Historical Introduction to the New Testament

This course will look at the history of the basic book of European civilization, the New Testament.  The course will examine this important text from the standpoint of what can be known about its history and purpose.  Since the New Testament is fundamental to understanding Western civilization, students will receive insights into the religious basis of how people in the Western world think and respond to issues.  The course will cover the factors that can be known about the production of the books of the New Testament and what aspects and varieties of Christian belief they show.  The course is intended to provide historical understanding of the New Testament; it is not intended to convert students to belief in Christianity. This iteration of the course is the continuation of the course that was taught in summer 2022, which covered the Gospels.

Participants who complete this course will better understand the modern Western viewpoint and will certainly enjoy interesting discussions based on class materials and lectures provided by the instructor.