Units timetabled for 2013 and 2014 are provisional only, and details of semester and time will change. The official timetable for each year is released on 1 September of the prior year.

Archived unit descriptions for 2011 are available here.

Pauline Studies

Unit Code: 
BN331
RTI: 
United Faculty of Theology
Unit Value: 
15 points

This unit is an introduction to the life, letters and theology of the apostle Paul. It explores the integration of these three areas of Pauline studies and encourages an understanding of Paul as a contextual theologian. Students will investigate: the ways in which Paul’s own experiences led to the transformation of his theological convictions; how his letters can be studied as ‘words on target’ that bring these transformed convictions into dialogue with the contextual situations of his churches; and the extent to which Paul’s theology is contextually shaped by his own experience, the situation of the churches to which he writes and the wider arena of the Jewish and Graeco-Roman world.

Learning Outcomes: 

Upon successful completion of this unit, it is expected that students will be able to:

  1. demonstrate a broad knowledge and understanding of the life, letters and central theological convictions of the apostle Paul
  2. discuss critically the relationship between the context of Paul’s communities, his personal experience, and his theological convictions
  3. offer a detailed, critical exegesis of a specific text from a Pauline epistle that gives attention to the way that theological argument serves rhetorical purposes
  4. discuss critically the main contours of one of Paul's theological convictions and how this relates to our own contemporary context.
Lecturer/s: 
Catherine Playoust
Timetabling
Semester: 
Semester 1
Day: 
Wednesday
Time: 
10 - 1
Location: 
Centre for Theology and Ministry
Unit Frequency: 
Annual
Years Offered: 
2010
Years Offered: 
2011
Years Offered: 
2012
Years Offered: 
2013
Years Offered: 
2014
Unit Fields
Courses: 
Graduate Diploma in Theology
Courses: 
Master of Divinity
Courses: 
Master of Theological Studies
Field: 
Field B Biblical Studies
Disciplines: 
Biblical Studies
Disciplines: 
New Testament
MDiv Field: 
Biblical Studies
Department Name: 
Department of Biblical Studies
Unit Level
GradDip Field: 
Elective
MDiv Type of Study: 
Specialised
Prerequisites: 

30 points of Foundational units in Biblical Studies.

Mode of Teaching: 
Semester
Teaching Methods: 

2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of tutorial weekly for 12 weeks including graduate level tutorials

Workload
Number of timetabled hours per week: 
3
Expected personal study hours per week: 
9
Total workload hours per week: 
12
Total workload hours for unit: 
144
Assessment
Assessment TypeWeightingLearning Outcomes Assessed
Assessment Type: 

1 x 3000 word exegetical essay on a set text from the Pauline epistles, with particular focus on the theological convictions within the text and on the argumentative purpose of the text within the context of the letter from which it is taken

Weighting: 
50%
Assessment Type: 

1 x 3000 word essay that studies a chosen term or concept within Pauline theology, and which integrates the Pauline data with a contemporary issue or context

Weighting: 
50%
Recommended reading: 

* = set texts recommended for purchase

  • Bassler, J. M. Navigating Paul: An Introduction to Key Theological Concepts. Louisville / London: Westminster John Knox, 2007.
  • Bassler, J. M. Pauline Theology Volume 1: Thessalonians, Philippians, Galatians, Philemon. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1994.
  • Dunn, J. D. G., ed. The Cambridge Companion to Paul. Cambridge Companions to Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
  • Dunn, J. D. G. The Theology of Paul the Apostle. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1998.
  • * Gorman, M. J. Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters. Grand Rapids / Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2003.
  • Hooker, M. D. Paul: A Short Introduction. Oxford: Oneworld, 2003. [= Paul: A Beginner's Guide. Oxford: Oneworld, 2008.]
  • * Horrell, D. G. An Introduction to the Study of Paul. 2nd revised edn. T & T Clark Approaches to Biblical Studies. London: T & T Clark, 2006.
  • Riesner, R. Paul's Early Period: Chronology, Mission Strategy, Theology. Trans. Doug Stott. Grand Rapids / Cambridge: Eerdmans, 1998
  • Schnelle, U. Apostle Paul: His Life and Theology. Trans. M. E. Boring. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005
  • Wright, N. T. Paul: Fresh Perspectives. London: SPCK, 2005. [=Paul: In Fresh Perspective. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2009.]

© United Faculty of Theology, 2008-2012.