REL 212 Introduction to New Testament

Lecture: 3 Lab: 0 Clinic: 0 Credits: 3

This course is a survey of the literature of first-century Christianity with readings from the gospels, Acts, and the Pauline and pastoral letters. Topics include the literary structure, audience, and religious perspective of the writings, as well as the historical and cultural context of the early Christian community. Upon completion, students should be able to use the tools of critical analysis to read and understand New Testament literature.

This course has been approved for transfer under the CAA as a general education course in Humanities/Fine Arts.

Pre-requisite(s): C or better in ENG 111.
Course is typically offered in Spring
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
At the completion of the course, the students should be able to do the following:

Demonstrate through written or spoken examples how the writing of the New Testament is influenced by societal elements, such as social, economic, political, and cultural forces.
Apply map skills to interpret the influence of geography on the New Testament.
Explain the reasons for and some of the findings of historical, source, form, redaction, literary, and narrative criticism by New Testament scholars.
Correlate the authors’ backgrounds and target audiences with their purposes for writing in each of the 27 books of the New Testament.
Analyze the connection between early Christian beliefs and the world in which they developed.
Compare New Testament writings with other 1st century writings not included in the canon.
Demonstrate analytical and exegetical skills through formal and informal writing assignments.
Apply vocabulary terms used within biblical scholarship to describe its particular academic insights.