BNT600: Issues in New Testament Criticism Cincinnati Bible Seminary Tom Thatcher Spring 2009, M 12:30-3:10 O: 244-8172 3 grad. credits tom.thatcher@ccuniversity.edu RATIONALE Christian preaching, teaching, and counseling require a basic awareness of the major themes of the NT books and major issues in NT exegesis. This course gives an overview of critical issues, and prepares students for more detailed research in specific books and topics in the New Testament. OBJECTIVES The student who successfully completes this course should... 1) be able to discuss major interpretive issues surrounding the Synoptic Gospels, Pauline letters, and Johannine Literature. 2) be able to discuss the major patristic documents that impact our understanding of the background of the New Testament, and modern criticism of those documents. 3) be able to discuss broad trends in recent New Testament scholarship, and how these broader issues relate to specific concerns of higher criticism. REQUIREMENTS Class Texts: Patzia, Arthur G. The Making of the New Testament: Origin, Collection, Text & Canon. Downers Grove: IVP, 1995. 1) Read the book by Patzia and take careful notes, indicating the page number of each note. Place an asterisk in the margin next to notes that are particularly striking to you. Notes will be graded on the basis of two criteria: coverage of the book and depth of detail. A typed copy of your notes must be submitted at the beginning of class on February 16, 2009. 2) Please find attached to this course plan a document entitled NT Intro Essays Questions. This document includes a list of essays which have been placed on reserve in the CCU library, and also a worksheet that lists several questions related to each reading. Read each essay and briefly answer the indicated questions. A typed copy of your answers must be submitted at the beginning of class on April 27, 2008. 3) There will be a midterm exam and a final exam. Both will be closed-note examinations. The date of the mid-term will be announced in class and/or via Moodle and will depend on the speed of progress through the material. The textbook by Patzia may be used to assist you in preparing
for the exams, although the specific content of the exams will be taken exclusively from material covered in class discussion. Grading Policy Attendance 15% Patzia Notes 5% Thatcher/Christian Worksheets 20% Exam 1 30% Exam 2 30% All assignments must be completed and submitted by May 11, 2008 in order for the student to pass the class. If all assignments are not completed, the student will receive a grade of F for the course regardless of the final percentage grade based on assignments which are actually submitted. For example, if a student s cumulative percentage is 92% and that person has not turned in one of the source documents assignments, that student will receive a grade of F for the course. Each hour of absence, for any reason, will result in a deduction of 1 points from the student s attendance grade. Students who miss more than 6 hours of class time will be dropped from the class. COURSE OUTLINE: I. The Synoptic Problem A. The Problem B. Solutions C. Redaction-Criticism II. The Background and Themes of the Synoptics and Acts A. Matthew B. Mark C. Luke-Acts III. The Johannine Literature A. Background of the Johannine Literature B. John and the Synoptics IV. The Pauline Epistles A. Paul s Life and Background B. Galatians C. 1-2 Thessalonians D. Romans E. 1-2 Corinthians F. The Prison Letters G. The Pastoral Letters H. Hebrews V. The Petrine Epistles
NOTICE: This course plan, as distributed in class the first day of the Spring 2009 semester, overrides all earlier versions of the course plan for the same class. All terms and conditions stated in this course plan, including objectives, outline of contents, required texts, assignments, attendance policy, and grading scale, are subject to the Instructor s unilateral revision at any point before, during, or after the semester.
NT Intro Essay Questions The following articles and essays are needed for this assignment and may be found on reserve at the CCU library:: Baur, F. C. AHebraists, Hellenists, and Catholics.@ Pp. 277-88 in The Writings of St. Paul: A Norton Critical Edition (Ed. Wayne A. Meeks; New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, 1972). Streeter, Burnett Hillman. The Four Gospels: A Study of Origins. London: Macmillan, 1951, 223-70. Cadbury, Henry J. The Making of LukeBActs. London: S.P.C.K., 1958, 299-368. Gardner-Smith, Percival. Saint John and the Synoptic Gospels. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1938, vii-xii and 88-97. Bultmann, Rudolf. New Testament and Mythology. Pp. 1-43 in New Testament and Mythology and Other Basic Writings. Trans. and ed. Schubert M. Ogden. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress, 1984. Davies, W. D. Paul and Rabbinic Judaism. London: S.P.C.K., 1962, 1-16 and 321-24. Käsemann, Ernst. The Problem of the Historical Jesus. Pp. 15-47 in Essays on New Testament Themes. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1982. Stendahl, Krister. The Apostle Paul and the Introspective Consciousness of the West. Pp. 78-96 in Paul Among Jews and Gentiles and Other Essays. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1976. Funk, Robert W., Roy W. Hoover, and the Jesus Seminar. The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus. New York, NY: Macmillan, 1993, 1-38. Koester, Helmut, and Stephen J. Patterson. The Gospel of Thomas: Does It Contain Authentic Sayings of Jesus? Bible Review April 1990:28-39.
Hebraists, Hellenists, and Catholics Ferdinand Christian Baur 1. Who does Baur believe to be the forerunner to Paul and why? (p. 277-278) 2. Why does Baur see such a clear distinction/dichotomy between the Jewish and Gentile Christians? (p. 278, 280, etc.) 3. What does Baur believe Paul s relationship with the older apostles was like? (p. 279, 281-282, 285) 4. What was the end result of the Council of Jerusalem recorded in Acts 15, according to Baur? (p. 281-282) 5. What, according to Baur, was Paul s view of Judaism after his conversion? (p. 283-284) A Four Document Hypothesis Burnett Hillman Streeter 6. Summarize Streeter s Four Document Hypothesis. 7. Where does Streeter believe that each of the four documents is from? (p. 230-235, esp. 232) 8. What does Streeter believe would be the inevitable results if different individuals recorded previously oral traditions? (p. 238-239) 9. Cite 3 examples that Streeter gives that he believes proves the existence of a third source for Matthew (M). 10. What are the problems Streeter sees in the theory of 2 recensions of Q? (p. 235-238) The Object of Luke-Acts; Plan and Scope of His Task; Approach to His Subject; and Authorship and Accuracy, from The Making of Luke-Acts Henry J. Cadbury 11. What, according to Cadbury, is the basic intent of the narrative form? (p. 299-300) 12. In what ways does Cadbury see Luke defending Christianity against its Jewish detractors? (p. 306-308) 13. What does Cadbury believe was the cause of Christians troubles in cities such as Pisidian Antioch, Ephesus, and Berea, as related in Acts? (p. 311-313) 14. What are some of the differences between ancient and modern standards of historical research, according to Cadbury? (p. 318-321) 15. What practice of ancient historical writers does Cadbury believe that Luke definitely used? Explain. (p. 332-334) 16. What does Cadbury believe was Luke=s reaction to miracle accounts he heard and used, and why? (p. 337-340) 17. By what kinds of considerations does Cadbury believe we should judge Luke=s work? (p. 349-350) 18. What elements/characteristics regarding an author does Cadbury believe it is important to know? (p. 353)
19. What conclusion does Cadbury reach regarding the authorship of Luke-Acts? On what does he base this conclusion? How does he feel this impacts study and interpretation of these books? (p. 357-360) 20. According to Cadbury, what are some of the factors that have bearing upon an assessment of the historical accuracy of Luke-Acts? (p. 362-364) Introduction and Conclusion to Saint John and the Synoptic Gospels P. Gardner-Smith 21. What is the traditional view regarding the sources John made use of in writing his gospel account? (p. vii-x) 22. What does it appear Gardner-Smith has concluded regarding the sources John used? 23. Why does Gardner-Smith doubt that John was acquainted with Mark s Gospel? (p. 88-92) 24. What is the significance of the discussion of John s sources to discussions of his date of writing? (p. 93-96) 25. What is the significance of this discussion to questions of John s historical reliability? (p. 96-97) New Testament and Mythology: The Problem of Demythologizing the New Testament Proclamation Rudolf Bultmann 26. What presuppositions does Bultmann begin his studies with? Give examples. 27. What does Bultmann say that demythologizing means to apocalyptic eschatology? (p. 19) What does this mean for the life of the believer? 28. On what arguments does Bultmann base his believe that Christian existence is not based on the supernatural? (p. 21-25) 29. What does Bultmann believe is the meaning of the Christ occurrence? (p. 30-31) 30. Does Bultmann see the use of historical investigation as a valid means of justifying faith? (p. 39-40) *** What does Bultmann s view of the inspiration of Scripture appear to be? Introduction and Conclusion to Paul and Rabbinic Judaism W. D. Davies 31. What assumption does Davies believe Montefiore makes regarding the reliability of the NT? Why does he believe this to be incorrect? (p. 2-3) 32. Discuss some of the reasons Davies believes that Montefiore=s distinction between Palestinian and Diaspora Judaism is overemphasized. (p. 4-8) 33. What are the different beliefs Davies discusses regarding the prevalence of apocalyptic thought in 1 st century Rabbinic Judaism? What does he believe? (p. 9-10) 34. What does Davies believe regarding the origins of Paul s attitude toward the Law, and why? (p. 11) 35. What does Davies assert that Paul believed regarding the relation between Judaism and Christianity? (p. 323-324)
The Problem of the Historical Jesus Ernst Käsemann 36. Where does Käsemann believe that history s value comes from? Is it simply from a reporting of facts? (p. 21) 37. Why does Käsemann question the legitimacy of the quest for the historical Jesus? (p. 23) 38. How does Käsemann explain the correspondence between the stories of Moses and Jesus childhoods? (p. 26) What other examples does he give to support this theory? (p. 26-27) 39. What shift does Käsemann see taking place between Matthew, Mark and John, and Luke? (p. 28-29) 40. What does Käsemann believe regarding messianic predictions and statements in the gospels, and why? (p. 43-44) The Apostle Paul and the Introspective Consciousness of the West Krister Stendahl 1. Summarize Stendahl s analysis of traditional Pauline scholarship and the problem of the introspective consciousness. 2. Summarize Stendahl s approach to the Pauline concept of guilt. Introduction to The Five Gospels The Jesus Seminar 41. Identify and explain the Jesus Seminar s 7 Pillars of Scholarly Wisdom. (p. 2-5) 42. What presuppositions are evidenced by this introduction to The Five Gospels? Support your claims/findings from the text. 43. What evidence is given for seeing two completely distinct pictures of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels and John? (p. 10) 44. Give 3-6 of the Seminar s Rules of Written Evidence. What about these do you agree or disagree with? (p. 16-25) 45. Explain and critique the Seminar s idea of storytellers license. (p. 29-30) 46. Explain and discuss the Seminar s method of reaching its decisions. (p. 35-37) The Gospel of Thomas Helmut Koester and Stephen J. Patterson 47. What evidence do the authors give for accepting an early date for the Gospel of Thomas? (p. 32 & 37) 48. In what literary genre do the authors place the Gospel of Thomas, and why? (p. 33-34) 49. Who do the authors believe was the author of the Gospel of Thomas? (p. 33) 50. On what internal evidence is the common association of the Gospel of Thomas with Gnosticism based? (p. 35-36)
51. What, in contrast to the message of Paul, do the authors see as the central message/emphasis of the Gospel of Thomas? (p. 37-38)