New Testament Greek
1001
New Testament Greek
Course description
Candidates will be expected to show knowledge of Greek grammar, syntax and vocabulary (as set out in J. Duff’s The Elements of New Testament Greek) and its importance for the exegesis of the New Testament, with particular reference to a selection of texts from Mark’s Gospel that are in parallel with the Lukan set texts from the Introduction to the Bible paper. Passages from the text (which will be that of the United Bible Societies, 4th Edition) will be chosen for translation and grammatical comment.
Aims
To enable students to understand the essentials of New Testament Greek grammar and syntax, to acquire a basic vocabulary, and to be able to translate gospel texts and comment on grammatical points raised by them.
Objectives
Students who have successfully completed this paper will:
(a)have mastered elementary New Testament Greek as set out in J. Duff’s The Elements of New Testament Greek
(b)be able to translate and comment on select passages from the Gospel of Mark
(c)be able to answer questions on elementary Greek grammar
(d)be able to translate simple English sentences into Koine Greek.
Languages are best taught in classes.
1002
Biblical Hebrew
Course description
This first-year paper introduces students to the basics of the Hebrew of the Old Testament, through a guided study of Biblical Hebrew grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, and of three chapters of prose text from the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 12, 15, and 22). The examination will include passages from these chapters for translation and comment, as well as questions on elementary Hebrew grammar, simple Hebrew sentences for translation into English, and some simple English sentences for rendering in Hebrew.
Aims
To enable students to understand the essentials of Biblical Hebrew grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, and to study selected chapters of the Hebrew Bible.
Objectives
Students who successfully complete this paper will:
(a)have mastered elementary Biblical Hebrew grammar
(b)be able to translate and comment on selected Hebrew passages from the book of Genesis
(c)be able to translate simple prose sentences from Hebrew to English and from English to Hebrew.
Languages are best taught in classes: 48 language, 8 text classes.
1004
Qur’anic Arabic
Course description
Candidates will be expected to show elementary knowledge of Qur’anic Arabic grammar, syntax and vocabulary. Passages from the Qur’an will be chosen for translation and grammatical comment.
Aims
This paper will test knowledge of the Arabic grammatical features and vocabulary
most commonly encountered in the Qur’an.
Objectives
Students will have:
(a)studied how to vocalize un-pointed Arabic passages in the Qur’an
(b)hadto translate these passages from Arabic into English
(c)hadto show knowledge of common grammatical forms in Arabic
(d)hadto provide linguistic and exegetical comment for selected passages.
Intensive language classes.
1005
Pali
Course description
Candidates will be expected to show knowledge of Pali grammar, syntax and vocabulary (as set out in A.K. Warder: Introduction to Pali). Passages from the Pali Canon will be chosen for translation and grammatical comment.
Aims
To enable students to understand the essentials of Pali grammar and syntax, to acquire a basic vocabulary, and to be able to translate texts from the Pali Canon and comment on grammatical points raised by them.
Objectives
Students who have studied for this paper will
(a)have mastered elementary Pali as set out in A.K. Warder: Introduction to Pali
(b)be able to translate and comment on passages from the Pali Canon
(c)be able to answer questions on elementary Pali grammar
(d)be able to translate simple English sentences into Pali.
Language teaching.
1006
Sanskrit
Course description
The course provides an introduction to Sanskrit for the preliminary paper in elementary Sanskrit. The class is designed to introduce students of theology and religion to the basics of the Sanskrit grammar, syntax and vocabulary. By the end of the course students will have competency in translating simple Sanskrit and reading sections of the Bhagavad-gītā and passages from other texts. The course book will be Maurer’s the Sanskrit language. The paper will examine sections from chapters 2 and 11 of the Bhagavad-gītā and sections from the story of Nala.
Aims
To develop the history of Hindu traditions from the medieval period to modernity.
Objectives
Students who complete this course will have:
a)Knowledge of basic Sanskrit grammar, syntax and vocabulary
b)Understanding of euphonic combination (sandhi)
c)Knowledge of sections of important religious texts such as the Bhagavad-gītā and the story of Nala.
48 lectures describe the Sanskrit language and follow the textbook by Walter Maurer The Sanskrit Language. Supplementary teaching material is introduced along with the reading of key texts.
1101
Introduction to the Study of the Bible
Course description
This first-year paper investigates the nature and purpose of the Bible, giving attention not only to the content of the biblical books but also to issues of ‘background’ (the ancient contexts out of which those writings arose) and issues of ‘reception’ (how the Bible helps to shape what Jews and Christians believe and do).
The textual focus is on narratives concerning Abraham (Genesis 12–25) and Jesus (Luke 9–22). Examination gobbets will come from eight specific chapters, namely Genesis 15–17 and 22, and Luke 9, 15-16 and 22.
Aims
To provide students with an intelligent understanding of the nature and purpose of the Bible, including some consciousness of both the historical origins of the Bible and its subsequent importance.
Objectives
Students who successfully complete this paper will:
(a)have a sound knowledge of the content of the Bible, including an awareness of the Bible’s major theological themes and ideas
(b)have some acquaintance with the varying historical circumstances of the origin and development of the Bible
(c)have some sense of the importance of the Bible for understanding Jewish and Christian faith and practice, and of the impact of the Bible on wider culture
(d)be able to comment intelligently on some particular texts, demonstrating an awareness of different methods and approaches to interpretation.
Texts are best taught in classes.
1201
Jesus in Christian Faith and Human Experience
Course description:
Jesus of Nazareth is agreed to be one of the most important figures in the history of the world. The major Christian churches teach not only that he was the foremost of the prophets, but that he is eternally the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity. They also teach that his work as a man included not only his public miracles and his oral teaching but an invisible ministry of reconciling human beings to the God from whom they had been estranged by sin. Even for Christians who do not subscribe to traditional teachings, he remains a moral exemplar and an object of devotion. Moslems revere him as the sixth of seven great prophets, a number of Jews and Hindus have found a place for him in their faith, and he has been a frequent subject for poets and novelists, whatever their religion.
This paper therefore considers Jesus of Nazareth not only as a subject of Christian proclamation, but also as a subject of imaginative or philosophical reflection in Christian and other traditions. The examination will be divided into two sections, A and B: candidates will be expected to answer two questions from one section and one from the other.
Questions in Section A will concern the nature, ministry, teaching and example of Jesus as these have been understood in the public teaching of the chief Christian denominations. Students will be expected to be familiar with the ecumenical doctrines of the Trinity and the incarnation of Jesus Christ as second person of the Trinity. They will also be expected to know how these doctrines have informed different understandings of the redemption of the world through his death and resurrection, and how Christians have understood the ends and duties of life in the light of this redemption.
The majority of questions in Section B will concern the relation between the Jesus of the gospels and/or ecclesiastical dogma to Christian devotion, philosophy, literature, culture, aesthetics and social policy. There will also be questions on the place of Jesus in other religious traditions.
Aims
(a)to introduce students to the study and practice of Christian doctrine through the figure of Jesus as the universal focus of theological reflection reasoning
(b)to promote awareness of the significance of Jesus in all spheres of Christian life, reflection and church practice
(c)to introduce students to the religiously plural context in which the doctrinal significance of Jesus is considered
(d)to promote reflection on the relation between theology and culture, both within and outside the Christian sphere.
Objectives
A student who has attended the lectures and prepared thoroughly for eight tutorials may be expected:
(a)to be aware of the content of the ecumenical creeds of the Church
(b)to have some understanding of the relation between scriptural exegesis and the formulation of doctrine
(c)to be aware of ways in which belief has informed life and conduct for Christians over the centuries
(d)to be aware of some responses to the religiously plural context in which Christian theology is studied and practised.
Lectures will review important literature in sections A and B; tutorials will allow tutors and students to choose special areas of study.
1401
Religion and Religions
Course description
Given that the study of religions focuses on the diversity of the human phenomenon of religion, the paper will move from outlining broad methodological approaches in religious studies (including anthropology, sociology, psychology, history, phenomenology, and ethics) in the first term, to discussions of particular religions in the ancient and modern world, including major ‘world’ religions (Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Christianity), the multiple religious traditions of China and India, and so-called indigenous or tribal religions, in the second term.
Aims
To equip students to develop an appreciation of the academic study of religion and a critical framework for describing the religious dimensions of human life, and in particular to the different ways ‘religion’ may be approached and understood.
Objectives
Students should:
(a)be aware of how the study of religion draws on multiple fields and disciplines, what they are, and how they differ
(b)be aware of some attempts to define ‘religion,’ as well as the limits of such approaches
(c)gain an awareness of the diversity of religions and of some distinctive religious beliefs and practices from around the world, and they should be cognizant of the benefits and limitations of comparing religions
(d)acquire the skills of reading, analyzing, and writing about some of the main works in the historical study of religions, and understand various disciplinary approaches
(e)In class discussions, learn to defend what they have written against critical comment.
The paper will be taught through a series of 16 lectures and 8 classes. The focus of 8 lectures will be on the ways in which the study of religions draws upon multiple fields and disciplines in an attempt to define religion, and will demonstrate how the object of study shifts depending on the approach used and the questions asked of the phenomenon. A further 8 lectures will introduce candidates to a variety of world religions, through a brief but detailed articulation of their histories and/or practices, eliciting particular examples of general themes that will have been introduced in the first term. Through these two sets of lectures, students will gain an awareness and understanding of the diversity of the phenomenon of religion.
2101
The Narrative World of the Old Testament
Course description
This second-year paper investigates the storytelling and historiographical traditions of the Old Testament. Consideration is given to such topics as method in Old Testament study, the theological themes of the Old Testament, the history of ancient Israel, the development of Israelite law, the relation of the Old Testament writings to ancient Near Eastern culture, and the reception of the biblical narratives in Jewish and Christian traditions.
The textual focus is on the stories of primeval times that were seen as shaping the world (Genesis 1–11) and on the accounts of the last days of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah (2 Kings 17–25). Examination gobbets will come from these chapters, and there will also be an opportunity to comment on the Hebrew text of Genesis 1–4.
Aims
To enable students to acquire a knowledge of the storytelling and historiographical traditions in the Old Testament, and to develop critical understanding by introducing them to basic issues of method, with particular reference to the study of two major Old Testament texts.
Objectives
Students who successfully complete this paper will have:
(a)gained knowledge about and understanding of the narrative traditions and theological themes of the Old Testament in general
(b)gained a close knowledge of two particular narrative texts set for special study in English, with the option of having studied a section of one of these in Hebrew
(c)explored the literary and historical backgrounds of these writings and the trajectories of interpretation and appropriation to which they gave rise
(d)reflected upon the criteria employed in assessing evidence, and the possibility and desirability of achieving consensus concerning them.
16 lectures, 16 classes & 8 tutorials: 8 lectures on the Study of the Old Testament (shared with 2102); 8 lectures on the Narrative World of the Old Testament; 8 English text classes (4 on Genesis, 4 on Kings); 8 Hebrew text classes on Genesis; 8 tutorials
2102
The Poetic World of the Old Testament
Course description
This second-year paper investigates the poetic traditions of the Old Testament, including prophetic, liturgical, and wisdom literature. Consideration is given to such topics as method in Old Testament study, the theological themes of the Old Testament, prophecy and particular prophets, psalmody and the Psalms, wisdom and the wise, the ethics of the prophets, the development of messianic and apocalyptic ideas, the relation of the Old Testament writings to ancient Near Eastern culture, and the reception of the biblical poems and songs in Jewish and Christian traditions.
The textual focus is on the poems/songs of ‘Second Isaiah’ (Isaiah 40–55) and on two sets of psalms (Psalms 42–49 & 84–89). Examination gobbets will come from these chapters, and there will also be an opportunity to comment on the Hebrew text of Psalms 46–49.
Aims
To enable students to acquire a knowledge of the poetic traditions in the Old Testament, and to develop critical understanding by introducing them to basic issues of method, with particular reference to the study of two major Old Testament texts.
Objectives
Students who successfully complete this paper will have:
(a)gained knowledge about and understanding of the poetic traditions and theological themes of the Old Testament in general
(b)gained a close knowledge of two particular poetic texts set for special study in English, with the option of having studied a section of one of these in Hebrew
(c)explored the literary and historical backgrounds to these writings and the trajectories of interpretation and appropriation to which they gave rise
(d)reflected upon the criteria employed in assessing evidence, and the possibility and desirability of achieving consensus concerning them.
16 lectures, 16 classes & 8 tutorials: 8 lectures on the Study of the Old Testament (shared with 2101); 8 lectures on the Poetic World of the Old Testament; 8 English text classes (4 on Isaiah, 4 on Psalms); 8 Hebrew text classes on Psalms; 8 tutorials
2103
The Gospels
Course description
The Gospels paper will introduce students to foundational understanding of the Gospels of Matthew and John as exemplifying early Christianity’s two most influential normative expressions of the Jesus tradition. While offering an introduction to the backgrounds and origins of the gospels, and to leading scholarly theories about literary relationships between them, the primary aim will be to develop familiarity with the historical, critical, theological and interpretative issues raised by the Gospels of Matthew and John in their canonical form. Teaching for this paper will also aim at least selectively to illustrate the gospels’ place within the wider biblical context, and to show how their exegesis and/or reception bears on issues of Christian history, doctrine, and relations with other religious traditions.
Set texts are as follows:
- Matthew 2-3, 5-9, 17, 26-28
- John: 1, 5-6, 8, 11, 17, 19-20
Aims
The paper aims to provide foundational understanding of the Gospels of Matthew and John as exemplifying early Christianity’s two most influential normative expressions of the Jesus tradition. The primary aim will be to develop familiarity with the Gospels of Matthew and John in their canonical form and setting.
Objectives
Students who successfully complete this paper will:
(a)have gained a close familiarity with the text and meaning of the Gospels of Matthew and John
(b)be able to give an account of their historical origin and setting
(c)have a thorough grasp of the main historical, critical and theological issues raised by these texts
(d)be able to exegete and comment on particular texts assigned for special study, and to illustrate how selected passages bear on matters of ancient and/or contemporary interpretation.
In Trinity term in their first year, candidates must declare whether they intend to take English or Greek text classes.
12 lectures, 8 classes, 8 tutorials: 12 lectures on the Gospels (6 each on Matthew and John) to provide a general framework for understanding followed by EITHER 8 one-hour English text classes (4 on Matthew, 4 on John) OR 8 one-hour Greek text classes (4 on Matthew, 4 on John) in Hilary Term.
2201
History of Doctrine
Course description:
Christianity is a practical religion, but most Christians hold that it cannot be practised alone. Christian life is grounded in the faith and worship of distinct communities, or churches, and, since faith and worship both presuppose belief, these churches (or denominations) are typically distinguished by their doctrines. Some of these are held in common with other Christians, while others are peculiar to one or a few denominations; in either case they are usually presented as deductions from texts which are universally recognised as scriptures. The language in which they are formulated, however, is often technical, and it is not uncommon for particular creeds or articles to be expressed with a minuteness and complexity that puzzles even insiders. Historical study is generally the best way of ascertaining what believes have understood, and why they differ, regarding such terms as revelation, creatio ex nihilo, Trinitarianism, incarnation, atonement, sacrament, ecclesiology and eschatology.