Historical and Critical Introduction to the Early
Christian Literature I: The New Testament
(KRBcB17)
Juraj Franek (j.franek@mail.muni.cz)
Basic information
• Attendance is not required, yet highly recommended
• Reading materials will be available in the IS (section “study materials”)
• Credit test (20 questions, multiple choice, 4 answers)
• Correct answer = 1 point; Incorrect answer = 0 points; No answer = 0 points
• Pass mark = 14 points, i.e. 70%
• Scope of the test: Lectures + reading materials
• There will be at the minimum 5 dates for the test during the examination period
• The number of dates is final
• In case I am not sure about anything, I contact the teacher (mail, consultation hours)
Mock test-question I
• Who was the prefect of the Roman province of Judea during the time of
Jesus’ death?
• (a) Herodes Antipas
• (b) John the Baptist
• (c) Pontius Pilate
• (d) Tiberius
Mock test-question II
• Which canonical gospel has considerably low Christology?
• (a) Nicodemus
• (b) Thomas
• (c) John
• (d) Mark
Themes of specific lectures
• 1. Earliest Christianity in context: Jews and Pagans in the First Century CE
• 2. The Gospel according to Mark: Suffering Son of God
• 3. The Gospel according to Matthew: Jewish Messiah
• 4. The Gospel according to Luke and the Acts: Saviour of the World and his followers
• 5. The Gospel according to John and Johannine Epistles: A Man sent from Heaven
• 6. The Quest for Historical Jesus: From Renan to Modern times
• 7. Paul as a missionary and pastor: 1 Thessalonians, Philemon and 1 & 2 Corinthians
• 8. Paul as a Jewish theologian: Galatians and Romans
• 9. The Deutero-Pauline & Pastoral Epistles
• 10. The Revelation of John: Christianity and Apocalypticism
Bibliography
• Coogan, Michael D. (ed.) (2010). The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Ehrman, Bart D. (2012). The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Martin, B. Dale (2012). New Testament History and Literature. New Haven - London: Yale University Press.
• Harvey, Anthony E. (2004). A Companion to the New Testament: Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Harvey, Susan A. - Hunter, David G. (eds.) (2008). The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Freeman, Charles (2009). A New History of Early Christianity. New Haven - London: Yale University Press.
• Ehrman, Bart D. (2014). How Jesus Became God. The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee. New York: Harper Collins.
• Dunn, James D. G. (ed.) (2003). The Cambridge Companion to St. Paul. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Schnelle, Udo (2003). Paulus: Leben und Denken. Berlin – New York: Walter de Gruyter.
• Barton, Stephen C. (ed.) (2006). The Cambridge Companion to the Gospels. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.