Consider what Biblical historians now believe about the composition of the New Testament and the forces at work in the Graeco-Roman of the first Century that helped to shape it.

This class will be delivered face-to-face at WEA Sydney. Enrolling students need to ensure they have read the current COVID-19 Safety Guidance that WEA Sydney has put in place before enrolling.

COURSE OUTLINE

• Various ways the New Testament is viewed and used today. Key terms. The political, cultural, religious and social tensions at work in the first Century Graeco-Roman world resulting from the collapse of three traditional forms of governance. The Mystery Cults and new forms of fellowship in the new multicultural cities.
• Paul’s Epistles-the earliest New Testament documents. Differences in Paul’s accounts of his missions and Luke’s in “Acts”. Paul’s new vision of Jesus. His mission to the gentiles and his views of the Jewish law. Authenticity of certain Epistles-attribution or well-meaning fraud?
• The Synoptic Gospels- Estimated date and relationship of each. Theme of each Gospel. Consideration of possible sources. The gospel of John-a very different format and “Christology” The uncanonical gospel of Thomas.
• A brief look at the Book of Revelations. Fixing the new testament cannon. Apocryphal gospels and mediaeval legends.
  
  

PLANNED LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Have a greater awareness methodology of textual criticism.
2. Be more aware of the challenges to traditional “orthodox “ways of viewing this document that has being so important in western history.
3. Be aware of the ways the people of the Greco-Roman world struggled to make sense of their “universe’.
4. Recognise that that this clash of cultures produced forces that helped shape the New Testament.