Module: The Letters of Paul

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	The Letters of Paul
Module Code	RET1032 (ITS: TP206)
Faculty	Theology, Philosophy & Music	School	Humanities & Social Sciences
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

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

Section Breakdown
CRN	21004	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Miriam Jane De Cock	Module Teacher

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

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

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

Indicative Reading List

Books:

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,

Articles:

Anderson, Matthew: 2022, Paul and Pauline Epistles, Wiley Encyclopedia of Ancient History, 59832
2006: Mandatory retirement: Ideas in the study of Christian origins whose time has come to go, Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses, 35, 2, 231-2, 59833, 1
Did Paul Abandon Either Judaism or Monotheism?: The New Cambridge Companion to St Paul,

Other Resources

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
website: Lopez, Davina C., Paul, Bible Odyssey, SBL, https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/main-articles/paul
video: Concannon, Cavan, 2021, The Historical Paul: The Paul of History or Faith?, Urbs and Polis, https://youtu.be/G2aYG-U8RwM