Course Requirements:
It is assumed that students working at this level will do their work with particular care, and bring their own critical observations and questions into the class discussion for the benefit of all. This will not be primarily a lecture course (though there will be some of that too), but a seminar in which all of us will learn from one another.
For the successful completion of this course, the students will:
|
I. WEEKLY DISCUSSION In weeks 2-12, the general pattern of the class will be: A. Reflect on a published sermon which is based on the previous week's exegeted text B. Translate the next text to be considered C. Discuss critical aspects of exegeting this text and how they may impact proclamation D. For several of the class meetings, there are additional readings which the students are expected to complete and come prepared to critique and discuss. - Each student is expected to be ready to translate the assigned pericope and discuss that translation when called upon. - For the exegesis of each text, each student is expected to have read and be ready to discuss the assigned sections out of the two required textbooks, the two commentary websites, and the work of their fellow students (see II below).
|
|||||||||||
|
II. ROTATING WRITING RESPONSIBILITIES Each week 3 different students will be given primary responsibility to do a bit of extra research in one or two of the "recommended" commentaries (these are listed on the "Pauline Studies" website here), and to raise the group's awareness regarding: 1) the structure, logic, style and / or form of this pericope; this will include preparing an outline of the text; identify key exegetical difficulties. 2) the literary context within this letter, and any 1st century historical / social issues which may impact our interpretation; where does this piece fit in the letter, in the first century, and in Paul's theology? 3) the central theological and pastoral issues raised by this text for the church today. For each of these assignments, the responsible student should prepare a 1-2 page document for distribution to the class, and be ready to highlight and summarize its contents. Each week, one student will also be given responsibility to lead the reflections on the assigned published sermon. These reflections should include points at which the published sermon did or did not carefully reflect the text, along with some suggestions of what the student might (or might not) do if she/he were to preach from this text. These reflections should, likewise, involve a 1-2 page written summary distributed to the class. It is expected that all students have read and reflected on the assigned sermon AND this critique, and will come ready to discuss them. NOTE CAREFULLY: All written work to be distributed to the class must be placed into each student's open box at least 24 hours before the class meets, with the hope that this will allow time for some reading and reflection on this material beforehand. Plan ahead!
|
|||||||||||
|
III. FINAL PAPER Each student will write a final exegetical paper on one of the following texts: Romans 1:1-7 (4 Advent A) The paper must present an exegesis of the passage in approximately 12 pages, following instructions to be distributed (also available on the "Pauline Studies website here). The exegesis should draw on the required textbooks as well as at least 2 of the recommended commentaries. The student should be certain to use endnote citations appropriately and include a bibliography of works consulted. The paper must conclude with a fully-written sermon based on this text and flowing from the presented exegesis.
|
|||||||||||
|
Grading:
|