NT/OT 594: Biblical Theology Syllabus Professor: Rollin G. Grams E-mail: rgrams@gordonconwell.edu September 4 - December 17, 2018 Online Format Required Zoom Sessions 18 September (Tuesday): 8:00 pm 9:00 pm ET 23 October (Tuesday): 8:00 pm 9:00 pm ET 4 December (Tuesday): 8:00 pm 9:00 pm ET Course Description This course is intended to help students develop a Biblically grounded theology for life and ministry and to prepare students for ongoing reading and research in Biblical theology. It focuses on understanding the Bible s unity and diversity by exploring methodological issues and topics in Biblical theology. Methodologically, the course will especially examine narrative approaches to Biblical theology. Thematically, the course focuses on the following themes in particular: the mission of God, covenant, Christ the Redeemer, the person and work of the Spirit, the Kingdom (of God), the Gospel, and a Biblical understanding of the people of God. The course also explores how these themes relate to the Christian life and ministry. Course Prerequisites and Relation to the Curriculum Pre-requisites: OT500, NT501, NT/OT517. This course has OT Survey, NT Survey, and Interpreting the Bible as prerequisites. It does not require Greek or Hebrew and is therefore appropriate only for those students pursuing degrees in which Biblical languages are not studied. This course is a required part of the Master of Arts in Christian Ministries and as a suitable substitute for Biblical Theology of Leadership in the MAR-Hybrid degree in Christian Ministry. For all other degrees, this will be a general elective. The course relates to the mission of Gordon-Conwell to train people in a knowledge of the Bible and the correct use of Scripture. Graduates of the seminary are trained to think Biblically, and, since theological study and ministry practice should always proceed from a Biblical theology, this course carries the task to prepare students accordingly. Course Outcomes The student completing this course of study will: *acquire a greater knowledge of the Bible *be able to analyze, evaluate, and critique proposals for Biblical theology, as well as appreciate the nature of Biblical versus other forms of theological study *be prepared to study God s Word theologically by attending to similarities and differences within the authoritative canon of Scripture *be able to synthesize Biblical authors on several theological themes in Scripture 1
*be able to identify and explain ways in which Biblical theology relates to the Christian life and to ministry Textbooks/Reading This course has between 1,800 and 2,000 pages of reading. Following are the books that anchor each of the lessons of the course. The Course Outline steps the student through the specific reading and lectures for the course on a week by week basis. (Each lesson may have additional reading noted in the Course Outline.) Methodology Rollin Grams, Theologising without Abstractions: Forays in Biblical Theology (unpublished, 2016). Pages: 236. Collection of published essays and chapters available on Canvas for this course. Read only chs. 1 and 3 (33 pages). Rollin Grams, Rival Versions of Theological Enquiry (Prague: International Baptist Theological Seminary, 2005/2015). Available on Canvas. Read only chapter 1. Missional Biblical Theology Rollin Grams, The Mission of Jesus and His Disciples in the Gospels (unpublished, 2016). Pages 122. Available on Canvas. Read entire book. Robin Routledge, Old Testament Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2013). ISBN-10: 0830839925 ISBN-13: 978-0830839926. Pp. 17-334 = 317 pages total. Read entire book except for ch. 5 (which is optional). Covenant Biblical Theology Scott Hafemann, and Paul R. House, eds., Central Themes in Biblical Theology: Mapping Unity in Diversity (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2007). Pp. 336. ISBN-13: 978-0801034237. Read the following: Scott J. Hafemann on the covenant relationship Thomas R. Schreiner on the commands of God Frank S. Thielman on the atonement Stephen G. Dempster on the servant of the Lord Paul R. House on the day of the Lord Elmer A. Martens on the people of God Roy E. Ciampa on the history of redemption Evangelical Biblical Theology Rollin Grams, According to My Gospel : The Gospel in Paul s Writings (unpublished, 2017). The work is available on Canvas. Read only to page 104. Also, review the appendices. Christological Biblical Theology 2
Christopher Wright, Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament, 2nd ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014). ISBN 978-0-8308-2359-8 (print); ISBN 978-0-8308-9801-5 (digital). Read entire book: pp. 15-280 = 265. Pneumatological Biblical Theology Christopher Wright, Knowing the Holy Spirit through the Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006). ISBN-10: 0830825916; ISBN-13: 978-0830825912. Pp. 13-156 = 143 total. Ecclesiological Biblical Theology Rollin G. Grams, Gathered for Worship: Biblical Studies on the Church (Franschhoek, South Africa: Machaira Publications, 2016). Available from: bookstore, www.bibleandmission.blogspot.com. Pp. 4-39 = 36. Christopher Wright, The Mission of God s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church s Mission (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010). ISBN-10: 0310291127. ISBN-13: 978-0310291121. Pp. 23-288 = 266. Eschatological Biblical Theology (focus on Revelation) Richard Bauckham, Theology of Revelation (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993). ISBN-10: 0521356911ISBN-13: 978-0521356916. Pp. 1-164 = 164. Course Outline and Schedule Details are provided on Canvas, including lesson overviews, learning objectives, and guiding questions. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the details before the course begins. The guiding questions may help when listening to lectures and reading, and they are also to be used in the seminars in class when discussing the topics covered in this course. Course Requirements and Marking Criteria The course consists of the following required components which work together to guide the student s learning. 1. Lectures Lectures function to orient the student to the topics covered in Biblical theology. They focus on methodology and content. Students must listen to all the lectures for this course. For 15% of your final grade, you will be asked to complete the following table. Complete the table and submit it on Canvas on or before the last day of each lesson. In this way, you will keep up with the course and not fall behind. 3
2. Reading BASIS for Your Self-Grade A I completed all the lectures carefully and took careful and detailed notes on them. B I completed all of the lectures and took notes on them. C I completed the lectures without taking many notes. D I completed at least 80% of the lectures. E I did not complete at least 80% of the lectures. This course is based on some significant texts that will help orient the student to the field of Biblical theology. For 15% of your final grade, you will be asked to complete the following table. Complete the table and submit it on Canvas on or before the last day of each lesson. In this way, you will keep up with the course and not fall behind. GRADE BASIS for Your Self-Grade A I completed all the reading carefully and took good notes on it. B I completed all of the reading and took some notes. C I completed at least 90% of the reading carefully without taking many notes. D I completed at least 80% of the reading carefully. E I did not complete at least 80% of the reading. 3. Forum Posting Students will interact with the material in six of the eight lessons with reference to (1) the lectures, (2) the reading, and (3) Scripture. The professor will give a single mark for all lessons worth 15% of the final grade for this forum interaction. A forum post for a lesson will entail: * four or five take-away points from the lectures. By take-away points is meant important ideas showing learning on the course. Present these briefly in bullet-format rather than paragraphs, and reference which lecture you have in view. * four or five take-away points from the reading in bullet form. * Interaction in 300 words or more with one of the lesson s discussion questions. In your forum answer to the question, pay attention to the following for quality: * Be descriptive of your learning by: Citing pages from the reading Clarifying both what was said and what the arguments are aware of possible differences in vocabulary, context, purpose, theological argument in different Biblical authors * Be analytical in your essay by: Discussing alternatives (grouping some authors, showing diversity and unity) Being aware of how Biblical theological method has an impact on the argument * Be critical in your essay by: Being aware of how presuppositions might be at work in the argument Being aware of what might be omitted or added to the teaching of a Biblical author 4
* In your essay, be aware that you have a short space to say something clear and significant. Pay attention to your writing, being brief and to the point. There will be six forum posts during the semester. As there are eight lessons, you will be able to choose for which two lessons you will choose not to engage with a forum post. Students have the option to respond to forum posts of other students. (Online discussion is encouraged but not required or graded.) 3. Zoom Discussions Three live discussions will be held on Zoom during the course. In order to have some live engagement on this course, attendance is required, so plan ahead: 18 September (Tuesday): 8:00 pm 9:00 pm ET 23 October (Tuesday): 8:00 pm 9:00 pm ET 4 December (Tuesday): 8:00 pm 9:00 pm ET The zoom discussion will be from the discussion questions for each lesson. Be prepared to engage the questions well. 4. Essays There will be two papers in this course to help you clarify your learning. Paper % of Final Grade 1 25% Write a methodology paper of 2,000 words on the following: Compare narrative, missional, covenantal, and thematic approaches to Biblical theology with reference to your reading and the lectures. Engage Scripture in your answer. Due: 8 October 2 30% Write a thematic paper of 3,000 words on the following: The Old Testament Background and Basis for First, choose from the following topics in the course: Evangelical [i.e., Gospel], Christology, Pneumatology, Ecclesiology, or, Eschatology. Possibly narrow the discussion to some specific sub-topic within your choice, such as Jesus divinity, in order to dig deeper into the subject matter in the space allotted for this assignment. Be sure to discuss the Old Testament background and basis for the New Testament teaching on the subject. Engage Scripture, cite the course readings, and demonstrate that you have listened to the lectures where possible. Pay attention to methodological issues in Biblical theology, such as different author s views, unity and diversity of texts, contextual issues, historicity, etc. and especially the use of the OT by NT authors. The only additional reading and citation for this paper should come from commentaries that you check on any significant texts for your argument. E.g., if you believe that a particular passage supports a divine Christology, check a few commentaries and include them in your paper beyond the required reading for the course. Due: 17 December Style: * Essays should be double-spaced and in 12 point font. * They are to be uploaded onto the course site in Canvas (keep a copy on your computer). * Use footnotes for secondary source references or brief explanations or comments only, and these words should not be counted for the essay. 5
* Do not include a bibliography. * Students should normally use the SBL style for footnotes. This is similar to Turabian: see online at: * http://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/sblhsrevised2_09.pdf. If a student is in a degree program that uses another format for papers, this is acceptable as well. * References to lectures in the essays may simply be by lecturer name and lecture title in a footnote. (Slide numbers are not required.) * Use a good translation of the Bible the ESV and NRSV are recommended. Do not use translations with outdated understandings of textual criticism, such as the KJV or NKJV, or translations that do not lend themselves to research because they are less literal, such as the NIV. Of course, never use amplified or paraphrase Bibles. No further research than the student s reading for this course, listening to the lectures, and the student s own use of Scripture is requested for the first essay, and only some additional use of commentaries in the second paper is requested. In this way, students will be able to give due reflection on the reading and lectures, as well as on his or her own (with help from commentaries in the 2 nd paper) understanding of Scripture. A student s essays should be posted on Canvas (not e-mailed) for this course. The difficulty will be to write essays within the word count (+ or 10%), so students have the responsibility to narrow their essay within the general topic for a meaningful, robust, and in-depth engagement with the subject and lectures/reading. Rubric/Guidance for Writing and Marking the Essays: Descriptive Strengths: Essays should not use sources simply for making one line points but actually capture the gist of an argument, showing depth of reading on the course. Analysis and Critique: Essays should be aware of where arguments arise and on what points they turn. They should entertain divergent understandings and alternative arguments, offering an analysis of these where appropriate, and demonstrate critical skills in the discussion. Methodology: Essays should show an awareness of methodological issues in both Biblical interpretation and Biblical theology (especially matters of unity and diversity in the Biblical canon and the NT use of the OT). Research: All essays must engage Scripture. They should show a depth of engagement with the lectures and reading and demonstrate learning on the course. No additional research is required, except use of commentaries for the 2 nd paper. Writing and Presentation: Essays should be clear (in structure, argument, and prose), correct, concise, cogent, and complete in style, grammar, and content. Course Marking: Students are expected to complete the course in its entirety, and failure to do so may mean failure of the entire course. So, e.g., dropping a paper, failing to complete the stated amount of reading or not listening to all the lectures, failing to post on the forum, or missing a Zoom session put the student in jeopardy of failing the entire course. Value of Assignments for Final Grade * Lectures: Self-Grade of 15% * Reading: Self-Grade of 15% * Zoom Discussion: Completion Grade * Six Forum Posts: 15% 6
* First Essay: 25% * Second Essay: 30% Meaning of Letter Grades for the Course Grade Percentage Value A 93-100% Excellent A- 90-92% Very Good B+ 88-89% Just above Average B 83-87% Fine Work, Average B- 80-82% Just below Average C+ 78-79% Satisfactory for passing, although below average for graduate level C 73-77% work C- 70-72% D+ 68-69% Pass, although inadequate work at the graduate level D 63-67% D- 60-62% F Below 60% Fail Bibliography A bibliography for Biblical Theology is posted on the course website. 7
Syllabus Addendum Academic Standards Cheating and plagiarism are considered serious breaches of personal and academic integrity. Cheating involves, but is not necessarily limited to, the use of unauthorized sources of information during an examination or the submission of the same (or substantially same) work for credit in two or more courses without the knowledge and consent of the instructors. Plagiarism involves the use of another person s distinctive ideas or words, whether published or unpublished, and representing them as one s own instead of giving proper credit to the source. Plagiarism can also involve over dependence on other source material for the scope and substance of one s writing. Such breaches in academic standards often result in a failing grade as well as other corrective measures. For more information, please consult the Student Handbook. ADA Policy The seminary complies with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A student with a qualifying and authenticated disability who is in need of accommodations should petition the seminary in accordance with the stated guidelines in the Student Handbook. Cancellation of Class In the event the seminary has to cancel a class meeting (impending storm, professor illness, etc.), the Registration Office will send out an email (via the GCTS email account) notification to all students registered in the respective course. If the cancelation occurs the day of the scheduled meeting, the Registration Office will also attempt to contact students via their primary phone contact on record. The professor will contact the students (via GCTS account) regarding make-up. If a weekend class is cancelled, the class will be made up during the scheduled Make-Up weekend (see the Academic Calendar for the designated dates). For more info, consult your Student Handbook. Extension Policy Arrangements for submission of late work at a date on or before the end date for the semester as noted on the seminary s Academic Calendar are made between the student and professor. Formal petition to the Registration Office is not required in this case. This includes arrangements for the rescheduling of final exams. However, course work (reading and written) to be submitted after the publicized end date for the semester must be approved by the Registration Office. An extension form, available online, must be submitted to the Registration Office prior to the stated date. Requests received after this date will either be denied or incur additional penalty. For a full discussion of this policy, please consult the Student Handbook. Grades 8
Faculty are expected to turn in final grades by January 15 for fall-semester courses, by June 1 for spring-semester courses, and by September 15 for summer-term courses. Grades are posted online within twenty-four hours of receipt from the professor. Students are expected to check their CAMS student portal in order to access posted grades (unless instructed otherwise). Those individuals who need an official grade report issued to a third party should put their request in writing to the Registration Office. 9