INTRODUCTION TO RELIGION
INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE
|Rowan University |Kenneth J. Banner |
|Dept. of Philosophy and Religion |banner@rowan.edu |
|Course: REL 10240 - 2 (42244) |Home: (610) 532-6447 |
|Fall, 2012, M, 6:30-9:00 PM James 3114 |(Call anytime up to 11:00 PM) |
| |Officer Hours: By Appointment--(Just Ask) |
This course is an introduction to the literature found in the Jewish Bible, the Apocrypha and the New
Testament. It will also provide a brief examination of some of the "non-canonical" texts written by Jews and Christians during the same time period which did not come to be included in the collection of writings now known as the Bible. There will be an emphasis upon primary rather than secondary sources. The goals of the course are:
1) To focus upon the historical, social and literary background so that the student will be able to understand these
books in the cultural setting of the Ancient Near East and the Greco-Roman world.
2) To provide a basic knowledge of the content of the Bible and the views of current biblical scholarship regarding
the literature.
3) To help the student gain competence in approaching ancient texts with the purpose of understanding the
thought of the authors and the communities in which they lived.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:
Stephen L. Harris, Exploring the Bible (McGraw/Hill Publ. Co., 2010) ISBN: 9780073407364
The Harper Collins Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version Edited by Harold W. Attridge with the Society
of Biblical Literature (HarperCollins Publishers, Revised Student Edition 2006). ISBN: 9780060786847
Although you are encouraged to consult other translations in your research, this edition is required for
the course and should be used in class, online discussion, paper, doing the reading assignments, etc.
Robert J. Miller, The Complete Gospels (Polebridge/Westar, 2010, 4th Ed., Paperback) ISBN: 9781598150186
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
Your academic success is important. If you have a documented disability that may have an impact upon your work in this class, please inform the instructor. Students must provide documentation of their disability to the Academic Success Center in order to receive official University services and accomodations. The Academic Success Center can be reached at 856-256-4234. The Center is located on the 3rd floor of Savitz Hall. The staff is available to answer questions regarding accomodations or assist you in your pursuit of accomodations. The staff and the instructor look forward to working with you to meet your learning goals.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1) Attendance and active class participation. This includes being prepared for class by having completed the reading for each session. Attendance will be taken each class. If you have a valid reason for an
absence please be sure to notify the instructor at the next class session. Also, if you come in late,
please be sure to remind the instructor at the end of that session so you will not be counted absent.
2) Participation in the Online Discussion. Students will be expected to read the discussions and post at
least one message per week. Go to Blackboard and login with your Rowan email ID and password. Note: this is a WEEKLY assignment! You are required to do it EVERY week and it will be graded on that basis. The new week begins at 6:30 PM (the beginning of class) each Monday.
3) A term paper of 5-7 pages. See the term paper guide attached to this syllabus for instructions. The due dates
for the paper are as follows:
Mon., Oct. 8 Turn in topic by email only
Mon., Dec. 3 Term Paper Due
4) A mid-term exam on Mon., Oct. 15.
5) A second mid-term exam on Mon., Nov. 26 over the material since the first mid-term.
6) A final exam Mon, Dec. 17 over material since the second mid-term (i.e. not comprehensive).
Grades will be determined as follows:
Class Participation 10%
Online Discussion 10%
Paper 20%
Mid-Term #1 20%
Mid-Term #2 20%
Final 20%
100%
COURSE OUTLINE AND READINGS:
Both Primary and Secondary readings are required. Primary readings are actual selections from the Bible or
Ancient Near Eastern/Jewish/Christian literature. Secondary readings are the textbook, charts, etc. which
discuss and/or analyze the literature.
Harris=Stephen L. Harris, Exploring the Bible; HCSB=Harper-Collins Study Bible; Miller=Robert J. Miller,
The Complete Gospels; Blackboard=Resources on the course section of Blackboard in the "Course Content"
area
INTRODUCTION
Monday, September 10
Introduction to Religious Studies/Approaching Ancient Texts
Secondary: Harris 7-10
1. THE JEWISH BIBLE
PENTATEUCH (Torah)
Monday, September 17
Sacred Stories in the Ancient Near East
Primary: Ptah and Atum-Re (Blackboard); Sumerian Flood Story (Blackboard);
Enki and Ninhursag (Blackboard); The Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet XI (Blackboard)
Secondary: Harris 31-49
Creation, Sacred Stories and the Covenant with Abraham
Primary: Genesis. 1-3; 6-8; 16-22; Secondary: Harris 53-76
Monday, September 24
The Exodus from Egypt
Primary: Exodus 3-15; 19-20; Secondary: Harris 77-87; HCSB 77-78;
Examples of Ancient Near Eastern Law (Blackboard)
Deuteronomy: A Call for Return to the Covenant
Primary: Deuteronomy 5; 18-22; 26-32; 34
Secondary: Harris 94-100; The Emergence of Monotheism in Israel (Blackboard)
HISTORICAL BOOKS (The "Former Prophets")
Monday, October 1
Joshua and Judges: Two Views of "Conquest"
Primary: Joshua 1-8; Judges 1-5; 19-21; Translation of the Mesha Stela (Blackboard)
Secondary: Harris 100-120; HCSB 346-347
Of Prophets and Kings
Primary: 1 Samuel 7-10; 16; 28; 2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Kings 18; 22 ; 2 Kings 2
Secondary: Harris 121-133; Bringing Up the Spirits of the Dead (Blackboard)
THE PROPHETS (The "Latter" Prophets and the Book of the Twelve)
Monday, October 8 (First Half of Class)
“Major” and “Minor” Prophets
Primary: Isaiah 6-11; 52-53; Amos 1-4
Secondary: Harris 144-155; 158-163; 181-183; 186-187; HCSB 912-914; 1216-1218
POETRY, WISDOM AND APOCALYPTIC (THE WRITINGS)
Monday, October 8 (Second Half of Class)
Psalms, Song of Songs
Primary: Psalm 2, 5, 8, 51, 82, 89, 137; Song of Solomon 7-8
Secondary: Harris 201-207; 227-228; HCSB 903-904
Monday, October 15
Midterm #1 (Over Material Up Through The Prophets) First Half of Class
Wisdom and Questions
Primary: Proverbs 4; 10-11; 31; Job 1-2; 4-6; 38-42; Ecclesiastes 1-5; 12
Secondary: Harris 208-223
2. OTHER JEWISH LITERATURE
THE APOCRYPHA
Monday, October 22
History and the Hellenistic Period
Primary: 1 Maccabees 1-9; Secondary: Harris 238-242; 249-253
Another Approach to Wisdom
Primary: Wisdom of Solomon 1-5; Tobit; Secondary: Harris 257-258; 253-254
APOCALYPTIC
Monday, October 29 (First Half of Class)
Daniel (Jewish Bible-but From the Hellenistic Period)
Primary: Daniel 1; 3; 7-12; Secondary: Harris 242-248; HCSB 1168-1169
"NON-CANONICAL" LITERATURE
Monday, October 29 (Second Half of Class)
Qumran and Pseudepigrapha
Primary: 1QS (The Community Rule) (Blackboard); 1 Enoch 1-5 (Blackboard);
Jubilees 15, 23 (Blackboard); Selections from Qumran Texts (Blackboard);
Early Jewish Interpretations of Genesis 6 (Blackboard)
Secondary: Harris 260; 265-290
3. NEW TESTAMENT (CHRISTIAN WRITINGS)
GOSPELS
Monday, November 5
Mark and Q
Primary: Mark (in Miller); Sayings Gospel Q (in Miller);
Secondary: Miller 6; 8; 53-54; 248-252; Harris 291-310
Monday, November 12
Matthew, Luke and John
Primary: (Read these chapters from Matthew, Luke and John in Miller) Matthew 3-6;
23; 26-28; Luke 3; 15-16; 23-24; John 1; 3; 8; 18-21
Secondary: Harris 310-349
OTHER CHRISTIAN GOSPELS
Monday, November 19 (First Half of Class)
Examples of Christian Writings Not Included in the New Testament
Primary: Gospel of Thomas (Miller), Gospel of Peter (Miller); The Edgerton Papyrus
("Edgerton Gospel"); Infancy Gospel of Thomas 9-13 (Miller)
THE HISTORICAL JESUS
Monday, November 19 (Second Half of Class)
Birth Traditions and Teaching
Primary: Sections on the Birth Narratives from Aland’s Synopsis of the Four Gospels (Blackboard); Infancy Gospel of James 7-25 (in Miller);
Secondary: Class Handout on the Birth Traditions (Blackboard);
Josephus on John the Baptist and James (Blackboard)
Monday, November 26
Midterm #2 (From First Midterm Through "Other Christian Gospels"-First Half of Class)
Death and Resurrection Accounts (Second Half of Class)
Primary: Gospel of Mary (Miller); Sections on the Empty Tomb/Resurrection
Accounts from Aland’s Synopsis of the Four Gospels (Blackboard)
Secondary: Class Handout on Jesus & the Temple,
Resurrection Accounts (Blackboard)
HISTORY OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY
Monday, December 3 (First Half of Class)
Acts and the Early Christian Community
Primary: Acts 1-5; 8-11; 15; 17; 19; Secondary: Harris 350-362
THE LETTERS
Monday, December 3 (Second Half of Class)
Paul's Writings
Primary: 1 Thessalonians 4-5; 1 Corinthians 6-7; 11-15; Romans 1-4; Philemon
Secondary: Harris 363-374; 378-384; 387-388
Monday, December 10 (First Half of Class)
Late Jewish Christianity
Primary: James; Hebrews 5-9
Secondary: Harris 402-407; HCSB 2035-2036; 2052-2053
The Development of the Melchizedek Tradition (Blackboard)
Paul and "James" on Abraham and Faith (Blackboard)
APOCALYPTIC
Monday, December 10 (Second Half of Class)
The Book of Revelation
Primary: Revelation 1-3; 13-17; 19-22
Secondary: Harris 412-423; HCSB 2307-2309
FINAL EXAM--Monday, December 17, 7:00-9:00 PM--Over Material Since Second Midterm (Including the Historical Jesus through the Book of Revelation)
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