NT1212 - Synoptic Gospels: Luke

Spring Semester 2003

Expectations/Assignments  Course Schedule  Readings  An Interpretive Model 

Instructor: James Boyce

Office: Bockman 110; Phone: 651-641-3252; E-mail: jboyce@luthersem.edu

Web site: www.luthersem.edu/jboyce;  Blackboard Course Site:  www.fishersnet.net

Class: Monday & Friday: 11:40-12:30; Wednesday: 12:00-12:50

Office Hours:    Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:00 – 10:00; other times by appointment

Students who wish to receive a letter grade and/or written evaluation for the course, please see "Letter Grade Option" in the Catalog regarding the need to inform the instructor of this desire within the first two weeks of the term.

Course Description

            An examination of the claims about God and God's creation in Matthew, Mark, or Luke. The chief aim is thorough knowledge of one Gospel, which draws upon traditions of biblical interpretation and reflects on central matters of faith and life.  Similarities and differences with the other Synoptic Gospels are explored, and the theological implications of multiple stories of Jesus are addressed.

Objectives

            1.         To inspire a deeper love for the story of Jesus and a growing conviction of the power of the scriptures to nourish and transform communities.

            2.         To gain confidence in reading the gospel and in expressing what it means to interpret it faithfully and argue its claims, while appreciating the need to distinguish what the text says from what we might want it to say.

            3.         To gain a special understanding of the plot of one of the Synoptic Gospels while appreciating the differences, similarities, and theological claims which each of the Synoptic Gospels makes.

            4.         To gain ability to read the text carefully and deal with issues raised by multiple witnesses to the story of Jesus.

            5.         To gain ability to make a balanced use of commentaries and other secondary literature.

TextBooks for the Course

Required:

Mark A. Powell. Fortress Introduction to the Gospels. Fortress

Alternative:

EITHER/OR Kohlenberger, Exhaustive Concordance to the Greek NT

EITHER/OR Kohlenberger, Greek-English Concordance to the NT (NIV)

Alternative:

EITHER/OR Joel B. Green. The Gospel of Luke. New International Commentary, 1997

EITHER/OR Luke Timothy Johnson. The Gospel of Luke. Sacra Pagina.

EITHER/OR David L. Tiede. Luke. Augsburg Commentary

Recommended

Synopsis of the Four Gospels (English Edition OR Greek Edition)

Frederick W. Danker. Luke. Proclamation Commentaries. Fortress

Joel B. Green, ed. Hearing the New Testament : Strategies for Interpretation. Eerdmans

Luke T. Johnson. The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation. Fortress

Donald H. Juel. A Master of Surprise., chap 9: "Becoming an Audience." Fortress.

Donald H. Jule. The Gospel of Mark.Abingdon, "Introduction: Interpreting Mark's Gospel"

Jack D. Kingsbury, Jesus Christ in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Proclamation Commentaries. Fortress

A. Neyrey. The Social World of Luke-Acts. Hendrickson

Mark Allan Powell. What are they Saying about Luke. Paulist

Eduard Schweizer. The Good News According to Luke. John Knox

Jane Shaberg,"Luke" in Women's Bible Commentary, pp. 275-292

Christopher Tuckett. Reading the New Testament: Methods of Interpretation. Fortress.

Interpretation 48/4 (October, 1994). "The Gospel of Luke" (online through first search)

Word & World 12/1 (1992) "Luke-Acts" (online at Word & World web site)

Essays for Study of the Synoptic Gospels, ed. by NT Faculty (duplicated, on reserve)

Class Sessions           (see Course Schedule)

The class meets three hours each week, for reading of gospel texts, for lecture/discussion of issues related to interpretation of the Synoptic Gospels, and for building of interpretive skills for reading biblical texts, with primary focus on the Gospel of Luke. Small group conversation will also be used at times both within and outside of class as noted in "Assignments" to focus reading and interpreting of biblical texts. For this purpose members of the class will divide into groups of 4-5 persons that will work together throughout the course.

Expectations

Work to be completed by students and upon which evaluation and credit will be based includes the following:

            (1)        Regular attendance at lecture/discussion and small group sessions.

            (2)        Completion of assigned readings and informed reflection on them for and in class discussion.

            (3)        Reading of the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, preferably in one or two sittings each.  Reading of Luke to be completed in connection with the Reading/Writing assignment below. Reading of Mark to be completed for class on Monday, February 17. Reading of Matthew to be completed for class on Wednesday, February 19.

            4)         Completion of 10 "Exegetical Workshop" assignments: focusing on resources/ skills for asking questions of a biblical text (see Course Schedule)

            (5)        Completion of Greek(Mdiv)/English(MA) Readings Assignments (see attached sheet)

            (6)        Secondary Reading Assignments: Reading of your choice of one of the commentaries on Luke listed above, and reading of Powell, Introduction to the Gospels, chaps. 1-4. In addition, 100-200 pp. of other reading [see Bibliography here or in Powell or commentaries, preferably exploring articles or commentaries offering alternative viewpoints or approaches to assigned reading]. Keep a journal of notes/reflections on this reading in a format that you can keep and use for reference or to add to in your own study of the gospels in the future for Bible study or sermon preparation. These notes are to be handed in with the second project paper due on Wednesday, May 7. They will be returned to you.

            (7)        Completion of two study and writing projects as outlined below.

            (8)        Completion of assignment in connection with introduction to library resources and research methods. (Distributed separately). These skills are also to be incorporated into writing project two as noted below.
Library Exercise Due by Friday, March 28

Reading/Written Assignments:

Form groups of 4-5 persons.  Groups will meet outside and in class to complete the following reading/writing assignments:

Project One (4 pages)

1. By Friday, February 28, read through the Gospel of Luke (preferably in one or two sittings, and out loud to one another within your study groups)

                        2. Based upon your hearing of the Gospel of Luke, write a four page essay (type-written, double-spaced) which presents:

                                    a. what you hear: what claims does the Gospel of Luke make concerning God, Jesus, and the future?;  what issues are at stake in this telling of the story of Jesus?

                                    b. the manner in which the narrative makes these claims persuasive to readers/hearers; and

                                    c. how you see this story's part in yours and the Christian community's continued telling of the story of Jesus.

                        3. Submit a copy of this essay to each member of your study group by Wednesday, March 5.  Group members are to write at least one paragraph and no more than two paragraphs of comments on each of the papers and return to the author by Monday, March 10.

                        4. Write a revised draft of your essay, taking into account the comments of your group members and any further reflections on the gospel of Luke. This revised draft (4 pages) is to be turned in to the instructor by Monday, March 17.

Project Two (6-8 pages)

                        A six to eight page essay of interpretive study and reflection on a story (pericope) from Luke, growing out of personal study and reflection; group discussion; and conversation with secondary sources according to the process outlined below.

            Step One: Your own hearing of the text

                        Choose a story from the Gospel of Luke to be your special focus for this semester. Read it carefully, without reliance on secondary sources, noting questions, observations, issues, conclusions for the claims made in the story and for your own telling of the story that emerge in your hearing (see the "Exegetical Method" handout and "Exegetical Workshop" resources for suggestions). Again allow your reflection to be shaped by the same questions noted in project one above (2 a,b,c). Write down these reflections (3-4 pages double-spaced) and make enough copies for members of your study group. This work is to be completed by Monday, April 14.

            Step Two: Hearing the text within a community

                        During meetings in your study groups during classtime on Monday, April 14 and Wednesday, April 16, for each member, 1) tell the story from memory or in your own words, 2) reflect on the text together along with each person's written reflections; 3) then write (add) 1-2 pages of further reflection on the text that has arisen from this discussion in your small groups.

            Step Three: Hearing within the larger community or tradition

                        Incorporate skills from Library session: Making use of the ATLA (ATLA Religion Database) or R&TA (Religious & Theological Abstracts) do research to find journal or essay literature on your chosen passage. Develop a bibliography of at least three articles (since 1980 if possible) on your passage and one recent article of more general or related interest on the Gospel of Luke. Attach this bibliography to your paper.

                        Read at least one of these articles, and also commentary on your passage in at least two different commentaries.  Indicate which articles/commentaries you have read, and in 1-2 pages, summarize what this enlarged conversation adds to your own reflection individually and in your group.  Do any different theological agendas or perspectives shape their discussion? Are any new or different claims or issues raised?  How does their hearing compare with yours? Now gather, organize, and synthesize into a final essay your own interpretation of the passage as it has been informed by these three stages of hearing and study.

                        Two copies of this final essay, collecting and organizing these three stages (6-8 pages, double-spaced) is due to your instructor by Wednesday, May 7.  One copy will be used to make copies of papers for distribution to the whole class and will be returned to you.

                                                                Course Schedule

Readings in the Text of Luke

Each student is expected to complete focused work on selected portions of the text of Luke's Gospel in conjunction with textual focus for the week (M.Div students are to do this work on the basis of the Greek text, making use of resources such as an interlinear, Rogers, New Linguistic and Exegetical Key, or Zerwick-Grosvenor, Grammatical Analysis, etc. MA students should do commensurate analysis of the text by choosing two or three English translations to compare closely. Accountability for this work is to be self-initialed.

In this work the student should pay attention to particular matters of grammar, syntax, vocabulary, themes, etc. (cf. "Exegetical Workshop") that reveal matters of interest or importance for understanding or class discussion.

(To be handed in with the final essay and notes)

Student' Name____________________________

Week of                                   Reading                                                Initials AND Date

Week of: Feb 24                      Luke 2:1-14                                         ____________________

Week of: Mar 3                        Luke 4:14-21; 5:27-32                         ____________________

Week of: Mar 17                      Luke 6:17-26                                       ____________________

Week of: Mar 24                      Luke 7:36-50                                       ____________________

Week of: Mar 31                      Luke 9:51-62                                       ____________________

Week of:Apr 7                         Luke 12:32-40                                     ____________________

Week of Apr 23                       Luke 15:1-10                                       ____________________

Week of: Apr 28                      Luke 19:1-10                                       ____________________

Week of May 12                      Luke 24:44-49                                     ____________________

AN INTERPRETIVE APPROACH FOR NT STUDY

Exegesis aims at hearing and understanding a text in a conscious and deliberate way.  Exegesis is both a science and an art.  It is a form of disciplined meditation, whereby the exegete is opened by the Spirit to hear the text new or anew as the text is allowed to be what it is intended to be—the Word of God.  Exegesis should begin with an encounter between the exegete and the text in which the imagination is stimulated when fruitful questions are asked of the text.  Secondary resources are to be used only as a broader conversation to test and extend your own exegetical work.  Thus they should be read with your (1) developed questions, (2) identified problems, and (3) working conclusions in mind.  Still exegesis is never a private enterprise. Your own understanding will be revised as it is constantly (re)shaped within the hearing of others within the community.

The following list of questions may have some sequential sense, but not necessarily. The questions often move in a circular and interdependent fashion with the imagination.