Unit information: Galatians and 1 Corinthians: Early Letters of Paul in 2011/12

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Unit name Galatians and 1 Corinthians: Early Letters of Paul
Unit code THRSM0089
Credit points 20
Level of study M/7
Teaching block(s) Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director Reverend Dr. David Wenham
Open unit status Not open
Pre-requisites

None
Co-requisites

None
School/department Department of Religion and Theology
Faculty Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

Galatians and 1 Corinthians are two of the earliest books in the New Testament. They give key insights into the life of the early church, illustrating the sort of problems and issues that the first Christians faced (in relation to Judaism and to Hellenistic culture) and showing how Paul who had founded the churches concerned responded to the issues and related to the churches.

In this unit we will explore the context and content of the letters, devoting most attention to the texts themselves, reflecting on reading such texts historically and relevantly, and relating the texts to a wider study of Pauline and New Testament theology.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of the unit students should demonstrate:

  • awareness of the social and historical contexts of the two Pauline letters, and of the scholarly debates about those contexts;
  • a good understanding and grasp of the structure and content of both letters;
  • an ability to handle particular texts in a way that shows a competent awareness of critical issues and scholarly ideas;
  • a grasp of Pauls theological method and main theological themes as they are reflected in the letters.

Teaching Information

The unit will be taught through preparatory reading, presentations to class and facilitated discussions on the material.

Assessment Information

Please state the methods used for formative and summative assessment, including essay word length, length and type of exams, projects, etc. The relative contributions of the different summative assessments to the overall unit mark should also be included, e.g. 3-hour written exam (60%), 2000 word essay (40%)

Reading and References

  • Hansen, G.W., Galatians (IVP, 1994)
  • Dunn, J.D.G., The Theology of Paul's Letter to the Galatians (Cambridge: CUP,1993)
  • Dunn, J.D.G.,1 Corinthians (Sheffield: JSOT:1995)
  • Thiselton, A.C., 1 Corinthians: A Shorter Exegetical and Pastoral Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006)
  • Adams, E. and Horrell, D.G., Christianity at Corinth The quest for the Pauline Church (Louisville: Westminster/Knox, 2004)
  • Witherington, B., Conflict and Community in Corinth, (Carlisle: Paternoster, 1995)

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