This course will carry out a detailed analysis of the content and the theological meaning of the primary texts of the Church — i.e., the New Testament. The New Testament is the record of the definitive historical intervention of God in human history and the subsequent continuation of this incarnation by means of the Church.

This course will have four major emphases. The first area of study will examine the historical record of Jesus’ life through the three Synoptic Gospels, which will be supplemented by the theological analysis provided by the Gospel of John. The second area will be a study of the life of the early Church (Acts of the Apostles), which will examine the structures and self-understanding of the early Church as well as its fundamental grasp of the nature and work of Christ. The third area of study will be an examination of the epistles, especially their contribution to the development of Christology, soteriology, and ecclesiology. The final area will be on the apocalyptic book, Revelation, and its meaning for the Church. Through this course, the student will become familiar with the texts and theology of the New Testament, basic interpretations of key Biblical ideas, and their interrelationship.