Religion 132: New Testament
Dr. Fred Kellogg
Emory & Henry College
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Religion 132: New Testament |
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UNIT 1: BACKGROUNDS
Historical backgrounds
Introduction (Wed Aug 22)
The Old Testament and the Apocrypha: please read before class Tobit 1-12; Susanna; Harris 6-10 (Fri Aug 24)
Greek philosophy and religion: Harris 45-60 (Mon Aug 27)
Hellenistic culture: 1 Maccabees 1-4; Harris 62-67 (Wed Aug 29)
Roman culture: Harris 67-78 (Fri Aug 31)
Jewish culture: Harris 40-45 (Mon Sep 3)
First-century Judaism: Harris 81-90 (Wed Sep 5)
Review & discussion – what kind of Messiah were most Jews expecting in the first century?
Harris 90-97 (Fri Sep 7)
Review program: www.ehcweb.ehc.edu/faculty/fkellogg/132u1.htm
Test 1, including the books of the New Testament (Mon Sep 10)
UNIT 2: THE GOSPELS
Gospel study
The gospels in modern scholarship: Harris 103-110 (Wed Sep 12)
The synoptic gospels and John: Harris 110-124 (Fri Sep 14)
Mark's portrait of Jesus
Jesus’ baptism and temptation: Mark 1, Matthew 4; Harris 126-135 (Mon Sep 17)
Ministry in Galilee: Mark 2-6; Harris 135-141 (Wed Sep 19)
[No class – inauguration of President Reichard Fri Sep 21]
Setting people free from legalism: Mark 7-10; Harris 141-145 (Mon Sep 24)
Holy Week: Mark 11-13; Harris 145-149 (Wed Sep 26)
Good Friday and Easter Sunday: Mark 14-16; Harris 149-152 (Fri Sep 28)
Portraits of Jesus by Matthew and Luke
Birth narratives: Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-3; Harris 166-167, 197-200 (Mon Oct 1)
The Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5-7; Harris 169-172 (Wed Oct 3)
Parables: Luke 10, 15-16; Harris 203-210 (Fri Oct 5)
4 Log 1 on a passage from Matthew, Mark, or Luke (Fri Oct 5)
John’s portrait of Jesus
The Word and the wedding: John 1-3; Harris 232-237 (Mon Oct 8)
[Fall break Wed Oct 10 – Fri Oct 12 ]
Dialogues and resurrection: John 4, 8, 11, 20-21; Harris 237-248 (Mon Oct 15)
Review & discussion – what does the Gospel of Thomas contribute to our portrait of Jesus?
Harris 253-257 (Wed Oct 17)
Review program: www.ehcweb.ehc.edu/faculty/fkellogg/132u2.htm
Test 2, including map of Israel (Fri Oct 19)
UNIT 3: PAUL AND THE EARLY CHURCH
Peter, Paul, and the beginnings of Christianity
The birthday of the church: Acts 1-8; Harris 293-301 (Mon Oct 22)
The early life of Paul: Acts 9; Harris 301-302 (Wed Oct 24)
Missions: Acts 13-14, 16-20; Harris 303-312 (Fri Oct 26)
Paul’s final journeys: Acts 21-28; Harris 312-331 (Mon Oct 29)
Paul’s letters
Not left behind: 1 Thessalonians 1-5; Harris 334-336 (Wed Oct 31)
Christian ethics: 1 Corinthians 1-16; Harris 336-346 (Fri Nov 2)
Staley Lecture by Dr. John Fitzgerald: “Ethical Wills, Friendship, and the Fourth Gospel”
(Sun Nov 4, 8:15 p.m., Mason Hall of the chapel)
Informal discussion with Dr. Fitzgerald (Mon Nov 5)
Staley Lecture by Dr. John Fitzgerald: “Domestic Violence in the Ancient Mediterranean
World” (Mon Nov 5, 8:15 p.m., Mason Hall of the chapel)
The Jerusalem Conference: Acts 15:1-21; Galatians 2:1-10;
Harris 303-307, 350-354 (Wed Nov 7)
Law & grace: Galatians 1-6; Romans 1-3; Harris 354-363 (Fri Nov 9)
4 Log 2 on a passage from 1 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians (not chapter 13), Galatians,
or Romans (Fri Nov 9)
Prison letters: Philippians 1-4; Philemon; Harris 365-371 (Mon Nov 12)
Review & discussion – how can Christians today use Paul's teachings?
Harris 371-374 (Wed Nov 14)
Review program : www.ehcweb.ehc.edu/faculty/fkellogg/132u3.htm
Test 3, including map of the Greco-Roman world (Fri Nov 16)
Epistles
Mystery of the corpus: Colossians 1-4; Ephesians 1-6; Harris 376-384
(Mon Nov 19)
[Thanksgiving break Wed Nov 21 – Fri Nov 23 ]
Pastoral Epistles: 1 Timothy 1-5; Harris 384-387 (Mon Nov 26)
Our Great High Priest: Hebrews 1-4, 7, 10-11; Harris 394-399 (Wed Nov 28)
Apocalypse Now
Letters from Patmos: Revelation 1-3; Harris 416-426 (Fri Nov 30)
4 Log 3 on a passage from Colossians, Ephesians, 1 Timothy, or Hebrews (Fri Nov 30)
Apocalyptic visions: Revelation 5-7, 12-13; Harris 426-431 (Mon Dec 3)
Review & discussion – what’s next: Armageddon, the millennium, or the New Jerusalem?
Revelation 19-22; Harris 431-432 (Wed Dec 5)
Review program : www.ehcweb.ehc.edu/faculty/fkellogg/132u4.htm
Final exam
(1) short-answer section on the whole course, emphasizing unit 4, (2) essay section on
unit 4, and (3) comprehensive essay section; no maps on the exam
TEXTBOOKS
The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version. Revised edition.
New York: HarperCollins, 2006.
Harris, Stephen L. The New Testament: A Student's Introduction. Fifth edition.
Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2006.
& Please bring your Bible to class each day, so that you can relate the information from the lectures and discussions to appropriate sections of the readings. X
GOALS AND REQUIREMENTS
I'm glad that you've chosen to take this course! I'll try my very best to help you get the most out of it. So that you may see the plans for our work together this semester, let me share with you the approach that I have established in Religion 132. You may set additional goals for your own study of the New Testament. At the end, I hope that we can look back and feel that we have accomplished most of our goals!
Goal 1: to develop foundations for interpreting the New Testament. I'll help you learn what leading biblical scholars have discovered about the historical and literary backgrounds of the New Testament. You'll be able to locate and describe key places on maps of the Middle East. You'll memorize the order of the New Testament books ‑‑ a list which will help you find your way around the Bible all your life.
As we explore some key issues, you'll find that usually there isn't just one "right" interpretation. I'll help you to look at the rich variety of biblical ideas and identify methods for understanding what they meant in the first century A.D.
Goal 2: to see the New Testament as a living book, relevant to people today. It's important for you to interact with key ideas in the text. You'll share your thoughts in “logs,” short papers on three passages. Please follow carefully these guidelines:
1. Choose from the log options listed in the schedule above one complete passage: an entire section with a heading in The HarperCollins Study Bible. It should be at least a half-dozen verses long. It doesn’t need to be a passage which we’ve studied in class. Examples: a parable, a story of some event in Jesus' life, or part of a letter in which Paul discusses an issue that intrigues you. Feel free to ask me about any passages that you’re considering for your log.
2. At the top of the first page, put your name, log number, and date of this draft (not the date of an earlier draft). Then identify the book, chapter, and verses of your chosen passage, followed by the heading from The HarperCollins Study Bible. Be sure to identify the complete passage, all the way down to the next passage heading. Here’s an example:
This log is based on 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15, “Blunt Warning Against Idleness.”
3. Then give a brief summary of the passage (a couple of paragraphs, normally about ½ page) in your own words.
4. At the end of your summary, write a thesis statement, identifying the main point of the passage in your own words. A thesis statement is not a topic (“love” or “faith”), and not the purpose of the passage (“to show…” or “to help…”) but a real thesis (“the point is that…”) which you will discuss. The main point must be just as meaningful today as it was 2,000 years ago. If you’re not sure how to write a thesis statement, study carefully section C2-a in Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference, 6th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007). Make it easy for me to find your thesis statement by starting it with something like “The main point in this passage is that . . .” Example:The main point in this passage is that Christians should live normal lives and work hard, instead of sitting around waiting for the end of the world.
5. Share your personal interpretation of what the passage meant in biblical times.
6. Relate your passage to historical information from such sources as your class notes, the textbook, other biblical passages, and/or The HarperCollins Study Bible’s interpretive notes. Do not use outside sources such as the Internet or library materials. Use few if any quotations; most of your paper should be in your own words. You don’t need documentation or a bibliography.
7. Apply the main point in the passage to life today. For example, you may share what the passage says about your own beliefs, your experiences, or your feelings about the way people should live. Or you may tell the story of someone you know personally who lives by the main point in the passage. Or you may relate your passage to events in the world today. Be specific!
8. Your log should not be emailed but printed neatly with your computer set for double spacing (to give me plenty of room for comments and suggestions), a 12-point font, and one-inch margins. It must be at least 500 words long. An excellent (A) paper will normally be significantly longer than the bare minimum of 500 words.
9. Fold the pages together lengthwise (unstapled), write “Pledged” on the outside, and sign your name. Whether or not you remember to write “Pledged,” I expect the paper to be entirely your own work, in accordance with the Honor Code.
10. Please meet the deadline for each paper; late papers will receive reduced grades, and a paper that is significantly late may receive a zero.
11. I'll return your first draft promptly, together with a checklist and suggestions to help you improve your paper. I’ll keep your final draft for evaluation of your group of three logs – or, in rare cases, I’ll keep your first draft if it is so good that it doesn’t need to be rewritten. This evaluation will count as 1/5 of your course grade.
Goal 3: to use study time effectively. You'll understand the New Testament best if you spend about two hours in study for every class session. Here are my recommendations for success in this course.
Take about an hour before class to study the assigned readings, so that you’ll have a head start on understanding the lecture. Note any questions that you’d like to ask during the session.
Take another hour, soon after the class session, to study the sections in the Bible to which I have referred, and read relevant sections from the textbook. Put your class notes in a clear form that you can use later. You may want to store them on a computer disk so that you can revise them easily, filling in gaps or making corrections. In the years ahead, you’ll remember the information that you’ve learned day by day much better than what you’ve crammed the night before a test.
Before each test, go through the computer review of the unit. Type into your Web browser either the address for the individual review or for my Home Page, which has links to all the review programs. Type the numerals carefully: for example, 132u1 stands for Religion 132, unit 1.
If you have any questions, please call me at extension 6150, send your questions by email to me at fkellogg@ehc.edu, or talk with me in my office, Wiley 219. I enjoy discussing biblical questions!
Goal 4: to participate in the class fully.
Base grade. If you come to class faithfully and on time, remain alert, and take careful notes on the lectures, you should learn the information well. If your cell phone rings during class time, your base grade will be lowered by 1 point for every such disruption of the class.
In the very rare circumstance that the college is on a Delayed Opening schedule, announced on area radio and TV stations, this class and all other 1:30 classes will meet at the normal time.
Every once in a while throughout the semester, I’ll give you an opportunity to share what you’ve learned from studying the biblical reading assignment before class. You’ll write a brief personal response page – a journal entry – helping me to see what you’ve understood from the reading.
You may also participate actively in discussion, expressing your understandings of the New Testament which will help the rest of us. You may have an interpretation of a biblical passage that I haven’t considered. Feel free to come by my office any time during my office hours and talk with me about issues in your study of the New Testament which interest you.
Attendance. I value faithful attendance highly, as an indication of your commitment to the course goals. But I don’t want you to come to class when you’re sick, for your own sake and for the sake of your fellow students. I’ll give you an absence form if you miss a class session; you do not need to let me know about your absence by email or by phone.
You should normally expect to write a makeup paper for any absence, regardless of the reason, to learn what you missed. The paper must be turned in within two weeks of an absence. It should summarize the content of the class session that you missed, thoroughly and precisely, in your own words. Base your summary on notes from someone who was present. Include readings referred to in the class session. Your paper must be at least 500 words long, double-spaced, unstapled, printed clearly – not an email attachment. A satisfactory makeup paper will mean that your absence is excused.
I recommend that you do the makeup work – whatever the reason is for your absence – so that I can identify for you any major gaps or errors in your summary. But if you prefer not to submit a makeup paper to me, here are the conditions:
· You may have up to three excused absences with no makeup work, because of appropriate reasons such as sickness, college-sponsored trips or athletic events, or dangerous driving conditions because of severe weather. Please don’t ask for an excused absence to deal with personal matters or family matters.
· If you would like for me to consider excusing an absence with no makeup work, please write your reason on the absence form that I will give you after any absence.
· If you choose the option of an excused absence with no makeup paper, you’ll need to get someone's notes, study the assigned reading, and ask me about anything that needs explanation. I want you to keep up with the rest of the group.
· You may count one absence as a personal absence, with no need to give me an explanation, no makeup work required, and no penalty. Reasons for a personal absence include such things as finishing a test in another class, attending a wedding, helping a friend, participating in a workshop or seminar related to your major, going home to take care of a family matter, or making campaign speeches in your candidacy to become President of the United States.
· Any unexcused absence will lower your base participation grade by 5 points.
Extra credit. Here are a few possibilities to boost your class participation grade.
1. You may find lyceum events this semester which help you to understand the New Testament. I especially encourage you to attend the Staley Distinguished Christian Scholar lectures by Dr. John Fitzgerald, which I’ve put into the schedule for November 4 and 5.
2. You may interpret the New Testament by teaching a Sunday School class, leading a Bible study, or speaking to a youth group or other such group about what you’ve been learning.
3. If you have been involved in a community service project this semester, you may reflect on how your service project relates to a specific story or teaching from the New Testament which you have studied in this course.
4. You may watch a full-length video relevant to the New Testament. (Watching a TV program would not earn extra credit.) You may view it any time in the semester, not only when we’re studying that particular topic. I recommend from our library collection any of these:
Godspell [rock musical on the life of Jesus, DVD PN1997.G5678 2000]
Jesus Christ Superstar [including delightful music from the 1960’s, video PN1997.J4741]
Masada [the Zealots’ last stronghold, video PN1997.M375]
Parable [allegory in mime of Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection, DVD BV4501.2.P3 2005]
The Passion of the Christ [Mel Gibson’s anguished portrayal, DVD PN1997.P3135]
If you want me to consider awarding extra credit for any of these four options, write a short paper (about one page), showing how the activity relates to Religion 132. Please don’t evaluate the program or movie; I don’t need to know what you liked or disliked about it. Instead:
· Give the title and date of the program or the date you watched the video.
· Write a brief summary.
· Relate it to specific things that you’ve learned about the New Testament in this course.
· Set your computer printer for double spacing and a 12-point font.
· Do not email your paper to me; give me a hard copy.
· Turn it in within a week after the event, while it is still fresh on your mind.
· You may submit one or two extra credit papers. Each acceptable paper will add 5 points to your base grade, up to 10 extra points or a maximum class participation grade of A = 95.
Goal 5: to make the best of a system of evaluation which is thorough, accurate, and fair.
I’ll base your grade on the following:
· the best two of the three tests (2/5). I’ll drop your lowest test grade. If you miss a test for any reason, I’ll count that as your lowest grade and drop it; you won’t have to take a makeup test.
· the final exam (1/5).
· the quality and timeliness of your three logs (1/5).
· class participation (1/5).
My grading scale is:
A = 95 (90‑99)
B = 85 (80‑89)
C = 75 (70‑79)
D = 65 (60‑69)
F = 50 (0-59)
% Often classes meeting at 1:30 MWF are assigned a fairly late slot in the final exam schedule. Make your Q plans in advance to be here then for the exam unless you have a really serious last-minute family emergency or illness.
Goal 6: to share the task.
The New Testament is at the heart of the Christian faith! I look forward to sharing my insights, and receiving from you new ways of looking at passages which I haven't yet fully understood. If you'll help me by studying, asking questions about anything unclear, and being open to new ideas, the rich heritage of the New Testament will come to life for us!
If you would like, you can send me e-mail: fkellogg@ehc.edu
To look at one of my other syllabi, go to my Home
Page. To review a unit in the New Testament course, go directly to one
of the following:
Unit 1, Backgrounds of the New Testament
Unit 2, The Gospels
Unit 3, Paul
Unit 4, Epistles and Revelation
If you prefer, you may return to the Emory & Henry College Home Page.
Last updated: August 09, 2007