A. Jesus – his birth:
Consistency and credibility of the birth narratives (Matthew 1:18-2:23; Luke 1:26-2:40); harmonisation 
and redaction; interpretation and application of the birth narratives to the doctrine of the incarnation 
(substantial presence and the kenotic model).

B. Jesus – his resurrection:
The views of Rudolf Bultmann and N.T. Wright on the relation of the resurrection event to history;
interpretation and application to the understanding of death, the soul, resurrected body and the afterlife, 
with reference to Matthew 10:28; John 20-21; 1 Corinthians 15; Philippians 1:21-24.

C. The Bible as a source of wisdom and authority in daily life:
The ways in which the Bible is considered authoritative: as a source of moral advice (Ecclesiastes 
12:13-14; Luke 6:36-37); as a guide to living (Psalm 119:9-16; Psalm 119:105-112); as teaching on the 
meaning and purpose of life (Genesis 1:26-28; Ecclesiastes 9:5-9) and as a source of comfort and 
encouragement (Psalm 46:1-3; Matthew 6:25).

Issues for analysis and evaluation will be drawn from any aspect of the content above, such as:
• The extent to which the birth narratives provide insight into the doctrine of the incarnation.
• The relative importance of redaction criticism for understanding the biblical birth narratives.
• The nature of the resurrected body.
• The historical reliability of the resurrection.
• The relative value of the Bible as teaching on the meaning and purpose of life.
• The extent to which the Psalms studied offer a guide to living for Christians.

D. The Bible as a source of wisdom and authority:
How the Christian biblical canon was established. Diverse views on the Bible as the word of God: 
different understandings of inspiration (the objective view of inspiration; the subjective view of 
inspiration; John Calvin’s doctrine of accommodation).

E. The early church (in Acts of the Apostles):
Its message and format: the kerygmata as presented by C. H. Dodd, with reference to Acts 2:14-39; 
3:12-26. The challenges to the kerygmata (with reference to the historical value of the speeches in 
Acts and the work of Rudolf Bultmann). The adapting of the Christian message to suit the audience.

F. Two views of Jesus:
A comparison of the work of two key scholars, including their views of Jesus with reference to their 
different methods of studying Jesus: John Dominic Crossan and N. T. Wright.
Crossan: Jesus the social revolutionary; using apocryphal gospels; seeing Jesus as a product of his 
time; what the words of Jesus would have meant in Jesus’ time. 
Wright: Jesus the true Messiah; critical realism; texts as ‘the articulation of worldviews’; seeks to find 
the best explanation for the traditions found in the Gospels.

Issues for analysis and evaluation will be drawn from any aspect of the content above, such as:
• The extent to which the Bible can be regarded as the inspired word of God.
• Whether the Christian biblical canonical orders are inspired, as opposed to just the texts they 
contain.
• The extent to which the kerygmata (within the areas of Acts studied) are of any value for Christians 
today.
• Whether the speeches in Acts have any historical value.
• The validity of using critical realism to understand Jesus.
• The validity of using apocryphal gospels to understand Jesus