CONSULTATION: I welcome the opportunity
to talk with you about your academic and research interests before or after
class, during my office hours, or at other times by
appointment. I really do welcome your feedback
at any time, especially any suggestions about how to make the class a more fruitful
experience for you.
 ASSUMPTIONS:
Since this is an upper-level course with the New Testament Introduction as a
pre- or co-requisite, I assume that students have basic knowledge of the New
Testament and of key historical events of that period (e.g., the birth and death
of Jesus, first Jewish-Roman War, destruction of the Second Temple). The first
session will provide a rapid review of these events to refresh your memory,
but it will not give enough background for students with no prior exposure to
the New Testament. If you are concerned about your background knowledge, please
consult the NT surveys indicated in the list of recommended
texts below. |
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: It goes without saying
that students are expected to submit their own original work. This includes
properly citing not only direct and indirect quotations, but any ideas
you learn from other sources--including Scriptural ones. I am glad to
work with anyone who needs clarification of this. Be
sure you understand what academic integrity comprises so you can live
up to it. Remember that "ignorance is no defense under the law;"
you are required to know.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY includes preparing the assigned readings
before each class meeting, actively participating in class discussions, and
submitting written work on time. It is expected that all assignments be completed
in order to receive a passing grade for this course. See the Course
Schedule for further details
ATTENDANCE is expected at every class meeting,
and excess unexcused absences will have a seriously deleterious affect upon
the final course grade. See
this page for further details. An absence from class does not constitute
an extension on any assignment; this would need to be negotiated independently
of the question of attendance. Late assignments will be docked one letter
grade for each calendar day they are overdue.
GRADING:
 20%
APPA (Attendance,
Preparation, Participation, and Attentiveness)
5% A
critical review of one recent, English-language, exegetical article (or,
for extra credit, a book or foreign-language article) on on a topic pertinent
to your serninar research project (350–500 words).
05% Class
presentation of your critical review (5–7 minutes)
05% Peer review
of another student's second draft
05% Oral response
(5–7 minutes) to another student's project presentation
10% Class presentation
of your course project
50% Exegetical
research project or Site
study. See here
for details on grading. The final Critique
Form is available for your review
BOOKS & RESOURCES 
REQUIRED TEXTS:
- The Bible! Yes, it is true, we actually will read the three synoptic gospels
and other pertinent Biblical materials. The best available English editions
are: The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha (NRSV), the Oxford
Study Bible (REB), and the Catholic Study Bible (NAB).
- A Gospel synopsis. My suggestion is Funk's New Gospel Parallels
(vol. 1: Matt, Mark, Luke), if you can find a used copy. Other choices are:
the ABS Synopsis of the Four Gospels (If you are adventurous, they
also have a Greek Synopsis, the Synopsis Quatuor Evangeliorum); and
Throckmorton's Gospel Parallels (Mt, Mk, Lk). Alternatively, The
Five Gospels (which includes the four canonical gospels and GThomas)
is a good option if you are interested in the "historical Jesus" question.
RECOMMENDED TEXTS: Students with limited
background in Second Testament study are encouraged to consult one or more of
the following introductions:
- Raymond E. Brown. An Introduction to the New Testament. New
York: Doubleday, 1999.
- Raymond Collins, Introduction to the New Testament. New York: Doubleday/Image,
1983.
- David L. Dungan, A History of the Synoptic Problem: the canon, the
text, the composition, and the interpretation of the Gospels. New York
: Doubleday, 1999.
- Helmut Koester, Introduction to the New Testament. Berlin: Walter
de Gruyter, 1982; two vols.
- Bruce Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on
the Synoptic Gospels. Augsburg Fortress, 1999?
- Bo Reicke, The Roots of the Synoptic Gospels. 1986.
- Bo Reicke, "The history of the synoptic discussion." In The
Interrelations of the Gospels. Louvain : Leuven University Press, 1990.
Pp. 291–316.
- Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Jesus and the Politics of Interpretation.
New York: Crossroad/Continuum, 2000.
- Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, In Memory of Her (New York:
Crossroad, 1984, 1994).
REFERENCE TOOLS: these will come in handy for the research
papers and class discussions.
- Raymond Brown & John Meier, Antioch & Rome: New Testament
Cradles of Catholic Christianity (New York/Ramsey: Paulist, 1983).
- Erwin Nestle and Kurt Aland, eds. Novum Testamentum Graece; 26th
ed. Stuttgart: German Bible Society, 1987.
- Bruce M. Metzger, ed. A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament.
London/New York: United Bible Societies, 1975.
- Dr. McGinn's Synoptic Gospels Web Resources
page
- Various and sundry commentaries on the gospels are available. Select
one or two and follow them along with the class discussions.
|
27 March 2006
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