The Spirituality of the New Testament (BN9409T)

Content

This unit explores the diversity of New Testament spirituality across the Gospels, the Epistles and the Book of Revelation. It examines themes such as faith and prayer in the context of New Testament theology, seeing the points of connection and the differences across the New Testament canon. It explores the possible social and religious contexts out of which different New Testament spiritualities arise. It explores the connection between New Testament spirituality and New Testament theology. It examines the way in which spirituality changes and develops for changing contexts within the New Testament world. In the light of this, the unit explores the implications this might have for the way we read the New Testament as spirituality for today.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

30 points at Foundation level

Pedagogy

Reading material, video material, online discussions

Indicative Bibliography

• Barton, S.C. The Spirituality of the Gospels. London: SPCK, 1992.
• Bouyer, L. The Spirituality of the New Testament and the Fathers. History of Christian Spirituality, vol. 1. New York: Desclée, 1963.
• Cox, M. Handbook of Christian Spirituality. 2nd ed. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985.
• Cunningham, L.S. & K.J. Egan, Christian Spirituality. Themes from the Tradition. New York: Paulist, 1996.
• Davies, O. & D. Turner, eds., Silence and the Word. Negative Theology and Incarnation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
• Hagner, D.A. The New Testament. A Historical and Theological Introduction. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012.
• Lee, D.A. Hallowed in Truth and Love: Spirituality in the Johannine Literature. Mosaic/Wipf & Stock: Melbourne/Oregon, 2012. (recommended for purchase)
• Lee, D.A. Transfiguration. London/New York: Continuum, 2004.
• Lescher, B.H. & E. Liebert, eds. Exploring Christian Spirituality. Essays in Honor of Sandra M. Schneiders. New York: Paulist, 2006.
• Powell, S.M. A Theology of Christian Spirituality. Nashville: Abingdon, 2005.
• Sheldrake, P.F. Explorations in Spirituality: History, Theology, and Social Practice. New York: Paulist, 2010.
• Schneiders, S.M. The Revelatory Text: Interpreting the New Testament as Sacred Scripture. New York: Harper, 1999. (recommended for purchase)
• Schnelle, U. Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009.
• Wright, N.T., Pauline Perspectives. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 2013.

Assessment