Romans (BN2017Y)

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.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

BA1020Y and BN1020Y or the equivalent

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.
• Gaventa, Beverly Roberts. When in Romans (Theological Explorations for the Church Catholic) : An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel According to Paul. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016.
• 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)
• 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