Program Overview

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Unit Overview

The unit THBS500 - A Synoptic Gospel provides students with the opportunity to study the Synoptic Gospels further via an examination of either the Gospel of Matthew or the Gospel of Luke. This unit builds on the knowledge and skills developed in the prerequisite Biblical Studies unit and applies a variety of methodologies used in the discipline, including both historical and literary approaches.

Unit Rationale, Description, and Aim

The Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, share similarities in content, arrangement, and specific language. Commentators attribute this to literary interdependence. The question of the precise nature of this literary relationship, the so-called Synoptic Problem, continues to figure prominently in contemporary Gospel scholarship. This unit aims to provide students with advanced text-critical skills, acquaint them with scholarship in the field, and engage the Gospel in contexts relevant to their professional and personal lives.

Learning Outcomes

To successfully complete this unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe the key narrative themes and literary characteristics of the selected Gospel.
2. Discuss the various reading communities represented in the text of the selected Gospel.
3. Apply knowledge and skills gained through critical examination of the selected Gospel to situations relevant to one's professional and/or personal faith practice.

Content

Topics will include:

• A survey of the history of the first century Mediterranean world with an emphasis on the religious and social conditions informing the synoptic gospels.
• A detailed study of either Matthew or Luke, drawing on historical, narrative, and/or social-scientific methodologies.
• A study of the distinguishing stylistic and theological characteristics of the selected gospel.

Assessment Strategy and Rationale

The assessment tasks are designed to provide progressive engagement with key passages from the selected Gospel and focus on different contextual situations. The three assessment tasks include:

1. Literature Review: Oral or written presentation of the current scholarship on the socio-cultural, historical, and/or pastoral circumstances of the selected Gospel.
2. Exegesis: Exegetical examination of one or more key passages from the selected Gospel.
3. Proposal for Teaching, Preaching, or Praying a Synoptic Gospel: Written or multimedia proposal on the application of one or more key texts to a pastoral, pedagogical, or personal situation.

Learning and Teaching Strategy and Rationale

The unit is a fully online unit that involves 150 hours of focused learning. The structure of this unit is shaped by the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) model of pedagogy, using a mix of direct instruction and synchronous engagement, as well as asynchronous collaborative and cooperative learning opportunities.

Representative Texts and References

• Burkett, D.R. An Introduction to the New Testament and the Origins of Christianity.
• Byrne, B. J . Lifting the Burden : Reading Matthew's Gospel in the Church Today.
• Byrne, B.J. The Hospitality of God: A Reading of Luke's Gospel.
• Grindheim, S. Christology in the Synoptic Gospels : God or God's Servant.
• Harrington, D. J. Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Matthew.
• Johnson, L. T. Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Luke.
• McKnight, S., J. Riches, W. Telford, and C. M. Tuckett. The Synoptic Gospels.
• Perkins, P. Introduction to the Synoptic Gospels.
• Talbert, C.H. Reading Luke: A Literary and Theological Commentary.
• Weren, W. J. C.. Studies in Matthew's Gospel : Literary Design, Intertextuality, and Social Setting.

Credit Points and Year

• Credit points: 10
• Year: 2026