Possible Paper Topics (Some of these topics will need to be narrowed
down. Exegesis papers focusing on
particular verses are not acceptable for this course.)
The Role of Astrology and
the Occult in Greco-Roman Culture
The Role of Asceticism in
Greco-Roman Culture
Roman Imperial Policy
towards the Jews in the First Century
The Organization and
Tactics of the Roman Army in Antiquity
Education in the
Greco-Roman World
Christianity and
Mithraism in the First Century
Greco-Roman Philosophies
and their Impact on NT Writers
The Use of the OT in the
NT
The Use of the Apocrypha
in the NT
The
The Importance and Place
of Jewish Hermeneutics for NT Writers
The Influence of
Apocalyptic Thought on the NT
Arguments for and against
Christ’s Second Coming in AD 70
Gnostic Influence in the
NT
The Role and Importance
of the Nag Hammadi Gnostic Library in NT
Interpretation
The Function of Miracles
and Miracle Stories in the NT
The Titles of the Gospels
as Evidence for Authorship
Redaction Criticism as a
Tool for Conservative Scholars
Literary Criticism and NT
Studies
Literary Forms in the NT
(evaluation and current discussion)
The Role and Use of
Rhetoric in NT Interpretation
An Evaluation and
Critique of Reader Response Theories
An Evaluation and
Analysis of Feminist Biblical Interpretation
The Contribution of
Rudolf Bultmann to NT Studies
Trends and Issues in the
Sociological Approach to the NT
Attempted Solutions to
the Synoptic Problem
The Case for and against
the Q Hypothesis
The Synoptic Problem: The
Argument from Order
Select Minor Agreements
of Matthew and Luke vs. Mark
The Search for the
Historical Jesus
Evaluation of the “Jesus
Seminar”
Types of Jewish Messianic
Expectation in the First Century
The Son of Man Debate
The Structure of Matthew
The Purpose of Matthew
Papias’ Statement concerning Mark
The Date of Luke-Acts
Political
Apologetic in Luke-Acts?
The
The Identity of the
Beloved Disciple in John
The Purpose of John’s
Gospel as Described in 20:30-31
The Authenticity of John
21
The Structure of Acts
The Speeches in Acts
Luke’s Paul and Paul’s Paul:
A Comparison
The Collection of Paul’s
Letters
Co-Authorship in the
Letters of Paul
The Role of Secretaries
in the Letters of Paul
Paul’s Epistles as
Response to Roman Imperial Propaganda
Paul and the Law in
Recent Interpretation
Righteousness in Recent
Pauline Debate
Recent Trends in Pauline
Eschatology
Ethics in Pauline Thought
Worship in the
The Role of Women in
Greco-Roman Society and
The Role of Spiritual
Gifts in Greco-Roman Culture and Pauline Theology
The Purpose of Romans and
Edict of Claudius
The Unity of 2
Corinthians
The Identity of the
Letter of 2 Cor. 2:4; 7:8
Opponents in the
Galatians Letter
The Audience of Ephesians
The Colossian “Heresy”
The Eschatology of 2
Thessalonians
Differences and Identity
of Opponents in 1-2 Timothy, Titus
The Authenticity of the
Pastorals: Language and Style
The Situation Addressed
by Hebrews
The Christology of
Hebrews
The Relation between 2
Peter and Jude
2 Peter: Internal
Evidence for a Late Date
The Structure of 1 John
The Identity of the
Opponents in 1 John
Jude’s Use of 1 Enoch
Jude’s Use of the
Assumption/Testament of Moses
The Authorship of
Revelation
Internal Evidence for a Neronian Date for Revelation
The Roman Emperor Cult
The Development of the NT
Canon to the End of the Second Century