Course Outline: 2006-07

Course Outline: Winter 2019

Major Letters of Paul

RS 3090G/BS5205B

Location: W104

Days & Time: Fridays 11:30-2:20

Instructor: Dr. N. Meyer

Contact info: [email protected]

Office: A225 ext c/o 289; hours: Fri 10:20-11:20

The composition and theology of Paul’s letters to the Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians in their historical setting.

Course Prerequisite

RS 2124F/G or permission of instructor

Course Description

This course engages in a close reading of the seven undisputed letters of Paul (those which are

universally agreed to have been authored by the apostle), with an emphasis on the “major” letters of

Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and Galatians. Our concerns will be simultaneously historical and

theological. They are historical insofar as we are concerned with what can be known about Paul, his

environment, and his mission from the standpoint of critical, historical inquiry; theological insofar as

we are concerned to think with Paul, to understand the substance of his convictions, both with

respect to their historical contingencies and their possible enduring impact. Students will be

introduced to the major scholarly debates and perspectives surrounding Paul and his letters, with a

particular emphasis on the question of Paul’s relationship to his ancestral Judaism, the law, and

Israel. Overall, students will be encouraged to form an historically sensitive understanding of the

apostle and to develop an appreciation for and critical appraisal of the social and theological aspects

his thought.

Course Objectives

Students will gain close familiarity with the content and historical setting of the major Pauline letters.

Students will be able to identify the major topics of debate in the interpretation of the Pauline letters

and to articulate some of the chief alternatives in the scholarly discussion.

Students will be able to recognize and, ideally, develop historically and textually sound interpretation

of the Pauline letters, even as they gain an appreciation for the complexity and difficulties that

characterize this task.

Course Requirements

Attendance & Participation: 20% Attendance and active participation in class is critical. Since

we meet only once a week, for three hours, a single absence is worth, in effect, two. Therefore, each

class missed will count for a deduction of 3% and if more than three are missed 10% will be the

maximum you may receive here.

Class Presentation: 10% Students will guide the class in a discussion of at least one of the

readings (depending on class size), selected in consultation with the professor. A synopsis of the

argument will be presented, followed by a brief critical evaluation, and an attempt to engage the class

in back-and-forth discussion; a hard copy will be provided to the professor (no more than 2 pages in

length).

Book Review: 15% Students will write a 6-7 page (double-spaced, 12 pt font, 1 inch margins)

book review of Paula Fredriksen’s, Paul: The Pagan’s Apostle, in which they devote roughly equal

amount of space to (1) summarizing and (2) probing both the strengths and weaknesses of her

argument as well as its implications. (Note: the review need not fall into two halves.) Due: March 1

Major Essay: 25% Students will write a 11-12 page argumentative essay on a text of their

choosing from the major letters of Paul. The essay should be an historically based and academically

engaged investigation into the meaning of a Pauline text. An annotated bibliography (see below) will

be submitted ahead of the essay itself, and students should clear their choice of text and topic with

the professor prior to setting to work on the bibliography. Due: April 5

Format: 12 pt, Times New Roman Font, Double Spaced, 1-inch Margins. No title page.

Include bibliography

Reference style: Chicago, Notes/Bibliography Method

https://www.lib.uwo.ca/files/styleguides/ChicagoNotesBibliography.pdf

Annotated Bibliography: 5% In preparation for their major essay, students will submit an annotated

bibliography, prefaced by a summary statement of their topic and research question and perhaps a

tentative thesis. The bibliography will include at least 6 sources of various types, including peer-

reviewed journal articles, biblical commentaries (no more than two for this assignment),

monographs, and essays in edited volumes. (Course material is not permitted for this assignment,

although—and of course—it may be used in the essay itself, where it will have to appear also in the

final bibliography.) Each entry will be annotated with a brief 2-3 sentence statement of the argument

or perspective of that source. (Reference style, as above.) Due: March 15

Final Exam: 25% The final exam will be essay style, take-home, and electronically submitted.

Due: April 11

Books for Purchase

Gorman, Michael J. Apostle of the Crucified Lord. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,

2016.

Fredriksen, Paula. Paul: The Pagans’ Apostle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press,

2017.

Books Recommended

An Academic Study Bible. Preferably, one of the following:

Attridge, Harold, et al. eds. The Harper Collins Study Bible. NRSV translation. Revised

ed. San Francisco, CA: Harper One, 2006.

Coogan, Michael, et al. The New Oxford Annotated Reference Bible. NRSV. 5

ed.

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.

Course Schedule

January 11

: Introductions

Read (before the first class): Gorman, “Approaching Paul”; “Paul’s World(s)”; “Paul’s

Resúmé,” pp. 1-91

January 18

: 1 Thessalonians, Awaiting the End

Read: 1 Thessalonians

Gorman, “Paul’s Letters,” “Paul’s Gospel,” “1 Thessalonians: Holiness and Hope,”

pp. 92-139, 188-210

Stendahl, Krister. “The Apostle Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West.”

Harvard Theological Review 56 (1963): 199–215.

January 25

: Galatians,

Apocalypsis & Peritome

Read: Galatians 1-6

Gorman, “Galatians,” 227-250

Dunn, James D. G. “The New Perspective on Paul (1983).” In The New Perspective on

Paul, Revised Edition., 99–120. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008.

Gaventa, B.R. “Galatians 1 and 2: Autobiography as Paradigm.” Novum Testamentum

28 (January 1986): 309–26.

February 1

: Galatians,

Apocalypsis & Peritome

Read: Galatians 1-6

Gorman, “Galatians,” 250-272

Martyn, J. Louis. “Apocalyptic Antinomies in Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.” New

Testament Studies 31 (1985): 410–24. or

Barclay, John M. G. “Paul, the Gift and the Battle over Gentile Circumcision:

Revisiting the Logic of Galatians.” Australian Biblical Review 58 (2010): 36–

56.

Eastman, Susan Grove. “Israel and the Mercy of God: A Re-Reading of Galatians

6.16 and Romans 9-11.” New Testament Studies 56 (2010): 367–95. [Focus on

Galatians material]

February 8

: 1

Corinthians, The Trouble with Corinth

Read: 1 Corinthians

Gorman, “1 Corinthians,” 273-304

Levison, Jack. “The Holy Spirit in I Corinthians.” Interpretation 72 (2018): 29–42.

Martin, Dale B. “Arsenokoitês and Malakos: Meanings and Consequences.” In Biblical

Ethics & Homosexuality: Listening to Scripture, edited by Robert L. Brawley, 117–

36. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1996. or

MacDonald, Margaret Y. “Women Holy in Body and Spirit: The Social Setting of 1

Corinthians 7.” New Testament Studies 36 (1990): 161–81.

February 15

: 1

Corinthians, The Trouble with Corinth

Read: 1 Corinthians

Gorman, “1 Corinthians,” 305-341

White, Benjamin L. “The Traditional and Ecclesiastical Paul of 1 Corinthians.” The

Catholic Biblical Quarterly 79 (2017): 651–69.

Reid, Daniel G. “Principalities and Powers.” In Dictionary of Paul and His Letters,

edited by Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, 746–

52. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Johnson, Luke Timothy. “Life-Giving Spirit: The Ontological Implications of

Resurrection.” Stone-Campbell Journal 15 (2012): 75–89.

February 22

: Reading Week

March 1

: 2 Corinthians: Paul’s

Apologia

Read: 2 Corinthians

Gorman, “2 Corinthians,” 342-394

Maile, J. F. “Heaven, Heavenlies, Paradise.” In Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, edited

by Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, 381–83.

Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Book Review Due

March 8

Romans: Jews, Greeks, and Paul’s Gospel

Read: Romans

Gorman, “Romans,” 395-425

Westerholm, Stephen. “Justification by Faith Is the Answer: What Is the Question?”

Concordia Theological Quarterly 70 (2006): 197–217.

Watson, Francis. Paul and the Hermeneutics of Faith (London: T & T Clark, 2004), 33-40,

514-33.

March 15

: Romans: Jews, Greeks, and Paul’s Gospel

Read: Romans 1-8

Gorman, “Romans,” 425-445

Adams, Edward. “Paul’s Story of God and Creation: The Story of How God Fulfils

His Purposes in Creation.” In Narrative Dynamics in Paul: A Critical Assessment,

edited by Bruce W. Longenecker, 19–43. London: Westminster John Knox,

2002.

Annotated Bibliography Due

March 22

: Romans: Jews, Greeks, and Paul’s Gospel

Read: Romans 9-16

Gorman, “Romans,” 445-481

Wright, N. T. “Christ, the Law, and the People of God: The Problem of Romans 9-

11.” In The Climax of the Covenant: Christ and the Law in Pauline Theology, 231–

57. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1991.

Eastman, “Israel and the Mercy of God” (Focus on Romans material)

Fredriksen, Pagan’s, 159-166

March 29

: Philippians & Philemon: Citizens of Heaven

Read: Philippians & Philemon

Gorman, “Philippians,” “Philemon,” 482-543

Allison, Dale C. Jr. “Acts 9:1-9, 22:6-11, 26:12-18: Paul and Ezekiel.” Journal of Biblical

Literature 135 (2016): 807–26. (skim)

Meyer, Nicholas A. “The Form of God: Philippians 2:6-11; 3:20-21.” In Adam’s Dust

and Adam’s Glory in the Hodayot and the Letters of Paul: Rethinking Anthropogony

and Theology, 147-162. NovTSup 168. Leiden, Brill, 2016.

April 5

: Wrap Up

Essays Due

April 11

Final Exam Due

Additional Statements

1. Statement on Use of Electronic Devices during Tests and Exams: It is not appropriate to use technology

(such as, but not limited, to laptops, PDAs, cell phones) in the classroom for non-classroom activities. Such

activity is disruptive and is distracting to other students and to the instructor, and can inhibit learning. Students are

expected to respect the classroom environment and to refrain from inappropriate use of technology and other

electronic devices in class.

2. Statement on Academic Offences: Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the

appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following web site:

http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2014/pg113.html.

3. Plagiarism-detecting Software/Computer Marking: All required papers may be subject to submission for

textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the

detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the

reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of

the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and

Turnitin.com ( http://www.turnitin.com ).

4. Support Services:

• UWO Registrar’s Office: http://www.registrar.uwo.ca

• Huron’s Faculty of Theology, Office of the Dean:

http://www.huronuc.on.ca/faculty_of_theology/info_for_current_students

• Faculty of Theology office: sri[email protected], 519-438-7224, ext. 289

• Bachelor’s Academic Advising at Huron:

http://www.huronuc.ca/CurrentStudents/AcademicAdvisorsandServices

• Huron’s Writing Skills Centre: http://www.huronuc.on.ca/student_life/writing_services

• UWO’s Mental Health website: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ Students who are in

emotional/mental distress should refer to this website for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

• UWO Student Support and Development Services:

http://communications.uwo.ca/current_students/student_services.htm

• Services provided by Western University Student Council: http://westernusc.ca/services/

5. Accommodation for absences:

If documentation is required for either medical or non-medical academic accommodation, then such documentation must be submitted by

the student directly to your Faculty’s Dean’s office (or academic counselor), and not to the instructor. For the Faculty of Theology, all

such documentation must be submitted to room A227. It will be the Dean`s office that will determine if accommodation is warranted.

a) Non-medical absences:

Non-medical absences which result in missing a quiz or a chance to turn in a summary will not be

accommodated. These absences will also result in a deduction from your participation mark.

b) Medical absences: See also the Policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness

—Undergraduate Students, at http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/medical.pdf)

For work representing 10% or more of the overall grade for the course, a student must present

documentation indicating that the student was seriously affected by illness and could not reasonably be

expected to meet his/her academic responsibilities. Documentation must be submitted as soon as possible to

your Faculty Dean’s office (Huron Arts & Social Science students should take their documentation to the

Academic Counsellor, through the Academic Services Centre at Huron), together with a Request for Relief

specifying the nature of the accommodation requested. The request and documentation will be assessed and

appropriate accommodation will be determined by the Dean’s office in consultation with the instructor(s.)

Academic accommodation will be granted ONLY where the documentation indicates that the onset, duration

and severity of the illness are such that the student could not reasonably be expected to complete his/her

academic responsibilities.

The UWO Student Medical Certificate (SMC) and Request for Relief are available at the Student Centre

website (https://studentservices.uwo.ca/secure/index.cfm), Huron University College Academic Counselling

website (www.huronuc.on.ca) or from the Dean’s Office or Academic Services Centre at Huron.

For work representing less than 10% of the overall grade for the course: Students will be accommodated

for one missed quiz due to a non-documented medical absence.