LIB477
The Life and Times of Jesus
Who was Jesus? Was he a political revolutionary and liberation theologian? A teacher of morals, a rabbi or a vagabond sage? A magician and healer? Did his followers see him, or did he see himself, as the Son of Man, the Messiah or the Son of God? Why is it so difficult to describe a man whose impact was so far-reaching? What can we say with certainty about his life and mission? Thanks to new source material such as archaeological findings, we know much more about the context in which he lived. We will look at Jesus in his cultural, social and political settings, as well as at key literary sources.
A $50 discount will be applied automatically for adults 55+.
This course will be offered at Harbour Centre on Fridays, Jan 17–Feb 21, from 11:30 am – 1:20 pm.
Overview
Location: Vancouver
Duration: 6 weeks
Tuition: $180
Can be applied to:
Liberal Arts for 55+ Certificate
Upcoming Offerings
Currently not available for registration.
Course outline
- Week 1: Sources
What sources do we have for the life of Jesus, and how reliable are they? What can we learn from traditional materials (the New Testament), new materials (the Gnostic Gospels and the Dead Sea Scrolls), recent findings from sociology and archeology, and new perspectives (the Holocaust)? - Week 2: Religious background
What did it mean to be a Jew in the first century BCE? We examine the historical background—the legacies of the Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian conquests and the influence of Rome—and the core beliefs of Second Temple Judaism and their interpretation by Jesus’s contemporaries. - Week 3: Society and culture
Into what kind of world was Jesus born? We’ll explore the political situation under the Romans, the socio-economic context (city vs. country, inequality and social banditry), and the intellectual climate, including Hellenistic philosophies and Jewish responses, such as apocalyptic and messianic literature. - Week 4: Birth, childhood, mission and miracles
A close reading of the gospel accounts gives us the basis to describe Jesus’s early years and beginnings as a public figure. - Week 5: Jesus interpreted
We will consider other possibilities: was Jesus a healer, a philosopher, a social activist, a political revolutionary, a pacifist or a feminist? Or was his primary concern not with this world at all, but the one to come? - Week 6: The final days
Why did Jesus come into conflict with the Roman and Jewish authorities? Why was he executed? What was the meaning of the titles associated with him (Messiah, Son of Man and Son of God), and, finally, how did he see himself?
What you will learn
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Distinguish facts from legends about the historical Jesus
- Describe the social context in which he lived
- Assess his role and significance to himself and his followers
How you will learn
- Lectures
- Participation in discussions
- Supplementary resources accessed through Canvas
- Reflective essay (applicable only to certificate students)
Learning Materials
No textbook is required. We will provide all course materials online.
Technical Requirements
Handouts and other course resources will be available on Canvas, SFU’s online learning system.
To access the resources, you should be comfortable with:
- Using everyday software such as browsers, email and social media
- Navigating a website by clicking on links and finding pages in a menu
- Downloading and opening PDF documents