REL 310b: New
Testament: ACTS AND LETTERS
Spring 2007 Jonathan D. Brumberg Kraus
Office hours:
MW 11:30-12:30, 2-3 and by appointment
Knapton 102 x3694
Objectives of the course
This course studies Pauline Christianity through an examination of the Letters
of Paul and Luke's Acts of the Apostles. We will pay special attention to the
social historical context and structures of Pauline Christianity. We will
discuss its ideals of community and authority, its Christian self-definition in
regard to emerging Rabbinic Judaism, the significance of religious conversion
for Pauline Christianity, and the relationship of early Christian literature
and ethics to other Greco-Roman literary and cultural conventions, e.g., Acts
and ancient epics.
Required Readings:
REQUIRED FOR PURCHASE:
Meeks, Wayne, ed. The Writings of St. Paul.
New York: Norton, 1972. (WSP)
Meeks, Wayne. The First Urban Christians. New Haven: Yale, 1983. (UC)
Segal, Alan. Paul the Convert: The Apostolate and Apostasy of Saul
the Pharisee. New Haven: Yale, 1990.
(Segal)
Bonz, Marianne Palmer. The Past as Legacy : Luke-Acts and Ancient
Epic.
Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2000. (Bonz)
Theissen, Gerd. The Religion of the Earliest Churches: Creating a
Symbolic World; translated by John Bowden.
Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1999. (Theissen)
Wire, Antoinette. Corinthian Women Prophets. Augsburg/Fortress, 1990. (Wire)
RECOMMENDED:
Virgil, The Aeneid (if you've never
read it). [The Aeneid / Virgil ; translated by Robert Fitzgerald. 1st ed. New
York : Random House, 1983.]
Dennis E. Smith, From
Symposium to Eucharist: The Banquet in the Early Christian World (Paperback) Augsburg
Fortress Publishers (January
Daniel Patte, Paul's Faith and the
Power of the Gospel. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1983.
BOOKS FOR THE
SECOND PAPER AND PRESENTATION (Buy one):
Stowers,
Stanley K. A Rereading of Romans: Justice, Jews, and Gentiles (Paperback) Yale University
Press; Reprint edition (February 27, 1997)
Daniel
Boyarin, A Radical Jew: Paul and the Politics of Identity (Contraversions, 1) (Paperback) University of California
Press; Reprint edition (November 11, 1997)
Jorunn
Okland Women in Their Place: Paul and the Corinthian Discourse of Gender and
Sanctuary Space http://www.amazon.com/Women-Their-Place-Corinthian-Discourse/dp/0567084078/sr=1-1/qid=1171307776/ref=sr_1_1/103-0085273-3864631?ie=UTF8&s=books (Expensive, so you may want to ILL this
book.)
Garry
Wills, What Paul Meant (Viking Adult, 2006) http://www.amazon.com/What-Paul-Meant-Garry-Wills/dp/0670037931/sr=8-1/qid=1171307423/ref=sr_1_1/103-0085273-3864631?ie=UTF8&s=books
Patrick
J Hartin, James of Jerusalem:
Heir to Jesus of Nazareth http://www.amazon.com/James-Jerusalem-Jesus-Nazareth-Interfaces/dp/0814651526/sr=8-1/qid=1172247946/ref=sr_1_1/103-1581334-0018215?ie=UTF8&s=books
ADDITIONAL READINGS:
Selected readings from the Bible. Most English versions (except the King James
version) are acceptable. If you are not sure about your version, please consult
me.
ALL THE REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED BOOKS ARE ON 2-HOUR RESERVE IN THE LIBRARY
Course Outline
N.B.: I suggest you do the reading assignments in the order which I listed
them. I expect you to have done all or most of the week's reading by the
Wednesday of each week, unless otherwise noted.
Week 1 -
W 1/24 Introduction and Overview
F 1/26 Problems for the Study of Ancient Religious
Literature
Paul's Letter to the Romans, in WSP, pp. 68-94. K. Stendahl, "Paul and the
Introspective Conscience of
of the West," in WSP, pp. 422-434; Meeks, UC, pp.1-8; Wire, pp. 1-11.
Week 2
M 1/29 The Nature of the
Documents: Paul and Luke
Segal, pp. 3-33; Paul's Letter to the Galatians (WSP, pp. 11-22); selections
from the Acts of the Apostles (WSP, 151-175)
W 1/31 The Rhetoric of Paul's Letters
Wire, pp. 12-38 and read the parts of Paul's letters in WSP which Wire uses as
examples of his argumentation
F 2/2 Social
Description of Pauline Christianity/The Social Historical Context of Pauline
Christianity
Meeks, UC, pp. 9-73 and look up his references to Paul's Letters; Paul's Letter
to Philemon in WSP, pp.101-104.
Week 3
M 2/5 Social
Structure and Authority in the Pauline Christian Communities
Paul's 1st and 2nd Letters to the Corinthians in WSP, pp. 22-66; Meeks, UC, pp.
74-139; Wire, pp. 72-97, 116-134, 181-196.
W 2/7 Rituals and
Beliefs of the Pauline Christian Communities
Meeks, UC, pp. 140-192 and look up his references to Paul's Letters
F 2/9 FIRST PAPER DUE
Week 4
M 2/12 Pauline Christianity and Judaism:
Two Types of Faith
Patte, Paul's Faith and the Power of the Gospel pp. 1-85 (on
reserve), ;[Galatians in WSP, pp.10-22
W 2/14 Patte, Paul's
Faith and the Power of the Gospel 155-231; Philippians and Philemon
in WSP, pp. 94-104; Galatians 3, Romans 4, I Cor 15 in WSP, pp. 16-18,
74-75,44-47]
F 2/16. Patte, Paul's
Faith and the Power of the Gospel 232-295;
Romans in WSP, pp. 66-94..
Week 5 Schedule
appointment with me to discuss FINAL PAPER TOPIC
M 2/19Early Rabbinic Judaism and
the New Testament; Jewish Critiques
Patte, pp. 87-120 (on reserve); M. Buber, L. Baeck, and H.J. Schoeps on Paul in
WSP pp. 324-360; Segal, pp. xi-xvi
W 2/21 Ash
Wednesday Conversion and Mission: Pauline
Religious Experiences and their Ethical Consequences
Segal, pp. 34-116; 2nd Corinthians 12:1-9 in WSP, pp.63-64; 1st Thessalonians,
Galatians, Philippians in WSP, pp.3-22, 94-101
F 2/23 "Paul
the Convert"
Segal, pp. 117-183 and look up his references to Paul's Letters
Week 6
M 2/26 Paul the
Apostle
Segal, pp. 187-284; Galatians and Romans in WSP, pp.13-22, 68-94
W 2/28 Romans (student presentation on Stanley Stowers, Re-reading Romans)
W 3/7 Community and
Salvation History in Luke-Acts: The Symbol of the Shared Meal
Acts 10-11, 15; Luke 5:27-39; 7:36-50; 14:1-24; 22:7-38; 24:13-53; Dennis
Smith, pp. 47-65, 253-272,
279-287.
F 3/9 Genre and
Interpretation in Luke-Acts History or Fiction?
Bonz, pp. 1-29; The Aeneid
March 12-16 SPRING BREAK No Class
Week 8
M 3/19 Ancient Epic as a Model for
Luke-Acts
Bonz, pp. 31-85; The Aeneid (Guest Speaker: Ben Low?)
W 3/21 Dramatic Unfolding of
Prophecy and History in Luke-Acts
Bonz, pp. 87-128;
F 3/23 Luke-Acts Reconsidered
Bonz, pp. 129-193; (re-read the main passages of Luke-Acts which she discusses)
Week 9 Paul and
Luke-Acts and the Religion of the Earliest Churches
M 3/26 Theissen, pp. 1-60
W 3/28 Theissen, pp. 61-160
F 3/30 Theissen, pp. 161-206
Week 10
M 4/2 Erev Pesach (Passover) No class
W 4/4 Theissen, pp.
207-307
F 4/6 Good Friday
Week 11
M 4/9 Book
Presentation
W 4/11 Book
Presentation
F 4/13 Book
Presentation
Week 12
M 4/16 Book
Presentation
W 4/18 Book
Presentation
F 4/20 Book
Presentation
Week 13
M 4/23
W 4/25
F 4/27 FINAL PAPER
DUE
Week 14
M 4/30 The Legacy of
Pauline Christianity I - Presentation and discussion
WSP, pp. 236-250 (Martin Luther); pp. 250-257 (Karl Barth); pp.277-288 (F.C.
Baur); pp. 288-296 (F. Nietzsche);
W 5/2 The Legacy of
Pauline Christianity II, WSP, pp. 302-308 (A. von Harnack); pp. 409-422 (R. Bultmann);
pp. 435-444 (W. Meeks).
F 5/4 Last Day of Class
Course Requirements
1. Preparation of Readings. Each student is expected to read the assignments and bring two questions based on the readings to class. Questions are due for each class session. I will collect them at the end of each class meeting (or you may post them on the Blackboard electronic threaded discussion the evening before class.)
2. Class participation. There will be class discussions nearly each session based on the readings and in part on the questions students bring to class. Students will also be responsible for short in-class presentations, e.g., the readings for the last day of class.
(1 and 2 = 20% of course grade)
3. Midterm quiz - short IDs based on readings and lectures (15%)
4. Short Paper I - 4-6 pages, an analysis and interpretation of a selected Pauline text. (15%) Due 10/5/01
5. Short Paper II and Presentation – 3-5 pages, an analysis of a book by contemporary Pauline or Lukan scholar. Paper is due on the day of class following your presentation.
6. Final Paper - 10-15 page research paper on Paul's Letters and/or Acts from list of topics to be distributed by the end of September. I will arrange meetings with each of you in at the end of February to discuss your topic and give you some bibliographical guidance. You will be responsible for bringing a bibliography of at least 10 books and articles (in addition to the assigned readings) to that meeting. I will collect it and it will count toward the grade of your final paper. I would like you to choose a topic by 11/6/01. The final paper is due 4/27/07 (40%)
Attendance Policy: For every 3 unexcused absences after the 1st week of class, you will penalized 2/3 grade (e.g., from A- to B) off your final course grade.
Content by Jonathan
Brumberg-Kraus, Associate Professor of Religion
Last Update 2/12/07.