Graduate Certificate in Biblical Interpretation

A study of the authorship, date, audience, and purpose of each book of the New Testament, with attention to differing approaches to these questions. The text and canon of the New Testament are also considered.

An introduction to the theory and practice of New Testament exegesis, the tools and methods of biblical research, and the academic writing process. Students must complete this course as the first course in the graduate program in New Testament.

World of the New Testament
A study of the world of Christian origins. Focus is given to principal cities, institutions, movements, and individuals that contextualize the New Testament text.

New Testament Theology
A comprehensive study of the theological perspectives of the New Testament writers and the underlying unity that connects their diverse expressions.

Gospel of Matthew
A detailed study of the Gospel of Matthew. Through reading, writing, and individual research, students explore the meaning of the text in its first-century setting, gaining experience in using the tools of biblical study.

Acts
A study of the text of the Acts of the Apostles with special attention to the historical, cultural, linguistic, chronological, archaeological, and theological issues crucial for understanding this book. Literary features of this text are analyzed in their relation to the message of the New Testament book.

Romans
This course focuses on Paul—as author of the Epistle to the Romans—and the text of Romans itself. The course places Paul within the context of the first-century Roman imperial world (including both Jewish and pagan dynamics) and traces the rhetoric and theology of Romans in terms of this context. Students also focus on the overall movement and argumentation of Romans and place each section of Paul’s epistle within this overall movement.