Module: The Letters of Paul

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	The Letters of Paul
Module Code	TP206 (ITS) / RET1032 (Banner)
Faculty	Humanities & Social Sciences	School	Theology, Philosophy & Music
Module Co-ordinator	Jonathan Kearney
Module Teachers	Miriam Jane De Cock
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

None

Description

This module is about both the historical Paul and the Saint Paul that Christianity has come to construct from his letters and other literature linked to him. Paul’s letters and those later attributed to him are not only foundational texts of Christianity but also of western culture. We will explore these ancient letters for their content, structure, rhetorical techniques, and social worlds. We will see how theological and academic views of Paul (the “reception of Paul”) have changed over the centuries, especially recently. Students will encounter an overview of the major historical trends in Pauline interpretation and will also be given tools for the literary & historical analysis of Pauline texts, with specific attention to how different contemporary hermeneutics influence how we interpret ancient texts generally. Paul and his communities are studied as a part of late Second-Temple Judaism and within their broader Hellenistic and Roman historical contexts.

Learning Outcomes

1. Situate the Pauline letters in their Jewish and Roman historical contexts.
2. Identify distinctive themes and tendencies in the undisputed epistles of Paul.
3. Learn common patterns in ancient Mediterranean epistles.
4. Reflect critically on historical issues related to the authorship of New Testament letters.
5. Heighten sensitivity towards modern uses of Paul in the public domain, and practice interacting with them sympathetically and ethically.
6. Become more familiar with the disciplines of New Testament Studies, Biblical Studies, and Ancient Mediterranean History, Literature, and Rhetoric.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	22	No Description
Assignment Completion	15	No Description
Independent Study	88	No Description
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Intro to Paul within the NT

Intro to the Greco-Roman World

Ancient Letters: Beginnings, Endings, Structure

Paul and Apocalyptic Mysticism

Paul and Jesus

Paul's 7 Undisputed Epistles

Paul and Gender: The Pastorals and the 2 Receptions of Paul

The "Perspectives" on Paul

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Assignment	Details to be decided	100%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 1

Indicative Reading List

2017: Jewish Annotated New Testament, 2nd, Oxford University Press, 289861
0: Reinventing Paul, Oxford University Press, 289862
2015: An Introduction to the Study of Paul, 3rd, Bloomsbury, 289863
2022: Jewish and Christian Women in the Ancient Mediterranean, Routledge,

Other Resources

60295, podcast, Anderson, Matthew and Sara Parks, 2020, Intro to Paul's Letters at the Undergraduate Level, Soundcloud, https://soundcloud.com/user-441868857/sets/introduction-to-pauls-letters-at-the-undergraduate-level?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing, 60296, website, Lopez, Davina C., 0, Paul, Bible Odyssey, SBL, https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/main-articles/paul, 60297, video, Concannon, Cavan, 2021, The Historical Paul: The Paul of History or Faith?, Urbs and Polis, https://youtu.be/G2aYG-U8RwM,