Jesus, the Bible, and the Invention of Christianity

Courtney Friesen
Summer 2022
Mondays |  
1 PM - 4 PM (AZ Time)
April 25, May 2, 9, and 16, 2022
Course Format: Hybrid
Location: Main Campus
Tuition: $170

Attend In Person OR Online!
See Below for full details about our new Hybrid courses

The Christian religion is inextricably bound up with contemporary culture in America and around the globe. Yet, even after centuries of scholarly inquiry, numerous questions regarding its historical origins remain contested and unanswered. This course probes several: How did Jesus of Nazareth, the son of an obscure carpenter, come to be worshiped as the eternal son of God? How did his death, at the hands of the Romans, come to be interpreted as a means of salvation for the world? And how, in the wake of this death, did his marginalized band of followers evolve into the church that would eventually convert the Roman Empire? Using historical and literary methodologies, we will discover how much can be reconstructed and what remains obscure and speculative.”

Please Note: This course is an updated version of the same course offered by Professor Friesen in Summer 2020.

NEW – Hybrid Course Format

  • All classes will be delivered both in person and online via live video streaming. Students will enroll in their preferred format during registration.
  • In person classes will be held in the Rubel Room at the University of Arizona’s Poetry Center (1508 E Helen St, Tucson, AZ 85721). Enrollment for in person classes is limited by classroom capacity and offered on a first come, first served basis. All students attending on campus will observe the relevant University of Arizona policies designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 (more information here). Students who enroll to attend in person will also have complete online access to the course including all class recordings.
  • Online students may attend all classes via live video streaming and will be able to participate in all course Q&A sessions with the professor in real time. Students may also access class recordings for a limited time to assist those who may not be able to attend the live class times. Online access will be password protected and only available to enrolled students.

Registration Will Open Online:
Monday, APRIL 11, 2022 at 8 AM (AZ Time)

Syllabus
Required Reading
  • Bart Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. 6th ed. Oxford, 2016. – OR – Bart Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. 7th ed. Oxford, 2020.
  • The Harper Collins Study Bible Student Edition. Revised and Updated. HarperCollins, 2006. Or, something similar.

Meet Your Instructor

Courtney Friesen
Associate Professor

Department of Religious Studies and Classics

COURTNEY FRIESEN is Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies and Classics, where he teaches Greek, the New Testament, and early Christianity. Prior to the University of Arizona, Dr. Friesen taught at Oxford. He researches intersections of Greek literature with Judaism and Christian. His book Reading Dionysus received the Lautenschläger Award from the University of Heidelberg; and a subsequent essay, “Gluttony and Drunkenness as Jewish and Christian Virtues,” earned the Achtemeier Award from Society of Biblical Literature. He is editing a volume on Philo of Alexandria and writing a book on religion and theater. 

Location

POETRY CENTER
Dorothy Rubel Room
1508 E Helen
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States

Located on the SE corner of Helen Street and Vine Avenue, one block north of Speedway and three blocks west of Campbell Ave.

Street map image of Poetry Center

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