Romans: Suffering and Justice

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

Undergraduate Level 2:

1. Articulate the major interpretations of Romans, especially in relation to suffering and justice.
2. Describe the socio-political and cultural setting for Christ-communities in ancient Rome.
3. Outline a reasonable interpretive strategy for Paul’s letter to the Romans.
4. Exegete selected texts from Romans.
5. Give an informed account of the theological themes in Romans, including its christological, ecclesiological, pneumatological, and missiological dimensions.
6. Display awareness of the implications of Romans for the issues around suffering and social justice today.

Undergraduate Level 3:

1. Articulate the major interpretations of Romans in Pauline scholarship, especially in relation to suffering and justice.
2. Display critical awareness of the socio-political and cultural setting for Christ-communities in ancient Rome.
3. Outline a reasonable interpretive strategy for Paul’s letter to the Roman.
4. Demonstrate the ability to employ different exegetical methods when working with selected texts from Romans.
5. Give a critically informed account of the theological themes in Romans, including its christological, ecclesiological, pneumatological, and missiological dimensions.
6. Identify and discuss the implications of Romans for the issues around suffering and social justice today.

Postgraduate

1. Articulate the major interpretations of Romans in Pauline scholarship, especially in relation to suffering and justice.
2. Describe and defend a plausible socio-political and cultural setting for Christ-communities in ancient Rome.
3. Outline a reasonable and informed interpretive strategy for Paul’s letter to the Romans.
4. Demonstrate the ability to employ different exegetical methods when working with selected texts from Romans.
5. Give a critically informed account of the theological themes in Romans, including its christological, ecclesiological, pneumatological, and missiological dimensions.
6. Identify and critically discuss the implications of Romans for the issues around suffering and social justice today.

Undergraduate

Level 2 Classroom:               

• Exegetical essay (1,500 words) (40%)
• Tutorial paper/seminar paper (1,000 words) (20%)
• Thematic essay (1,500 words) (40%)

Level 2 Online:               

• Exegetical essay (1,500 words) (40%)
• Online forum posts (1,000 words) (20%)
• Thematic essay (1,500 words) (40%)

Level 3 Classroom:               

• Exegetical essay (2,000 words) (40%)
• Tutorial paper/seminar paper (1,000 words) (20%)
• Thematic essay (2,000 words) (40%)

Level 3 Online:               

• Exegetical essay (2,000 words) (40%)
• Online forum posts (1,000 words) (20%)
• Thematic essay (2,000 words) (40%)

Postgraduate Classroom:

• Exegetical essay (4,000 words) (40%)
• Tutorial paper/seminar paper (1,250 words) (20%)
• Thematic essay (2,500 words) (40%)

Postgraduate Online:

• Exegetical essay (4,000 words) (40%)
• Online forum posts (1,250 words) (20%)
• Thematic essay (2,500 words) (40%)

Undergraduate

• Byrne, Brendan J. Galatians and Romans. Collegeville, MI: Liturgical Press, 2010.
• Gaventa, Beverly Roberts. Our Mother Saint Paul. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2007.
• Gorman, Michael J. Participation in Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019.
• Keesmaat, Sylvia, and Brian Walsh. Romans Disarmed: Resisting Empire, demanding Justice. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2019.
• McKnight, Scot. Reading Romans Backwards: A Gospel of Peace in the Midst of Empire. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2019.
• McKnight, Scot, and Joseph Modica, eds. Preaching Romans: Four Perspectives. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2019.
• Moo, Douglas J., Ralph P. Martin and Julie Wu. Romans, Galatians. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016.
• Oakes, Peter. Reading Romans in Pompeii. London: SPCK, 2009.
• Wu, Siu Fung, ed. Suffering in Paul. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2019.
• Wu, Siu Fung. Suffering in Romans. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2015.

Postgraduate

• Elliott, Neil. The Arrogance of Nations: Reading Romans in the Shadow of Empire. Paul in Critical Contexts. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008.
• Gaventa, Beverly Roberts. Our Mother Saint Paul. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2007.
• Gorman, Michael J. Participation in Christ. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019.
• Jewett, Robert. Romans: A Commentary. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2007.
• Keesmaat, Sylvia, and Brian Walsh. Romans Disarmed: Resisting Empire, demanding Justice. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2019.
• McKnight, Scot. Reading Romans Backwards: A Gospel of Peace in the Midst of Empire. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2019.
• McKnight, Scot, and Joseph Modica, eds. Preaching Romans: Four Perspectives. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2019
• Oakes, Peter. Reading Romans in Pompeii. London: SPCK, 2009.
• Laura Salah. Archaeology and the Letters of Paul. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019.
• Tamez, Elsa. The Amnesty of Grace: Justification by Faith from a Latin American Perspective. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1993.
• Wu, Siu Fung, ed. Suffering in Paul. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2019.
• Wu, Siu Fung. Suffering in Romans. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2015.