UMS : Unit: BN9733W

Content

This unit explores Paul’s letter to the Roman Christ-communities in the context of mid-first century life in the imperial capital. It focuses on Paul’s theology of suffering and how he addresses the situation of the urban population of Rome, generating hope for those from many nations and cultures enslaved in the service of the powerful. The gospel of the righteousness (justice) of God revealed through Jesus Christ for Jews and Gentiles will be read and interpreted in dialogue with recent Pauline scholarship. The unit will include studies of selected texts in Romans concerning suffering and justice, with discussions on the implications for the church today.

Unit code: BN9733W

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: New Testament

Delivery Mode: Online

Proposing College: Whitley College

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Learning outcomes

1.	Articulate the major interpretations of Romans in Pauline scholarship, especially in relation to suffering and justice.
2.	Describe and defend a plausible socio-political and cultural setting for Christ-communities in ancient Rome
3.	Outline a reasonable and informed interpretive strategy for Paul’s letter to the Romans
4.	Demonstrate the ability to employ different exegetical methods when working with selected texts from Romans
5.	Give a critically informed account of the theological themes in Romans, including its christological, ecclesiological, pneumatological, and missiological dimensions
6.	Identify and critically discuss the implications of Romans for the issues around suffering and social justice today

Unit sequence

Foundation unit in New Testament (BN8001W or equivalent)

Pedagogy

Guided readings, tutorial forums, selected audio-visual resources (e.g., podcasts, short videos)

Indicative Bibliography

Elliott, Neil. The Arrogance of Nations: Reading Romans in the Shadow of Empire. Paul in Critical Contexts. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008.
Gaventa, Beverly Roberts. Our Mother Saint Paul. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2007.
Gorman, Michael J. Participation in Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019.
Jewett, Robert. Romans: A Commentary. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2007.
Keesmaat, Sylvia, and Brian Walsh. Romans Disarmed: Resisting Empire, demanding Justice. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2019.
McKnight, Scot. Reading Romans Backwards: A Gospel of Peace in the Midst of Empire. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2019.
McKnight, Scot, and Joseph Modica, eds. Preaching Romans: Four Perspectives. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2019
Oakes, Peter. Reading Romans in Pompeii. London: SPCK, 2009.
Laura Salah. Archaeology and the Letters of Paul. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019.
Tamez, Elsa. The Amnesty of Grace: Justification by Faith from a Latin American Perspective. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1993.
Wu, Siu Fung, ed. Suffering in Paul. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2019.
Wu, Siu Fung. Suffering in Romans. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2015.

Assessment

Type	Description	Word count	Weight (%)
Exegetical Essay	Exegetical essay	3000	40.0
Forum	Online forum posts	1000	20.0
Essay	Thematic essay	3000	40.0

Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Maggie Kappelhoff on 23 Sep, 2020

Unit record last updated: 2021-06-07 08:43:48 +1000