PhD in Theology and Religious Studies

1st Year: 1st Semester Required:

COUURSE CODE TITLE CREDITS

First Year: Second Semester

Recommended:

Second Year First Semester Required:

Recommended

2nd Year: 2nd Semester Required:

Year 3 Fall Semester

CRK 899 — Thesis — 3

Year 3 Spring Semester

COURSE DESCRIPTION

CRK 801: Biblical Archaeology:-

Exploration of archaeological research relating to the Old and New Testaments, with attention given to ways that this research aids in understanding and interpreting Biblical texts. Topics include the current state of Biblical archaeology and its historic development, as well as problems in deciphering texts and dating artifacts. Students also examine more recent finds such as the Dead Sea Scrolls

CRK 811: Theory & Method for Religious Studies:-

This course provides a historical and theoretical introduction to issues, thinkers, and texts in the academic study of religion. Topics covered include the development of religious studies as distinct from Christian theology; definitive questions and problems within the discipline; and the study of religions in relation to race, class, and gender realities.

CRK 817: New Testament Research Methods:-

This course focuses on the methods, the bibliographic resources and the cultural/historical contexts for advanced research in the New Testament; matters of writing, developing a thesis, constructing an argument, citation of sources and footnotes also receive attention. The various methods used in historical research and their appropriate functions in New Testament studies are considered, including an overview of the current state of New Testament studies. Bibliographic resources are identified, used and evaluated. Selected, relevant primary source writings Jewish (Apocrypha, pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, Philo, rabbinical texts), Greco-Roman (religious and philosophical texts; historical, political and cultural texts) and early Church (Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr, Nag Hammadi texts and other second century literature)óare read and evaluated for their use and importance in New Testament studies. The value and use of non-literary

CRK 821: Method for Concreteness in Christian Ethics:-

A systematic and comparative analysis of essential ingredients in an ethical method adequate for developing Christian character and grappling with concrete issues. An analytical model of essential ingredients will be used to compare representative methods in Christian ethics

CRK 834: Old Testament Critical Approaches:-

The course is devoted to the various approaches used in current scholarship and their value in elucidating the Old Testament.

CRK 835: Old Testament Ethics:-

The course will consider the methodology for studying Old Testament ethics and the way in which the Old Testament may be a resource for Christian ethics, noting the varying functions of narrative, law, prophecy, wisdom and psalmody. It will look from an ethical perspective at the nature of God in the Old Testament and at significant Old Testament themes such as creation, humanity, sex, sin, covenant, nationhood, justice, war and shalom

CRK 835: Johannine Theology:-

This course will focus on Johannine Christology, particularly as that Christology is developed and presented vis-a-vis Judaism. Study of selections from primary sources, including the Old Testament Apocrypha, Philo, the Dead Sea Scrolls and rabbinic texts, will acquaint students with the contours on Johannine Christology, as well as with some of the issues which arise in interpreting the Fourth Gospel against the background of these texts.

CRK 829: Paul and Israel:-

A study of Paul's developing understanding of Israel within the context of the eschatological fulfilment experienced by the church. Given the new salvific reality, how is one to understand God's purposes with Israel? The course will include not only reading and discussion of secondary literature, but also exegesis of key passages in the New Testament, Old Testament and Second Temple Jewish literature.

CRK 838: Paul and Judaism:-

This seminar will focus on a new understanding of Judaism in the New Testament era, and then upon Paul's soteriology, especially in connection with his statements about Jews and the Law. To be evaluated is the adequacy of the new perspective on Paul in explaining the data and especially in its exegesis of the relevant Pauline texts.

CRK 839: OT 805 Old Testament Theology Seminar:-

The first topic will be method in the study of Old Testament theology and the final topic will reconsider questions of method in the light of the seminar's study. In the intervening weeks the seminar will cover main themes of Old Testament theology, giving a week or two to aspects of its various themes, such as the God of Israel, the people of Israel, the spirituality of Israel, the hope of Israel and the world of Israel.

CRK 840: History of New Testament Scholarship:-

This seminar entails a survey of critical New Testament studies from the eighteenth century to the present with emphasis on the major movements and their leading proponents. Requirements will include extensive reading in the works that have proved to be watersheds in the discipline.

CRK 841: Contemporary Quests of the Historical Jesus:-

This seminar focuses on recent developments in the quest of the historical Jesus, paying particular attention to the issues of method and the relationship of faith and history in scholarly investigation of Jesus. Representative works of the Jesus Seminar and the "Third Quest" will be considered.

CRK 842: The Politics of Jesus:-

This advanced seminar is designed to investigate the politics of Jesus in the context of social, economic, political and religious life in Second Temple Judaism under the Romans. Attention will be paid to primary sources including the Gospels, Josephus, and the Dead Sea Scrolls, in light of contemporary research. The purpose of the seminar is to promote a deeper understanding of Jesus and the politics of his day for students working in the fields of Christology, New Testament and ethics.

CRK 843: Jesus and Paul:-

An advanced seminar primarily for doctoral students opens on the 500 level on a limited basis to qualified master's-level students.

CRK 844: Johannine Theology:-

An advanced seminar primarily for doctoral students open on the 500 level on a limited basis to qualified master's-level students.

CRK 899: Thesis