Kurs

Helping Jesus Fulfill Prophecy

In the New Testament, and in the subsequent Church Fathers, Jesus is interpreted as the fulfillment not only of messianic hopes in general, but of prophecy and prophetic texts in particular. These interpretations go far beyond the historical and literal meaning of the original Hebrew Bible texts, which they at times modify for the purpose. In this course various early Christian methods for interpreting Jesus as fulfillment are analyzed. Differences between the techniques and theologies of various authors are highlighted with special attention given to anti-­Jewish tendencies. The problems of these interpretations for modern readers are discussed, together with the ethical responsibility of contemporary interpreters.

Efter kursen förväntas studenten:

• have an overview of the scope of early Christian interpretation of prophecy as
  fulfilled by Jesus
• demonstrate knowledge of how prophecies have been applied to Jesus in the
  early Church and the methods used by different authors
• demonstrate an awareness of the hermeneutical problems involved and the
  ethical challenges associated with early Christian interpretations of Jesus as
  fulfillment