1 Jesus and the Gospels Religion 312 Dr. Kathleen E.

Corley Fall 2013 Office: Swart 308 Email: corley@uwosh.edu Phone: 424-7383 Office Hours: TBA Texts: Kathleen E. Corley, Women and the Historical Jesus: Feminist Myths of Christian Origins (Santa Rosa: Polebridge Press, 2002). John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1991). Robert Funk, et al., The Parables of Jesus. Red Letter Edition (Polebridge Press, 1988). Robert Miller, ed., The Apocalyptic Jesus: A Debate (Santa Rosa: Polebridge Press, 2001). Robert Miller, ed., The Complete Gospels. Annotated Scholars Version (Polebridge Press, 2010). W. Barnes Tatum, In Quest of Jesus. A Guidebook (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1999). On Reserve: Robert Funk and the Jesus Seminar, The Five Gospels: What Did Jesus Really Say? (New York: Polebridge Press and Scribner, 1993). Robert Funk and the Jesus Seminar, The Acts of Jesus: What Did Jesus Really Do? (San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1998). Rodolphe Kasser, Marvin Meyer and Gregor Wurst, The Gospel of Judas (Washington DC: The National Geographic Society, 2006).

Objectives: 1) To introduce the student to the "Quest" for the historical Jesus, its major figures and phases. 2) To give the student knowledge of the basic sources for the life and teachings of Jesus. 3) To give the student knowledge of the person of Jesus as he is portrayed in the four canonical gospels and other early sources.

2 4) To introduce the student to new and continuing issues in the reconstruction of the life and teachings of Jesus. 5) To introduce the student to current methods of rating the authenticity of the Jesus traditions. Course requirements: 1) Complete in-class writing assignments every week. Topic will be based on the readings for that day and weekly discussion questions. 2) Prepare a position paper on one narrative, parable, saying or deed of Jesus. Goal of your work: to determine the relative historical reliability of the tradition in question and give assessment of its rating according to the Jesus Seminar colors (Red, Pink, Grey, Black). 15 pages double spaced, typed. 3) Present and defend your paper in a class-run "Jesus Seminar." 4) Write a book review of Robert Miller, ed. The Apocalyptic Jesus. 5) Grades will be figured accordingly: Finished Paper Presentations Weekly writings Book Review Class Schedule: 30% 20% 30% 20%

Week 1

Course introduction Who Was Jesus? Introduction to the Synoptic Problem Video: From Jesus to Christ, part 1 A History of the Quest for the Historical Jesus Read: Tatum, Introduction, ch. 5 Crossan, Prologue

Week 2

Discussion questions: 1) What is the historical problem of discovering who Jesus was? 2) What is the "Quest for the Historical Jesus? The "New Quest?" 3) What is the "Jesus Seminar?" What is their approach to discovering who Jesus was, what he said and what he did? 4) What are the hints to Crossan's approach in light of his prologue? The Canonical Portraits of Jesus: Mark

3 Read: Tatum, ch. 3 Gospel of Mark (in Miller) 5) Why do many scholars assume the "priority of Mark?" If Mark was your only source for Jesus' life and teaching, how would you characterize them? Week 3 The Canonical Portraits of Jesus Video: From Jesus to Christ, part 3 Luke and Matthew Read: Tatum, ch. 2 Miller, 55-58; 115-117 Luke 4, 6-8, 14-15 Matthew 5-7; 18-19, 22 The Gospel of John Miller, 195-198 John (passim)

Discussion questions: 1) Compare and contrast the four canonical portrayals of Jesus' person, ministry and teaching. 2) What are the major methods and sources used by scholars to discover the "historical Jesus"? 3) If you only had Luke, how would you characterize the ministry of Jesus? Only Mathew? 4) What are the major differences between the Johannine Jesus and the Synoptic Jesus? Compare in particular the order of events, special stories (Samaritan Woman, ch. 4; Raising of Lazarus, ch. 11) and the method of Jesus' teaching. 5) What is the point of John's prologue? According to John, where did Jesus come from? What is his true nature? (Jn. 1:1-18) 6) Why do you think most scholars do not believe the bulk of John's gospel is historically reliable?

Week 4 Historical Reconstruction What Did Jesus Do? Miracles and Virgin Birth Tatum, chs. 7 and 12 Crossan, chs. 8 and 13 Miller, Signs Gospel Mark 1:21-2:12 Luke 1-2; Matthew 1:18-2:23

Library Tour Be thinking of topics for your papers Discussion questions: 1) What are the historical problems surrounding stories involving supernatural intervention in the gospels? Why would scholars be skeptical about the historical nature of these stories? 2) Apart from historical concerns, what is the theological meaning behind these supernatural stories as portrayed in the gospels? By relating them, what were the evangelists intending to say about the nature of Jesus?

Week 6

Passion and Resurrection Crossan, ch. 14 and 15 Corley, ch. 5 Tatum, ch. 13 Mark 14-16 John 18-20

Discussion Questions: 1)How do John and Mark's accounts of the Passion and Resurrection differ? 2)According to Mark and John, why was Jesus crucified? What does the crucifixion mean to these two authors? What does the resurrection mean? 3)What does the resurrection mean to Crossan? 4) What is the historical evidence for the empty tomb? Can these stories be considered historical? Week 7 The Classic Jesus Zefferelli's "Jesus of Nazareth"

Discussion questions: 1) How well does Zefferelli's movie adhere to the gospel accounts of Jesus' life? 2) How does Jesus understand his own mission in this movie? 3) How does Zefferelli tie the Zealot movement into the story? 4) What is the appeal of this classic presentation of Jesus' life and ministry? Why do you think many people do not want to give it up?

Week 8

What Was Jesus' Mission? Was Jesus as Social Reformer? Prophet? Sage? Feminist? Peasant Revolutionary? Tatum, ch. 6 Crossan, chs. 7 and 12

5 Corley, chs. 1-2, pp. 53-62; Introduction and Conclusion Luke 15:8-9; Luke 18:2-8; Matt 13:3/Luke 13:20-21; Thomas 96 and 97 ` Discussion Questions: 1)How does Crossan describe Jesus' mission? What did Jesus come to accomplish, according to Crossan? How would you describe Crossan's general approach? Presuppositions about the gospel materials themselves? 2) How have other scholars (described in Tatum) characterized Jesus' ministry? 3) What was the focus of Jesus ministry according to Corley? How is her reconstruction different than that of Crossan and others? 4) How are women portrayed in the parables of Jesus? Does this portrayal suggest Jesus had a major critique of gender roles in his culture?

Week 9

Historical Reconstruction What Did Jesus Say? Jesus in Q Miller, 248-300 Corley, ch. 4 Crossan, Overture Parables The Jesus Seminar Tatum, ch. 11 Funk, red and pink parables (1-21) Funk, gray and black parables (22-33) Funk, 77-91

Discussion questions: 1)If all the information about Jesus you had was from Q, how would you characterize his person, ministry and preaching? 2) How dependent on "Q" is Crossan's reconstructed "Gospel of Jesus?" 3) How are women portrayed in Q? 4) Consider at least three parables in Funk's book, including ones voted either red/pink and black/gray. If one used only red or pink parables to determine Jesus' teaching, how would you describe it? 5) What are the major distinctions between those parables voted red/pink vs. gray/black?

Week 10

Did Jesus proclaim a coming "Kingdom?" Tatum, ch. 9 Crossan, ch. 12 Funk, Parables 1, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21

6 Miller, Apocalyptic Jesus: A Debate review due

Discussion questions: 1)If Jesus preached about a "Kingdom of God/Heaven," what was the nature of this "kingdom?" Was it an apocalyptic idea or not? How would one define this "kingdom" according to the earliest parables? 2) Why do you think many scholars are uncomfortable with the notion that Jesus preached about and apocalyptic kingdom? 3) Did Jesus have an apocalyptic message, or was he a kind of non-apocalyptic sage? What is the evidence for both reconstructions?

Week 11

The "Son of Man" Sayings Tatum, ch. 8 Crossan, ch. 11 Daniel 7 Mark 13 Jesus and Ethics: The Sermon on the Mount Jesus as "Cynic" Tatum, ch. 10 Crossan, ch. 4 and Epilogue Matthew 5-7

Discussion questions: 1) Did Jesus preach about the coming of a "Son of Man?" What are the problems surrounding the historical development of the sayings about a "Son of Man?" 2)How would you define Jesus' view of the Mosiac Law in the Sermon on the Mount over against other Jewish views of the law during the first century? Is Jesus in continuity with his Jewish tradition, or does he break with it? 3)How would your define Crossan's view that Jesus was a Cynic with a counter-cultural ethic? Week 12 Jesus Outside the Canon: Introduction to Gnosticism The Gospel of Thomas Miller, Gospel of Thomas Funk, xvii-xx The Gospel of Judas (On Reserve) Discussion questions:

7 1) Read the Introduction to the Gospel of Thomas and the gospel itself. Why has this gospel been called "gnostic"? What is the relationship of Thomas to the canonical gospels, particularly the Synoptics? 2) Consider the Gospel of Thomas, Dialogue of the Savior and the Gospel of Mary. In light of these sources, how would you characterize the position of women in Gnostic forms of Christianity? 3) Compare the Passion and Resurrection accounts in the Gospel of Peter to the ones found in the canonical gospels. Several scholars believe that the accounts in the Gospel of Peter pre-date the canonical ones. Do you agree? Disagree? Why? 4)Do you recognize the basic story in the Secret Gospel of Mark? Why do you think this story might have been deleted from canonical Mark? 5) Why is the Gospel of Judas considered a Gnostiuc gospel?

Week 13 Week 14

Jesus Seminar Jesus Seminar Final Papers due in Corley Office Swart 308 NO LATE PAPERS ACCEPTED