NT 618/718 EXEGESIS OF JAMES AND JUDE ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY FALL QUARTER 2012 DR. DAVID A.

DESILVA WEEKEND COLLOQUIUM, COLUMBUS CENTER October 5-6; November 2-3; November 30-December 1 Important Note: Preparation in advance of the first weekend is required!

Office Hours: F 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Phone: (419) 289-5933 E-mail: ddesilva@ashland.edu

I. Course Description This course offers an in-depth introduction to the two New Testament writings purporting to come from the hands of Jesus own half-brothers, James and Jude. The course explores the place of these figures in the family of Jesus and the story of the growth of the Jesus movement, the arguments for and against the authenticity of these texts, the biblical and extra-biblical resources that were formative for the authors theology and ethics, and the exegesis of the letters themselves.

II. Relationship to Curriculum Model While the Letters of James and Jude may not foreground issues of belonging to Christ or the disciples core identity as a Christ-follower, these texts are certainly important resources for reflection on the formation of Christian character and the honorable and effective execution of the calling of a Christian leader, who is responsible not only for his or her own formation as a disciple but also for the formation of a community of disciples reflective of a particular character and committed to particular practices. As an exegetical course, this course also provides opportunity for growth in a number of core competencies related to biblical exegesis, reflection, and application in new ministry contexts.

III. Student Learning Outcomes 1. Core Identity rooted in Christ, as the source from which life and ministry flow.

Students will reflect upon the contributions that Jude (more particularly) and James make to our understanding of being in Christ and being in relationship with God through Christ. 2. Character that reflects maturity in Christ. Students will reflect upon the virtuous attitudes, aims, and practices nurtured by James and Jude as essential qualities of the follower of Jesus, friend of God, and practitioner of genuine religion. 3. Calling that is foundational for servant leadership in the church, community and world. Students will reflect upon the qualities, practices, and challenges of genuine leaders in the Christian community as exemplified by James and Jude and as reflected in their letters (whether through positive instruction and example, or through consideration of negative examples). Competence in the disciplines and skills relevant to Christian ministry: 4. Understand the content and major themes of Scripture. Students will study closely the content and contributions made by James and Jude, members of Jesus own family and pillars of the early Christian movement, and explore the connections of the same with other teachings across the canon of Scripture (particularly the Jewish wisdom and prophetic traditions and the teachings of Jesus). 5. Demonstrate proficiency in biblical exegesis and theological reflection Students will grow in facility in the practices of exegesis (particularly attending to the contributions of the study of intertexture, rhetoric, sociology, and ideology) and in addressing significant theological questions (particularly the relationship of faith and works in Christian discipleship and soteriology). 6. Integrate biblical, historical, and theological reflection with the practice of ministry. Students will demonstrate an ability to integrate what they are learning about the meaning and challenge of these texts, and the theological developments that ensue, into their ministry practice. 8. Analyze cultural contexts and make appropriate application to ministry. Students will reflect upon the recontextualization of James and Jude in a variety of social locations, with a view to hearing more of, and appropriating more fully, the challenge of these texts to their own settings of life and ministry. 9. Express a commitment to social justice.

Students will explore and reflect on how to appropriate Jamess passion for the proper welcome of, care for, and advocacy for the poor and less empowered, particularly in situations of oppression.

IV. Teaching Strategies for Student Learning This course will make use of lecture/presentation (more so during the first weekend), class discussion, students written reflections (journals), and student research and writing.

V. Course Requirements A. Textbooks and Other Readings 1. Luke T. Johnson, The Letter of James. Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995. ISBN-10: 030013990X; ISBN-13: 978-0300139907. 2. David A. deSilva, The Jewish Teachers of Jesus, James, and Jude: What Earliest Christianity Learned from the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. ISBN-10: 0195329007; ISBN-13: 978-0195329001. 3. Recommended second commentary: Scot McKnight, The Letter of James. New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011. ISBN-10: 080282627X; ISBN-13: 978-0802826275. Students will also need access to the following: 4. The Letters of James & Jude in three modern translations (e.g., NRSV, NIV, and CEB). These are available online at www.biblegateway.com, or through a variety of Bible software programs. 5. Select Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, including the Wisdom of Ben Sira, 1 Enoch, Testament of Simeon, and Testament of Job. Wisdom of Ben Sira is available in multiple versions at www.biblegateway.com. Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs (and thus Testament of Simeon ) can be found at http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/patriarchs-charles.html. Testament of Job can be found at http://www.scribd.com/doc/1251114/Testament-of-Job-Revised-English or http://wesley.nnu.edu/sermons-essays-books/noncanonical-literature/noncanonical-literatureot-pseudepigrapha/testament-of-job/ . 1 Enoch is available at http://wesley.nnu.edu/sermonsessays-books/noncanonical-literature/noncanonical-literature-ot-pseudepigrapha/book-ofenoch/ .

6. Richard Bauckham, Jude and the Relatives of Jesus in the Early Church (London and New York: T. & T. Clark, 1990), pp. 134-178 ("The Letter of Jude: A Survey of Research"). 7. Cristina Conti, James, in Daniel Patte (ed.), The Global Bible Commentary (Nashville: Abingon, 2004), 539-544. 8. Gay L. Byron, James, in Brian Blount (gen. ed.), True to Our Native Land: An AfricanAmerican New Testament Commentary (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007), 461-475. 9. Larry George, Jude, in Brian Blount (gen. ed.), True to Our Native Land: An AfricanAmerican New Testament Commentary (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007), 518-522.

B. Attendance According to the student handbook, attendance at all class sessions is expected unless the professor has been notified in advance. Any student missing the equivalent of six class hours will be required to do additional work, receive a lower grade or withdraw from the class; this is at the discretion of the professor. This policy also includes tardiness. C. Assignments/Assessment of Student Learning Note: Students must place their student mailbox number on the cover page on all papers. Students without a mailbox: provide the professor with a self-addressed stamped envelope. 1. Exegetical Notebook Each week, students will prepare a section of an exegetical notebook, to include the following elements: a. (NT 718 only) your own translation and grammatical analysis of the assigned portion of the Greek text of Jude or James b. an analysis of the ESV/NRSV, NIV, and CEB/NLT translations. NT 618 students will, of course, be working on the basis of their own observations of the English and the information they find in the course readings on the meaning of the Greek; NT 718 students will add to this basis their own firsthand engagement with the Greek text. The analysis should (i.) seek to explain variances between translations where these are based on different understandings of the grammar, resolutions of ambiguities, or lexical choices; (ii.) raise questions about the decisions made by the translators where appropriate. c. a list of exegetical issues that are important for the understanding of the passage. This may include (i.) issues of ambiguity in the Greek (whether in terms of how to understand a particular word or construe a particular grammatical/syntactical construction); (ii.) questions about context, meaning, reference, or logical flow; (iii.)

issues identified in the history of interpretation needing resolution. Again, the course readings will be particularly important here. d. data and/or arguments relevant to the resolution of the same. e. reflections on how the passage (and its proper interpretation) contributes to our reflection on our core identity in Christ, the character of the well-formed disciple and community of disciples, and our calling both as disciples and as persons called into specialized ministries. These components will amount to the compilation of an exegetical notebook (this may be kept electronically, rather than in a print journal), which will be an important touchstone for discussion in class and, it is hoped, for your ongoing engagement with, and use of, James and Jude in your ministry context. It will be submitted to the instructor at the end of class. If you keep this in a handwritten format, submit a copy, and NOT the original. It will also be the basis for much of our in-class engagement together. 2. Exegesis Paper In order to allow students to delve more deeply into a portion of the epistle, each student will write an exegesis paper of ten-to-twelve pages on a discrete unit of the text (between five and eight verses, as a general rule). The ATS Model of Exegesis should be taken as the document providing the guidelines for research and reflection on the passage; additional material on method will be presented in the course of the lectures and our analysis of each passage, and additional guidelines distributed in class. Students enrolled in NT 718 will include their own translation of the passage, with notes explaining grammatical, lexical, and syntactical decisions where relevant (some of which will, obviously, need to be developed at greater length in the body of the paper). All students will interact critically (both appreciatively and correctively) with existing translations throughout their analysis. Students must interact meaningfully with at least three critical commentaries (that is, commentaries of the caliber and genre of Luke Johnson and Scot McKnights commentaries) and three additional academic resources (e.g., journal articles or academic books on particular issues relevant to the passage from James or Jude). 3. Key Observations For the second and the third weekends, each student will prepare a brief report (a few paragraphs) on the most salient observation they have made in the course of their study of the material for that weekend, setting forth the observation, marshaling the data and argumentation pertinent to establishing the observation, explaining the significance of the observation for understanding the meaning of James or Jude (or a particular passage). In a second half (another few paragraphs), the student will reflect on the impact of this observation for our understanding of Christian identity, vocation, ethics,

spiritual formation, and/or community formation. We will make an opportunity for each student to present this material in the context of our discussion of the relevant passage. This assignment will help us contribute our best to each others reflection on issues pertinent to core identity in Christ, character, calling, and other facets of Christian formation. You might think of this exercise as resulting in a pool of (shared) resources for future devotionals, sermons, and the like. Assignments Reading Journal Exegesis Paper Key Observations (2) Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 1, 2, 3 (particularly) Percent of Final Grade 40% 50% 10%

VI. Tentative Class Schedule Weekend One: Introduction and Overview Topics: James and Jude in the Family of Jesus and the Early Church Introduction to the Letters of James and Jude The Intertextural Worlds of James and Jude Key Themes in the Letters of James and Jude Readings: The Letters of James and Jude in two translations (ESV or NRSV + NIV or CEB or NLT) Johnson, James, 1-164 deSilva, Jewish Teachers, 31-57 Weekend Two: The Letter of Jude; James 1-2 Readings: Johnson, James, 165-252 deSilva, Jewish Teachers, 58-85, 101-140 deSilva, Jude, from John Painter and David deSilva, James and Jude (Paideia Commentaries; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012). Bauckham, Jude and the Relatives of Jesus in the Early Church, 134-178. Larry George, Jude, in Brian Blount (gen. ed.), True to Our Native Land, 518-522. Weekend Three: James 3-5 Readings: Johnson, James, 253-347 deSilva, Jewish Teachers, 175-251

Cristina Conti, James, pp. 539-544 in Patte, The Global Bible Commentary Gay L. Byron, James, in Brian Blount (gen. ed.), True to Our Native Land, 461-475. ALL WRITTEN WORK WILL BE DUE BY 9 A.M. ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2012. NO LATE WORK WILL
BE ACCEPTED APART FROM SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION FOR AN INCOMPLETE OR EXTENSION BEFORE THE DUE DATE.

VII. Suggestions for Lifelong learning 1. Bookmark and visit frequently sites that provide access to extracanonical literature of great value for understanding the historical, social, cultural, theological, and ethical contexts of early Christian literature. Two excellent gateways are: The Wesley Center Online: Noncanonical Literature http://wesley.nnu.edu/sermons-essays-books/noncanonical-literature/ Early Jewish Writings http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/ 2. Read a variety of commentaries on James and Jude from across the centuries to understand its interpretation and impact within the Christian church in many different settings and periods. Some resources include Gerald Bray (ed.), James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament XI; Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2000), 1-64, 245260; John Calvins commentaries on James and Jude. The bibliographies listed under section IX provide many additional suggestions from different periods in the history of the church. 3. Teach an adult Bible study class or preach through James and Jude, using two different critical commentaries as resources along the way, preferably from different viewpoints concerning authorship and location in the emerging history of the early Christian movement (for example, Dan McCartney or Scot McKnights commentaries in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament and the New International Commentary on the New Testament series, on the one hand, and Martin Dibelius and Heinrich Greevens commentary in the Hermeneia series on the other), together with the resources you mastered in this class. Engage the critical issues of introduction and interpretation more thoroughly in light of the divergent positions taken in these commentaries and in light of your own ongoing observations in/on the text.

VIII. Seminary Guidelines A. ATS Academic Integrity Policy Ashland Theological Seminary seeks to model servant leadership derived from biblical standards of honesty and integrity. We desire to encourage, develop, and sustain men and

women of character who will exemplify these biblical qualities in their ministry to the church and the world. As members of the seminary community, students are expected to hold themselves to the highest standards of academic, personal, and social integrity. All students, therefore, are expected to abide by the academic integrity standards outlined in the Student Handbook. B. Academic Support Services If you need assistance with writing projects for your coursework, contact the ATS Academic Support Center. The center provides free sessions with a peer consultant who can help you with all of your concerns about academic support including writing, critical thinking, documentation, reading skills, study skills, test taking skills, time management. Contact the center if you have a question about how to complete your assignment, if you have documentation questions, or if you would like to have your paper evaluated for areas needing improvement. The ATS Academic Support Center can be reached at 419-289-5162 or by e-mail at atswc@ashland.edu. C. Students with Disabilities For students who have specific physical, psychiatric or learning disabilities and require accommodations, please let the professor know at least a week prior to the first day of class so that your learning needs can be appropriately met. In order to receive accommodations, documentation concerning your disability must be on file with Classroom Support Services, 105 Amstutz Hall, Ashland University, 419-289-5953. Please contact them with any questions you may have. D. ATS Grading Scale Grade Percent Description A 97-100 Superior achievement of course objectives, diligence and originality, high degree of freedom from error, outstanding evidence of ability to utilize course knowledge, initiative expressed in preparing and completing assignments, positive contributions verbalized in class. A92-96 B+ 89-91 B 86-88 Good work submitted, commendable achievement of course objectives, some aspects of the course met with excellence, substantial evidence of ability to utilize course material, positive contributions verbalized in class, consistency and thoroughness of work completed. B83-85 C+ 80-82 C 77-79 Acceptable work completed, satisfactory achievement of course objectives, demonstrating at least some ability to utilize course knowledge, satisfactory class contribution.

CD+ D

74-76 71-73 68-70

Passing but minimal work, marginal achievement of course objectives, poor performance in comprehension of work submitted, inadequate class contributions. Unacceptable work resulting in failure to receive class credit, inadequacy of work submitted or of performance and attendance in class.

DF

65-67 Below 65

IX. Course Bibliography Up-to-date bibliographies on the Letter of James can be found in Scot McKnight, The Letter of James (NICNT; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2011) and Dan McCartney, James (BECNT; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010). Still useful, and not too dated, is the extensive bibliography in Luke T. Johnson, The Letter of James (Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries; New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995).