Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.
Professor of Biblical Studies & Early Christianity
DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES

The Historical Jesus (RL 506.1)
last update: 24 January 2010

Jesus the Teacher
Sheila E. McGinn, Ph.D.
Office: Admin B250e
Phone: 216-397-3087
Hours: follow this link

Prerequisites: RL400
Meets: W 6:30-9:15 pm
Classroom: AD 230

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  An introduction to the historical person, Jesus of Nazareth, especially through material from the recent "quest" for the historical Jesus. The course will focus on the words and deeds of Jesus as they would have been understood by his own contemporaries, and at new attempts to write a biography of Jesus of Nazareth. We will further ask whether such attempts are truly valid, given the factual knowledge at hand. Finally, we will investigate the relevance of such work for the Christian of the late twentieth century. Comparisons will be made to how Jesus was later understood and portrayed by his followers and in popular media (e.g., art, literature, cinema).

COURSE OBJECTIVES:  Through the successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:

  1. Define the key terms relating to biblical study
  2. Identify & give dates for significant personages in the four canonical gospels
  3. Outline the key themes & characteristics of each of the four NT gospel portrayals of Jesus
  4. Discuss the significance of each of these four views of Jesus as the messiah
  5. Discuss the cultural appropriation of these canonical portraits in popular films of different eras
  6. Evaluate the gaps and spaces in that appropriation as well as the positive use of the canonical images
  7. Explain the meaning and significance of the key christological doctrine: "fully human, fully divine"
PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIALS:

REQUIRED FILMS & SECONDARY SOURCE MATERIALS (in addition to class handouts and web page information):

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

CLASS FORMAT:  The course will be conducted in seminar style. Formal lectures and student presentations will be complemented by active, critical student discussions on the basis of the primary texts, films, and secondary literature.

ASSUMPTIONS regarding prior coursework. Students with limited NT background are encouraged to consult one or both of the following texts: Helmut Koester, Introduction to the New Testament (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1980); two volumes. Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, In Memory of Her (New York: Crossroad, 1984, 1994). In particular, these books may be helpful to those students who are uncertain about the background information mentioned here. In addition, I have a packet of handouts which may be of use and is available at cost.

CONSULTATION

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY

Students will write one CRITICAL REVIEW (due session 7)of a crucial book-length study of the Jesus of history (preferably one of the recommended texts or one of the "classics" of the early quest) OR a foreign-language article/essay/chapter OR two English-language articles/essays/chapters. (To ensure variety, choices will be made in consultation with the instructor and other members of the seminar.) Each review should follow the basic structure outlined in the "How to" page. In sum, this means it will include three sections: (1) a concise statement of the author's thesis; (2) a summary of the supporting evidence; (3) an evaluation of how well the author succeeds in persuading you that the thesis is correct, and two or three questions suitable for class discussion of this book.

Students will also write FILM CRITIQUES (due sessions 4 & 9) on two of the feature-length films used in the course, including at least one of the "exploratory" type. Each critique should follow the basic structure outlined in the "How to" page. In sum, this means it will include three sections: (1) how this presentation compares with your prior understanding of Jesus; (2) what questions it raises that can be answered by historical research; (3) what questions or challenges it raises for current theology. As always, you are welcome to add other points of interest and/or questions you would like to discuss in the seminar.

Students may substitute a CREATIVE HISTORY PAPER for one of the film critiques or critical article/essay/chapter reviews. (Follow this link for the description of this kind of assignment.) Due dates for the assignments remain the same.

The FINAL PROJECT (due last session). I envision four alternatives for this, which we can discuss at the first class meeting:

  1. One option would be a collaborative endeavor involving the entire seminar.the object of this project would be to develop an outline of our own life-of-Jesus film (based on the canonical gospels, the secondary literature, and the Jesus films used in this course) and expand on a few segments by creating "Storyboards" ofthe action, set, etc— everything necessary to indicate how that segment would be produced. These storyboards for the project would be developed by 2- or 3-person teams (a pair of graduate students, or one undergraduate and 1–2 grad students). Group labor should be divided equitably, butit is up to the team to decide how that would be done. (E.g., a team might decide that the undergraduate would have primary responsibility for the visual aspects of the storyboard, while the graduate student(s) would have primary responsibility for the content.) Regardless, all the team members will be assumed to be working together on the complete project, and would receive one group grade.
  2. The second option would be a collaborative endeavor similar to the above option, but more focused. Instead of doing an entire filmscript outline, teams would choose one scene or event in the life of Jesus and develop a set of three or more different scenarios for how that might have developed; the way it is presented in one or more of the existing Gospels could represent one of the options, but at least one of these scenarios should present a novel way of viewing that scene or event in Jesus' life. As with the preceding option, "Storyboards" would be generated to detail how those scenes/scenarios would be staged.
  3. The third option would be to do a traditional synoptic analysis of a gospel passage and compare it to how that text or scene was used in 2–3 life-of-Jesus films.The essay would culminate in a discussion of the theological significance of the changes as they relate to the socio-cultural develops of that same period.
  4. The fourth option would be to write an essay that surveys an image or character in the life-of-Jesus genre as it develops over a period of time, preferably the 20th century, with an exposition of why you think those changes were made and what is their theological significance.
GRADING: APPA 20%
  Written Assignments 40%
  Final Project 40%

ATTENDANCE

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The CLASS SCHEDULE gives due dates for all readings, writing assignments, and examinations.

If you have any questions about any of the items on this Syllabus, feel free to ask.

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