Module THEO3961: Comparing Gospels

Department: Theology and Religion

THEO3961: Comparing Gospels

Prerequisites

• At least one biblical studies module at Levels 1 and/or 2.

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• Detailed understanding of the texts of TWO canonical gospels and associated literary, historical, and theological issues.
• Awareness of distinctive characteristics of each text, arising from close comparative work.
• Development of exegetical skills.
• Engagement with select moments in the history of gospel reception in several media including art.

Content

• This module builds on knowledge and skills acquired through the Level 1 Introduction to the Bible module. The focus on two canonical gospels aims not just to set them alongside each other but to show how the understanding of one text can be enhanced by comparison with the other. The four canonical gospels allow for six different pairings, providing flexibility from one year to the next, and there may be some variation in the extent to which comparison is prioritised. The approach to the selected gospels will not neglect standard historical issues but will focus primarily on the evangelists’ perspectives on the traditions they inherit. Attention may also be paid to subsequent reception of the texts, above all in the creation and promulgation of the church’s fourfold gospel but also in early Christian art, homiletics, and theology.

Learning Outcomes

• Thorough knowledge of key early Christian texts and literary, historical, and theological issues associated with them.
• Increased understanding of contexts in which these texts originated and circulated.

• Ability to engage with a gospel text as an act of communication between an evangelist and reading communities.
• Ability to draw both connections and contrasts between texts.
• Ability to reckon with interpretative diversity as integral to the reception of canonical literature.

• Critical reflection on the process of interpretation.
• Skills in careful, active, and engaged reading of texts.
• Increased awareness of how texts can both shape and be shaped by wider contexts.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The module will feature both lecture and seminar style teaching. Lecture elements introduce key texts and themes, convey information, and exemplify an approach to the material. Seminar elements foster close critical reading of selected texts, and skills in dialogue and debate.
• Formative presentations at seminars allow students to articulate their ideas and refine them through discussion and subsequent feedback. This encourages student involvement in their own project, and fosters supportive collaborative endeavour.
• Summative written work assesses subject-specific knowledge, skills, and understanding, along with skills in the acquisition of information through reading and research, and in the structured presentation of information in written form.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

■ Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.