Courses

Every MDC student should take a course on at least one of the gospels, because the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is at the very core of our faith, and the gospels are the primary means of how we come to know him. The Gospel of Luke provides a particularly excellent entry point, given that Luke-Acts is actually a two-volume set which is particularly foundational for Christianity. Luke is an exciting gospel, given its fascinating content (epitomized by the infancy narratives) and its special interest in themes that are relevant to current concerns such as poverty, the outcast and universal salvation. This class involves the study of introductory such as structure, message, context, and its genre within its literary environment, but the bulk of attention is given to and analysis, discussion and application of the gospel’s content.

Knowing

• The student will know the account of Jesus’ life, including his person, teaching and the theology of Luke, and consider its use in preaching, teaching, and Bible study.
• The student will understand Luke in its social, historical, literary, and Greco-Roman context.
• The student will become familiar with critical views concerning introductory questions (i.e., authorship, date, relationship to the other gospels, etc.)

Being

• The student will be spiritually challenged by the life, teaching and person of Christ.
• The student will appreciate the distinctive content and theology of the text and goal(s) of the author.
• The student will recognize the call to discipleship in their own lives.

Doing

• In class discussion and online threads, the class will participate in exercises that deal with critical issues, bridge the gaps of time, space and culture and apply the text.
• The student will research and write a paper on a text or aspect of Luke relevant to the area of their specialization.
• The student will utilize their research and the course resources to develop a project for the re-presentation of a passage, theme, or issue in Luke in the area of their specialization in a contemporary context.