English 116B: Literature of the New Testament 

Winter quarter, 1999
University of California, Santa Barbara


The image is from a mosaic from the early Christian necropolis beneath St. Peter's Basilica, near the presumed burial site of Peter.  It depicts the Christ as "Sol invictus," the unconquered Sun, in analogy to Apollo as sun god. 

Schedule of reading for lectures:
 
 

Thursday, January 7: Introduction to the New Testament: introduction of Book of Q. Collateral reading: Ehrman [blue], chapter 1.

Tuesday, January 12: The Book of Q [in reader]. Collateral reading: Ehrman [blue], chapter 6, "The synoptic problem."

Thursday, January 14: Gospel of Thomas (Ehrman red, pp. 116-123); collateral reading: Ehrman [blue], chapter 11, pp 161-170; chapter 12, especially, pp. 177-81.

Tuesday, January 19: 1 Corinthians; collateral reading: Ehrman [blue], chapter 19, pp. 271-280.

Thursday, January 21: Gospel of Mark: Ch. 1 to ch. 10; James Robinson, "The Gospels as Narratives" (in reader). Collateral reading: Ehrman [blue], chapter 5.

Tuesday, January 26: Mark: ch. 10 to ch. 14; "Secret Mark" (Ehrman red, pp. 131-32; Werner Kelber, "Narrative and Disclosure" (in reader).

Thursday, January 28: Mark: ch. 15-16:8. Werner Kelber, "Narrative as Interpretation and Interpretation of Narrative" (in reader).

Tuesday, February 2: Gospel of Matthew: ch. 1 to ch. 11. "Gospel of the Ebionites," Ehrman red, pp. 135-136. Collateral reading, Ehrman [blue], chapter 7.

Thursday, February 4: Matthew: ch. 12 to ch. 20.

Tuesday, February 9: Matthew: ch. 12 to ch. 20; "Gospel of Peter," Ehrman red, pp. 124-126.

Thursday, February 11: midterm exam.

Tuesday February 16: Gospel of Luke: ch. 1 to ch 7. Collateral reading, Ehrman [blue], chapter 7.

Thursday, February 18: Luke: ch. 8 to ch. 18:30.

Tuesday February 23: Luke: ch. 18:31 to ch. 24.

Thursday February 25: Acts of the Apostles, ch. 1 to ch. 12. Collateral reading: Ehrman [blue], chapter 9.

Tuesday, March 2: Acts, ch. 13 to ch. 20; Letter of Paul to the Galatians. Collateral reading: Ehrman [blue], chapter 17; chapter 19, pp. 285-92.

Thursday, March 4: Acts, ch. 21-28. Collateral reading: Ehrman, chapter 25.

Tuesday, March 9: Gospel of John: ch. 1 to ch. 10:39. Collateral reading, Ehrman [blue], chapter 10.

Thursday, March 11: John: ch. 10:40 to ch. 17.

Tuesday, March 16: John: ch. 18 to ch. 21.

Thursday, March 18: Concluding class

Final examination: Tuesday, March 23, from 8 a.m. to 11. There will be no alternative final examination scheduled.