Unit information: The Letter to the Romans (Trinity and Baptist College) in 2012/13

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Unit name The Letter to the Romans (Trinity and Baptist College)
Unit code THRS30143
Credit points 10
Level of study H/6
Teaching block(s) Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director Dr. Finamore
Open unit status Not open
Pre-requisites

B11002 Getting into the New Testament
Co-requisites

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

Description including Unit Aims

For this Unit, Romans is divided into thematic sections. Some issues raised by this thematic survey of Romans are:

  1. Paul's understanding of the unity of Jews and Gentiles within the people of God;
  2. the place of Israel in salvation history;
  3. the various meanings of 'Law' in the letter;
  4. the transference of believers from the realm of Sin, Law and Death to that of Christ;
  5. various metaphors for salvation;
  6. the relationship between grace and election;
  7. Paul's attitude to the state;
  8. the primacy of love in Pauline ethics;
  9. Pauline use of priestly-cultic language.

Certain passages are given special exegetical analysis. The debate generated by E.P. Sanders' studies of Paul and Palestinian Judaism provides a base to develop interpretations of Romans. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the text of Romans and is hoped that students will feel liberated to interpret Romans anew for their own generation.

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