Letters of Paul

Course Details

This course will introduce the learner to St. Paul as a person of faith, a missionary and apostle to the Gentiles.  The background of St. Paul’s letters will be examined for their purpose, audience, context and theology.  The learner will distinguish three ways to analyze a text.  Four of the authentic letters will be read and studied for their significance in the early Church and in the present Church reality.  These letters are Galatians, 1Thessalonians, Corinthians and Romans. The value of Paul’s work will be evaluated for the past as well as the present circumstances.

Successful completion of this course earns 2.5 CEU's.

General Course Objectives

• Identify the influences of Paul’s early years and their impact on his role as persecutor and later apostle
• Explain and apply the three ways to analyze a text: literary, historical and theological
• Identify the contexts, tone and occasions for Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians, Galatians, Corinthians and Romans
• Discuss the theology Paul reveals in his letters
• Name the key points of Paul’s legacy for today’s Christians

Course Materials

• Required Book: Daniel J. Harrington, S.J. Meeting St. Paul Today Loyola Press, 2008 ISBN: 0829427341
• Course Materials available at the VLCFF Amazon Store.

Course Structure and Highlights

• Week 1: Paul's Life and Analyzing His Letters
  • Identify the influences of Paul’s early years and their impact on his role as persecutor and later as apostle
  • Explain the background of the letters
  • Apply the three ways to analyze a text: literary, historical and theological
• Week 2: Paul Writes to the Christians of Thessalonica and Galatia
  • Identify the context for the first letter to the Thessalonians and the letter to the Galatians
  • Compare and contrast the first letter to the Thessalonians and the letter to the Galatians for tone, style and theology
  • Apply the message of 1Thes and Galatians to the modern scene
• Week 3: Paul Challenges the Christians of Corinth
  • Describe the issues in the Corinthian church and how Paul counters them
  • Compare the issues of the early Church of Corinth to issues of today’s Church and society
• Week 4: Paul Introduces Himself to the Christians in Rome
  • Describe the context for the letter to the Romans
  • Identify the theology present in the letter to the Romans
• Week 5: St. Paul's Body of Christ and Legacy
  • Explain the context of the Deutero-Pauline and Pastoral letters
  • Discuss the theology of the letter to the Church of Ephesians
  • Name the key points of Paul’s legacy for today

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