An introduction to the four Gospels in their social, historical and canonical setting. Using “socio-literary” and canonical approaches, we will study the Gospels within a three-dimensional framework centred on what the early Christians called the “gospel” of Jesus Christ. One dimension has to do with social history—the origin of the Gospels in Jesus’ ministry and the women’s Easter experience, the setting of the Gospels in early Judaism under the thumb of the Roman Empire, and the emergence of the Gospels as a rich and many-faceted proclamation of Jesus Christ. The second dimension has to do with literature: the process by which the Gospels came to be written, their literary form and texture, and their character as narrative versions of the “gospel.” Thirdly, we will consider the gospels as scripture, reading them in relationship to each other and to the OT scriptures on which they draw.
Last date to add the class April 30, 2021
Last date to drop without academic penalty and to be eligible for full tuition refund is May 14, 2021
