REL6434 SURVEY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
3 Credit Hours
Student Level:
This course is open to students on the college level in either Freshman or Sophomore year.
Catalog Description:
REL6434 - Survey of the New Testament (3 hrs.)
[KRSN REL1030]
An introduction to the history, literature, and culture that gave rise to the New Testament from an objective and analytical approach.
Course Classification:
Lecture
Prerequisites:
None, but REL6432 Survey of the Old Testament is recommended.
Controlling Purpose:
This course provides an introduction to the scholarship of the New Testament, as an elective course or as an introductory course in religious studies.
Learner Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, the student will be familiar with the content of the canonical New Testament, will be able to critically analyze and discuss that content, and will have an understanding of the historical and cultural context from which it comes.
Core Outcomes:
The learning outcomes and competencies detailed in this course outline or syllabus meet or exceed the learning outcomes and competencies specified by the Kansas Core Outcomes Groups project for this course as approved by the Kansas Board of Regents.
Unit Outcomes for Criterion Based Evaluation:
The following outline defines the minimum core content, not including the final examination period. Instructors may add other material as time allows.
UNIT 1: Overview of the New Testament
Outcomes: Upon Completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Describe those characteristics that define the New Testament as a collection of religious texts
- Understand the relationship between the New Testament and the Hebrew Tanakh
- Describe and apply scholarly approaches to the New Testament texts
- Understand and describe the transmission, canonization, and translations of New Testament texts
- Understand and describe the elements of Hellenistic and Jewish cultures that formed the context in which the New Testament was created
UNIT 2:
Outcomes: Upon Completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Describe the Hellenistic and Roman occupations of the area, and the Jewish revolts against them, and the consequences of those revolts
- Understand the diverse nature of Judaism in the first century AD
- Understand and describe the concept of the Messiah as held by first-century Jews
UNIT 3: The Gospels
Outcomes: Upon Completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Explain the assumptions made in various approaches to the Gospels
- Understand and apply the methods of modern scholarships to the Gospels
- Understand the basics of a literary analysis of the Gospels
- Understand and describe the synoptic problem, and it’s relation to the study of the Gospel of John
- Describe in scholarly terms the authorship, audience, sources, and content of the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John
- Understand and describe in scholarly terms the similarities and differences among, and the various interpretations in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John in historical context
- Describe in scholarly terms the content and meaning of the noncanonical Gospels, including the Gospel of Thomas, Secret Mark, and various Gnostic texts
- Understand and discuss the scholarly approach to Jesus as a historical figure beyond New Testament texts, including the historicity of the Gospel accounts
UNIT 4: The Early Church
Outcomes: Upon Completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Describe in scholarly terms of the content and meaning of the Acts of Apostles, as an account of the early formation of Christianity
- Describe the organization of the early church
- Describe the work of Peter and the other Apostles in the years after Jesus
- Describe the missionary work of Paul, as recorded in the Acts
- Place Paul as a historical person, describe his religious experience and understand the basics of his theology
UNIT 5: The Letters of Paul
Outcomes: Upon Completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Describe the themes of Christian unity and the returning Christ in the Letters to Thessalonica and Corinth
- Describe the themes of breaking from Torah tradition and justification by faith in the Letters to the Galatians and Romans
- Describe the themes of the continuing Pauline tradition, as found in the Letters to the Philippians and to Paul, the General Letters, and other works
- Understand and discuss the problems of authorship and authority in some of the writings attributed to Paul
UNIT 6: The Traditions of John, The Didache, and the Apocalypse
Outcomes: Upon Completion of this unit, students will be able to successfully…
- Understand and compare the traditions of the Johannine community with the Pauline tradition
- Describe the Didache; the teaching attributed to the Twelve Apostles
- Describe in scholarly terms the content and meaning of the narrative and symbolism found in the Book of Revelation
- Understand other apocalyptic traditions beyond the New Testament
- Discuss the evolution of the Judeo-Christian Bible, and consider it’s place in the life of the 21st century
Textbook:
Contact Bookstore for current textbook.
Attendance Policy:
Students should adhere to the attendance policy outlined by the instructor in the course syllabus.
Grading Policy:
The grading policy will be outlined by the instructor in the course syllabus.
Maximum class size:
Based on classroom occupancy
Course Time Frame:
The U.S. Department of Education, Higher Learning Commission, and the Kansas Board of Regents define credit hour and have specific regulations that the college must follow when developing, teaching, and assessing the educational aspects of the college. A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally-established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour of credit or an equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. The number of semester hours of credit allowed for each distance education or blended hybrid courses shall be assigned by the college based on the amount of time needed to achieve the same course outcomes in a purely face-to-face format.
Refer to the following policies:
402.00 Academic Code of Conduct
263.00 Student Appeal of Course Grades
403.00 Student Code of Conduct
Disability Services Program:
Cowley College, in recognition of state and federal laws, will accommodate a student with a documented disability. If a student has a disability which may impact work in this class, which requires accommodations, contact the Disability Services Coordinator.
DISCLAIMER: THIS INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. FOR THE OFFICIAL COURSE PROCEDURE CONTACT ACADEMIC AFFAIRS.
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