30358 - Philology and Exegesis of the New Testament (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The students will get a deep knowledge on exegetical methods, from introductory notions to guided use of research instruments applied to the text of the New Testament.

Course contents

"I have written to you just a few lines after all" (Heb 13:22): A 'Patience Game' with the Epistle to the Hebrews.

Letter, homily, or treatise? Was it addressed to Jews or non-Jews with Judaizing tendencies? Was it written - or dictated - by Paul or Apollo... or by Luke, Clement, or an anonymous author - and if anonymous, was she Jewish or non-Jewish? Was it written in Italy or Egypt? Before or after the destruction of the temple of YHWH in Jerusalem? Composed in what is unanimously recognized as the best Greek of all canonized writings, the so-called Letter to the Hebrews remains a debated text, with many aspects still unresolved. The course intends to offer a "slow reading" of the text, to become indeed a "slow reading" itself of the letter - to be developed with the very same patience that the author himself, in a sense, invites (Heb 13:22). After a brief, more general methodological introduction (first week of the course), we will directly address the Greek text of the letter for the remaining four weeks. We will attempt to provide a detailed philological and historical commentary on a selection of key passages, and on this basis, re-contextualize the work within the framework of Jewish and non-Jewish literature of the Greco-Roman period.

Readings/Bibliography

a) Commentaries:

H.W. Attridge, La lettera agli ebrei. Commento storico-esegetico, Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1999 (ed. or.: The Epistle to the Hebrews. A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, Fortress Press 1989);

C.R. Koester, Hebrews. A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, Doubleday 2001.

b) Miscellanies:

Hebrews in Contexts, ed. by G. Gelardini - H.W. Attridge, Brill 2016;

The Letter to the Hebrews, ASE 33/1 (2016) 11-105;

The Letter to the Hebrews, ed. by R. Burnet, Peeters 2024.

c) Monographs:

J.A. Barnard, The Mysticism of Hebrews. Exploring the Role of Jewish Apocalyptic Mysticism in the Epistle to the Hebrews, Mohr Siebeck 2012;

P. Garuti, Alle origini dell’omiletica cristiana. La lettera agli Ebrei. Note di analisi retorica, Gerusalemme 1995 (rist.: 2002).

Teaching methods

Lectures; analysis of literary texts; use of bibliographic and electronic databases; audio- and video resources.

Assessment methods

Oral exam. Students will have to prove their abilities

• to read, understand, and discuss the Epistle to the Hebrews in Greek;
• to interpret and profile the Epistle to the Hebrews as cultural, historical, and literary artifact, supplementing and integrating class notes with the reading of one of the commentaries cited supra in Bibliography under the entry Commentaries;
• to sketch and discuss the material and literary-historical processes that led to the production and written transmission of the Epistle to the Hebrews, in the light either of two essays of their choice to be selected from the collections enlisted supra in Bibliography under the entry Miscellanies, or of one of the volumes cited in Bibliography under the entry Monographs.

Students who cannot attend the lessons will substitute class notes either with two further readings of their choice to be selected from the collections cited supra in Bibliography under the entry Miscellanies, or with one of the volumes cited in Bibliography under the entry Monographs.

Alternatively, upon agreement with the teacher, attending students can substitute the oral exam as a whole with a written paper focusing on the translation and interpretation of a passage from the Epistle to the Hebrews to be agreed with the teacher.

Skills will be assessed according to the following guidelines:
- failing grade (< 18): inability to translate passages from Hebrews; inability to provide a correct interpretation of the texts discussed during the course and/or to comment on the selected critical essay(s).
- passing grade (between 18 and 24): elementary ability to translate passages from Hebrews; inaccuracy and lack of autonomy in providing a correct interpretation of the texts discussed during the course and/or in commenting on the selected critical essay(s).
- positive grade (between 24 and 30): good comprehension of the grammatical and syntactical structures of passages from Hebrews; interpretation of the texts discussed during the course is correct, but mostly superficial and not entirely autonomous; the critical discussion of the selected essay(s) is vague and cursory.
- excellent grade (30L): in-depth knowledge of the grammatical and syntactical structures of passages from Hebrews; precision and full autonomy in interpreting, contextualizing and critically comparing the texts discussed during the course; the critical discussion of the selected essay(s) is detailed and deep-ranging. 

Every academic year 6 exam sessions are scheduled for the following months: February, April, June, October, November, December - for all students, written/oral mode.

Teaching tools

Computer and projector; bibliographic and electronic databases; fotocopies; texts and segments of texts in PDF format uploaded by the teacher as teaching materials. Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Daniele Tripaldi