1. THEO 3200, R01 Fordham University, Fall 2016
M/Th 8:30—9:45 AM, Duane 351 Department of Theology
Introduction to New Testament
Reading the Ruins of Empire
Instructor: Steven T. Payne
Preferred means of address: “Steven”
Preferred Pronouns: He/Him
Office: Duane 106 (shared)
Email: spayne8@fordham.edu
Telephone: 409.920.8154
Office hours: M/Th 10:00—12:00 PM in Duane 106; and by appointment.
Course Description
This course aims to provide you with a comprehensive introduction to the historical critical
study of the New Testament in the twenty-first century. As such, it treats both the New
Testament, as a literary collection, as well as the individual books included therein, as
formed out of and marked by discernible historical processes. It aims to direct the rigorous,
historical investigation of these processes towards critical goals: 1) the reconstruction, some-
times in spite of a given text, of the most plausible scenario out of which it might have
emerged; 2) the consequent and only ever partial historical recovery of marginalized, forgot-
ten cultural moments within a past time and another place (the first- and second-century CE
Roman Mediterranean); and 3) the self-empowerment of us, as readers, as critical, responsi-
ble, and equally capable interpreters—given the right tools and the appropriate guidance—of
texts traditionally reserved for the clerical or scholarly elite.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course you will have:
□ Developed critical and close reading skills when dealing with primary source material.
□ Acquired basic technical skills necessary for the study of ancient texts.
□ Learned about and practiced some of the foundational methods used in the academic
study of the New Testament.
□ Experienced an approximation to what working with ancient manuscripts entails.
□ Cultivated historically responsible insight into New Testament literature.
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2. □ Situated New Testament texts firmly in their specific historical, social, political, eco-
nomic, geographical, and devotional settings.
□ Distinguished the overall ideological tendencies of the various surviving strands of
tradition within the early Jesus movement.
□ Constructed comprehensive narratives about some of the main over-arching tenden-
cies in the development of the early Jesus tradition.
□ Fostered an ability to analyze critically contemporary cultural references to New Tes-
tament literature.
Required Course Material
This course requires a two-part course book that includes both secondary and primary ma-
terial together. Part I deals with historical background and the development of the earliest
gospel tradition. You may purchase it at the following link that I sent in the email the week
before classes began: http://www.lulu.com/shop/steven-payne/introduction-to-new-testa-
ment-part-i-historical-background-and-gospel-traditions/paperback/product-22840604.html. I
will send the link at which you can purchase Part II of the course book within the first few
weeks of class. This second part will deal with the early Jesus movement among Judeo-
Greeks—in particular, those associated with the Apostle Paul.
Course Policies
– Attendance: A class succeeds based on the participation of its members. There-
fore, I assume attendance at each class session. Since lateness interrupts class discus-
sion, I also assume timeliness on your part (no later than 8:25 AM). Repeated ab-
sences or lateness without reason will result in a reduction of the final grade.
– Active Class Participation: All of us will come to class having carefully com-
pleted the readings. Always bring the course book to class, along with notes, ques-
tions, and responses to questions that are posed by the introductions before each
text. During class, participation entails such actions as answering questions, raising
new questions, listening respectfully and attentively to what others say, entering into
discussion, and being an active contributor.
– Electronics in the Classroom: Laptops, cell phones, tablets, and other elec-
tronic devices should be put away before class begins unless prior arrangements are
made with me beforehand.
– Late Work: Assignments turned in late will receive a reduction of a full letter
grade for each day after the deadline. If a student knows they will be absent on the
due date of an assignment, they should email it to me by the beginning of the class
period or hand a physical copy of it in to me on the class before (in the case of a
planned absence).
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3. Evaluation
The final grade will be computed as follows. Each area receives more explanation below:
20% — Participation/Attendance
5% — First Short Paper
15% — Mid-term
15% — Group Manuscript Project
5% — Second Short Paper
20% — Final Project
20% — Final
Participation
Each member of this class will be evaluated on participation based on the following schema:
– Attendance/Promptness (25% of participation grade; 5% of overall grade)
◦ I trust each participant to attend every class and to be on time (no later than
8:25 AM) unless you give me advance notice.
– In-Class Discussion (25% of participation grade; 5% of overall grade)
◦ Many class days will consist partially of small or large group discussions. Each
student should show up each day well-prepared and ready to discuss the read-
ings. A consistent record of contributions in class will yield a good grade.
– Blackboard Posts (25% of participation grade; 5% of overall grade)
◦ You should post on our class’s Blackboard site 5 individual reading re-
sponses before the mid-term and 5 after the mid-term. These re-
sponses should be around 500 words and may address, for example, your sur-
prise with, criticism of, insight about, or perception of an ambiguity within the
reading. Think creatively with these responses. They should serve as an outlet
to explore more fully some initial or undeveloped thoughts about the readings.
You also should provide three questions you have about the reading at the end
of each response. You may choose to write these responses on any week,
though you must have submitted your response by 10 PM on the day of that
particular class. For example, if you decided to write on the Gospel of John
(Monday, October 3), you could submit a response as late at 9:59 PM on that
day and still receive credit. You may feel free to write responses before class.
Leaving the option to do so afterwards, though, recognizes that much of the
material may take some more time to process.
– Interaction with classmates (25% of participation grade; 5% of overall grade)
◦ I trust each participant in this class to cultivate and to maintain the highest
standards of intellectual honesty, respect for a plurality of positions, generosity,
empathy with others, and so on. Repeatedly insulting or dismissing other parti-
cipants in this class or positions other than one's own will result in a poor par-
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4. ticipation grade. On the other hand, showing true intellectual curiosity and
engaged dialogue with others will result in a high participation grade.
Assignments
1) First Short Paper (5% of overall grade)
◦ Your first short paper for this class, due Monday, October 3, will look at
how the Gospel of Matthew incorporates in and edits earlier texts—the
Gospel of Mark and the document called “Q” (which you will soon learn
about). I have posted detailed instructions on Blackboard. You should at least
take a look at the prompt by Thursday, September 22, so that you will
have time to ask me any questions you might have.
2) Second Short Paper (5% of overall grade)
◦ Your second short paper for this class, due Monday, November 21, will
investigate the ways in which the Apostle Paul speaks about the relationship
between Judeans and non-Judeans in his letter to the Galatians as compared to
his letter to the Romans. I will will soon post detailed instructions on Black-
board. You should at least take a look at the prompt by Monday, Novem-
ber 14, so that you will have time to ask me any questions you might have.
Projects
1) Group Manuscript Project (15% of overall grade)
◦ For this group project, I will provide each of your small groups (assigned at
the beginning of the semester) with a one- to two-page papyrus document I
have forged to replicate parts of actually discovered manuscripts of gospels, ei-
ther those included in the New Testament or ones closely related to those in-
cluded. You will first determine the precise text, reassemble the disparate
parts of the papyrus, take a properly scientific photograph, transcribe the text,
and make critical observations about its import vis-à-vis other texts and tradi-
tions within the early Jesus movement. You will present your findings to the
class on Thursday, October 20, in ten-minute group presentations. I will
provide you with an in-class workday on Monday, October 17. That way you
will have ample opportunity to ask me any questions you might have. Detailed
instructions will soon appear on Blackboard.
2) Final Project (20% of overall grade)
◦ For your final individual project, due Thursday, December 8, you will
turn from primarily focusing on the New Testament as a product of the past to
examining how it continues to hold sway in our present. You will choose one
non-religious, or at least not obviously religious, cultural item from the last cen-
tury or so that in some way makes constant reference to or draws inspiration
from a book (or a few books) from the New Testament. From here, you could
choose to do a wide variety of things: a research paper on this item, no more
than 10 pages, focusing on the creative ways it employs the New Testament; a
music or movie review, drawing critical attention to the New Testament refer-
ence(s); an artistic creation of your own, inspired both by the contemporary
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5. item and the text(s) it references from the New Testament; etc. As a basic
example, you could choose Kanye's Life of Pablo (2016) and write an album re-
view organized around investigating whether or not it invokes the life of the
Apostle Paul (as Kanye suggested it might in a Tweet). I will soon post far more
detailed instructions about this project to Blackboard. In the meantime, just
note that you must turn in a one-page proposal for the final project by Mon-
day, November 7.
Mid-term (15% of overall grade)
The mid-term (Thursday, October 13) intends to serve as a means by which you and I
can evaluate the progress you have made during the first half of the semester. As such, the
mid-term focuses on the first ten chapters (Part 1) of the course book. It will consist of
three main sections, as well as an extra-credit section at the end:
1) Short-identification (30%) — These will come from the key-terms highlighted
at the beginning of each chapter from Part I. From the pool of those associated with
the first ten chapters of the course book, a list of ten will appear on the final. You
will choose five of them and write two- to three-sentence identifications of them.
The most highly marked answers will not only aim for bare definition but will pro-
vide some type of critical insight or analysis as well.
2) Map (10%) — On the mid-term you will receive an unlabeled map of the Galilee
and its immediate surrounding area (similar to pg. 271 in the course book). You will
label the key sites, features, or regions of the early gospel traditions: the Mediter-
ranean Sea, the Sea of Galilee, the River Jordan, Nazareth, Cana, Tiberias, Magdala,
Capernaum, Bethsaida, Decapolis, Tyre, and Sidon.
3) Long Essay (60%) — On Monday, October 3, you will receive a mid-term review
with a list of five potential questions. Two of these five will appear on the mid-term,
and you may choose to write on whichever one you prefer. Responses should in-
clude an introduction with a clear statement of your thesis, four or five paragraphs
of evidence supporting your thesis, one or two paragraphs complicating or qualifying
your thesis, and a non-redundant conclusion. Successful preparation involves at bare
minimum thoroughly outlining your potential responses beforehand and memorizing
your outlines.
4) Extra Credit (potential 5% extra) — This optional section will include a ques-
tion or questions about the Gospel of Thomas, the optional reading in Appendix A
of Part I of your course book.
Final Exam (20% of overall grade)
The final (Wednesday, December 14) intends to serve as a means by which you and I
can evaluate the progress you have made during the entirety of the semester. Nevertheless,
the final focuses primarily on material we have covered in the second part of the semester
(Part II of the course book). Only one essay question will involve material from the first
part. The final as a whole will consist of FOUR main sections, and potentially an extra-
credit section at the end (TBD):
1) Short-identification (30%) — These will come from the key-terms highlighted
at the beginning of each chapter form Part II. From the pool of those included in the
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6. chapters of Part II, a list of fifteen will appear on the final. You will choose eight of
them and write two- to three-sentence identifications of them. The most highly
marked answers will not only aim for bare definition but will provide some type of
critical insight or analysis as well.
2) Map (10%) — On the final you will receive an unlabeled map of the Roman
Mediterranean. You will label the key sites, features, or regions of the early Jesus
movement, both in its native Judean and Judeo-Greek varieties: Jerusalem, the
Galilee, Damascus, Antioch, Galatia, Thessalonica, Philippi, Corinth, and Rome.
3) First Long Essay (30%) — On Monday, November 21, you will receive a final
review with a list of five potential questions from the second part of the semester.
Two of these five will appear on the final, and you may choose to write on whichev-
er one you prefer. Responses should include an introduction with a clear statement
of your thesis, four or five paragraphs of evidence supporting your thesis, one or
two paragraphs complicating or qualifying your thesis, and a non-redundant conclu-
sion. Successful preparation involves at bare minimum thoroughly outlining your po-
tential responses beforehand and memorizing your outlines.
4) Second Long Essay (30%) — On Monday, November 21, you will receive a fi-
nal review with a list of five potential cumulative questions from the entirety of the
semester. Two of these five will appear on the final, and you may choose to write on
whichever one you prefer. Responses should include an introduction with a clear
statement of your thesis, four or five paragraphs of evidence supporting your thesis,
one or two paragraphs complicating or qualifying your thesis, and a non-redundant
conclusion. Successful preparation involves at bare minimum thoroughly outlining
your potential responses beforehand and memorizing your outlines.
Grading
The university’s grading scale:
0.0 F 0—59
1.0 D 60—69
1.7 C– 70—72
2.0 C 73—76
2.3 C+ 77—79
2.7 B– 80—82
3.0 B 83—86
3.3 B+ 87—89
3.7 A– 90—94
4.0 A 95—100
* * * Note that what you are being assessed on is the manifest effort, time, creativity, and
energy you put into doing your work and your proficiency in grasping the basic methods and
concepts of this class and by no means your intellectual capacity or capability.
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7. Academic Integrity
I trust participants in this class to maintain the highest standards of intellectual honesty, and
to abide by Fordham University’s policies on academic integrity. Remember: plagiarism is the
use of unacknowledged sources, copied word for word or paraphrased. Use outside
sources when appropriate, but do not forget to cite the source and to place quotation
marks around any words that are taken from it. This applies to websites as well as to writ-
ten sources. In cases of plagiarism, in addition to the work being given zero credit, each case
will be referred to the Dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill. This is the policy of Fordham
University (please refer to the pages on Academic Integrity in the Student Handbook, pp.
66—71). See me first if you have any doubts about the academic integrity of any of your
work.
ADA Notice
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, all students with or without disabilities are entitled to equal access to the pro-
grams and activities of Fordham University. If you believe that you have a disabling condition
that may interfere with your ability to participate in the activities, course work, or assess-
ment of the object of this course, you may be entitled to accommodations. Please schedule
an appointment to speak with someone at the Office of Disability Services: at Rose Hill —
O’Hare Hall, Lower Level, x0655.
Course Calendar
Thursday, September 1, 2016 — The Burden of History and the Study of the New
Testament
Monday, September 5, 2016 — LABOR DAY: NO CLASS
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 [Monday Schedule] — Roman Imperialism and
the Rise of Autocracy in the Mediterranean
□ Read Introduction in course book (which contains all readings listed)
□ Read Chapter 1
* * * Thursday, September 8, 2016 — Add/Drop Deadline
Thursday, September 8, 2016 — A Crash-course in Ancient Israelite History | Diver-
sity of Judean Devotional Traditions in late Hellenistic and early Roman Times
□ Read Chapter 2
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8. Monday, September 12, 2016 — Roman Judea, 63 BCE—135 CE: National Unrest
and Resistance to Roman Imperialism
□ Read Chapter 3
Thursday, September 15, 2016 — The Making of the New Testament, the Earliest
Manuscripts, and Non-canonical Literature
□ Read Chapter 4
Monday, September 19, 2016 — The Synoptic Problem and the Sayings Source (Q)
□ Read Chapter 5
□ Your group will receive the manuscript for the group manuscript project
today in class.
Thursday, September 22, 2016 — The Sayings Source (Q) and the Character of the
Earliest Jesus Movement
□ Read Chapter 6
Monday, September 26, 2016 — The First Narrative Gospel: Mark and Irony in Col-
onized Galilee
□ Read Chapter 7
Thursday, September 29, 2016 — The Gospel of Matthew and Halakhah: Jesus as
Another Moses
□ Read Chapter 8
Monday, October 3, 2016 — The Gospel of John: Prophecy and Virtuoso Devotional
Practice in First-Century CE Roman Judea
□ Read Chapter 9
□ Turn in First Short Paper
□ You will receive the mid-term review today in class.
Thursday, October 6, 2016 — The Greco-Judean Renovation of Jesus' Legacy in
Luke’s Gospel
□ Read Chapter 10
Monday, October 10, 2016 — INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY: NO CLASS
Thursday, October 13, 2016 — Mid-term Evaluation
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9. Monday, October 17, 2016 — Group Manuscript Project Work Day
Thursday, October 20, 2016 — Group Manuscript Project Presentations
□ Present your group’s manuscript for 10 minutes
□ Turn in write-up on group's manuscript
Monday, October 24, 2016 — The Greco-Judean Diapora and an Introduction to the
Life and Writings of the Apostle Paul
□ Read Chapters 11 & 12
* * * Tuesday, October 25, 2016 — Midterm Grades Issued for those in danger of failing
Thursday, October 27, 2016 — Paul in Mourning: The Assembly at Thessalonica and
Confronting Death in the Roman Mediterranean
□ Meet at the Antiquities Museum, to the right of the circulation department
in Walsh Library
□ Read Chapter 13
Monday, October 31, 2016 — Paul in Conflict, Part 1: The Assemblies of Galatia and
Ethnic Conflict within the Jesus Movement
□ Read Chapter 14
Thursday, November 3, 2016 — Paul in Conflict, Part 2: Class Tension in the Assem-
bly at Corinth
□ Read Chapter 15
*** Friday, November 5, 2016 — Last day to withdraw from courses w/o incurring "WF"
Monday, November 7, 2016 — Paul in Conflict, Part 3: The Collection, Estrangement,
and Reconciliation at Corinth
□ Read Chapter 16
□ Submit one-page proposal for Final Project
Tuesday, November 8, 2016 — UNIVERSITY CLOSED: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Thursday, November 10, 2016 — Paul in Chains, Part 1: Paul's Economic Partnership
with the Assembly at Philippi
□ Read Chapter 17
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10. Monday, November 14, 2016 — Paul in Chains, Part 2: The Case of Onesimus and
Slavery in the Roman Mediterranean
□ Read Chapter 18
Thursday, November 17, 2016 — Paul in Argument: The Mature Development of
Paul's Thought in his Letter to the Romans, or Paul as Popular Philosopher
□ Read Chapter 19
Monday, November 21, 2016 — Early Paulinism, Part 1: Paul's Legacy and the Crisis
of Authority
□ Read Chapter 20
□ Turn in Second Short Paper
□ You will receive the final review today in class.
Thursday, November 24, 2016 — THANKSGIVING
Monday, November 28, 2016 — Early Paulinism, Part 2: Cultural Accommodation
and Imperial Collusion in Ephesians, Colossians and 1 Peter
□ Read Chapter 21
Thursday, December 1, 2016 — The Renovation of Paul and the Early Jesus Move-
ment at Large in Luke's Acts of the Apostles
□ Read Chapter 22
Monday, December 5, 2016 — Anti-Imperialism and Seething Rage in the Revelation
of John
□ Read Chapter 23
Thursday, December 8, 2016 — Reading the New Testament in our Ruins
□ Turn in Final Project
[Optional] Monday, December 12, 2016 — Review for Final Exam
□ Duane 351, 7:00 PM. I will provide pizza, so I will send an online invitation
to which you can RSVP when it gets close to the date. That way I can know
how much pizza to purchase.
* * * Monday, December 12, 2016 — Tuesday, December 13, 2016: Reading Days
* * * * * Wednesday, December 14, 2016 — Final Exam, 9:30 AM, Duane 351
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