Spring 2008
| Week 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16| |
I will be available in my office from 9:30 until 10:30 every day (and at other times by arrangement).
Tuesday. 1/22
Introduction. Contents of the Bible: the Old
Testament and the New Testament. The terms of the
study.
Assignment: look at the class webpages, especially the description of the
course. Read Fant, Musser, and Reddish, An Introduction to the Bible (=FMR 21-28), Part One, "The Bible and Western Culture," and
"The Cultural Influence of the Bible." Think about "stories."
Thursday. 1/24
"What is the Bible?" (FMR 28-34)
The contents and canonization of the Jewish Bible.
The Devotional and the Critical Approaches to the Text.
Tuesday. 1/29
Biblical criticism: "Methods and Tools for Studying the Bible" (FMR 35-54).
Thursday. 1/31
"The Origins and Development of the Bible" and "The Process of Translation" (FMR 55-73)
The manuscripts and papyri etc.
Tuesday. 2/5
"The Cultural and Geographic Context of the Bible" (FMR 75-94)
Significant dates in Biblical History.
From this point on you are required to read AT LEAST the "Suggested Biblical Readings" given in FMR at the beginning of each chapter.
Thursday. 2/7
Early Jewish Tradition (FMR 97-109)
The Ancestral Tradition.
Genesis 12-13; 22:1-19;
32; Exodus 1:1-4:20;
12:1-39; 14;
19; 20;
Deuteronomy 32:44-52;
34:1-12.
Tuesday. 2/12
The Exodus and Wilderness Traditions (FMR 109-134)
Deuteronomy 20:1-18; Joshua 1-2;
23-24; Judges 2;
4; 5;
13-14; 16.
Thursday. 2/14
The United Monarchy under Saul, David, and Solomon (FMR 135-149)
1 Samuel 8 - 10; 18:1 - 16;
31; 2 Samuel 7;
11:1-1 - 12:25; Genesis 1 - 3;
6:5 - 9:17; 11:1 - 9.
Tuesday. 2/19
"Theological Developments During the Monarchy" (FMR 150-154) and "The Divided Kingdom" (FMR 155-174)
1 Kings 1:11 - 2:12;
11:41 - 12:20; 2 Kings 17:1 - 14;
24 - 25.
Thursday. 2/21
Quiz #1: FMR 1-174: Textual Criticism, History of Israel up to the Divided Monarchy.
Tuesday. 2/26
The Pre-Exilic Prophets (FMR 175-204)
1 Kings 17 - 19; Amos 2:4-16;
5:14-24; 7:1-9;
Hosea 1:1-11; 3;
11; Isaiah 1; 6;
9:1-7; 11:1-9;
Jeremiah 1:1-10; 7;
31:31-34.
Thursday. 2/28 Exile and Restoration
The Exile, Exilic Prophets, and Exilic History (FMR 205-232)
Ezekiel 1:1-3; 15;
37:1-14; 47:1-12;
Isaiah 40:1-11, 28-31;
42:1-4; 53;
55; Genesis 1:1-2:4;
Joshua 23; Ezra 1:1-4;
9:1-10:5.
Tuesday. 3/04
Exilic histories. the Return from Exile, and new literature:
Wisdom Literature (FMR 233-249).
Psalms 1; 8;
22; 106;
Proverbs 7; 10;
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11; 12;
Job 1-2; 40:6-42:17.
Thursday. 3/06 A Discussion of Wisdom Literature: The Books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes.
Tuesday. 3/11
The Origins of Apocalyptism and the Book of Daniel (FMR 271-291).
The influence of the Zoroastrian tradition.
Daniel 1-3; 7;
10-12; 2 Maccabees 6-7;
Susanna; Prayer of Manasseh.
Note that your first paper is due in on Thursday 3/27 (Friday 3/28 if by e-mail).
You are required to submit a title and brief thesis statement for your first paper today (3/11).
Thursday. 3/13
Quiz #2: FMR 175-249: Division, Exile, and Restoration, Prophecy, Wisdom, and Apocalyptic Literature.
Tuesday. 3/25
The Hellenistic and Roman Periods (FMR 251-270 and 288-291)
1 Maccabees 1-5.
Thursday. 3/27
Jesus and Early Christianity (FMR 295-318)
The Quest for the Historical Jesus. The Jesus of History and the Christ of Faith.
Luke 1-3; 10:25-11:13;
Mark 1-2; 3:13-35;
Matthew 5-7; 21:1-17.
Tuesday. 4/01
The Gospels: the priority of Mark. and the Synoptic problem (FMR 319-336)
Themes in the Gospel of Mark.
Mark 4:1-6:6; 8:1-11:19;
14:1-16:8.
Thursday. 4/03
Matthew, Luke, and John (FMR 337-357)
The arrest of Jesus. The trial, execution and Resurrection.
Matthew 1:1-3:23; 20;
27-28; Luke 7;
15:1-16:13; 18-19;
24; John 1-4;
7; 9:1-10:39;
11:1-53; 12:1-19;
13:1-14:19; 20:1-29.
Tuesday. 4/08
Review in preparation for Quiz #3: FMR 250-357: Judaism and the Greco-Roman World:
The Quest for the Historical Jesus, and the Gospels.
Thursday. 4/10.
Quiz #3: FMR 250-357: Judaism and the Greco-Roman World:
The Quest for the Historical Jesus, and the Gospels.
Week 12. Paul and The Church in the Roman Empire.
Tuesday. 4/15. Other New Testament Works.
The Acts of the Apostles (FMR 359-377)
Acts 1-2; 5:27-6:15;
7:54-9:31; 10;
15.
Paul and his conversion (FMR 379-394).
See: Luke's account of the conversion of Paul from Acts 9
and 22;
Paul's account of his conversion from Galatians 1;
Thursday. 4/17.
Paul and
the Greco-Roman Empire (FMR 395-416)
The Letters of Paul.
Acts 16:1-18:17; 19:1-10;
22-28. Galatians 1-3;
4:12-20; 5:1;
5:13-25; 1 Corinthians 1:1-25;
3:1-9; 7;
11:2-16; 12:12-13:13;
15:1-28; Philemon;
Romans 3:1-20; 4:13-25;
5; 8:1-39;
12.
Tuesday. 4/22
The Early Church (FMR 417-436). Discussion.
James 1-2; 1 John 1;
4; Colossians 2;
Ephesians 3; 2 Thessalonians 2;
1 Timothy 4; Hebrews 8;
9:11-10:25; 11:1-12:2.
Thursday. 4/24.
The Apocalypse (Revelation) of St. John (FMR 437-455)
Revelation 1-7; 12:1-14:13;
19:1-22:5.
You are required to submit a title and brief thesis statement for your second paper today.
Tuesday. 4/29
Quiz #4 (FMR 359-436: Luke/Acts, Paul, the Developing Church, and The Apocalypse of John).
Thursday. 5/1
Last Class.
Discussion of papers and distribution of the final exam. You must return your completed final examination to me as an e-mail attachment,
but YOU MUST AWAIT MY E-MAIL RESPONSE THAT I HAVE RECEIVED IT.
Student Assessments of the course.
Second paper due at the end of this week.
Please submit as an e-mail attachment by 4:30 PM Friday, May 2nd.
brennie@westminster.edu