SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

Spring 2008

Week 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14|15|16|

This class will meet from 2:00 until 3:30 on Tuesday and Thursday in Field House 101

I will be available in my office from 9:30 until 10:30 every day (and at other times by arrangement).


Week 1. Introduction to the Bible.

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.



Week 2. The Study of the Bible.

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.



Week 3. The Context of the Bible.

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.



Week 4. History in the Old Testament, continued.

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.



Week 5. History in the Old Testament, continued.

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.



Week 6. The Literatures of the Hebrew Bible. Prophecy.

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.



Week 7. The Literatures of the Hebrew Bible. Wisdom Literature.

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.



Week 8. The Literatures of the Hebrew Bible: Apocalyptic Literature and the Apocrypha.

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.


Easter Break Saturday March 15 to Monday March 24


Arguably the earliest ever image of Jesus, Fourth Century CE, from Hinton St. Marys in England
Week 9. The New Testament.

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.


First paper due at the end of this week.
Please submit as an e-mail attachment by 4:30 PM Friday, March 28th.



Week 10. Some Gospel Narratives.

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.



Week 11.

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.



Week 13. The Developing Institutional Church and the Church in Conflict.

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.



Week 14.

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.


Reading Day, Wednesday May 7th. Final period May 8th through 12th, Thursday through Monday.
Term ends Monday, May 12th.



Back
brennie@westminster.edu