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In this module students study the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, two core New Testament books depicting the ministry of Jesus and the initial expansion of the Christian church. The module aims to give an overview of the books and to explore some of the key textual and theological issues which arise from them. Particular attention is given to the Lukan depiction of Jesus’ ministry, to issues of community construction and identity, and to matters of power (variously conceived) in Luke-Acts.

This module uses the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts as vehicles for exploring a variety of important textual and theological issues (e.g. the use of the Old Testament by New Testament writers, Christology, spirituality, New Testament attitudes to Judaism and the emergence of early Jewish and Gentile Christianity). Particular attention is given to Luke's special emphases (e.g. on poverty, inclusion, women and the Spirit), his unique ordering of material found in synoptic parallels, his use of parables and the central motif of the kingdom of God. Characteristics of and issues in the depiction of earliest Christianity in Acts are examined through the close consideration of particular key texts. The theological and sociological agenda of Luke-Acts is discussed throughout the module, and a variety of scholarly perspectives upon textual, hermeneutical and theological issues are examined. Important questions about community formation, construction and identity are considered from various perspectives and in light of a range of textual and theological factors. Similarly, consideration is given throughout to the types and manifestations of various expressions of power (e.g. spiritual, material, relational, hierarchical, patriarchal and kyriarchal) to be found in Luke-Acts, and questions asked of their implications for interpreting and appropriating those texts for contemporary readers.

A student passing this module should be able to:

1.  Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of Luke-Acts in its original context and of various approaches to and debates about the interpretation of these texts.

2.  Outline what others have identified as Luke-Acts’ key themes and characteristics, offering critical evaluation of such schemas and the theories and perspectives which underpin them.

3.  Apply their understanding of Luke-Acts and the issues it deals with to present day contexts and questions.

4.   Demonstrate an ability to use standard critical tools for interpreting Luke-Acts, at the same time making appropriate judgements as to their value and applicability.

5.   Demonstrate skills in analysis, reflection, synthesis and evaluation of selected texts and materials studied on the module.

Demonstrate applied skills in theological argument, expression and problem solving, employing the techniques of formal and informal methods of reasoning as appropriate

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.