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RRE4202 - Cosmology and eschatology in Early Judaism and Christianity

Course content

“We are dealing, in the fourth century, with a sensibility that was at once more somber and yet more stable in its expectations where the locus of the supernatural was to be found. The Christian bishop, the Christian “holy man,” the physical remains of the Christian martyr, stands out all the more clearly because the upward ceiling of human contact with the divine has come to be drawn more firmly. For the Christians of the fourth and fifth centuries, the power that came from contact with the supernatural was not for everyone to use” (Peter Brown, 1978. The Making of Late Antiquity. p.98)

In his seminal book, The Making of Late Antiquity, Peter Brown describes the political and social revolution that the centralization of power in the late Empire occasioned. This revolution was accompanied by a corresponding revolution in religion and cosmology; heaven was closed and became a spatially and temporally distant place. Religiously, this meant that the ordinary and intimate access to the divine was now concentrated with the clergy; cosmologically, the intermediary space between heaven and earth was emptied of the prolific life of intermediary being and beings. Before the closure of heaven, angles could incarnate, and human beings – or at least their soul – could assume an angelic or astral mode of being. The life of the intermediary sphere was reflected in apocalyptic mythology and in Greek philosophical cosmology. The apocalyptic world view had its origin in Early Judaism and was especially connected to the Enoch tradition. The world view of the Enoch literature differed from the Mosaic traditions that shaped the Hebrew Bible and the branch of Judaism in dialogue with Hellenistic philosophy. The Enoch literature adopted a mythic image of the world and gave this image an eschatological horizon. Both world views, the apocalyptic and the philosophical, appear in New Testament writings. The Gospel of Matthew belongs to the apocalyptic tradition, whereas the Gospel of John is more philosophically inspired. Paul blends the two traditions. Thus, the early Christians formed their cosmology and theology in dialogue with both Hellenistic philosophy and Jewish apocalyptic eschatology. The aim of the course is to reflect on how human life experience is portrayed in these differing cosmologies in Early Judaism and Christianity.

Learning outcomes

Through the course the student will acquire

• comprehensive knowledge about the various world views that shaped Early Judaism and Christianity
• insights into the scholarly discussions related to the sources and influence that made the New testament writings
• skills in reading and reflection on a material representing world views different from those that became mainstream Christianity and Judaism
• ability to communicate such knowledge and demonstrate such skills in writing

Admission

Students at UiO must apply for courses in StudentWeb.

International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.

The examination in this course is not available for external candidates. Only students admitted to the course may sit for the examination.

Prerequisites

Formal prerequisites

Bachelor with 80 credits from theology or religion or similar.

Teaching

The teaching will be concentrated to an introductory seminar September 9 and a compact seminar for three days,December 6th, 9th, and 10th. The course is based on e-learning. The teachers will provide guided readings and the students will submit small essays during the semester with response from the teachers.

Obligatory requirements:
End of October the student must provide a synopsis and a short paper (1000 words) on the subject chosen for his or her term essay. The students will get individual supervision on the term essay.

Teaching takes place throughout the semester.

Criteria for access to teaching resources

A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, contingent on available capacity.

Exam information

Term Paper of some 3-4000 words.

Exam resources

No special exam resources are allowed.

Language of examination

English

Assessment and grading

Course grades are awarded on a descending scale using alphabetic grades from A to E for passes and F for fail. Read more about the grading system .

Explanations and appeals

Students can request an explanation of their grades, and can also appeal against their grades or make a complaint about formal examination errors. Read more about explanations and appeals

Possibility of make-up exams and re-takes

You can usually resit an exam, but the conditions depend on whether you had a valid reason for absence from the regular exam. Read more about resitting an exam .

Exam options for students with special needs

Students may apply for access to alternative exam resources or exam forms on the basis of chronic illness and/or special needs that create a marked disadvantage to other students in the exam situation. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.

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