99019 - History of Biblical Theology and the New Testament (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students are able to research and critically examine specialized bibliography and documentary sources on the history of biblical theologies and the New Testament, in order to conduct autonomous investigations. They are able to communicate in written and oral form the knowledge they have acquired, using communication methods appropriate to the above contexts and taking into account their udience.They are able to give form to the results of their research in biblical studies, properly documenting the information on which they base their conclusions, while giving an account of the methodologies of investigation used. They know how to apply the tools of communication and digital data in the editorial and publishing field.

Course contents

I. Origins and development of the theology of logos

1. Judaism and Hellenism: Greek Influence on Judaism before John
2. The “Hymns” of/on Personified Wisdom
3. The Alexandrian Diaspora and the Book of Wisdom
4. The Alexandrian Diaspora and Philo
5. Prolegomena to the Interpretation of John’s Prologue
6. Exegesis of the Prologue
7. Salient Passages of Twentieth-Century Johannine Exegesis
8. Recent Trends in the Exegesis of the Prologue

II. Origins and development of apocalyptic theology

1. General historical framework of the “Second Temple Period” or “Middle Judaism”
2. Apocalypticism: history of research
3. “Apocalypses” and “Apocalypticism”: clarifications on the object of the investigation
4. The book of Daniel and the texts of the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament in which one can recognize a germinal presence of this form of literature and theology
5. Extra-canonical Jewish apocalyptic production for the period preceding and contemporary with the redaction of the writings that now make up the NT
6. The Apocalypse of John: introductory elements
7. The Apocalypse of John: essay on exegesis

Readings/Bibliography

On «Virtuale», auxiliary materials will be uploaded in PDF format: lesson outlines, copies of the texts examined

I. Theology of logos

a) For everyone

M. Hengel, Giudaismo ed ellenismo. Studi sul loro incontro, con particolare riguardo per la Palestina fino alla metà del II secolo a.C. (BSSTB 14), Paideia, Brescia 2001, 314-360 («L’incontro e il conflitto tra il giudaismo palestinese e lo spirito dell’età ellenistica»)

A. Niccacci, «Logos e Sapienza nel Prologo di Giovanni», in A. Passoni dell’Acqua (ed.), «Il vostro frutto rimanga» (Gv 16,16[sic!]) (RivBibSuppl 46), Fs. G. Ghiberti, EDB, Bologna 2005, 71-83

D. Winston, «Un secolo di ricerca sul libro della Sapienza», in G. Bellia – A. Passaro (eds.), Il Libro della Sapienza. Tradizione, redazione, teologia (Studia Biblica 1), Città Nuova, Roma 2004, 13-31

L. Mazzinghi, Libro della sapienza. Introduzione, traduzione, commento(AnBibStudia 13), G&BPress, Roma 2020, 316-338

C.H. Dodd, L’interpretazione del quarto Vangelo (Biblioteca Teologica 11), Paideia, Brescia 1974, 79-102 («Il giudaismo ellenistico: Filone d’Alessandria») e 328-355 («Il logos»)

M.R. Niehoff, Filone di Alessandria. Biografia intellettuale (Biblioteca del Commentario Paideia 11), Claudiana Paideia, Torino 2021, 231-254.275-315 («Filone giovane tra i giudei di Alessandria»)

J. Zumstein, Il vangelo secondo Giovanni I (Strumenti - Commentari - Nuovo Testamento 72), Claudiana, Torino 2017, 63-92 («Il Prologo. Giovanni 1,1-18»)

G. Buch-Hansen, «The Johannine Literature in a Greek Context», in J. Lieu – M.C. de Boer (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Johannine Studies, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2018, 138-154

R. Bultmann, «The History of Religions Background of the Prologue to the Gospel of John», in J. Ashton (ed.), The Interpretation of John (Studies in New Testament Interpretation), T&T Clark, Edinburgh 21997, 27-46

D. Boyarin, Border Lines. The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia 2004 (paperback 2007), 89-147 («The Crucifixion of the Logos: How the Logos Theology Became Christian»)

J. Frey, «Between Torah and Stoa. How could Readers Have Understood the Johannine Logos?», in J.G. van der Watt – R.A. Culpepper – U. Schnelle (eds.), The Prologue of the Gospel of John. Its Literary, Theological, and Philosophical Contexts, Papers read at the Colloquium Ioanneum 2013(WUNT 359), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2016, 189-234

b) For non-attending students

J. Ashton, Understanding the Fourth Gospel, Clarendon, Oxford 1991, 124-159 («Religious Dissent»); traduzione italiana: Comprendere il quarto vangelo, LEV, Città del Vaticano 2000

T.H. Tobin, «The Prologue of John and Hellenistic Jewish Speculation», in Catholic Biblical Quarterly 52(1990), 252-269

P. Borgen, The Gospel of John. More Light from Philo, Paul and the Archeology(NovTSupp 154), Leiden – Boston, MA 2014, 43-66 («The Gospel of John and Philo of Alexandria») e 79-99 («The Gospel of John and Hellenism»)

II. Apocalyptic theology

a) For everyone

P. Merlo, Storia di Israele e Giuda nell’antichità, San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo 2022, 145-238; oppure L. Mazzinghi, Storia di Israele dalle origini al periodo romano (Studi biblici 56), EDB, Bologna 22007, 89-169

P. Sacchi, L’Apocalittica giudaica e la sua storia (BCR 55), Paideia, Brescia 1990, 9-26 («Introduzione»); 99-130 («Per una storia dell’apocalittica»); 154-169 («L’apocalittica giudaica»); 199-219 («Messianismo e apocalittica»)

E. Noffke, Introduzione alla letteratura mediogiudaica precristiana(Strumenti 18 – Biblica), Claudiana, Torino 2004, 45-101

E. Noffke, «L’apocalittica giudaica. Uno status quaestionis», in Rivista Biblica 69(2021), 5-25

U. Vanni, «Apocalittica», in P. Rossano – G. Ravasi – A. Girlanda (eds.), Nuovo Dizionario di Teologia Biblica, Paoline, Cinisello Balsamo (Milano) 1988, 98-106; oppure: B. Marconcini, «Apocalittica», in Temi Teologici della Bibbia, San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo 2010, 68-74

M. Settembrini, «Ezechiele e gli albori dell’apocalittica», in F. Bianchini – F. Giuntoli – M. Marcheselli – A. Peri (eds.), «Aprì loro la mente all’intelligenza delle Scritture» (Lc 24,45). Fs. Ermenegildo Manicardi (RivBibSupp 69), EDB, Bologna 2023, 143-158

M. Settembrini, Daniele. Introduzione, traduzione e commento (Nuova Versione della Bibbia dai Testi Antichi), San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo 2019, 9-20

M. Settembrini, Sapienza e storia in Dn 7–12 (Analecta Biblica 169), Gregorian & Biblical Press, Roma 2007, 5-13 («Introduzione»), 69-86 («Il genere letterario delle visioni»), 145-153 («Un racconto sapienziale»), 208-215 («Conclusione»)

J.J. Collins, «Changing Perceptions of Genre in Biblical Studies», in Rivista Biblica69(2021), 335-351

L. DiTommaso, «New Testament Apocalypticism in the Late Second Temple Era», in Rivista Biblica 69(2021), 137-158

G. Biguzzi, Apocalisse. Nuova versione, introduzione e commento (I libri biblici – NT 20), San Paolo, Milano 2005, 15-53 («Profilo storico-letterario») e 387-404 («Teologia di Apocalisse»)

b) For non-attending students

– J.J. Collins, «Old Testament Apocalypticism and Eschatology», in J.J. Collins – al. (eds.), The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century, T&T Clark, London 2022, 962-971

– J.J. Collins, «Apocalypticism as a Worldview in Ancient Judaism and Christianity», in C. McAllister (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Apocalyptic Literature (Cambridge Companions to Religion), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2020, 19-35

– From J.J. Collins (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Apocalyptic Literature, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2014 the following 5 entries:

1. J.J. Collins, «What Is Apocalyptic Literature?», 1-16
2. S.L. Cook, «Apocalyptic Prophecy», 19-35
3. M. Goff, «Wisdom and Apocalypticism», 52-68
   
4. M. Popović, «Apocalyptic Determinism», 255-270
5. J. Frey, «Apocalyptic Dualism», 271-294

Teaching methods

The course takes the form of frontal lessons.

Assessment methods

NB A student who attends at least 75% of the lessons is considered to be attending.

The exam consists of an oral interview to evaluate the critical and methodological skills developed by the student. A written paper is also required from everyone (attending and non-attending students) which must be delivered at least one week before the exam date. Each student will be assigned a literary source to analyze in light of the indications provided during the lessons. The subject of the paper must be agreed with the professor. For attending students, its length will be about 20,000 characters (excluding bibliography); for not attending students, about 40,000 characters (excluding bibliography).

In evaluating the test, account will be taken, in particular, of the student's ability to orient himself within the sources and bibliographic material in order to obtain useful information that will allow him to illustrate themes and problems and to be able to connect them.

The following will therefore be evaluated: - The mastery of the contents - The ability to synthesise and analyze themes and concepts - The ability to know how to express oneself adequately and with a language appropriate to the subject being treated.

Exam sessions are scheduled for the following months of the academic year:
- 2025 February for students in debt of exam
- 2025 April for students in debt of exam
- 2025 June for all students
- 2025 September for all students
- 2025 October for all students
- 2025 December for all students
- 2026 February for all students
- 2026 April for all students

Teaching tools

The lessons will be supported by PDF outlines provided by the professor and made available to students on «Virtuale».

Students who require specific services and adaptations to teaching activities due to a disability or specific learning disorders (SLD), must first contact the appropriate office: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students.

Office hours

See the website of Maurizio Marcheselli