Course Catalogue

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This course will offer students the opportunity to study Jesus as a historical figure of the first century. The teaching and learning will draw on a tradition of modern scholarship on Jesus which has been shaped by the intellectual, religious and political conditions of that history.

1x2hr seminar per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the Honours options in TRS and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Theology and Religious Studies, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

TRS4033 The Historical Jesus

None

The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Essay (2,000 words) - 50% 

■ Essay (1,500 words) - 40% 

■ Presentation of 5 minutes - 10% 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the essays, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

■ One-to-one presentation / discussion/Q&A with staff (where presentation would normally be in class) as alternative to presentation.

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ engage critically with the primary sources (whether in Greek or English translation) typically employed by scholars in their historical reconstructions of Jesus of Nazareth;

■ read and evaluate seminal contributions to the historical study of Jesus;

■ develop and exercise skills in critical thinking, textual analysis, information and communications technology, collegiality and public speaking.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ make historically informed and reasoned judgments about the value of ancient testimony about Jesus, from canonical and non-canonical sources;

■ identify influential figures in modern historical scholarship on Jesus, and be able to explain and evaluate their contributions to the field;

■ analyze the intellectual, religious and socio-political preoccupations which have influenced both the production and reception of historical Jesus scholarship;

■ work collaboratively with students on intellectually intensive work;

■ engage critically with the views of professionals and peers in public discussion and through structured academic prose;

■ present complex arguments in written and oral form.