RST 15 Introduction to the New Testament

This course provides an introduction to the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) as it developed within first and second century Middle East: the four canonical gospels, the texts attributed to St. Paul and other members of the early Christian community, as well as the Book of Revelation. It emphasizes a wide range of traditional (historical-critical, literary, textual, etc.) and contemporary (cultural, contextual, liberation, feminist, gender theory, etc.) critical methodologies and approaches. It provides an awareness of the global influence of these scriptures, especially on social justice traditions. GS-VA1