and Theology. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014. ISBN: 9780310330868. 378 pages. $25.23. Witherington, Ben. A Week in the Life of Corinth. Downers Grove: IVP Academic. 2012. ISBN: 9780830839629. 156 pages. $13.16. Required Reading (on reserve): Blount, Brian K. Paul: Theology Enabling Liberating Ethics Sometimes, in Then the Whisper Put On Flesh: New Testament Ethics in an African American Context. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001. ISBN: 978-0687085897. Pages 119-57 (38 pages). $28. Gaventa, Beverly R. Is Pauline Theology a Guy Thing? in Our Mother Saint Paul. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780664231491. Pages 63-75 (12 pages). $19.58. Page 1 of 6
Gorman, Michael J., Approaching Paul, in Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters. 2 edition. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2016. ISBN: 978-0802874283. Pages 1-9 (9 pages). $40.80. Smith, Abraham, Paul and African American Biblical Interpretation, in Blount, Brian K., Cain Hope Felder, Clarice J. Martin, and Emerson B. Powery, eds. True to Our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary. 5.2.2007 edition. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0800634216. Pages 31-42 (11 pages). $23.72. Smith, Mitzi, J., Slavery in the Early Church, in Blount, Brian K., Cain Hope Felder, Clarice J. Martin, and Emerson B. Powery, eds. True to Our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary. 5.2.2007 edition. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0800634216. Pages 11-22 (11 pages). $23.72. Course Requirements and Evaluation: 1. All assigned papers and essays are to be submitted on Moodle. 2. All assignments are due at the hour of class unless otherwise noted. 3. Complete all Bible reading and textbook reading on the day they are listed on the syllabus schedule. 4. Contribute meaningfully and in a civil manner to class discussions and lectures. 5. Do all assignments in the syllabus; submit a report of percentage of reading at the end of the term. 6. Class attendance: It is expected that students will attend and participate in all class sessions. Failure to attend at least 80% of class sessions is grounds for automatic failure. Students are expected to communicate with me in advance if they are to miss a class session. 7. Written work should be condensed and tight, full of evidence when needed, and not brief, fluffy papers. Be prepared to read your paper aloud in class. (Write with that end in view.) They will be graded for comprehensive perception; articulation; display of evidence and inductive method; proper formatting. 8. Late submissions: for each day late in submission, the grade will be reduced 10%. 9. All written work is to be submitted in accordance with Turabian, 8 th edition. 10. I encourage each student to download and begin to learn how to use Zotero, a bibliography and footnoting program that formats the notes in proper style. Zotero is tied to Amazon so that you can click once and have a bibliographic item downloaded into your Zotero library. 11. Papers submitted electronically are to be in Word.doc or.docx (preferably the latter) format. Essay on NT Background (20%): Each student will submit an 1800-word essay engaging Ben Witherington s A Week in the Life of Corinth. Your essay should include a 250 word comprehensive, tight summary of the arguments of the book and a 1250 researched evaluation of a historical detail mentioned in the book. In this part of the essay you are to summarize your research and offer an evaluation of Witherington s Page 2 of 6
treatment. Students may choose to research one of the following topics: (1) Slavery, (2) Diaspora Judaism, (3) Food & Dining Habits, (4) Roman Baths, (5) Patronage, (6) Roman Trials, (7) Household Codes, (8) Games & Athletics, (9) Oracles & Prophecy, or (10) Education. Consult at least 3 sources of information (this may include some of the required readings). Due date: April 18, 2017. Essay on Approaches to Paul (20%): Each student will submit a 1200-1500 word essay describing the most relevant approaches to the academic study of Paul and his theology, noting traditional as well as contemporary approaches. Students should use a variety of sources, and I recommend these: Wright, N. T. Paul and His Recent Interpreters. London: Fortress Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-0800699642. Zetterholm, Magnus. Approaches to Paul: A Student s Guide to Recent Scholarship. Fortress Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-0800663377. Due Date: May 9, 2017. Content Quiz on Thinking Through Paul (20%): Students will take a quiz covering chapters 2-10, the readings in Bruce Longenecker and Todd Still s Thinking Through Paul that relate to the canonical letters. Date: May 23, 2017. Final Exegetical Essay (25%): Each student will compose a 1800-2000-word essay interpreting a Pauline text (approved by the instructor) using the methodology described in class. Your paper will be evaluated on depth of research, clarity of argumentation, and quality of writing. The passage selected for this paper should be submitted for approval no later than the 5 th week of class, May 2. Due Date: June 10, 2017. Oral Report (10%): On the final day of class, students will give a 5-7 minute oral presentation, summarizing their final exegesis paper (but not a straight reading of the paper). Students should be prepared to answer a few questions about their research. Grade will be based upon clarity of presentation as well as demonstrated familiarity with the passage under consideration. Students will have a few more days to put the final touches on their written work, but should have completed enough research to be able to do this oral report. Due Date: June 6, 2017. Reading Report (5%). Students will submit a report of the percentage of the required reading that they ve completed. Due Date: June 10. Grading: Scale: A: 100-96%; A-: 95-93 B+: 92-90 B: 89-87 Page 3 of 6
B-: 86-84 C+: 83-80 C: 79-75 C-: 74-70 D: 69-65 F: 64 or below Course Outline and Weekly Assignments: Week 1: April 4, 2017 Introductions 1. Assignments Due: Nothing. 2. Introducing each other 3. Introducing the course 4. Introducing The Acts of the Apostles Week 2: April 11, 2017 Paul the Man 1. Read: Acts 9-28 2. Read Bird, Introducing Paul, 11-37 3. Read Longenecker and Still, Thinking Through Paul, 10-51 4. Be prepared to discuss Paul s biography Week 3: April 18, 2017 Approaching Paul 1. Read: Michael J. Gorman, Approaching Paul, in Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters. Pages 1-9. 2. Read: Abraham Smith, Paul and African American Biblical Interpretation 3. Read: Beverly Gaventa, Is Pauline Theology a Guy Thing? 4. Be prepared to discuss various approaches to the study of Paul. 5. DUE: Essay on NT Background, engaging Ben Witherington s A Week in the Life of Corinth Week 4: April 25 Reading Paul (continued) 1. Read: 1& 2 Thessalonians, Galatians 2. Read: Longenecker and Still, Thinking Through Paul, 57-106. 3. Be prepared to discuss the aforementioned letters of Paul. Week 5: May 2 Reading Paul (continued) 1. Read: 1 & 2 Corinthians, Romans 2. Read: Longenecker and Still, Thinking Through Paul, 107-192. 3. Be prepared to discuss the aforementioned letters. Week 6: May 9 Reading Paul (continued) 1. Read: Philippians, Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians 2. Read: Longenecker and Still, Thinking Through Paul, 193-260 Page 4 of 6
3. Read: Mitzi, J. Smith, Slavery in the Early Church 4. Be prepared to discuss the aforementioned letters. 5. Presentation on writing exegesis paper. 6. DUE: Essay on Approaches to Paul Week 7: May 16 Reading Paul (continued) 1. Read: 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus 2. Read: Longenecker and Still, Thinking Through Paul, 261-296. 3. Be prepared to discuss the aforementioned letters. Week 8: May 23 Pauline Theology (Part One) 1. Read: Longenecker and Still, Thinking Through Paul, 296-319. 2. Read: Bird, Introducing Paul, 92-133. 3. Be prepared to discuss various aspects of Paul s theology 4. DUE: Content quiz on Paul s Letters (focusing on notes and Thinking Through Paul) Week 9: May 30 Pauline Theology (Part Two) 1. Read: Longenecker and Still, Thinking Through Paul, 320-377. 2. Read: Bird, Introducing Paul, 134-171. Week 10: June 6 1. Oral Reports 2. Final reflections Final Assignments DUE on June 10: Exegesis paper and reading report POLICIES FOR ALL MASTERS CLASSES NOTE: All communications from the seminary will go to your seminary email account. Contact All Covered at (877) 224-8911 if you need help forwarding your seminary email address to your personal email address. As a seminary community we hold integrity/hospitality as core values. Individuals are able to do their best work and thinking when their peers are fully present and engaged. We expect each person to both participate in class and carefully listen to others with the belief that everyone s contribution is equally important. Therefore, the following policies have been established in order to provide clarity in regard to attendance expectations and relationships in the classroom. Page 5 of 6
Diploma/Certificate Student Course Requirements The amount of work required of Diploma/Certificate students will be at the discretion of the professor. Students will be responsible for contacting the professor about what assignments are required. Class Attendance Policy It is expected that students will attend and participate in all class sessions. Failure to attend at least 80% of class sessions is grounds for automatic failure. A professor may set other more strict attendance expectations for a given course. Students are always expected to communicate with a professor in advance if they will be absent. Attendance expectations are higher for online, intensive courses, and integrative seminar (see syllabus for specific requirements). Class Tardiness Policy The third time a student is late to the start of class, it will be counted as a class absence. It is also expected that students will return from a break by the time specified by the professor. Late Work Policy If a student cannot complete the work for a course by the due date listed on the syllabus, they must submit a Request for a Grade of Incomplete form to the Registrar by 4:30 of the last day of the term. The form must be signed by the instructor and Dean of Students. The professor may set stipulations and grade reductions. In the absence of a formal request form, the student will receive a grade based upon work completed by the last day of the term. Turabian Format All papers, including footnotes and bibliography, must be submitted in the correct format according to Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8 th ed., 2013. Plagiarism Plagiarism is the act of passing off as one s own the words or ideas of someone else without providing proper acknowledgement or documentation. See the Academic Honesty Policy in the Seminary Catalog for more information on plagiarism and how to avoid it. Electronic Format Unless otherwise specified by the professor, all work submitted electronically must be in a Word document format (.doc,.docx). Technology Use in the Classroom Unless it is directly tied to note-taking or research for the class, students are expected to refrain from using cell phones, laptops, or other electronic devices during class. Course Evaluation in Moodle Students must complete a course evaluation. The evaluation will be given out on the last day of class. Page 6 of 6