3.0 Interpreting the New Testament documents
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(Last revised: 3/10/05)
3.0 3.1 3.2 3.2.3 3.2.4 3.2.5

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Check this page and the linked pages periodically since they are being updated continually! The printed textbook materials covering the first division level of the topics is listed in green bold face under the topic heading.

3.0.1 Non-Canonical Documents
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3.0.1.1. Old Testament Apocrypha
 NOSB:ap:3-15; NOSB3:apocrypha:3-10; F:3----Type in the word 'Apocrypha' in order to retrieve a definition----Links to the English texts of many of the OT Apocrypha documents
3.0.1.2. Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
Type in the word 'Pseudepigrapha' in order to retrieve a definition----Links to the English texts of many of the OT Pseudepigraphical documents
3.0.1.3. New Testament Apocrypha
H:20:357-365; F:58, 424-425;----
3.0.1.3.1. NT Apocryphical Gospels
H4:237-251;----Gateway into the NT Apocryphical Gospel texts
3.0.1.3.2. NT Apocryphical Acts
Links to the English texts of many of the NT Apocryphal documents
3.0.1.3.3. NT Apocryphcial Letters
Links to the English texts of many of the NT Apocryphal documents
3.0.1.3.4. NT Apocryphal Apocalypses
Links to the English texts of many of the NT Apocryphal documents
3.1. The Historical and Literary Aspects of a Text
Click icon for lecture materials.----Instructions on how this fits into the Analysis Paper assignment.----Instructions on how this fits into the Analysis Paper assignment
3.1.1. The Historical Aspects
Instructions on how this fits into the Analysis Paper assignment.
3.1.1.1. The External History of the Text:
3.1.1.1.1. When was the text written?
3.1.1.1.2. Where was the text written?
3.1.1.1.3. By whom was the text written?
3.1.1.1.4. To whom was the text written?
3.1.1.2. The Internal History of the Text
3.1.1.2.1. Identifying time and place markers inside the text
Identify time/place markers in the temptation of Jesus pericope.
3.1.1.2.2. Identifying social customs inside the text
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3.1.2. The Literary Aspects
Instructions on how this fits into the Analysis Paper assignment
3.1.2.1. The External Literary Aspects of the Text
3.1.2.1.1. Identifying the literary context of the text within the larger document
Identify literary context of the temptation of Jesus pericope in Matthew's gospel.
3.1.2.2. The Internal Literary Aspects of the Text
3.1.2.2.1. Identifying the broad genre of the text
H:1:7-9----Discussion of NT genre.
3.1.2.2.1.1. Gospel
F:54-57; NOSB3:nt:3-6; NOSB:nt:viii-ix;----Discussion of NT gospel genre.
3.1.2.2.1.2. History
F:208-209; NOSB:nt:160; NOSB3:nt:183-185;----Discussion of NT history genre.
3.1.2.2.1.3. Letter
F:249-251; NOSB:nt:204-207; NOSB3:nt:240-241;----Discussion of NT letter genre.
3.1.2.2.1.4. Apocalypse
F:372-374; NOSB:nt:362-362; NOSB3:nt:420-421;----Discussion of NT apocalypse genre.----Discussion of NT apocalypse genre.
3.1.2.2.2. Identifying the rhetorical structure of the text
Instructions on analyzing the rhetorical structure of a scripture text.
3.2. Methods of Interpreting Texts since the Reformation and Rennaisance.
NOSB:nt:388-392; NOSB3:essays:491-505; F:98-122; ----Click icon for lecture materials.----
3.2.1. The Influence of the Reformation and Rennaisance
NOSB3:essays:488-490;----Type in the word 'Reformation' in order to retrieve a definition----Type in the word 'Rennaisance' in order to retrieve a definition----
3.2.1.1 Studying Religion in an academic setting
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3.2.2. Specific Methods of Exegesis

3.2.2.1. Historical Criticism
H:6:84-85; H4:101-102; NOSB:nt:390; NOSB3:essays:491; F:75----Discussion of Historical Criticism----Discussion of Historicial Criticism in the online Catholic Encyclopedia---Very important source of information on this methodology
3.2.2.1.1. History of the Procedure
3.2.2.1.2. Description of the Procedure
3.2.2.1.2.1. Sources for understanding the life of Jesus.
3.2.2.1.2.1.1. Outside the canonical gospels.
The so-called Christian interpolation in Josephus Antiquity of the Jews as a source of information about Jesus.----Ancient Jewish sources about Jesus----The Jewish sources described by F.F. Bruce----The Gentile sources described by F.F. Bruce----
3.2.2.1.2.1.2. The reliability of the canonical gospels.
The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? by F.F. Bruce---
3.2.2.1.3. Application of the Procedure in Doing the Analysis Paper
Applying the procedure to the temptation of Jesus pericope.----Applying the procedure to the analysis paper assignment.
3.2.2.2. Source Criticism
H:6:85-93; H4:102-110; NOSB3:essays:491-492; F:61-73
3.2.2.2.1. History of the Procedure
3.2.2.2.1.1. The Synoptic Problem
The Synoptic Problem homepage----The Synoptic Problem gateway----
3.2.2.2.1.1.1. The Nature of the Problem
The Synoptic Problem homepage
3.2.2.2.1.1.2. Possible Solutions to the Problem
William Farmer's assessment of the present state of synoptic gospel research.
3.2.2.2.1.1.2.1. The Two Document Hypothesis
Presentation of Two Source Hypothesis----The Two Document Hypothesis discussed in the Catholic Encyclopedia
3.2.2.2.1.1.2.1.1. The Issue of Q
Mark Goodacer's discussion on the questionability of Q.----The Canonical Status of Q article by Mahlon Smith from the Jesus Seminar
3.2.2.2.1.1.2.2. The Two Gospel Hypothesis
The Two Gospel Hypothesis homepage----William Farmer's arguments in favor of the Two Gospel Hypothesis
3.2.2.2.2. Description of the Procedure
3.2.2.2.3. Application of the Procedure in Doing the Analysis Paper
Applying the procedure to the temptation of Jesus pericope.----
3.2.2.3. Form Criticism
H:6:88-89; H4:106; NOSB:nt:388-389; NOSB3:essays:493-494; F:77-78;
Form Critical timeline of the stages of oral tradition.----Introduction to Form Criticism
3.2.2.3.1. History of the Procedure
3.2.2.3.2. Description of the Procedure
3.2.2.3.3. Application of the Procedure in Doing the Analysis Paper
3.2.2.4. Redaction Criticism
H:6:94-95; H4:111-114; NOSB:nt:389-390; NOSB3:essays:495-496; F:61-73, 79-80;----
Introduction to Redaction Criticism
3.2.2.4.1. History of the Procedure
3.2.2.4.2. Description of the Procedure
3.2.2.4.3. Application of the Procedure in Doing the Analysis Paper
3.2.2.5. Social Scientific Exegesis
NOSB3:essays:500-502; F94----
Socio-Rhetorical homepage----Socio-Rhetorical Hermeneutics and Commentary by Vernon K. Robbins----
3.2.2.5.1. History of the Procedure
3.2.2.5.2. Description of the Procedure
3.2.2.5.3. Application of the Procedure in Doing the Analysis Paper
3.2.2.6. Literary Criticism
H:6:94; NOSB:nt:388; NOSB3:essays:497-500; F76-77----
Introduction to Literary Criticism by Johannes C De Klerk----Literary Criticism and Gospel Criticism by Roland Frye
3.2.2.6.1. History of the Procedure
3.2.2.6.2. Description of the Procedure
3.2.2.6.3. Application of the Procedure in Doing the Analysis Paper
3.2.2.7. Narrative Criticism
H:6:95; H4:114-115; F:93
3.2.2.7.1. History of the Procedure
3.2.2.7.2. Description of the Procedure
3.2.2.7.3. Application of the Procedure in Doing the Analysis Paper
3.2.2.8. Rhetorical Criticism
F:95----
Socio-Rhetorical homepage----The Present and the Future of Rhetorical Analysis by Vernon K. Robbins.----Socio-Rhetorical Hermeneutics and Commentary by Vernon K. Robbins----Socio-Rhetorical Interpretation from its Beginnings to the Present by Vernon K. Robbins
3.2.2.8.1. History of the Procedure
3.2.2.8.2. Description of the Procedure
3.2.2.8.3. Application of the Procedure in Doing the Analysis Paper
3.2.2.9 The Temptation of Jesus: An Illustration of Exegesis
Applying the procedure to the temptation of Jesus pericope.----An interpretation by Father Jerome Murphy-O Conner
3.2.3. New Testament Theology
Type in the word theology in order to retrieve a definition
3.2.3.1. The Theology of Jesus
H:11:227-233; H4:267-273; F:98-121
3.2.3.1.1. The Centrality of the Kingdom of God
H4:267-271; F:92-93----The Kingdom of God discussed in Bakers Evangelical Dictionary-----The Kingdom of God discussed in the Catholic Encyclopedia----Concordance listing of references to Kingdom in the NT (NRSV)
3.2.3.1.2. The Wisdom of God in the Thought of Jesus
H4:271-273; F:21-23----The Wisdom of God discussed in Baker's Evangelical Dictionary-----Jesus as a teacher of wisdom by Marcus Borg----Wisdom in the Gospel of Mark: a review article----Concordance listing of references to wisdom in the NT (NRSV)
3.2.3.2. The Theology of Paul
H:16:304-306; H4:311-314; F:239-243
3.2.4. The Issue of the Historical Jesus
H:11:214-224; H4:253-267; ----The Historical Quests of Jesus introduced.----Introduction to the historical quests of Jesus by Donald Wells.----
3.2.4.1. The Origin of the Issue
3.2.4.2. The First Quest for the Historical Jesus (1800s to early 1900s)
3.2.4.2.1. Leaders in the Quest
The first historical quest of Jesus by Donald Wells: Reimarus to Schweitzer (scroll down to this section)
3.2.4.2.2. Perspectives Emerging from the Quest
F:102-104
3.2.4.2.3. Reactions to the Quest
Reactions to the first historical quest of Jesus by Donald Wells: Kahler and Bultmann (scroll down to this section)
3.2.4.3. The Second Quest for the Historical Jesus (1950s-1960s)
3.2.4.3.1. Leaders in the Quest
3.2.4.3.2. Perspectives Emerging from the Quest
3.2.4.3.3. Reactions to the Quest
3.2.4.4. The Third Quest for the Historical Jesus (Jesus Seminar, 1970s on)
F:109-110; H4:261-262----Brief introduction to the Jesus Seminar by Donald Wells (scroll down to JESUS SEMINAR)----The work of the Jesus Seminar described by Matt Andrews.-----The Jesus Seminar from a newspaper reporter's perspective.
3.2.4.4.1. Leaders in the Quest
3.2.4.4.2. Perspectives Emerging from the Quest
Guidelines followed by the Jesus Seminar in their work.
3.2.4.4.3. Reactions to the Quest
The critique of the evangelical Craig L. Blomberg of the Jesus Seminar.----Ben Witherington's critique of Tom Wright's Quest for the Historical Jesus
3.2.4.5. The Portrait of the Historical Jesus in Modern Scholarship
Sources: H:11:224-227; H4:265-267; F:113-122----The results of the historical quests of Jesus by Donald Wells (scroll down to CONCLUSIONS)----The perspective of Earl Doherty's The Jesus Puzzle: Was There No Historical Jesus?
3.2.5. A Historical Overview of the Life of Jesus
Historical Overview of the life of Jesus----Brief description of a gospel synopsis----Brief description of gospel harmonization----The Gospel Parallel URL----Click icon for lecture materials.-----
3.2.5.1. Background and Preparation for Ministry
Historical Overview of the life of Jesus----Click icon for lecture materials.-----
3.2.5.2. Beginning of Public Ministry
Historical Overview of the life of Jesus----The ministry of John the Baptizer in the Gospel Parallel URL----Click icon for lecture materials.-----
3.2.5.3. The Galilean Ministry
Historical Overview of the life of Jesus----Click icon for lecture materials.-----
3.2.5.4. The Later Judean-Perean Ministry
Historical Overview of the life of Jesus----Click icon for lecture materials.-----
3.2.5.5. The Final Week and Crucifixion (Passio Christi)
Historical Overview of the life of Jesus----Click icon for lecture materials.-----
3.2.5.6. Resurrection and Appearances
Historical Overview of the life of Jesus----Click icon for lecture materials.-----

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