TTEAKKFNTU KA Kernefag: Det Nye Testamentes Eksegese: Den paulinske litteratur

This course is an overview of Paul and Pauline writings, viewed through the thematic lens of Roman imprisonment and Paul’s experience as a Roman prisoner. The course situates the apostle Paul and Pauline writings within relevant archaeological, material, and documentary sources, especially those that illuminate the historical context of incarceration. The first part of the course offers a historical biography of the apostle Paul, looking at key sources like 1 Thessalonians and 1 & 2 Corinthians, viewing him as a successful and frustrated community organizer. The course then turns to the authentic letters of Paul that were written while he was imprisoned, Philemon and Philippians, and engages in slow reading of the Greek text of these letters. Next, the course considers the Deutero-Pauline writings, the majority of which imagine Paul in prison.

The course meetings will involve translation, conversation about selected archaeology, material, and documentary sources, and discussion of secondary readings. The key textbooks for the course are Laura Nasrallah’s Archaeology and the Letters of Paul and Michael Gorman’s Apostle of the Crucified Lord. In addition to participation through translation and discussion of primary and secondary sources, the grade for the course will be determined by a written component, following the standards of kernefag as outlined in the study program, as well as a follow-up oral exam.