Gospel of Matthew (SC-541)

Course Details:

This class addresses the Gospel of Matthew: its compositional techniques, literary strategies, and editorial (redactional) concerns; soteriology (who is ‘saved’ and by what means), Christology (what image of Jesus does Matthew promote; what were other options), questions of whether the text could be/should be seen as supersessionist or antisemitic and of how to present the difficult materials (e.g., Matthew 23, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees; Matthew 27.25, the so-called “blood curse”); economic and political views; considerations of gender and sexuality; view of the body and of healing; view of nature; attitude toward Rome, etc. We will also attend to changes Matthew makes to Mark’s text, how much “history” we can derive from Matthew, and how the Gospel has been interpreted over time. Class discussion will include assessment of scholarly interpretations, practical theological implications in terms of pastoral care, chaplaincy, Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations, and additional concerns all participants bring to the discussion.

Course fulfills the following curricular requirements:
MAIRS - Ministerial Studies: Scripture
MAIRS - Ministerial Studies: Beliefs and Practices
MAIRS - Islamic Studies: Religious Pluralism
MAIRS - Islamic Studies Elective
MAIRS - Interreligious Studies Elective

Instructor(s):

• Amy-Jill Levine

Course Downloads:

• Matthew Syllabus Summer 2023 - Preliminary.docx