Contested Texts in Paul and Their Reception BIB549A / B
This one-credit course examines contested passages with significant ethical implications in the Pauline letters in order to cultivate careful, historically grounded, and theologically responsible interpretation. Focusing on texts that have generated sustained disagreement — such as passages concerning gender, political authority, violence, and communal order — the course equips students to resist simplistic or distorted readings; to attend closely to the ancient literary, social, and theological contexts of Paul’s writings; and to discern how these texts may be interpreted and appropriated within contemporary ecclesial and social settings.
The course intentionally positions itself between two interpretive extremes. On the one hand, it does not approach Paul as immune from critical scrutiny or as one whose writings must be defended unconditionally for the sake of particular theological frameworks. On the other hand, it also resists dismissing or marginalizing Paul altogether. Instead, students are invited to engage the Pauline letters as part of the diverse theological witness of the New Testament and to develop the capacity to navigate interpretive disagreements and ethical complexities in both ecclesial and academic contexts.