99019 - History of Biblical Theology and the New Testament (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students are able to research and critically examine specialized bibliography and documentary sources on the history of biblical theologies and the New Testament, in order to conduct autonomous investigations. They are able to communicate in written and oral form the knowledge they have acquired, using communication methods appropriate to the above contexts and taking into account their udience.They are able to give form to the results of their research in biblical studies, properly documenting the information on which they base their conclusions, while giving an account of the methodologies of investigation used. They know how to apply the tools of communication and digital data in the editorial and publishing field.

Course contents

Choosing some of the multiple possibilities of declining a topic as vast as the history of biblical theologies and the New Testament, the course will focus on two strands.

I. Origins and development of the theology of logos. The presence of a pre-existing divine logos theology, within the New Testament, is mainly linked to the Gospel according to John. The historical path that leads to the Johannine formulation of this peculiar theology has its roots in the Hebrew Bible and in the Old Testament. Here are the main stages of a journey that must also take into account the contribution of Greek-speaking Judaism and, in general, of non-canonical Jewish literature: the biblical theology of the role of the word of God in creation and in history; the reflection on pre-existing divine wisdom and its link with the Torah; the theology of the memra in the Aramaic versions of the OT (targum); the Filonian logos and its Hellenistic roots. This development will allow us to see how "binitarian" forms (that is, forms of complex monotheism) were already attested in pre-Christian Judaism.

II. Origins and development of apocalyptic theology. Apocalyptic theology finds expression in many NT texts. After having focused on its distinctive features and specified within what limits the adjective «apocalyptic» can be used (to qualify the nouns «theology», «literature», «movement») the course will examine texts from the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament in which a germinal presence of this specific form of theology can be recognized, to get its most explicit expression in the book of Daniel. There will then be a summary presentation of the Jewish apocalyptic production for the period prior to and contemporary with the redaction of the writings that now make up the NT. Finally we will focus on the Apocalypse of John.

Readings/Bibliography

Instructions for finding sources will be provided during the lessons and subsequently made available to non-attending students on «Virtuale».

For everyone
a) Theology of logos

J. Ashton, Understanding the Fourth Gospel, Clarendon, Oxford 1991, 124-159

R.E. Brown, An Introduction to the Gospel of John, ed. F.J. Moloney, Doubleday, New York 2003, 115-150.249-265

D. Boyarin, «The Gospel of the Memra: Jewish Binitarianism and the Prologue of John», in Harvard Theological Rewiew 94(2001), 243-284

D. Boyarin, «Two Powers in Haeven; or, the Making of a Heresy», in H. Najman – J.H. Newman (edd.), The Idea of Biblical Interpretation (JSJSupp 83), Fs. J.L. Kugel, Leiden – Boston 2004, 331-370

[NB Questi due studi sono stati ripresi e ampliati in D. Boyarin, Border Lines. The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia 2004 (paperback 2007)]

J. Frey, «Between Torah and Stoa. How could Readers Have Understood the Johannine Logos?», in J.G. van der Watt – R.A. Culpepper – U. Schnelle (edd.), The Prologue of the Gospel of John. Its Literary, Theological, and Philosophical Contexts, Papers read ah the Colloquium Ioanneum 2013(WUNT 359), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2016, 189-234

M. Marcheselli, «“All’inizio della creazione il Logos c’era già”. Archē in Gv 1,1 alla luce dell’uso giovanneo complessivo», in Filosofia e Teologia34(2020)2, 219-232 (especially the pages about «Il prologo di Giovanni tra ebraismo e grecità»)

For non-attending students

– P. Merlo, «Alcune note sui primi versetti della Genesi (Gen 1,1-3) e la loro ricezione nel prologo giovanneo», in N. Ciola – G. Pulcinelli, Nuovo Testamento: teologie in dialogo culturale(RivBibSupp 50), FS. R. Penna, EDB, Bologna 2008, 73-84

– A. Niccacci, «logos e Sapienza nel Prologo di Giovanni», in A. Passoni dell’Acqua (ed.), «Il vostro frutto rimanga» (Gv 16,16[sic!]) (RivBibSuppl 46), Fs G. Ghiberti, EDB, Bologna 2005, 71-83

– G. Buch-Hansen, «The Johannine Literature in a Greek Context», in J. Lieu – M.C. de Boer (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Johannine Studies, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2018, in J. Lieu – M.C. de Boer (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Johannine Studies, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2018, 138-154

b) Apocalyptic theology

E. Noffke, Introduzione alla letteratura mediogiudaica precristiana(Strumenti 18 – Biblica), Claudiana, Torino 2004, 53-101

E. Noffke, «L’apocalittica giudaica. Uno status quaestionis», in Rivista Biblica 69(2021), 5-25

L. DiTommaso, «New Testament Apocalypticism in the Late Second Temple Era», in Rivista Biblica 69(2021), 137-158

J.J. Collins, «Changing Perceptions of Genre in Biblical Studies», in Rivista Biblica 69(2021), 335-351

For non-attending students

In addition to what is indicated above «for everyone», non-attending students will have to make use of the following tools to build a general framework of reference:

J.J. Collins – al. (edd.), The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century, T&T Clark, London 2022

J.J. Collins (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Apocalyptic Literature, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2014

From The Jerome Biblical Commentary

J.J. Collins, «Judaism in the Time of Jesus», 122-144

J.J. Collins, «Old Testament Apocalypticism and Eschatology», 962-971

From The Oxford Handbook

J.J. Collins, «What Is Apocalyptic Literature?», 1-16

S.L. Cook, «Apocalyptic Prophecy», 19-35

H. Najman, «The Inheritance of Prophecy in Apocalypse», 36-51

M. Goff, «Wisdom and Apocalypticism», 52-68

M. Popović, «Apocalyptic Determinism», 255-270

J. Frey, «Apocalyptic Dualism», 271-294

 

Teaching methods

The course takes the form of lectures aimed at the presentation and discussion of sources. Students will be initiated to find the documentation pertinent to the topic under study, to search for the reference scientific bibliography, to use a correct and clear scientific language

Assessment methods

The exam consists of an oral interview to evaluate the critical and methodological skills developed by the student. Furthermore, all (attending and non-attending students) are required to submit a written paper which must be delivered at least one week before the exam date. The theme of the paper must be agreed with the teacher. For attending students, its length will be 4,000-5,000 words; for non-attending students of 9,000-10,000 words.
In evaluating the test, account will be taken, in particular, of the student's ability to orient himself within the sources and bibliographic material in order to obtain useful information that will allow him to illustrate themes and problems and to be able to connect them.
The following will therefore be evaluated: - The mastery of the contents - The ability to synthesise and analyze themes and concepts - The ability to know how to express oneself adequately and with a language appropriate to the subject being treated.

Teaching tools

The lessons will be accompanied by Power Point presentations. When needed, they will be made available on «Virtuale» pdf with the texts that will be examined during the lessons.

Office hours

See the website of Maurizio Marcheselli