Paul and His Letter to the Romans: Part One (Romans 1-5)
What you'll learn
- Embrace the beauty of this magnificent letter from the pen of the Apostle Paul.
- Understand the historical background that is so important to discerning the meaning of this pivotal epistle.
- Discern how the Apostle Paul brings forth an argument with majesty and complexity.
- Explain the movement of the main themes in Paul's Letter to the Romans.
- Dig deeply into the intricacies of specific sections within the letter.
- Explicate how the strands of key thoughts keep interweaving through the text.
- Discuss how key theological ideas and thoughts are worked through by the Apostle Paul.
- Realize the wonderful background of OT texts upon which the argument of the letter depends.
Requirements
- While not required, students may wish to utilize Prof. Wright's commentary 'Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part One' (John Knox, 2005) ISBN-10: 0664227996.
Description
Few writings in the history of the world have had the impact that Paul's Epistle to the Romans has had in the past centuries. Prof. N.T. Wright, renowned biblical scholar and historian, will walk you through Paul's Letter to the Romans. The course shines a bright spotlight on one of the most wonderful and challenging books in the New Testament. The powerful realities Paul expresses in his Epistle to the Romans have challenged men and women for nearly 2,000 years. People like St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Wesley were profoundly changed by embracing the essential elements found in this magnificent letter. Dig deep into the New Testament through studying this amazing and pivotal work from the pen of the Apostle Paul through detailed explanation with Prof. N.T. Wright.
This course is Part One of a three-part course covering the whole of Paul and His Letter to the Romans. This course, Romans: Part One, is designed to take around fifteen weeks to complete and will cover introductory issues regarding the whole Epistle as well as in depth exegesis of Romans 1:1 - 5:21. While you may take the course at your own pace, you are encouraged to take time to reflect upon the material presented. Please do not rush. There is so much packed into every lecture. This is material to ponder and prayerfully consider.
If you wish to supplement your learning, we suggest acquiring Prof. Wright's commentary on Romans in the Paul for Everyone series published by John Knox Press in the U.S. and SPCK in the UK.
The structure of the course includes:
Lectures by Prof. Wright
Quizzes to assess comprehension
An optional student discussion forum
Interaction with Prof. David Seemuth, your co-instructor for the course
Readings
If you are interested in a deeper knowledge of this powerful and important letter from the apostle Paul, then you will want to enrol in this course.
Who this course is for:
- Any student of the Bible should be interested in this most powerful letter of the New Testament. Paul and His Letter to the Romans provides the basis for so much theology upon which Christians stand that this letter must be studied in depth.
- While this course will contain some rather elaborate explanations, the beginning student interested in the New Testament will still be able to understand much of what Prof. Wright explains.
- This course is not a forum for disputation over key themes. Students are encouraged to have vigorous dialogue in the public forums. Your co-instructor, Dr. David P. Seemuth, will monitor and interact with you. In so doing, we will keep the tone of the conversation full of love and respect even when disagreeing with certain conclusions.
Instructors
- 4.8 Instructor Rating
- 28,515 Reviews
- 123,440 Students
- 42 Courses
N.T Wright received his BA, MA and D.Phil. from Oxford University. He taught New Testament at Cambridge, McGill and Oxford Universities 1978-1993. He was Dean of Lichfield, then Canon of Westminster, then Bishop of Durham (Church of England), 1994-2010. Prof. Wright is Professor Emeritus of New Testament and Early Christianity at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and is currently Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University. He has published over 85 books and hundreds of articles. In 2014 Prof. Wright received the Burkitt Medal from the British Academy for services to New Testament scholarship. He enjoys music, golf the Isle of Harris, and spending time with his family in the midst of a busy schedule of writing and travelling.
- 4.8 Instructor Rating
- 28,621 Reviews
- 123,565 Students
- 43 Courses
David Seemuth has a Ph.D. from Marquette University in the field of Religious Studies with an emphasis on New Testament Theology. He has taught at the graduate level for over 30 years at numerous universities and seminaries. He also has 21 years of on-line teaching experience. His passion is to see that people not only understand the Scripture, but also apply them to daily life.
- 4.8 Instructor Rating
- 28,368 Reviews
- 122,432 Students
- 41 Courses
Jennifer Loop is currently a doctoral student at Durham University. She is the Director of Ministry Engagement for the Wisconsin Center for Christian Studies, and plays a critical role in the online education, both organizational and theological, by guiding the online student experience. Jennifer enjoys engaging with a virtual community of diverse students and learners to explore how theology, faith and practice intersect.