New Testament Sem: Gospels

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course explores how the gospel writers of the New Testament crafted unique portrayals of Jesus according to their own purposes and historical circumstances. Through close reading, we will analyze the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John on their own terms and explore their interrelationships. By paying careful attention to the narrators, settings, characters, and central plot lines, we will discover how each gospel tells the story of Jesus in similar and different ways. Additionally, we will investigate how the authors of Matthew and Luke integrated the stories of Jesus they had received into their own narratives. How did they reshape their source material? Can we determine what may have motivated their editorial activity? Why does the Gospel of John look so different from the other three? As we consider these questions, we will ask what each story of Jesus may reveal about its author and intended readers. Along the way, you will gain familiarity with a variety of methods used in the academic study of the Bible, from traditional methods to more recent and interdisciplinary approaches, such as feminist criticism and disability studies. Although the course focuses on interpreting the Gospels within their original contexts, we will also consider interpretation of the Gospels in light of contemporary concerns.