Entering the World of the New Testament (BN1000Y)

Undergraduate, 18.0 points

Content

This unit aims to provide students with an overview of the formation, socio-historical setting and literary forms of the New Testament literature. Whilst studying the various books of the New Testament, students will be introduced to contemporary methods of critical biblical interpretation. The theological issues of these writings will also be explored.

Unit code: BN1000Y

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 1

Unit discipline: New Testament

Delivery Mode: Blended

Proposing College: Yarra Theological Union

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Learning outcomes

1.

Identify key factors of the social, historical and political milieu of the first century CE

2.

Describe the relationship between New Testament texts and the Old Testament and articulate implicit and explicit intertextual references

3.

Discuss issues associated with the critical attitude towards Judaism in some texts

4.

Discuss the formation of these texts as the source documents of the early Christian communities

5.

Identify and utilise the materials that assist New Testament interpretation

Pedagogy

Lectures, tutorials, and class discussions

Indicative Bibliography

  • Boring, Eugene. An Introduction to the New Testament: History, Literature, Theology. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012.
  • Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament. New York: Doubleday, 1997.
  • Conway, M. Colleen. The New Testament: A Contemporary Introduction. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 2023.
  • Gundry, Robert H. A Survey of the New Testament. 4th ed. Grand Rapids, MI Zondervan, 1994.
  • Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation. 3rd. ed. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2010.
  • Malina, Bruce J., and Richard L. Rohrbaugh. Social-Science Commentary on the Synoptic Gospels. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 1992.
  • ––––––. Social Science Commentary on the Gospel of John. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 1998.
  • Meyers, D. Alicia. An Introduction to the Gospels and Acts. New York, NY: OUP, 2022.
  • Moloney, Francis J. A Friendly Guide to the New Testament. Mulgrave, VIC: John Garratt Publishing, 2010..
  • Powell, Mark Allen. Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary and Theological Survey. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009.
  • Perkins, Pheme. Reading the New Testament. 3rd ed. Revised and Updated. New York: Paulist, 2012.
  • Rhoads, David M., Joanna Dewey, and Donald M. Michie. Mark as Story: Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel. 2nd ed. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 1999.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)

Variant 1

Exegetical Essay

A critical exegetical essay that develops a sustained argument, critically engages scholarship and reaches a reasoned conclusion

 1000 20.0
Exegetical Essay

A critical exegetical essay that develops a sustained argument, critically engages scholarship and reaches a reasoned conclusion

 1000 20.0
Essay - Critical Essay

A major critical essay that develops a sustained argument, critically engages scholarship and reaches a reasoned conclusion

 2000 60.0

Variant 2

Exegetical Essay

A critical exegetical essay that develops a sustained argument, critically engages scholarship and reaches a reasoned conclusion

 1300 35.0
Essay - Critical Essay

A major critical essay that develops a sustained argument, critically engages scholarship and reaches a reasoned conclusion

 2700 65.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Naomi Wolfe on 14 Oct, 2026

Unit record last updated: 2026-10-14 16:30:50 +1100