A study of the different portraits of Jesus in selected New Testament documents, including discussion of various titles used for Jesus, Christological themes and the development of views about Jesus as this can be seen in the New Testament.
This paper focuses on the way the New Testament presents the person of Jesus. One way to consider this is by looking at the portrait of Jesus in some key New Testament texts - the Gospels of Mark and of John, the writings of Paul, the Book of Revelation. We will also look at some key titles used for Jesus in the New Testament - Son of God (as part of looking at Mark's Gospel), Lord (as part of looking at Paul's Christology) and Son of Man. An important part of the topic is looking at 'the historical Jesus' - what can we know about Jesus as a figure of history and about his ministry, its aims and outcomes? We will also discuss some important themes or areas of study related to our topic - the way belief about Jesus developed in the very early years of the Christian Church, belief in Jesus' resurrection and the ways that feminist scholars have studied the New Testament Christology.
| Paper title | Jesus in the New Testament (Advanced) |
|---|---|
| Paper code | BIBS326 |
| Subject | Biblical Studies |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Not offered in 2023 (Distance learning) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $955.05 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- One 200-level BIBS or BIBX paper
- Restriction
- BIBS 226, BIBX 226, BIBX 326
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music, Theology
- Eligibility
- All students are welcome to study the Bible regardless of whether they have a particular faith commitment or not. Papers in Theology examine the scriptures, history, content, and relevance of the Christian faith, but presuppose no Christian commitment from students. All that is required is an inquiring mind and an interest in those skills that can be gained through the study of any subject in the Humanities.
- Contact
Professor Paul Trebilco paul.trebilco@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
View more information on the Theology Programme’s website
- Teaching staff
- Lecturer: Professor Paul Trebilco
- Paper Structure
- Outline of the course:
- The Christology of Mark
- The Christology of Paul
- The Development of Christology
- The Historical Jesus
- Son of Man
- The Christology of John
- The Resurrection
- Feminist Christology of the New Testament
- The Christology of Revelation
- Minor assignment (1,200 words) 15%
- Major assignment (3,000 words) 35%
- Exam (two hours) 50%
- Teaching Arrangements
Campus: 2 one hour lectures per week
Distance: 6 videoconferences, and a teaching day in Wellington
- Textbooks
Readings will be available on Blackboard. No textbook is required
- Course outline
- View the course outline
for BIBS 326 (on campus)
View the course outline for BIBS 326 (distance) - Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Lifelong learning, Critical thinking.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this paper should be able to
- Demonstrate understanding of the various portraits of Jesus in a range of New Testament documents
- Explain the common features of different New Testament Christologies and outline the unique features of different strands of the New Testament
- Explain the development of Christology, as this is evident in the New Testament
- Demonstrate understanding of various Christological titles and Christological themes
- Identify key issues in the interpretation of selected New Testament texts
- Critique arguments put forward in the literature of the discipline through in-depth discussions of particular topics that demonstrate advanced understanding of critical approaches to New Testament Christology
- Demonstrate understanding of the implications of topics studied in the paper for New Testament Studies in general
