The purpose of this course is: to introduce students to the major themes of Pauline theologies represented by New Testament texts and, where appropriate, other New Testament and extra‑canonical literature; To situate these theologies in the social matrix of antiquity and to identify the interaction of theology and culture implicit in these theologies; To assess the relevance of these theologies for Christian existence in society and the critical issues entailed in their contemporary appropriation; To explore a variety of approaches to Pauline texts (minimally feminist, non‑eurocentrist, post‑structuralist); To introduce students to the critical scholarly debates in Pauline studies; To introduce students to an understanding of textual criticism, manuscript traditions, and scholarly debates concerning the formation of the Christian canon.
Pre-requisites: None (students who have not had NT500 – Synoptics in which they learned the Greek alphabet will need to learn the alphabet on their own prior to taking NT501)
Course will be taught in person at VST, and via Zoom for distance students (degree students must connect synchronously if studying via Zoom)