The Letter to the Galatians Trinity School for Ministry June term 2018 Rev. Dr. Orrey McFarland 720-402-9450 orreymac@gmail.com I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Gal. 2.20, ESV) Course Description This course is a study of Paul s Letter to the Galatians that focuses on its literary and canonical argument, engages the history of interpretation, and considers its theological and pastoral implications. As we study the text we will encounter a number of major issues in theology and ministry: the person and work of Christ, the meaning and content of God s righteousness and grace, the definition of and distinction between law and gospel, the relationship between faith, freedom, and obedience, and a Christological reading of the Old Testament. All in all, we will focus on how to read this letter as an apostolic witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Course Objectives The general set of outcomes Trinity desires for graduates includes the following: 1. The student will recognize and identify the biblical theology evident in the course work. 2. The student will be able to articulate an Anglican understanding of biblical, historical, systematic, and pastoral theology. 3. M.Div.: The student will be able to effectively communicate the Christian message to a diversity of people in order to advance the mission of God. M.A.R.: The student will be able to effectively teach the Christian faith. S.T.M. and D.Min.: The student will demonstrate the ability to carry out research at a high standard from original sources. 4. M.Div.: The student will be prepared to effectively lead in a variety of Christian communities. M.A.R.: The student will be equipped to apply scholarship to the life of the church in his or her chosen theological discipline. S.T.M. and D.Min.: The student will be equipped to successfully pursue further independent research and/or post-graduate study in his or her chosen theological discipline.
This course is one of the core courses in the curriculum that provides an understanding of Scripture and biblical theology, thereby grounding this curriculum as a whole (outcome 1). Such attention to biblical theology is at the heart of a classic approach to Scripture (outcome 2), and an understanding of the Bible is a pre-requisite for both effectively communicating the Christian message and offering effective leadership (outcomes 3 and 4). So this course contributes to each of these general outcomes, doing so through the following specific objectives: 1. Increased understanding of the context, language, and argument of Galatians, as well as the letter s literary and theological structure. 2. Increased knowledge of the major themes in Paul s thought considered as a whole. 3. Increased skill in interpreting individual passages in Paul s letters in the light of the book in which it occurs, the context of Paul s overall thought, and the canon as a whole (biblical theology). 4. Introduction to the history of interpretation of Galatians and some of the major trends in modern study of Paul s thought. Course Texts In addition to a basic standard English translation of the Bible (e.g., NRSV, ESV, etc.), there is one required textbook for this course: 1. Martinus de Boer, Galatians: A Commentary (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2011). OR 2. Douglas Moo, Galatians (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013). The following articles will be put on reserve in the library and will be required reading: 1. James D. G. Dunn, The Theology of Galatians: The Issue of Covenantal Nomism, in Jouette M. Bassler (ed.), Pauline Theology: Volume 1 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991), pp. 125-46. 2. Beverly Roberts Gaventa, The Singularity of the Gospel: A Reading of Galatians, in Bassler (ed.), Pauline Theology, pp. 147-59. 3. J. Louis Martyn, The Apocalyptic Gospel in Galatians, Interpretation 54 (2000): 246-66. 4. John M. G. Barclay, Paul, the Gift and the Battle over Gentile Circumcision: Revisiting the Logic of Galatians, Australian Biblical Review 58 (2010): 36-56. 5. Martin Luther, Preface to Galatians The following books are recommended and will be referred to in class:
1. Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, LW 26 (St. Louis: Concordia, 1963). 2. John Barclay, Paul and the Gift (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015). 3. Stephen Chester, Reading Paul with the Reformers: Reconciling Old and New Perspectives (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2017). 4. Mark Elliott et al (eds.), Galatians and Christian Theology: Justification, the Gospel, and Ethics in Paul s Letter (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2014). 5. John Riches, Galatians Through the Centuries (Oxford: Blackwell, 2013) 6. J. Louis Martyn, Galatians: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (New York: Doubleday, 1997). General Approach The key aspect of this course is a close reading of the scriptural text. Each student is expected to have read the assigned portions of Paul s texts for each class session (with the suggestion of reading through the letter once per day) and the other assigned readings, so that class time may focus on the major theological/exegetical questions. Nevertheless, in one course we can only begin to scratch the surface of a text as rich as Galatians. Hence, the goal of this course is to learn a specific way of reading the biblical text rather than memorization of a list of facts about Galatians and a flowchart of exegetical options. Course Requirements + Attending lectures and class participation. This is the basic minimum requirement. + Book report. On the first day of class, students will submit a 2,000-word review (including summary and critical analysis) of either the Moo or de Boer commentary. + Daily sheets. Each day students will hand in a page of paper (handwritten or printed this is a more casual assignment) with 1) three questions prompted by the readings about the text for that day, and 2) a very brief description of the exegetical/theological issue in the text that most intrigues you. + Exegetical project. After the end of the course, students will submit a 3,500-4,000 word exegetical paper on a major section of Galatians. This project will include a comparison between differing interpretations of the passage (e.g., Old and New Perspective, covenantal versus apocalyptic ). Further details will be provided in class. Addendum for D.Min. Students: If you are taking the course for credit as a D.Min. student, the assignments above are modified in one significant way. In place of the book report, the student will read both the de Boer and Moo commentaries, as well as one pre-20th century commentary on Galatians, and write a 9,000-10,000 word critical review and comparison of how the different authors approach Galatians, interpret its major passages, and construe its use for constructive theological and pastoral use. Further details will be provided in class.
Course Evaluation Final grades for the course will be calculated as follows: The daily sheets will count for 25% of your mark for the course, the book report for 25%, and the final exegetical project for 50%. Final grades may be raised or lowered on the basis of class attendance, participation, and/or tardiness of work. Your written work will be evaluated according to the following criteria: clarity and charity of thought and expression, accuracy of information, and breadth and depth of discussion. I will use letter grades or their equivalent to mean the following: B (80-89): The thought and expression are clear and the information is accurate. The discussion is broad and deep enough to indicate a solid understanding of the issue. By broad I mean that sufficient aspects of the topic are covered, and by depth I mean that enough supporting and illustrating material is offered to flesh out the basic thought. C (70-79): The material shows an adequate grasp of the topic, but at points the discussion is unclear, inaccurate, narrow or shallow. D (60-69): The material shows something close to an adequate grasp of the topic but is notably defective according to one or more of the criteria. F (below 60): The material does not indicate that the student has an adequate grasp of the topic, or it is severely defective according to the criteria. A (90-100): The material is exceptional. Usually this means that it is not only clear and accurate but also develops the topic in breadth and depth beyond what is necessary for a good understanding of it. Such material is often, though not always, marked also by creativity, exceptional insight, and/or relatively extensive research. The school s grade scale is as follows: A = 100-95; A- = 94-90; B+ = 89-87; B = 86-83; B- = 82-80; C+ = 79-77; C = 76-73; C- = 72-70; D = below 70; F = below 60. *The due date for coursework for all summer intensives is August 3rd. Note: incomplete grades are not normally given and are given only in the most serious of cases. They are not granted as a way to extend the semester. In order to request an incomplete, students must obtain the necessary form online and bring it to the professor who will list the specific assignments to be completed with due dates. The due date cannot be beyond six weeks from the last day of class. The form will be submitted to the Academic Dean for final approval. D.Min. students should consult Trinity s policy for late work, which is provided on the final page of the syllabus. Statement on Plagiarism Plagiarism is a violation of an author s/artist s intellectual property rights and is a serious offense. Please see the Academic Catalog for a full explanation of Trinity s plagiarism guidelines and note, as stated there, that every student is expected to be fully aware of the guidelines. A student who plagiarizes will automatically receive a failing grade on the assignment and risks
failing the course. If a student does not know whether or not they may be engaging in plagiarism, they are encouraged to speak to Leslie Thyberg (lthyberg@tsm.edu), our Learning Skills Coordinator. Potential for ATS Review of Student Work As per The Association of Theological Schools (ATS) requirements, several samples of student work may be randomly selected and used as a class artifact as part of an on-going assessment of courses and degree programs. Students names will be removed from any work used for this purpose. Schedule (subject to change as necessary) DATE TOPIC June 11, morning Introduction to Paul and overview of the historical context and theological afterlife of Galatians June 11, afternoon Galatians 1 June 12, morning Galatians 1 (cont.) Galatians 2.1-10 June 12, afternoon Galatians 2 June 13, morning Galatians 3:1-14 June 13, afternoon Galatians 3:15-29 June 14, morning Galatians 4 June 14, afternoon Galatians 5 June 15, morning Galatians 6 June 15, afternoon Concluding Reflections on Preaching and Living with Galatians
TSM DMin Policy for Late Work: All students have the responsibility to complete their academic work in a timely manner and to comply with all course requirements set by the instructor in the course syllabus, including deadlines for assignments and papers. Students must not in any circumstance assume that late submission of work will be overlooked or treated casually. Late work and extensions. Instructors may grant an extension of due dates for class assignments. If students make a mutually acceptable prior arrangement with an instructor, they may with the instructor s permission submit required course work up to the official date for the end of term. When students expect to submit required course work later than the due date assigned by the instructor, but before the last day to submit work for the term then the student must signify this prospect to the instructor in writing, stating the extenuating circumstances, to obtain permission for late submission, on or before the assigned due date or stated examination day of a given term. A copy of this request must be submitted to the Registrar to be kept in the student s file. The instructor may impose a condition that the grade be reduced, depending upon the reason for the requested extension. The instructor shall clearly signify in the syllabus any such condition to the student, including the amount of reduction. Incompletes. Extensions beyond the official last day to submit work for the term will involve an incomplete and may be obtained only upon written petition to the Academic Dean and Registrar, indicating the support of the course instructor for such an extension. The petition must demonstrate significant extenuating circumstances justifying the request. The Academic Dean and instructor, in consultation with the Registrar, shall determine the length and end date of the incomplete period. The Registrar will generate a contract to be signed by the instructor, the student and the Academic Dean. The incomplete work shall be due no later than 30 days following the original work due date. An administration fee of $200 which is not eligible for scholarship, shall be added to the student s bill. Additionally, the student may not register for courses in the next term until the required work is submitted and all fees are paid in full. Incompletes will be arranged in accordance with the procedure outlined in the paragraph above; an I indicating an incomplete will be entered upon the student s transcript for the course in question. When the work has been completed, the instructor shall submit a final grade to the Registrar, who shall then make an appropriate notation on the transcript indicating removal of the Incomplete and entering the final grade. If a student fails to meet the applicable deadline, in accordance with the procedures stated above, an F shall be automatically registered for the work in question, and a grade for the course shall be calculated on that basis, together with the evaluation of other coursework submitted. Additionally, the student may also be put on academic probation.