Biblical Studies 5403A
The Letters of St. Paul

 

WINTER 2010
MONDAYS 9:30-11:20 AM; TUESDAYS 9:30-10:20 AM
Room 102, St. Peter's Seminary

Instructor:  Rev. Murray Watson, BA, MDiv, PhD, SSL

A. COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course examines biographical issues by comparing the portrayal of Paul in his own letters and in the Acts of the Apostles. The original setting, structure, and the inspired message of the authentic letters for modern readers are considered. Some attention is given to the remainder of the Pauline corpus. (3 hours; antirequisites: the former Biblical Studies 336E and 403B)

B. GOALS

This course will assist students to grow in the following knowledge, skills and attitudes:

KNOWLEDGE:

* Familiarity with the generally accepted contours of St. Paul’s life and missionary work; his situation within three intersecting worlds (Jewish, Greek and Roman);
* An understanding of the distinction drawn by scholars between letters of unquestioned Pauline authorship, and the “deutero-Pauline” letters whose authorship is widely debated;
* Familiarity with the concept of literary pseudonymity as it was practiced in the ancient Greco-Roman world;
* Familiarity with the work of some prominent Biblical scholars and commentators on this corpus, both ancient and modern;
* Familiarity with key themes, motifs and vocabulary in the Pauline literature;
* A recognition of the place of the Pauline literature in the Church’s Sunday lectionary;
* An awareness of the place of the Pauline writings in the Reformation, and in contemporary ecumenism.

SKILLS:

* The ability to make intelligent, discerning and appropriate use of print and Internet-based resources for Biblical research and study generally;
* The ability to write clearly, logically and effectively, in order to present one’s findings in a systematic and coherent way from which others can benefit;
* The ability to integrate solid, contemporary exegetical study with one’s own Christian faith and spiritual life, without compromising one or the other;
* The ability to preach on Pauline texts in a way that is theologically informed, culturally relevant and pastorally helpful.

ATTITUDES:
 
* Respect for the work of exegetes, translators and Biblical commentators;
* Pastoral sensitivity to some of the contemporary issues (gender roles, sexual morality, Jewish-Christian relations, etc.) that frequently arise in connection with the reading, study and preaching of the Pauline literature;
* A desire to draw regularly upon relevant Pauline texts in preaching and catechesis;
* An intellectual curiosity about the background of Paul and the Pauline literature, and a desire to continue learning long after the course is complete.

By the end of the course, it is expected that every student will have personally and carefully read through the entire Pauline corpus.

C. ASSESSMENT

1) Each student will be asked to select one of the passages (a minimum of 5 verses) from the Letter to the Romans which occurs in the Sunday Lectionary for Canada (see attached list). Prepare an exegetical study of this passage, including four main sections: (1) a careful comparison of this passage in at least 5 English translations, highlighting any noteworthy differences in translation which may reveal challenges/ambiguities in the underlying Greek (reference to commentaries will often be helpful here); (2) a brief presentation of the major theme(s) addressed in this particular passage; (3) a discussion of how this theme/these themes relate to the larger theological themes and emphases of Romans; (4) briefly present at least two “preaching trajectories”—relevant to the faith life of contemporary North Americans—that you believe could be derived from this text, without “stretching” it. Each bibliography entry should include a two-sentence comment from you about why you found this particular source worthwhile (content, style, etc.). The main text (single-spaced, 12-point font, 1” margins) should not exceed 2½ pages, with the bibliography on the following page. (30%)

2) Each student will be asked to choose one of the letters in the Pauline corpus (NB: any except Romans), and to give a 20-minute presentation to the class on this book (this time-limit will be strictly adhered to). Your presentation should include: a one-page printed handout, outlining the book and its major parts; a discussion of no more than two significant themes in the letter; a discussion of any significant pastoral issues or sensitive questions this letter may raise; a brief presentation of two commentaries on this book that would recommend to an educated, non-specialist reader. The written text of your presentation is to be handed in for grading at the end of the class. Given the limited time-frame available, PowerPoint presentations are strongly discouraged for this assignment. (40%)

3) As a local pastoral leader, a neighbouring rabbi has invited you to speak as part of their synagogue’s adult education series, and to examine the figure and writings of St. Paul in the light of Jewish-Christian relations. Prepare a 3-page, single-spaced written presentation that incorporates: (1) relevant texts from several of the letters universally recognized as Pauline; (2) some current scholarship on Paul’s own sense of his Jewish identity, and of the relationship of Christian to non-Christian Judaism (see some of the sources cited below); (3) reference to some relevant sections of the Pontifical Biblical Commission’s 2002 document “The Jewish People and Their Sacred Scriptures in the Christian Bible” (available online at: http://tinyurl.com/mt3e; do a search for “Paul”). (30%)

D. READINGS OR TEXTBOOKS

Required textbooks (available from UWO Bookstore):

* A Bible in a contemporary English scholarly translation (NRSV, NAB or NJB preferred)
* Michael J. Gorman, Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2003.

Other reading materials will be supplied in class, or will be made available on reserve in the A.P. Mahoney library (St. Peter’s Seminary).

E. STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE:

Why study St. Paul? His Biblical, theological, literary and cultural importance
The contours of Paul’s world, and Paul’s identity as Jewish, Greek and Roman
The man from Tarsus: Trying to sketch out the life of St. Paul
Paul in relationship to Judaism, then and now
Consensus and argument: Agreed and debated “Pauline” letters; Pseudonymity
The ancient letter form, and Paul’s use—and transformation—of it
The Letter to the Romans
A student-led examination of the other Pauline and deutero-Pauline letters
Paul as a central figure in Reformation and post-Reformation Christianity
Contemporary issues in the study and preaching of Paul: Is all of Paul for all time?
How should we think and speak about Paul today?

F. UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS

Students are responsible for knowing the University’s academic policies and regulations and any particularities of their own course of study. These can all be found at the University’s website (http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholoff.pdf). Ignorance of these policies is not an excuse for any violation thereof. The following policies are particularly important to note:

Submission of Assignments: Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the dates as given above. Assignments may not be dropped off at King’s or submitted electronically.
It is the responsibility of the student to organize his or her work so that the assignments are completed on time. For a serious reason, a student may approach the professor before the due date, and may be granted an extension at the discretion of the professors. Any medical reasons will be confirmed by proper documentation, as approved by the Dean’s Office. A penalty of l0% of the value of the assignment will be deducted for each day it is overdue without permission.
No electronic devices will be allowed during tests or the examination, unless approved in advance by Student Services at the University or King’s.
Students who miss tests will negotiate a “make-up” date with the professor. Any medical reasons will be confirmed by proper documentation as approved by the Dean’s Office.

Plagiarism: Students must write their essays and assignments in their own words. Whenever students take an idea or a passage from another author, they must acknowledge their debt by quotation marks and/or footnotes. Plagiarism is a major academic offense. Students may be required to submit their work in electronic form for plagiarism checking.

Selection and Registration of Courses: Students are responsible for ensuring that their selection of courses is appropriate and accurately recorded, that all prerequisite course(s) have been successfully completed, and that they are aware of any anti-requisite course(s) that they have taken.

The Letter to the Romans in
the Sunday Lectionary

1: 1-7	28-30
	31b-35, 37++
3: 21-25, 28	35, 37-39
4: 13, 16-18, 22	9: 1-5
18-25
	10: 8-13
5: 1-2, 5-8	11: 13-15, 29-32
1-5	33-36
5b-11
12-15
12-19*
	12: 1-2
	13: 8-10
	11-14
6: 3-4, 8-11
3-11
8: 8-11	14: 7-9
8-17
9. 11-13	15: 4-9
14-17
18-23	16: 25-27

Some suggested starting-points for assignment #3:

Alan F Segal, “Paul’s Jewish Presuppositions,” in James D.G. Dunn, ed., The Cambridge Companion to St. Paul. Cambridge Companions to Religion. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003, pp. 159-172.

E.P. Sanders, Paul and Palestinian Judaism. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983.

Peter Richardson, David M. Granskou and S.G. Wilson eds., Anti-Judaism in Early Christianity. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, for the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion, 1986.

Daniel Boyarin, A Radical Jew: Paul and the Politics of Identity. Contraversions 1. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1997, esp. Ch. 6, “Was Paul an Anti-Semite?”

William Reuben Farmer, ed., Anti-Judaism and the Gospels. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 1999, especially the relevant portions of E.P. Sanders’ “Reflections on Anti-Judaism in the New Testament and in Christianity,” pp. 265ff.

Alan F. Segal, Paul the Convert: The Apostolate and Apostasy of Saul the Pharisee. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1990.

Jörg Frey, “Paul’s Jewish Identity,” in Jörg Frey and Daniel R. Schwartz, eds., Jewish Identity in the Greco-Roman World. Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, vol. 71. Leiden: Brill, 2007, pp. 285-.