The New Testament: An Historical Introduction
NEJS 130a
Brandeis University
Fall 2015
Syllabus
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Instructor: Bernadette J. Brooten
Meeting times: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 1:10–2:00
Meeting place:
Office: Mandel Humanities Center 113
Telephone: 781-736-2978
Email:
Office Hours: Monday: 2:15–3:00; Wednesday: 2:15–3:00; and by appointment. Sign-up for a time during class.
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Course Description
An introduction to the New Testament and to related early Christian literature as sources for the history and theology of the early church. We will emphasize the development and diversity of early Christian theological frameworks and literary genres. We will also pay attention to how the New Testament functions within current church and public policy discussions, e.g., feminism and Jewish-Christian relations. Students will also learn exegetical method.
Course Requirements
- Active class participation (class attendance, preparation of the readings, making thoughtful comments in class). I will call on students to summarize and comment on the required reading for the day. Any student may tell me before class (up to twice) that they are not prepared and may “pass” for that class. Class participation will include additional small assignments during the course of the semester. More than three unexcused absences during the semester will result in a lower grade. If you need to miss class for religious observance (excused absence), please let me know in writing beforehand. If you need to miss for illness (excused absence), please provide a note from the Health Center or your physician. Students are required to post a short paragraph in ten of the thirteen weeks of the class on LATTE commenting on one of the week’s readings each week by 8:00 PM the evening before that reading is discussed. Students are required to read these postings before each class session. This will help us all to focus our discussion. You must bring to class a copy of the material that we will be discussing in class or bring your laptop with the text. [20% of final grade; maximum of 20 points]
- One class presentation (8–10 min.) on a short New Testament or related text in which you outline how you interpret it and why. The text should ideally be from the work that we are studying that day in class and should employ one of the methods of interpretation that we are studying. [10% of final grade; maximum of 10 points]
3. An 8–10 page exegesis paper (i.e., a detailed analysis of a short passage of your choosing from the New Testament or the New Testament Apocrypha; 14-pitch font, 1 1/2-inch margins; endnotes do not count toward the page limit). The paper should include engagement with at least eight secondary sources (scholarly commentaries, journal articles, scholarly monographs). Please upload your paper as a Word document to the top of the LATTE page. The paper is due on Tuesday, November 24th, by 1:00 PM. Late papers will receive lower grades. [35% of final grade; maximum of 35 points].
- A final exam (on the content of the lectures, the material discussed in class, and the required readings) [35% of the final grade; maximum of 35 points].
Learning Goals
- How to read closely and carefully.
- How to understand an ancient text within its historical context.
- How to assess critically a range of religious and non-religious interpretations of a foundational religious text.
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have an accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately.
Policy on Sexual and Racial Harassment
As a means of preventing sexual and racial harassment, I encourage students to comment on the following question in the final student evaluation form: “Has the instructor sexually or racially harassed you during the semester?” I do this to give students an anonymous means of reporting such behavior and to make public my commitment not to engage in it. Beyond this, I hope that you will feel free to tell me about any problems in the sexual or racial dynamics of the course so that I can address them--to the best of my ability.
Sexual Assault, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual or Racial Harassment
If you experience one of these, Sheila McMahon at the Brandeis Office of Prevention Services can provide confidential assistance to you and let you know about other resources: Here is the link to a resource guide: Title IX Coordinator Linda Shinomoto () accepts reports. The Office of Public Safety accepts reports: The Office of Community Rights and Standards accepts reports:
Four-Credit Course (with three hours of class-time per week)
Success in this 4 credit-hour course is based on the expectation that students will spend a minimum of 9 hours of study time per week in preparation for class (readings, papers, discussion sections, preparation for exams, etc.).
Policy on Incompletes and Late Papers
Planning ahead can mean that you are better able to cope with the crises that will arise during the semester. Please be aware that I do not normally grant incompletes. Only a very major emergency can result in an incomplete. Please also be aware that late papers will receive lower grades. These policies exist out of fairness to all of the students who, in the face of similar crises and overloads, nevertheless complete their work on time.
If you have any special needs or concerns with respect to this class, be sure to discuss these with me during the first two weeks of class.
University Policy on Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is central to the mission of education excellence at Brandeis University. Each student is expected to turn in work completed independently, except when assignments specifically authorize collaborative effort. It is not acceptable to use the words or ideas of another person—be it a world-class philosopher or your lab partner—without proper acknowledgment of that source. This means that you must use footnotes and quotation marks to indicate the source of any phrases, sentences, paragraphs or ideas found in published volumes, on the internet, or created by another student. This policy also applies to your LATTE postings, to any visuals that you use for class presentations, and to your research papers.
You are expected to be familiar with and to follow the University’s policies on academic integrity (see Faculty may refer any suspected instances of alleged dishonesty to the Office of Student Development and Conduct. Instances of academic dishonesty may result in sanctions including but not limited to, failing grades being issued, educational programs, and other consequences.
Communications
Please see the LATTE website for occasional additional material, resources, and the schedule of class presentations. If there are any changes to the syllabus, of if I have any other announcements to make, I will email you via LATTE.
Course Outline
For full bibliographical references to the required and suggested literature, see the bibliography at the back of this syllabus. I may occasionally post additional, short readings on LATTE.
Thurs., Aug. 27Introduction
Mon., Aug. 31The Formation of the New Testament Canon
Required: Origen of Alexandria and Eusebius, selections, in Ehrman. After NT, nos. 53–54
Wed., Sept. 2The Formation of the New Testament Canon (cont.)
Required: Ehrman. NT, chap. 1
Thurs., Sept. 3The Cultural and Political Context of the New Testament
Required: Ehrman. NT, chaps. 3–4
Mon., Sept. 7Labor Day: No Class
Wed., Sept. 9The Cultural Context of the Traditions about Jesus
Required: Ehrman. NT, chap. 5
Thurs., Sept. 10Introduction to the Gospels
Ehrman. NT, chap. 6
Mon., Sept. 14Rosh ha-Shanah: No Class
Wed., Sept. 16The Gospel of Mark
Required: Mark
Ehrman. NT, chap. 7
Suggested: Koseter. 2:169–175
Highly recommended for this and all subsequent books of the NT: the introduction and notes in JANT
Thurs., Sept. 17The Synoptic Problem and the Gospel of Mark (cont.)
Required: Mark
Ehrman. NT, chaps. 8
Mon., Sept. 21The Gospel of Matthew
Required: Matthew
Ehrman. NT, chap. 9
Suggested: Koester. 2:176–182
OCB, Krister Stendahl, "Anti-Semitism"
Wed., Sept. 23No class: Yom Kippur
Thurs., Sept. 24Eid al-Adha (Muslim Feast of Abraham’s Sacrifice)
The Gospel of Matthew (cont.)
Required: Matthew
Suggested: Koester. 2:176–182
OCB, Krister Stendahl, "Anti-Semitism"
Mon., Sept. 28No class: Sukkot
Tues., Sept. 29Brandeis Monday: We will hold class
New Testament Textual Criticism at Work
Required: Ehrman. NT, chap. 2
Koester. 2, chap. 7, section 7.2, “The Text of the New Testament.” a, e-g, pp. 16-22, 32-44.
Highly recommended: Eldon Jay Epp. “Textual Criticism (NT).” Anchor Bible Dictionary. Ed. Devid Noel Friedman. Vol. 6. New York: Doubleday, 1992, 412–435 (this is technical and long, but really worth the trouble)
Suggested: Ehrman. NT, chap. 30
Wed., Sept. 30The Gospel of Luke
Required: Luke
Ehrman. NT, chap. 10
Suggested: Koester. 2, chap. 12, section 3.a 1–3
Thurs., Oct. 1Q: A Hypothetical Source of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke
Required: Reconstruction of Q by Funk and Miller, at:
Mon., Oct. 5No class: Shemini Atzeret
Wed., Oct. 7The Gospel of John
Required: John
Ehrman. NT, chap. 12
Thurs., Oct. 8Library Tour: Resources for your exegesis papers
Meet at the entrance to the library
Mon., Oct. 12The Gospel of John (cont.)
Required: John
Reinhartz. Befriending, chap. 7 “The Beloved Disciple as Other: An Engaged Reading of the Fourth Gospel,” pp. 131–159 (on LATTE)
Recommended: Reinhartz. Befriending, other chaps.
Wed., Oct. 14The Gospel of Mary of Magadala
Required: King. Gospel, chaps. 1–4
Thurs., Oct. 15The Gospel of Mary of Magadala(cont.)
Required: King. Gospel, chaps. 5–8 Please note that the reading for next Monday is heavier than usual and get a good head start on it.
Mon., Oct. 19The Gospel of Mary of Magadala(cont.)
Required: King. Gospel, chaps.9–14 Other Early Christian Gospels
Required: Ehrman. NT, chap.14
Wed., Oct. 21The Quest of the Historical Jesus
Required: Ehrman. NT, chaps. 15–16 Suggested: Crossan. God, chap. 3: “Jesus and the Kingdom of God,” pp. 97–142 (note that not all of this is on LATTE, owing to copyright restrictions)
Thurs., Oct. 22The Quest of the Historical Jesus (cont.)
Required: Ehrman. NT, chaps. 17–19 Please note that the reading for next Wed. and Thurs. is heavier than usual and get a head start. Much of it will be review for you, and it is not dense reading.
Mon., Oct. 26The Quest of the Historical Jesus (cont.)
Required: Levine. Misunderstood, chap. 1, “Jesus and Judaism,” pp. 17–52 (note that not all of this is on LATTE, owing to copyright restrictions)
Wed., Oct. 28The Quest of the Historical Jesus (cont.) Required: Aslan. Zealot, parts I and II
Thurs., Oct. 29The Quest of the Historical Jesus (cont.) Required: Aslan. Zealot, part III
Mon., Nov. 2Response to the Quest of the Historical Jesus
Required: Benedict XVI. Jesus, chap. 3, “The Kingdom of God,” pp. 46–63 (on LATTE)
Wed., Nov. 4Paul the Apostle and his Apostolic Mission
Required: Ehrman. NT, chaps. 20–21
1 Thessalonians
Thurs., Nov. 5Paul and the Crises of his Churches
Required: 1–2 Corinthians
Ehrman. NT, chap. 22 (section on 1–2 Corinthians only)
Mon., Nov. 9Paul and the Crises of his Churches (cont.)
Required: Galatians, Philippians, Philemon
Ehrman. NT, chap. 22 (sections on Galatians, Philippians, Philemon only)
Wed., Nov. 11Paul's Letter to the Romans
Required: Romans
Ehrman. NT, chap. 23
Thurs., Nov. 12Paul and the Jewish Law
Required: Galatians, Romans
Brooten. “Paul and the Law: How Complete was the Departure?” The Princeton Seminary Bulletin, Supplementary Issue, No. 1 (1990) 71–89
Mon., Nov. 16Paul on Same-Sex Love
Required: Brooten. Love Between Women, chaps. 9–10
Suggested: Brooten. Love Between Women, chap. 8
Wed., Nov. 18Acts of the Apostles
Required: Acts of the Apostles
Ehrman. NT, chap. 11
Thurs., Nov. 19Deutero-Pauline Christianity
Required: 2 Thessalonians; Colossians; Ephesians; 1–2 Timothy; Titus; 3 Corinthians
Ehrman. After NT, no. 46
Ehrman. NT, chap. 25
Suggested: Koester. 2, chap. 12, sections 1.a; 2.a; 2.b; 2.g
Mon., Nov. 23Prof. Brooten at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature
We will make up this session in advance of this date.
Tues., Nov. 24Exegesis Paper Due Uploaded to LATTE by 1:00 PM
Wed., Nov. 25Thanksgiving Break: No Class
Thurs., Nov. 26Thanksgiving Break: No Class
Mon., Nov. 30Slavery in Early Christianity
Required: Bernadette J. Brooten. “Early Christian Enslaved Families (1st–4th C.)” (on LATTE)
Wed., Dec. 2The Epistle of James
Required: James
Ehrman. NT, chap. 29 (section on James only)
Suggested: Koester. 2, chap. 10, section 1.c
Thurs., Dec. 3The Revelation of John
Required: Revelation of John Pagels. Revelations, chaps. 1–2
Suggested:Ehrman. NT, chap. 30 (section on Revelation of John only)
Mon., Dec. 7The Revelation of John Required: Revelation of John Pagels. Revelations, chaps. 3–5
Wed., Dec. 9The Acts of Paul and the Acts of Thecla
Required: Ehrman. After NT, nos. 43–44
Ehrman. NT, chaps. 24, 26
Suggested: Re-read the Pastoral Epistles (1–2 Tim, Tit)
Sheila E. McGinn, “The Acts of Thecla,” in Searching the Scriptures, ed. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, 2:800–828
Required Readings:
Some of the books below are available in Kindle and as audiobooks.
Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds. The Jewish Annotated New Testament: New Revised Standard Version Bible Translation. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. (=JANT) Please bring the New Testament with you to class each time. You can find the NRSV to the entire Christian Bible online at You can find it with excellent annotations in the HarperCollins Study Bible (see below under Recommended Readings).
Aslan, Reza,Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth. Random House, 2013.
ISBN-10:0812981480;ISBN-13:978-0812981483$12.65
(=Aslan. Zealot)
Ehrman, Bart. The New Testament:A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. ISBN 978-0-19-975753-4 $57.07 (=Ehrman. NT)
Ehrman, Bart. After the New Testament: A Reader in Early Christianity. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-19-5114450
BR63 .E37 1999
(=Ehrman. After NT)
King, Karen L. The Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle. Santa Rosa, CA: Polebridge, 2003. ISBN: 0944344585
$20.00
(=King. Gospel)
Pagels, Elaine.Revelations: Visions, Prophecy, and Politics in the Book of Revelation.ISBN-10:0143121634;ISBN-13:978-0143121633
$14.40
(=Pagels. Revelations)
Recommended:
The New Testament in The New Revised Standard Version. I have ordered The HarperCollins Study Bible, ed. Harold W. Attridge and the Society of Biblical Literature; revised and updated edition. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2006, which also includes helpful introductions and notes. You will find copies of other translations of the New Testament in the Judaica Reference Room of the library. These do not circulate and are therefore not on reserve.
Benedict XVI, Pope. Jesus of Nazareth. Ignatius, 2008. ISBN-10: 1586171984. ISBN-13: 978-1586171988. $14.95
(=Benedict XVI. Jesus)
Brooten, Bernadette. Love Between Women: early Christian Responses to Female Homoeroticism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. BS 2665.L47B76 1996
(=Brooten. Love Between Women)
Crossan, John Dominic. God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2008. ISBN-10: 0060858311. ISBN-13: 978-0060858315. $13.95
(=Crossan. God)
Levine, Amy-Jill. The Misunderstood Jew: The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2007. ISBN-10: 0061137782. ISBN-13: 978-0061137785. $13.95
(=Levine. Misunderstood)
Pagels, Elaine. Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas. New York: Random House, 2003. ISBN 0-375-50156-8. $24.95
Reinhartz, Adele. Befriending the Beloved Disciple: A Jewish Reading of the Gospel of John. New York: Continuum, 2002. ISBN: 082641446X: Paperback BS2615.2 .R382 2001. Out of Print.
(=Reinhartz. Befriending)
Recommended Reference Works:
Friedman, David Noel, ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. 5 vols. (=ABD)
Koester, Helmut. Introduction to the New Testament. 2 vols. 2d ed. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1995, 2000 (=Koester)
Metzger, Bruce M., and Coogan, Michael D. The Oxford Companion to the Bible (=OCB)
Mays, James L., ed. Harper's Bible Commentary (=HBC)
Schottroff, Luise, and Marie-Theres Wacker, eds. Feminist Biblical Interpretation: A Compendium of Critical Commentary on the Books of the Bible and Related Literature. German Original, 1999. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012.
Schüssler Fiorenza, Elisabeth, ed. Searching the Scriptures. 2 vols.
The New Testament: An Historical Introduction1