Postgraduate Course: Passion of the Christ: Texts and Reception (online) (DIVI11082)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will look at the way in which Jesus' passion has been understood over the centuries, not only by the evangelists and early Church Fathers, but also by poets, dramatists, authors and artists. We'll see how these reflections go to the very heart of the human experience, exploring the depths of betrayal, denial, courage, expediency, faith, and hope. |
| Course description |
Academic Description
The course is an introduction to Biblical Reception, with particular attention to the passion of Jesus Christ. Reception studies have proliferated over recent years, notably with the massive Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception, and several new journals and monograph series. The aim of the course is to encourage students to understand that the gospel passion narratives themselves are examples of reception, an ongoing process that both expands the silences of the narratives through time and rewrites and updates their central themes. Examples of reception will be drawn from a wide range of time periods and media: from patristic texts to plays, mediaeval poems, legends and art, to modern literature, plays and film. What unites them all is the fact that they take their inspiration from Christ¿s passion.
Outline Content
The course will begin with a session introducing both reception criticism and the biblical passion accounts (in translation). Subsequent weeks will move through the material from Gethsemane to the empty tomb, analysing the biblical text and discussing later receptions.
Student Learning Experience
The course is entirely taught online. It will feature a mixture of online, recorded content which students should read beforehand, followed by a one-hour weekly online seminar discussion.
All later receptions will be electronically available, and students will be given a clear set of guidelines and questions each week to accompany their readings.
As the aim of the course is to encourage students to think deeply, critically and creatively about biblical passages and their afterlives, it will be assessed through one long essay.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
184 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Essay (90%) 5,000 words«br /»
Essay Plan (10%), maximum 1000 words«br /»
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| Feedback |
In line with HCA policy, students will be required to discuss their essay in advance with the class teacher and will receive written guidance. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the gospel passion narratives, showing an excellent grasp of current biblical scholarship.
- Critique and evaluate receptions of Christ¿s passion from a variety of different contexts and media.
- Understand and articulate the complex development of passion traditions in diverse places and settings, including the contemporary world.
- Appreciate the theoretical bases for reception criticism.
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Reading List
Students will be expected to consult relevant works from the reading list (we will not have a set textbook). Representative titles include:
General:
Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (EBR) online access
Emma England and William J. Lyons (eds.), Reception History and Biblical Studies: Theory and Practice. London: T&T Clark, 2015.
Robert Evans, Reception History, Tradition and Biblical Interpretation: Gadamer and Jauss in Current Practice. London: Bloomsbury, 2014.
Chris Lawn, Gadamer: A Guide for the Perplexed. London: Bloomsbury, 2006.
Christine Joynes (ed.). Perspectives on the Passion: Encountering the Bible through the Arts. London: T&T Clark, 2007.
_____ 'Changing Horizons: Reflections on a Decade at Oxford University's Centre for Reception History of the Bible,' JBR 1 (2014): 161-71.
Ulrich Luz, Matthew 21-28: A Commentary. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2005.
William John Lyons, ¿Hope for a troubled discipline: Contributions to NT Studies from Reception History, JSNT 33 (2010): 207-220.
Specific Studies:
Sarah Jane Boss, Mary: the Complete Resource. London: Continuum, 2007.
Kathleen Corley and Robert L. Webb (eds.), Jesus and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ: the Film, the Gospels and the Claims of History. London: Continuum, 2004.
Christine Joynes, 'The Sound of Silence: Interpreting Mark 16:1-8 through the Centuries,' Interpretation 65 (2011): 18-29.
_____ Betrayal and Forgiveness, Art and Christianity 111 (2022).
Todd Lawson, The Crucifixion and the Qur'an: A Study in the History of Muslim Thought. Oneworld, 2009.
William John Lyons, Joseph of Arimathea: A Study in Reception History. Oxford: OUP, 2014.
Kim Paffenroth, Judas: Images of the Lost Disciple. London: Westminster John Knox, 2001.
Joan Taylor, Jesus and Brian: Exploring the Historical Jesus and his times via Monty Python¿s Life of Brian. London: Bloomsbury, 2015.
Websites:
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/botticelli-featuring-dante-kupferstichkabinett-staatliche-museen-zu-berlin/6gWBKADf-6d1JA?hl=en (on Botticelli)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVVzVD8b9PM (discussion of Dream of the Rood by Prof Mary Flannery)
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Curiosity for learning and openness to different perspectives
Ability to think critically and reflectively
Ability to solve problems creatively
Ability to communicate effectively with others, both orally and in writing
Capacity to give a clear and accurate account of a subject, marshal arguments, and engage in respectful debate and dialogue
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| Keywords | Passion,Jesus Christ,Reception,Gospels |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Helen Bond
Tel: (0131 6)50 8923
Email: H.Bond@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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