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| [back to main course list] REL 260: THE NEW TESTAMENT AND ITS AGE (UP Group I. A)Jesus of Nazareth was executed at the hands of the state as a political criminal. The New Testament writings claim that much more occurred here than merely a travesty of justice. The New Testament calls Jesus the Christ (= the Messiah, i.e. the one anointed to be King of Israel and God's agent for justice and transformation). The New Testament argues that in Christ are revealed God's love, power, and justice.To understand these claims of the New Testament, it is necessary to see it in its first century setting. This course will examine the New Testament against the background of its original Jewish and Hellenistic world. Attention will be centered on the Gospels and the letters of Paul. The students will be acquainted with the history, literary forms, and religious thought of early Christianity and also with current scholarly approaches to and central issues of debate regarding the New Testament. |
