Most scripture quotations are taken from Today's
English Version,
American Bible Society 1966 and 1976 and used with
permission.
1. The Gospel of Jesus ChristThe Name: Gospel (s) — Inspiration of the Gospel accounts — The Date of Writing — Apocryphal Gospels — Textual Tradition — Reading aids — Versions. 2. The Gospel according to St. MatthewThe Evangelist — Process of growth of the Gospel — The Gospel in the Tradition — Structure — Purpose and principal doctrines — Passages proper to Matthew Matthew's interest in Jesus' words — Typical Jewish ways of speaking. 3. The Gospel according to St. MarkThe Evangelist— Structure —- St. Peter's Testimony Phases introducing Christ — Characteristics of the Gospel — Passages proper to St. Mark. 4. The Gospel according to St. LukeThe Evangelist —- The Composition and structures of the Gospel — Salvation for all mankind — Passages proper to St. Luke — Good Tidings of great joy. 5. The Gospel according to St. JohnThe Evangelist — The Structure of the Gospel — Purpose — John's personal Testimony — The four evangelists. 6. The Geography of PalestineGeological shape — The provinces of Palestine in Jesus' time — Roads and distances — The northern shore of the lake of Galilee — The climate of the Palestine region. 7. Chronology and PoliticsChristian chronology — The family of Herod the Great Roman rule in Palestine — Date of Jesus' Public
life —Political situation during that time — Jesus' relationship to
political rulers 8. The Temple of JerusalemA brief history — The outer parts of Herod's temple —The inner courts of the temple — The sanctuary — Jesus and the new spiritual temple. 9. Religious Leadership of the JewsThe origin of opposed religious groups — High priests, priests and levites — Sadducees — The scribes or teachers of the law — Hie Pharisees— Jesus' attitude towards the teachers of the law — The Sanhedrin. 10. Jewish FeastsThe yearly calendar — Brief characterizations of the feasts — Time calculation during the day —• The hours of day time — The watches of the night — The Passover — The Sabbath — Our Sunday celebration. 11. Religious practices of the JewsThe Synagogue — Its origin, place in Jewish life, ' building & furniture — Synagogue service — officials of the Synagogue — Law and Prophets — Prayers, fasting and almsgiving — Clean, unclean, purification, ablution —Circumcision — Diaspora — Proselytes — Blasphemy. 12. Articles used in daily LifeDress — Every day food — official meals — Lamps — Making fire — Keys and Lock — Agricultural tools — Our Lord: the carpenter — Weights and measures — Money, coins and values. 13. Jesus's characterWhat is character? — How to know Jesus' character? — The Psychological approach — The Existential approach —How to study Jesus' life — Knowing Jesus. 14. The language Jesus spokeAramaic — Forms of speech—- Idiomatic Expressions. —Political situation during that time — Jesus' relationship to political rulers — Jesus and Jewish nationalism. 15. The Parables of the GospelFigures of speech — Interpreting the parables — Purpose of teaching in parables — Parables introduced with the phrase "The kingdom of heaven is like" — Do the parables contain a deeper meaning? 16. The MiraclesMiracles as signs —Survey of Jesus' miraculous signs — Meaning of the miracles — Some difficult passages. 17. Jesus' relationship with the Father and the SpiritThe Trinity — Jesus and the Father — Jesus and the Spirit — The Trinity in the teaching of catechism. 18. Jesus reveals HimselfJesus' divinity in the foregoing chapters — Jerusalem: city of Jesus' self-revelation — Jesus was from all eternity with the Father — Jesus the Divine Judge of all mankind — He is one with God the Father — Bound by an oath, Jesus states that He is God — Discussion of some difficult texts. 19. The history of the "Our Father"The "Synoptic question" — Study of the texts of the "Our Father" — The history of the Our Father — Other forms of the Our Father. 20. The transmission of Jesus' teachingA reconstruction of the origin and growth of the "Our Father" — Problems arising from the history of the "Our Father". 21. The accuracy of the Gospel accountsThe cursing of the fig tree: observations and exegetical conclusions. 22. The Gospels and Oral Tradition"Situation-in-life" — The dispute about traditions — The stages of Gospel formation. 23. Jesus' PassionJerusalem as the scene of the passion — Time- scheme - Jesus in the house of Caiaphas — Jesus in Pilate's civil court — The Crucifixion. 24. Jesus' ResurrectionThe site of Jesus' tomb — History of the tomb — Apparitions of the Risen Lord — The meaning of the resurrection: The Paschal Mystery — The Paschal Mystery and the Jewish Passover. |