Instructor(s)

The course is delivered through ten sessions of teaching and learning, each session in the evenings lasting 2 hrs. The format is largely via lectures, but there will also be periods of interactive discussions, feedback, and evaluation. The topics which are covered together with their individual learning outcomes are:

1. Introduction to the Course: This introductory lecture examines the relevance of the subject, evaluation of sources for constructing history of the first century, pitfalls and problems with historical methodologies using these sources, and the nature of the New Testament documents themselves. The learning outcomes for this session are:

a. Describe the various literary genres of the New Testament and why knowledge of the Graeco-Roman socio-historical background is relevant for their interpretations. 

b. Evaluate the contributions and limitations of each of the categories of sources for constructing Graeco-Roman history of the first century AD.

c. Assess the social and historical factors which enabled the Graeco-Roman Empire to serve as the contextual background for the rapid spread of Christianity in the first century.  

d. Evaluate the relevance of each of the provinces of the Graeco-Roman Empire during the first century for interpreting the New Testament.

2. Jews in first century Graeco-Roman world: This important session will examine the nature of first century Judaism, in both Palestine and the diaspora, and how it impacted the spread of Christianity. It will also examine the relevance of the various Jewish sects of first century Palestine for interpreting the Gospels. The learning outcomes are:

a. Explain the relevance of the Hellenization and Romanization of Palestine by the Herodian dynasty for interpretation of the New Testament.

b. Explain the relevance of the varying responses of first century Jewish sects, namely, Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians and the Scribes, to the presence of the Roman colonial rulers for interpreting the Gospels.

c. Assess the various ways in which the New Testament conceptually and successfully reimagined the temple institution.

d. Using appropriate examples, illustrate the different dynamics of the relationships between diaspora Jews and the Christian Churches in the cities of first century Graeco-Roman Empire.

3. The Roman Emperors of the New Testament times: This session will examine the different characters who served as Roman Emperors during the first century and the political and socio-religious impacts of their reigns. The session will in particular highlight the respective relevance of each emperor for interpretation of the New Testament texts. The learning outcomes of the session are:

a. Explain the relevance of the cardinal features of Roman Imperial Ideology for interpreting the New Testament?

b. Evaluate the relevance of the reign of Emperor Augustus to the emergence and spread of Christianity?

c. Assess the impacts of Emperors (a) Tiberius, (b) Claudius, (c) Nero, (d) Vespasian, (e) Titus and (f) Domitian on the history of New Testament Christianity.

d. Evaluate the merits and demerits of the scholarly view that New Testament authors such as Paul used their writings to oppose the Empire.

4. Graeco-Roman Local Government and the New Testament: This follow-on session will examine some of the details of the varied local government arrangements in the provinces of the empire in the first century. The operations of roman laws on the family, the impacts of the taxation systems, and the powers of the local governors and civil servants will be examined. The session will pay more particular attention to how these variations impacted the flavours and rate of growth of Christianity in each of the provinces. The session will also examine how this impacted the nature and categories of persecution of Christians in the first century. The learning outcomes of the session are:

a. Explain the varieties of provincial government bureaucracy of first century Graeco-Roman Empire and the relevance for interpreting the New Testament

b. What are the relevance of the features of first century Roman laws on the family and adoption for interpreting the New Testament? 

c. Explain the relevance of the Roman taxation system in the first century for interpreting the New Testament.

d. Using examples from the New Testament, describe forms and grades of persecution of the first Christians according to the New Testament.

5. Graeco-Roman Culture and Religion in New Testament times: This session will examine relevant features of culture and religion in the first century Mediterranean world and their relevance for interpretation of the New Testament. The learning outcomes for the session are:

a. Using appropriate examples, illustrate the relevance of understanding the dynamics of the pivotal ancient Mediterranean cultural values of honour and shame for interpreting the New Testament

b. Use appropriate examples to explain the relevance of Graeco-Roman socio-cultural backgrounds for interpreting athletic metaphors in the New Testament

c. In what ways did the New Testament interpret and apply the Roman Triumph?

d. Describe the relevance of the main features of (a) Magical beliefs and practices, (b) Eastern Mystery cults and (b) Imperial cult of first century Graeco-Roman world for interpreting the New Testament.

6. Graeco-Roman Philosophical Schools and New Testament Interpretation: This session will investigate the features, and key teachings of influential Graeco-Roman philosophical schools and their relevance for interpretation of the New Testament. Important schools such as the Pythagoreans, Stoics, Epicureans, Sophists, Cynics and Middle Platonists and their teachings will be evaluated against those of the New Testament. The learning outcomes are:

a. How did the Apostle Paul distinguish himself in his letters from the Sophists of his time?

b. Use examples from the New Testament to illustrate the similarities and differences between first century Stoicism and Christianity.

c. Explain the features of Epicureanism in the first century Mediterranean world and the different responses by some New Testament Christians.  

d. Some scholars postulate that Jesus’ ministry was similar to the Cynic philosophers of His time. What are the merits and demerits of this theory?

7. Graeco-Roman Voluntary Associations and Civic Life and New Testament Interpretation: One of the most common means by which people in the ancient Mediterranean world socially associated with each other was through membership of collegia and voluntary associations. It is unsurprising therefore that New Testament scholarship has recently become interested in how these collegia were organized and whether they provide some window into understanding how the New Testament churches in the first century Graeco-Roman world may have functioned. The session will examine some of the evidence, and by comparing them with the relevant New Testament passages, evaluate the merits of such an approach. The learning outcomes for the session are:

a. Assess the relevance of the key features of the first century Graeco-Roman household for interpreting the New Testament.

b. Critically evaluate the theory that some first century local churches were structured along lines similar to organization of Graeco-Roman Collegia of the time. 

c. In what ways do the features of Graeco-Roman banquets and symposia shed light on your understanding of the New Testament’s concept of the Messianic banquet?

d. Explain the relevance of various types of funerary rites in first century Mediterranean world for interpreting the New Testament.

8. Graeco-Roman Military and Interpretation of the New Testament: The Graeco-Roman military was the key instrument for instilling the Empire’s colonial power in every corner of the Mediterranean world. It is unsurprising therefore that the New Testament repeatedly refer to interactions between the Roman military and the first Christians, starting with Jesus. Sometimes these interactions were positive but, in many other times, they were negative. Moreover, in some situations in the New Testament, aspects of military imagery are employed as metaphors for communicating the Gospel. This session examines the complex features of this interaction with the following learning outcomes:

a. Explain the relevance of the organizational structure of the Roman military in the first century for interpretating the New Testament.

b. Using the references to the word “centurion” in the New Testament as anchor terminology, trace the impact of the Gospel on the Roman military establishment of the first century.

c. Use appropriate examples from the New Testament to illustrate the use of military metaphors in the New Testament.

d. What are the advantages and limitations of knowing the first century Roman military attire for interpreting Eph 6:10-20?

9. Graeco-Roman Slavery and interpretation of the New Testament: Slavery was ubiquitous in the ancient world, before, during, and long after the demise of the Graeco-Roman Empire. As it is with the military, the interactions between slavery and the first Christians, as documented in the New Testament was complex. This session examines the complicated nature of the slavery institution itself that provides a window for understanding the equally complicated manner in which the New Testament deals with it. It also examines how slavery serves as a metaphor for Christian self-understanding, and why Jesus’ self-portrayal as slave would have resonated with the first century Christians. The learning outcomes include:

a. Evaluate the relevance of the categories of slaves in first century Graeco-Roman world for interpreting the slavery texts of the New Testament.

b. What is the New Testament’s attitude to slave trading?

c. Evaluate what the New Testament teaches regarding the relationship between Christian slaves and their masters.  

d. Explain the implications of how the New Testament employs slavery as a metaphor for (a) Christology (b) soteriology (c) ethics and (d) Christian ministry.

10. Acts of the Apostle from First Century Graeco-Roman Perspective: This concluding session will serve to summarize the module. It will highlight the relevance of the insights gained by using one particular New Testament document as illustration. It employs a survey of Acts of the Apostles to showcase the relevance of ideas learnt throughout the course. The Learning outcomes include:

a. Employ Acts 1:8 and 2:7-12 to explain the geographical layout of the spread of Christianity in first century Graeco-Roman Empire.

b. Employ appropriate examples to illustrate how Acts of the Apostles demonstrates the triumph of the power of the Gospel over the magical powers in the first century Graeco-Roman world. 

c. Employ the narrative of Acts 10 to illustrate the invasion of the Gospel into the Roman military establishment.

d. Evaluate the relevance of Acts 19 for explaining the social, cultural, religious, and political forces that confronted the local churches of the first century.  

e. How do Paul’s interactions with Gallio (Acts 18), Claudius Lysias (Acts 21-23), Felix (Acts 23-24), and Festus (Acts 25-26), all representatives of the Imperial ideology, illustrate the complex nature of the interactions between nascent Christianity and first century Graeco-Roman Empire?