BIB495 & BIB 695 Legacies of Paul
Prof: Thomas E. Phillips, Ph.D.
Office: Rohr 115 Phone: 619-849-2290
thomasphillips@pointloma.edu www.thomasephillips.info
Course Description: An analysis of the most prominent legacies of Paul within the first three centuries of Christianity.
Course Objectives:
(1) To acquaint the student with the various images of Paul within the New
Testament and selected other early Christian writings;
(2) To assist the student in developing the hermeneutical skills to think
theologically about how the voice of Paul functioned in Pauline and post-
Pauline environments; and
(3) To provide the student with a preliminary understanding of some of forces
which influenced the development of the post-Pauline history of Christianity.
Required Texts:
William S. Babcock, ed., Paul and the Legacies of Paul (SMU, 1990)
Dennis R. MacDonald, The Legend and the Apostle (Westminster, 1983)
Michael Goulder, St. Paul versus St. Peter (Westminster, 1994)
Joseph B. Tyson, Marcion and Luke-Acts (USC, 2006)
J. Christaan Beker, Heirs of Paul (Clark, 2000)
Format Requirements:
All papers must be submitted in the documentation style of the SBL Handbook of Style (Hendrickson, 1999). This book is in the reference section of the library.
Course Requirements:
(1) Consistent attendance;
(2) A careful reading of assigned Biblical texts;
(3) A careful reading of assignments in required textbooks;
(4) One 12-15 page paper which compares the image of Paul in two distinct early
Christian sources (see detail below);
(5) Three tests; and
(6) Four book reports (see details below).
Major Paper:
Your papers will provide a comparison and contrast between some aspect of the characterization of Paul and his life and thought as found in Paul’s undisputed letters (Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, Philippians, Philemon and Galatians) and in one or more of the secondary sources considered in this class (i.e., Acts, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, 2 Thessalonians, Ephesians, Colossians, Acts of Paul, or Irenaeus’s Against Heresies)
A quality graduate paper should have utilized at least one scholarly secondary source for each page of the paper (e.g., a twelve page paper should have used twelve quality secondary sources). The final draft of the paper will be due on or before Friday Dec. 14.
Undergraduate students should write an 8-12 page paper.
Book Reports:
Each student will submit a 3-5 page book report over the assigned reading for August 27, September 10, November 5 and November 26. These book reports should (1) clearly identify the author’s primary thesis or objective in writing the book; (2) explain what lines of evidence the book offers to support that thesis or to accomplish that objective; and (3) offer the student’s assessment of the book’s success in defending that thesis or accomplishing that objective.
Each student should bring these reports to class and be prepared to read the report aloud to the class.
Late Work Policies:
All work is due by 4:00 on the due date. Any work submitted after this time is late and will be penalized 15% per school day (Monday-Friday) with no exceptions. Work that is more than 5 school days late will not be accepted under any circumstances.
No email attachments, computer discs or other non-printed materials will be accepted. All work must be submitted in printed form.
Under no circumstances will any work will be accepted after the last day of finals week.
Undergraduate students should submit 2 book reviews.
Grading Scale:
A 97-100 A 94-96 A- 90-93
B+ 87-89 B 84-86 B- 80-83
C+ 77-79 C 74-76 C- 70-73
D 67-69 D 64-66 D- 60-63
F below 60
Note Bene:
All work submitted for this class must be created specifically and originally for this class. If any work submitted for this class is found to have been submitted—partially or entirely—for another class, the assignment will receive a zero.
Grading Components:
Book Reports 30% (20% for undergraduates)
Tests 30% (40% for undergraduates)
Tentative Class Schedule:
August 20 Class orientation
August 27 Overview
Beker, Heirs of Paul Book report due
September 3 Labor Day (no class)
September 10 Paul among the Apostles
Read: Gal. 1-2; 1 Cor. 1-3, 11, 15; 2 Cor. 10-13
Read: Goulder, St. Paul versus St. Peter Book report due
September 17 Eschatology in Paul & 2 Thessalonians
Read: 1 Thess. 4-5; 1 Cor. 7, 15; 2 Cor 5; Phil. 1, Rom. 8
Read: 2 Thess
September 24 The Church, Election and Israel
Read: Romans 1-11; 1 Cor. 11; Philippians
Read: Ephesians & Colossians
October 1 Church Order & Polity
Read: 1 Cor. 7, 12-14; Rom. 12-13; Gal. 1-6
Read: 1 Timothy; 2 Timothy; Titus
October 8 Exam 1
October 15 Acts & Paul: Chronology of Paul
Read: Acts 9-28
Read: Gal. 1-2, Rom. 15
Read: Class Handout
October 22 Acts & Paul: Background & Social Location of Paul
Read: Class Handout
October 29 Acts & Paul: Soteriology & Eschatology
Read: Class Handout
Read: Babcock, Legacies of Paul, 3-54
November 5 Acts & Paul within Early Christianity
Read: Tyson, Marcion and Luke-Acts Book report due
November 12 Exam 2
November 19 SBL (no class)
November 26 Read: The Acts of Paul
Read: MacDonald, Legend and the Apostle Book report due
Read: Babcock, Legacies of Paul, 55-78
December 3 Read: Irenaeus Against Heresies
Read: Babcock, Legacies of Paul, 25-54, 79-98
December 10 Final Exam
Addendum on Resources
Recommended Resources:
In this class, we use only quality resources for study. Wise choice of one’s dialogue partners is essential. Therefore, it is best to always invest one’s time reading peer-reviewed scholarship. To ensure the use of quality resources, I recommend beginning your work with resources on my website at www.thomasephillips.info and/or commentaries in the following series.
International Critical Commentary
Interpretation
Interpreter’s Bible
New International Commentary on the New Testament
New International Greek Testament Commentary
New Interpreter’s Bible
Sacra Pagina
TPI New Testament Commentaries
Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
Word Biblical Commentary
You may also read any relevant article from any of these journals:
Biblical Research Biblical Interpretation
Biblical Theology Bulletin Catholic Biblical Quarterly
Currents in Biblical Research Expository Times
Horizons in Biblical Theology Interpretation
Journal for the Study of the New Testament Journal of Biblical Literature
New Testament Studies Novum Testamentum
Semeia Zeitschrift fur Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft
7/24/07