Introduction to the
New Testament
Religious Studies 202
Saint Martin's College
Fort Lewis Extension Campus
Summer 2002

Saint Martin's College
Humanities Division
Department of Religious Studies
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Campus phone: (360) 438-4360
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Description
General Education
Texts
Requirements
Topics and Assignments

This course is an introduction to the literature and thought of the New Testament, including the gospels and the quest for the historical Jesus, Paul, the early development of Christianity, and the formation of the Canon. We will also introduce the Dead Sea Scrolls and other early Jewish literature as a part of the background to the New Testament. The New Testament functions both as scripture and as classic in our society. That is to say, it is a book that is considered authoritative and inspired by Christians but is also fundamental to our culture. Both facets will be of importance to our study. We will explore various

approaches to its interpretation (theological, historical, sociological, literary), but emphasis will be placed on helping the student to read the books of the New Testament intelligently and to investigate issues that arise through that reading. To help the student form her or his own perspective on the material, s/he will be asked to read the assignment from the New Testament in advance and come to class prepared to participate in a class discussion on that assignment. Questions on readings from the New Testament will be distributed in advance to help students prepare to participate in discussions. The class assumes that some students will be familiar with the Bible while others will be encountering it for the first time, and it seeks to meet the needs of both kinds of students.

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General Education

This course qualifies for general education credit at Saint Martin's College. The aims and objectives of general education at Saint Martin's College include the goal that "Saint Martin's College graduates will have an understanding of religious and philosophical concepts and principles, and of the moral and ethical questions they will face in society and the professions." In this course, we will have several goals, including the acquisition of some exact knowledge about several of the religions of the world, a focus on the central or controlling concepts of those religions, the ability to communicate and to enter into dialog with persons of other faiths, and perhaps a better understanding of the "religious" dimension of our own lives, however we define it.

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Texts

Stephen L. Harris, The New Testament: A Student's Introduction, Fourth Edition (Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2002).
The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocryphal/ Deuterocanonical Books (New York: HarperCollins, 1993). Or Equivalent.

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Requirements

The course will include a test, a final exam, and a paper. The test and exam will include both short answer and discussion questions. The paper should employ some of the methods of study appropriate to the course to examine some segment or aspect of the New Testament. The length should be eight to ten pages, and students are encouraged to discuss the choice of subjects for the paper with the professor and to show the professor a rough draft for feedback somewhere during the writing process. Make-up exams will be given only in the case of what the professor deems to be compelling reasons (serious illness and true emergencies related to employment or family). Late papers will be lowered a letter grade. Violations of the College's policies on academic honesty as printed in the catalogue will lead to failure of the assignment or the course, depending upon the seriousness of the offense in the judgment of the professor. The final grade will be weighted as follows: test and paper, 25% each; final exam, 35%; class participation, 15%.

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Schedule of Topics and Assignments

May 29	Introduction to the course. Read Harris, pp. 1-19 (after the class period, of course) for an introduction to the way in which your textbook will approach the New Testament. Jewish background to the New Testament, including the Dead Sea Scrolls (video during second half of class). Read pp. 36-93 (after the class period, of course) for an overview of the Jewish and Roman worlds in which early Chistianity emerges and the New Testament is written. Much of this information will also come through in the video.
June 3	Mark. Read the gospel of Mark and Harris, pp. 95-146 (which includes both an introduction to the gospels and to the gospel of Mark). Note: in preparing for the assignments on the four gospels, begin by reading the gospel itself, if possible at one sitting as though it were a short story. In the case of Mark, end your reading at 16:8 (I'll explain why in class). Make some notes at this point to record your impression of Jesus in that particular gospel. You should be interested in things like how Jesus works as a teacher in that gospel, how he interacts with others, and how the way that gospel tells the story places emphasis on one aspect or another of the life and teaching of Jesus. To give yourself a chance to form your own opinions, read the chapters from Harris after reading the gospel.
June 5	Matthew. Read the gospel of Matthew and Harris, pp. 147-77. See note above under the assignment on Mark for instructions on how to read the assignment.
June 10	Luke. Read the gospel of Luke and Harris, 178-207. See note above under the assignment on Mark for instructions on how to read the assignment.
June 12	John. Read the gospel of John and Harris, pp. 208-36. See note above under the assignment on Mark for instructions on how to read the assignment. Note that Harris also includes a chapter on other gospels that were not included in the New Testament, among them the Gospel of Thomas. You will want to read Harris, pp. 237-52 to find out about what is out there.
June 17	Jesus in History and Theology. In preparing for this class, attempt to reconstruct the historical Jesus from your study of the sources for his life and teaching, the four gospels. Read Harris, pp. 253-76.
June 19	Review.
June 24	Midterm test. Greco-Roman background to the New Testament (video during second half of class after test). Review Harris, pp. 36-75.
June 26	Acts of the Apostles. Read Acts and Harris, pp. 277-301. In preparing this assignment, look for ways in which the Acts of the Apostles seems to echo the gospel of Luke.
July 1	Paul. Read 1 Thessalonians, 1-2 Corinthians, and Harris, pp. 303-31.
July 3	Paul, read Galatians, Romans, and Harris, pp. 332-46.
July 8	Paul, read Philippians, Philemon, and Harris, pp. 347-57.
July 10	The Pauline tradition. Read Colossians, Ephesians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus, and Harris, pp. 358-73.
July 15	Emergent Catholicism and Apocalyptic. Read Hebrews, 1 and 2 Peter, James, Jude, 1, 2, and 3 John, Revelation, and Harris, pp. 375-419.
July 17	The formation of the Canon. Read Harris, pp. 20-35, 420-28. Term paper due. Review (second half of class period).
July 22	Final Exam.

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