The Lukan Narrative (BN9160C)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

This unit will explore the distinctive contribution which the Lukan Narrative makes to the New Testament by reading Luke-Acts as a two-part series of the story of Jesus and the story of the Church. The unit will focus on key passages, drawing parallels and examining the development of themes, especially noting the presence and action of the Holy Spirit. Theological reflection will address how the narrative functions as a coherent whole to provide insights to the development of the life and governance of the Church today.

Unit code: BN9160C

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: New Testament

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Develop a concise summary of the religious, cultural, political, historical and social context of the Gospel of Luke and/or the Acts of the Apostles informed by current scholarship.
2.

Evaluate and explain the distinctiveness of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament.
3.

Critically examine passages from the Gospel of Luke and/or the Acts of the Apostles using appropriate methods and analyse the factors which support common authorship and narrative unity of the two texts.
4.

Reflect theologically on the key themes in the Gospel of Luke and/or the Acts of the Apostles and their relevance to the life of the church today.
5.

Investigate and analytically articulate scholarly debate on interpretive issues in the Gospel of Luke and/or the Acts of the Apostles.
6.

Produce critical biblical research in the Gospel of Luke.

Unit sequence

BA8001C and BN8001C or equivalent introductory biblical units

Pedagogy

This unit is offered in two modes. Each three-hour class comprises:

*1) 2-hour face-to-face lecture in class (1.5 hours of interactive lecture plus 0.5 hour of structured group discussion and interpretation focused on a particular text and readings) PLUS 1-hour asynchronous online Context Activity Forum and preparation for Focus Text discussion.

*2) 2-hour synchronous online class (1.5 hours of interactive lecture plus 0.5 hour of structured group discussion and interpretation focused on a particular text and readings) PLUS 1-hour asynchronous online Context Activity Forum and preparation for Focus Text discussion.

These are regularly scheduled in the same semester with the face-to-face option offered in the day and the synchronous online in the evening.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Byrne, Brendan. The Hospitality of God: A Reading of Luke’s Gospel. Strathfield: St Paul’s, 2000.
  • Dicken, Frank, and Julia Snyder, eds. Characters and Characterization in Luke-Acts. Bloomsbury: T&T Clark, 2016.
  • Keener, Craig S. Acts: An Exegetical Commentary. 4 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012.
  • Johnson, Luke T. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina 5. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1991.
  • ———. The Gospel of Luke. Sacra Pagina 3. Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1991.
  • Penner, Todd C., and Caroline Vander Stichele, eds. Contextualizing Acts: Lukan Narrative and Greco-Roman Discourse. Atlanta: SBL Press, 2003.
  • Stanley E. Porter, and Andrew Pitts. Christian Origins and Greco-Roman Culture: Social and Literary Contexts for the New Testament. Early Christianity in Its Hellenistic Context. Leiden: Brill, 2013. Ebook.
  • Spencer, Patrick. Rhetorical Texture and Narrative Trajectories of the Lukan Galilean Ministry Speeches: Hermeneutical Appropriation by Authorial Readers of Luke-Acts. The Library of New Testament Studies. London: Continuum, 2007. Ebook.
  • Tannehill, Robert C. The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary Interpretation. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986–1990.
  • Walters, Patricia. The Assumed Authorial Unity of Luke and Acts: A Reassessment of the Evidence. Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series, 145. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Ebook.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

Option 1:

  • 1,000-word Report (essay plan) and bibliography, 10%. Due Week 6 - outcome 6
  • 6,000-word essay, 90%. Due Week 14 - outcomes 1-6

or Option 2:

  • 2,500-word tutorial paper, 20%. Due Week 6 - outcomes 1-5
  • 3,500-word essay, 60%. Due Week 14 - outcomes 1-6
  • 1,000-word Report (Online Context Forum), 20%. Due Week 16 - outcome 1
 7000 100.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 7 Jul, 2023

Unit record last updated: 2023-07-07 14:30:03 +1000