The Spirit and the People of God

Upon successful completion of this unit, it is expected that students will be able to:

Undergraduate

1. Articulate the role of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, especially in John’s Gospel, Acts, and the Pauline corpus.
2. Conduct critical analysis of the key New Testament texts on the Holy Spirit within their own rhetorical and socio-historical contexts.
3. Identify and articulate the work of the Spirit regarding the formation of early Christian communities in the New Testament, as well as the identity and transformation of Jesus-followers in the Greco-Roman world.
4. Reflect critically on the contribution of the NT literature to understanding the work of the Spirit in the life and mission of the church today.

Postgraduate

1. Articulate the role of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, especially in John’s Gospel, Acts, and the Pauline corpus.
2. Critically analyse specified New Testament texts on the Holy Spirit within their own rhetorical and socio-historical contexts.
3. Identify and articulate the work of the Spirit regarding the formation of early Christian communities in the New Testament, as well as the identity and transformation of Jesus-followers in the Greco-Roman world.
4. Reflect critically on the contribution of the NT literature to understanding the work of the Spirit in the life and mission of the church today.
5. Critically evaluate the contemporary practice of mission in the light of the approaches of the New Testament writers.

Undergraduate

Classroom:

• One thematic tutorial paper (1,000 words) (20%)
• One exegetical essay (2,000 words) (40%)
• One thematic essay (2,000 words) (40%)

Online:

• Online tutorial participation (at least 5 entries of approximately 200 words each) responding to set readings and peer interactions (1,000 words) (20%)
• One exegetical essay (2,000 words) (40%)
• One thematic essay (2,000 words) (40%)

Postgraduate

Classroom:

• One thematic tutorial paper (1,250 words) (20%)
• One exegetical essay (3,500 words) (40%)
• One thematic essay (3,250 words) (40%)

Online:

• Online tutorial participation (at least 5 entries of approximately 200 words each) responding to set readings and and peer interaction (1,250 words) (20%)
• One exegetical essay (3,500 words) (40%)
• One thematic essay (3,250 words) (40%)

Set texts recommended for purchase are highlighted in blue*

• Augustine, Daniela C. The Spirit and the Common Good: Shared Flourishing in the Image of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2019.
• Brown, Tricia Gates. Spirit in the Writings of John: Johannine Pneumatology in Social-Scientific Perspective. London: T & T Clark, 2004.
• Burge, Gary M. The Anointed Community: The Holy Spirit in the Johannine Tradition. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987.
• Fee, Gordon D. God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2009.
• Green, Gene L., Stephen T. Pardue and K. K. Yeo. The Spirit over the Earth: Pneumatology in the Majority World. Carlilse: Langham Global Library, 2016.
• Kuecker, Aaron J. The Spirit and the ‘Other’: Social Identity, Ethnicity and Intergroup Reconciliation in Luke-Acts. London: T & T Clark, 2011.
• Keener, Craig S. The Mind of the Spirit: Paul’s Approach to Transformed Thinking. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2016.
• Levison, John R. Filled with the Spirit. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2009.
• Rabens, Volker. The Holy Spirit and Ethics in Paul: Transformation and Empowering for Religious-Ethical Life. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 2014.
• Thiselton, Anthony C. The Holy Spirit: In Biblical Teaching, through the Centuries, and Today. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2013.
• Twelftree, Graham H. People of the Spirit: Exploring Luke’s View of the Church. London: SPCK, 2009.
• Yong, Amos. Hospitality and the Other: Pentecost, Christian Practices, and the Neighbor: Pentecost, Christian Practices and the Neighbour. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2015.