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COURSE SYLLABUS: DV500 - Pauline Theology

Course Title: DV500 - Pauline Theology
Department: Religious Studies
Instructor: Gerald FitzGerald, BD, MDiv, DMin, Phd Theology CandidateE-Mail -- Vita
Prerequisites: None


PURPOSE OF THE COURSE

The New Testament consists of 27 books: four gospels, one history, one apocalypse, and 21 epistles or letters. Of those 21 epistles, Paul is said to have written 14 – although seven are said to be "uncontested" that Paul wrote them and another seven are "contested" as to Pauline authorship. Whether or not one accepts all of the letters attributed to Paul as actually having been written by him (whether by his own hand or through the use of a secretary), the fact remains that Paul has greatly influenced and continues to influence the religion known as Christianity. Paul cannot be ignored and neither can his theology. Consequently, this course acquaints the reader with an introduction into the writings of Paul and a survey of Pauline Theology. By the end of the course, students should have an understanding of the writings of Paul and an appreciation of his contributions to Christianity as well as the environment in which Paul lived and preached and what he preached and why.

DOCTRINAL STATMENT

Canyon College is a non-sectarian, non-denominational school committed to the study of God in all the richness and diversity of God's revelations to humanity and an exploration of what those revelations mean to the everyday lives of finite human beings. Canyon College does not advocate any particular belief, creed, doctrine or idea other than the reality of God and does not require that its students and faculty subscribe to any particular belief, creed, doctrine or idea other than a willingness to be challenged and a commitment to an investigation into truth and the pursuit of academic honesty and excellence.

INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE

Students should strive to use inclusive language in their writings. By inclusive language is meant language that is not gender specific and which attempts to include as many people as possible. For instance, instead of writing that "God wills that every man obeys His will," inclusive language would require us to write, "God wills that everyone obey God's will."

COURSE UPDATES

Please do not send attachments. Instead copy/paste to an email your weekly assignments to the Professor at his/her Canyon email address. Include your name, student number, course name and number, and include the questions within the text of your answers.

If the book you order and receive has a different publishing date, notify the Professor because some adjustment may be needed to the page numbers of the assignments.

REQUIREMENTS

Required Texts  Online Bookstore Textbooks should be ordered from the Canyon College Online Bookstore to insure that the correct volume and edition is obtained.

Conferences. Students may schedule no more than two Internet conferences between the student and the professor. The student should schedule these as necessary. Of course, students may ask questions of the professor at any time by sending an e-mail to the address at the link above or by posting them to the message board.

Exams. There will not be any examinations for this course.

Papers. There will be a short paper of at least 1,250 words (not counting end-notes and bibliography), due at the end of each week's readings in which students will answer the discussion questions and give a reaction to their readings. There will also be a midterm and a final paper. These papers are to be e-mailed to the professor. Papers should conform to the form and style outlined in Kate L. Turabian's "A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations," 6th ed. Students should use end notes instead of footnotes. Finally, the papers are intended to be reflection papers and not research or the "author said" papers. Students should indicate their understanding of the texts and merely quoting the authors cannot do this.

Grades. Course work will be weighted as follows:

Weekly Papers 30 Points
Midterm Paper 35 Points
Final Paper 35 Points
Total 100 Points


Grading Scale.
90 - 100% A = Excellent
80 - 89% B = Above Average
70 - 79% C = Average
60 - 69% D = Below Average
59% or below F = Failing Grade


A = Clearly stands out as excellent performance. Has unusually sharp insight into material and initiates thoughtful questions. Sees many sides of an issue. Articulates well and writes logically and clearly. Integrates ideas previously learned from this and other disciplines. Anticipates next steps in progression of ideas.
B = Grasps subject matter at a level considered to be good to very good. Is an active listener and participant in chats, message boards, e-mails and conferences. Speaks and writes well. Accomplishes more than the minimum requirements. Work is of high quality.
C = Demonstrates a satisfactory comprehension of the subject matter. Accomplishes only the minimum requirements, and displays little or no initiative. Communicates at an acceptable level for a college student. Has a generally acceptable understanding of all basic concepts.
D = Quality and quantity of work is below average and barely acceptable.
F = Quality and quantity of work is unacceptable.


Week 1


Reading: Part One of Fitzmyer, Preface of Scroggs, and pp. 92-95 of Hawthorne.

Questions:
  1. Is the historical Paul important, why or why not?
  2. What is meant by Paul's mythology? Can Paul be understood literally?
  3. The authorship of some of the letters attributed to Paul is disputed. Does it make any difference to contemporary Christians whether or not Paul is the author of a particular letter in the New Testament?
Week 2


Reading: Part Two of Fitzmyer.

Questions:
  1. What are the three periods of salvation history?
  2. In what way does Paul differ from the gospel writers in writing about the resurrection?
  3. If Jesus came to die, why didn't he merely die right after birth?
  4. What significant change did Paul make to teaching about baptism?
Week 3


Reading: Hawthorne, "The Death of Christ," "Man and Woman," "Paul's Missionary Thought," and "Conversion and Call."

Questions:
  1. Acts 1:21-22 has been cited as establishing the criteria for an apostle. Does Paul meet these criteria?
  2. How does Paul answer the charge that he is not an apostle?
Week 4


PLEASE PREPARE AND SUBMIT YOUR MIDTERM PAPER BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.

Prepare a paper of 1250 to 2000 words in a coherent essay in which you answer the following questions?
  1. One of the continuing questions confounding Christians is one of authority – who speaks on behalf of God and under what authority are the people of God constrained? This issue is at the heart of the Protestant Reformation but has its genesis in the dispute between Paul and the “super Apostles.” What does Paul say about authority and to whom do Christians owe obedience?
  2. In writing your paper, you are to focus on process moreso than profession – that is, how one goes about deciding what or who is authoritative is preferred to discussing what it is one ought to believe or practice, at least at this point in the course. How did Paul resolved the question of authority over whether Gentiles should be baptized and conform to the laws of Moses?
Week 5


Reading: Scroggs pp.vii - 50

Questions:
  1. An eighteen years of age member of your church comes to you and says she is trying to decide whether or not she should be intimate with her boyfriend. She remarks that her Sunday School teacher said Paul teaches that we are no longer under the law and therefore there is nothing wrong with her being intimate with the young man she loves. What is your response?
  2. What are the differences between justification and sanctification?
  3. Does a person have to confess Christ as the savior to be saved or could they just act Christ-like (without knowing who Christ was) and still be saved?
Week 6


Reading: Scroggs pp. 51 - end. Hawthorne "Man and Woman."

Questions:
  1. Many have argued that Paul is anti woman. Is that charge accurate? Why or why not?
  2. Paul writes extensively about freedom. What are we freed from?
  3. What are the points of agreement and disagreement on the Lord's Supper?
  4. What does Paul say about the Christian's relationship to/with the world?
  5. Is there hope for the theology of Paul playing a significant role in what Scroggs calls a "New Day?"
Week 7


Reading: Hawthorne chapter 5 to end.

Questions:
  1. What is the “new righteousness” and how does it differ from righteousness under the Torah?
  2. Does it matter whether or not Paul wrote the disputed epistles? Why or why not?
  3. Is Paul’s moral code relevant to Christians today? Why or why not?
Week 8


PLEASE PREPARE AND SUBMIT YOUR FINAL PAPER BY THE END OF THIS WEEK.

Go to http://definingmoment.tv and scroll down the right side of the screen to “Interfaith” and click on “Watch” under “Women in Ministry.” Read the position statement at: http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/pswomen.asp. Perhaps no area of Pauline theology has been as hotly debated as Paul’s perceived positions on women, particularly his writing about women not being allowed to speak in church. After watching the interview, write a 1250 to 2500 words paper in which you discuss what is said in the interview with what Paul writes about women’s roles in the church. How can these be reconciled, if at all? On whose authority do women in ministry rely to empower their work as women ministers? May a woman be a minister but not a pastor according to Paul s the Southern Baptist statement declares?