Level:
MA
Credits: 30
Weekly: 2hours of lectures and seminars
Taught in: Semester 1
To contact: Daniel.Langton@man.ac.uk
0161 275 8592 (internal ext. 58592)
Room WLG16
Office hours: Mon 11-12pm, Fri 1-2pm
COURSE AIMS
To explore Jewish approaches to Jesus and the apostle Paul, concentrating on
the modern period, and to place them in the wider context of the study of Jewish-Christian
relations.
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES
On successful completion of this course, you will:
1. Be familiar with a diversity of Jewish views of Jesus and Paul, and have
identified the key areas of debate.
2. Understand the variety of motivations represented in Jewish treatments, and
be able to contextualise these treatments in the appropriate historical, social
and intellectual milieux.
3. Be able to relate (modern) Jewish studies of Jesus and Paul to that of mainstream
(often Christian) New Testament scholarship, and to identify the influences
of one upon the other.
4. Have studied in depth one major topic or figure related to Jewish approaches
to Jesus and Paul.
5. Have considered theoretical issues such as: the legitimacy of talking about
'a Jewish approach' in general; the dynamics involved when a member of one particular
faith community approaches another; and the extent to which an exploration of
Jewish identity is possible via the study of Jewish writings on Christianity.
COURSE ASSESSMENT (SUMMARY)
1 summatively assessed essay of 6000-8000 words (100%).
The topic should be chosen in consultation with Dr Langton. The content will
relate directly to one or more of the course learning outcomes. Dr Langton will
provide formative feedback on a draft version of the essay handed in 3-4 weeks
before the deadline for the summative assessed essay.
COURSE DEADLINES
Essay: 15 May 2002
WORK AND ATTENDANCE
You will be expected to attend all lectures and seminars and to participate
fully in discussions. It is expected that reading set in advance will be done
as preparation for the seminars. The Department's regular work and attendance
regulations apply.
FINAL ASSESSMENT
One essay of 6000-8000 words. See above, under 'Course Assessment'. Students
should refer to the departmental guidelines for essay presentation. Marks will
be deducted for poor presentation and penalties will apply to essays handed
in late without medical or other evidence. Two copies should be handed into
the office (WG14) by the deadline date, and a receipt obtained.
COURSE PROGRAMME
The course will consist of a mixture of lectures and seminars totalling three
hours per week. It will outline Jewish traditional and modern attempts to make
sense of Jesus and Paul. The study of primary texts will focus on a selection
of modern Jewish writings about these figures. The course will explore the writers'
backgrounds and socio-religious agenda and will contextualise their works in
terms of Jewish approaches to Christianity and to the development of Jewish-Christian
relations in general. Questions that the course will consider include: Is there
such a thing as a 'Jewish' approach to Jesus or Paul? Can Jewish writings on
the New Testament be used to explore Jewish identity? Why has there been so
much more Jewish interest in Jesus than in Paul until relatively recently? What
are the psychological, social, historical and religious hurdles for a Jew studying
'the foundation stone of Christianity' and/or 'the Apostle to the Gentiles'.
How have mainstream New Testament scholars regarded such Jewish studies?
Introduction
30 Jan 1. Introduction.
Theory and method
Topics: Perceptions of why Jewish scholars study the NT, of what Jews in general
think about the NT and Christianity. Relevance of subject with regard to Jewish-Christian
relations, and modern Jewish identity.
Part One - Jewish Approaches to Jesus
6 Feb 2. Overview of Jewish
Approaches to Jesus
Topics: Why are Jews interested in Jesus? Emancipation. Reform Judaism. Christian
critique and Judaism.
13 Feb 3. Gospel scholarship
and Jewish writers on Jesus I
Topics: Quest for Historical Jesus. Anti-Judaism in the Gospels.
Writers: Graetz and Geiger
20 Feb 4. Gospel scholarship
and Jewish writers on Jesus II
Topics: Use of Gospel criticism. Anti-Semitic scholarship.
Writers: Montefiore, Abrahams, Klausner
27 Feb 5. Modern Jewish-Christian
Relations
Topics: Interfaith Dialogue. Recent views on Jesus.
Writers: Buber, Sandmel, Ben-Chorin
6 Mar 6. Conclusions
Topics: Surveys of Jewish writers. Is there 'a Jewish approach'? Is there a
Jewish reclamation of Jesus? Jewish identity and intra-Jewish debate.
Writers: Vermes, Flusser, Lapide
Part Two - Jewish Approaches to Paul
13 Mar 7. Overview of Jewish
Approaches to Paul
Topics: The Jewish silence on Paul.
20 Mar 8. Pauline scholarship
and Jewish writers on Paul
Topics: Mainstream approaches (Luther, Gaston-Gager, Sanders, Dunn, Wilson,
et al). Anti-Judaism in the Epistles.
Writers: Wise, Montefiore, Kohler
17 Apr 9. Modern Jewish-Christian
Relations
Topics: Messianic Jews and conversion
Writers: Klausner, Schonfield, Sandmel
24 Apr 10. Modern Jewish
Dilemmas
Topics: Self-hatred. The Jewish Question after Shoah. Freud.
Writers: Schoeps, Flusser, Lapide, Rubenstein
1 May 11. Conclusions
Topics: Surveys of Jewish writers. Is there 'a Jewish approach'? Is there a
Jewish reclamation of Paul? Does ideology disqualify research? Jewish identity
and intra-Jewish debate.
Writers: Maccoby, Segal, Boyarin
Full bibliography is available here
MA in Jewish Studies | Centre for Jewish Studies | Religions and Theology Home Page | Postgraduate Study
e-mail: Bernard.Jackson@man.ac.uk