Content

This unit is an exegetical and thematic exploration of Paul’s letter to the Romans. The Christian community of Rome was known to Paul, but he had not visited them. For their part the Roman community of Jewish Christians was concerned that Paul’s message and praxis was an authentic one. The letter is written to pave the way for his impending visit and it is Paul’s attempt to address their concerns by articulating his understanding of the Christian message and wrestling with a number of significant theological issues including the place of Jesus in God’s saving history, the role of the Jewish Law, the failure of the people of Israel to accept Jesus as Messiah, the plight of all humanity under sin, and the possibility of all humanity being saved by faith in Jesus.

Unit code: BN3017Y

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: New Testament

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Yarra Theological Union

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Learning outcomes

1.

Engage competently in the exegesis of specific texts from Romans, making use of appropriate methodologies

2.

Analyse Paul’s theology as it emerges from the letter to the Romans

3.

Evaluate the social, political and religious context of the Roman community and the ways in which it shapes Paul’s arguments in Romans

4.

Appraise the relationship between the context of Paul’s community in Rome, his personal experience, and his theological convictions

5.

Investigate, analyse, interpret and evaluate relevant secondary literature.

Unit sequence

30 points in Field B at second level

Pedagogy

Lectures and discussion

Indicative Bibliography

  • Byrne, Brendan. * Romans*. Sacra Pagina. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1996. (recommended for purchase)
  • Dunn, James D. G. The Theology of Paul the Apostle. London: T & T Clark, 2003.
  • _ _ _ Romans. 2 vols. Dallas: Word, 1988.
  • Fitzmyer, Joseph A. Romans. AB 33. New York: Doubleday, 1993.
  • Gorman, Michael J. Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2004.
  • Horrell, David G. An Introduction to the Study of Paul. 2nd ed. London: T & T Clark, 2006. (recommended for purchase)
  • Longenecker, Richard N. Introducing Romans: Critical Issues in Paul’s Most Famous Letter. Grand Rapids, Michigan MI: Eerdmans, 2011
  • Neyrey, Jerome H. Paul, in Other Words: A Cultural Reading of his Letters. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, 1990.
  • Sampley, J. Paul, ed. Paul in the Greco-Roman World: A Handbook. 2nd ed. 2 vols. London: Bloomsbury T. and T. Clark, 2016.
  • Thiselton, Anthony C. Discovering Romans: Content, interpretation, reception. London: SPCK, 2016.
  • Witherington, Ben. New Testament Rhetoric: An Introductory Guide to the Art of Persuasion in and of the New Testament. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2009.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

2500 word essay

0 50.0
Exegetical Essay

2500 word exegetical paper

0 50.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Maggie Kappelhoff on 15 Sep, 2020

Unit record last updated: 2021-06-07 08:43:50 +1000