Syllabus – Religion 102-02: The Bible

Dr. James F. McGrath, Butler University, Fall 2002

 This class will survey the Biblical literature (questions of who, what, when and where). In addition, we will focus on the interpretation of different genres (i.e. types of literature), using as examples specific biblical books which will be the focus of attention in greater detail. Additional course information and resources can be found through http://blackboard.butler.edu or via the class home page at the following web address: http://blue.butler.edu/~jfmcgrat/bible/ .

Assignments:

Attendance and participation:	10%
Summary of a method of biblical study:	15%
On-line quizzes and 'overnight writes':	20%

Term paper:	30%
Final exam:	25%

 

 Summary of a method applied to the study of the Bible:

This assignment involves summarizing, explaining and evaluating a method that scholars apply to the study of the Bible. The best way to do this is to consult the relevant chapters in the following books, and perhaps also in relevant dictionaries of Biblical studies:

Barton, John (editor), The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation, Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Green, Joel B., Hearing the New Testament, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.

Marshall, I. Howard, New Testament Interpretation, Carlisle: Paternoster, 1979.

McKenzie, Steven L. and Stephen R. Haynes, To Each Its Own Meaning: An Introduction to Biblical Criticisms and their Application, Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1993.

Choose one of the following methods of study: Historical-criticism; narrative/literary criticism; reader-response criticism; reader-response criticism; archaeology; social-scientific approaches; textual criticism; redaction criticism; form criticism; feminist interpretation; deconstructionist and/or political interpretations; source criticism; demythologization

These are due on Monday, September 30th (the 6^th week of the semester). Your summary will be made available to your colleagues to help with their understanding of these methods and to help with revision for the final – so do a good job, or you may become very unpopular! ;-)

 On-line quizzes:

Through http://blackboard.butler.edu you will be able to access short quizzes on what we have been doing in class or on the assigned reading. The quizzes will be short and will often be multiple choice. They will be open book unless otherwise indicated (in other words, you can go look something up if you have forgotten) and you will be allowed multiple attempts (in other words, you can keep trying until you get it right: I assume that by the time you do, you will probably have learned something!). Nevertheless, rules regarding plagiarism from your colleagues or from books still apply (in other words, you can revise together and you can look things up, but you must still answer in your own words and not just copy someone else’s). You are responsible to check after each class to see whether a quiz has been posted, and it must be taken before the next time the class meets. Missed quizzes cannot be made up.

Overnight writes are basically what they sound like: you will be asked to write up a 1-2 page summary of a particular topic, to be handed in the next time the class meets. These will be useful to you for exam revision, and may be shared with colleagues after they have been returned to you.

 Term paper:

The term paper for this class will consist of a short essay (around 4-5 pages) in which you analyze and interpret a passage from the Bible of your choice. You may approach the text from any perspective you like, provided it involves a scholarly analysis of the text such as we are adopting in class. You are welcome to add your own personal thoughts on the application of the text, however that must be in addition to the 4-5 pages of ‘exegesis’ (i.e. historical and/or literary analysis). By a passage I mean an individual psalm, a parable, a story, or the like. It should not be too short (e.g. less than a chapter) or too long (i.e. more than 2 chapters). If the story that interests you is too long, then choose an excerpt from it. Your choice of passage must be approved by the professor, so please consult me before starting. 

Final exam:

The final exam will cover general knowledge of the topics we have covered in class: scholarly methods of study, sources, the Synoptic problem, questions of historicity and authorship, as well as short selections from the set texts for you to comment on. You will have a larger number of questions, from which you must choose four. For more information on the topics that will be covered on the exam, click here.

Provisional Bible class schedule

 Note: Homework (= HW) readings are from the textbook (Harris) unless otherwise noted.

Additional Bible readings will be posted below and/or announced in class.

  The text of the Revised Standard Version Bible can be found at: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/rsv.browse.html or by clicking the hyperlinked names of Bible books in the syllabus below.

TEXTBOOK

Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible: A Reader’s Introduction [2^nd edition], Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield, 1985.

OTHER USEFUL BOOKS

General

*Barton, John (editor), The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation, Cambridge University Press, 1998. [Highly recommended introduction to the study of the Bible, arranged by genre and by method]
Brown, Raymond E., Responses to 101 Questions on the Bible, Mahwah: Paulist, 1990.
Davis, Kenneth C., Don't Know Much About the Bible, New York: Eagle Brook, 1998. [Good for those approaching the Bible for the first time]
Hiers, Richard H., The Trinity Guide to the Bible, Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 2001. [Another one-volume introduction to the Biblical literature]
Hughes, Gerald and Stephen Travis, Harper's Introduction to the Bible, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1981. [A nice but very superficial of the Bible with lots of pictures]


Hebrew Bible
Anderson, Bernhard W., The Living World of the Old Testament [4th edition], Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1988. [A classic survey of the Hebrew Bible, with pictures. Very readable and accessible]
Gottwald, Norman K., The Hebrew Bible: A Socio-Literary Introduction, Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985.


The Apocrypha
Russell, D. S., Between the Testaments, London: SCM, 1963.
Kraft, Robert A. and George W. E. Nickelsburg (editors), Early Judaism and Its Modern Interpreters, Atlanta: Scholars, 1986.
VanderKam, James C., An Introduction to Early Judaism, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.


New Testament
Brown, Raymond E., An Introduction to the New Testament, New York: Doubleday, 1997.
Johnson, Luke T., The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation, Minneapolis: Fortress, 1986.
Rowland, Christopher, Christian Origins, London: SPCK, 1985.


History and the Bible
Fox, Robin Lane, The Unauthorized Version: Truth and Fiction in the Bible, New York: Penguin, 1992. [An atheist historian candidly discusses historical difficulties]
Lüdemann, Gerd, The Unholy in Holy Scripture: The Dark Side of the Bible, London: SCM, 1996. [For those who want to tackle the hardest difficulties head-on]
Wilson, Ian, The Bible Is History, Washington: Regnery, 1999. [A nice, up-to-date survey of historical and archaeological research and perspectives on the Bible, with lots of photographs and maps]

Biblical Interpretation
Fee, Gordon D. and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth [2nd edition], Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993 [An excellent introduction to the different genres in the Bible by conservative scholars who respect the Bible as sacred scripture]
Gillingham, Susan E., One Bible, Many Voices. Different Approaches to Biblical Studies, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998. [An introduction not only to the methods of Biblical interpretation (with particular focus on the Hebrew Bible), but also spends a great deal of time looking at the formation of the canon and text-critical issues]
Johnson, Marshall D., Making Sense of the Bible, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.
McKenzie, Steven L. and Stephen R. Haynes, To Each Its Own Meaning: An Introduction to Biblical Criticisms and their Application, Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1993.

The Canon
Bruce, F. F., The Canon of Scripture, Glasgow: Chapter House, 1988.
Metzger, Bruce M., The Canon of the New Testament, Oxford, 1987.
 

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Contact me at:   jfmcgrat@butler.edu