CUR 140-001, 002 : "The Biblical Tradition"

http://www.gac.edu/~avaughn/Cur140/cur-140(fall2002).html

MTuWF 8:00am and 9:00am: Con 128

Course Description

This course will use the Bible as a primary surce to study the role and major contributiuons of the Judeo-Christian tradition in the development of Western culture. It will give special emphesis to themes such as: faith and reason, the funtions of symbol, ritual, myth, and literary genre, the shape of history, the world as the arena of divine creation, providence and redemption; the communial identity and ethical goals of persons and aesthitic demensions of their interrelationship with nonhuman life and inanimate being.

[ Requirements | Textbooks | Schedule | Goals and Objectives | September | October | November | December ]

 
Professor:
 Dr. Andy Vaughn
Office: OM 105C
Office telephone: x7475
Home telephone: 934-1225 (before 8PM)
Email: avaughn@gustavus.edu
Office hours: MW 10:30; W 1:30; AND by appointment

 
Required Texts:
-Kee, Rogerson, Meyers, and Saldarini, The Cambridge Companion to the Bible
-W. Meeks, ed., The Harper Collins Study Bible
-V. Matthews and D. Benjamin, eds., Old Testament Parallels
Goals and Objectives of the Course:
 
The College Catalog states that "the program of the department of Religion is designed to meet the needs of all students for a better understanding of religion as a basic aspect of human experience, of the Christian heritage and its contemporary expressions, and of the methods appropriate to the study of religion." In addition to being the primary sacred text in the Christian heritage, the Bible and the Judeo-Christian religions it has shaped have themselves significantly shaped Western thought, culture, and history. Therefore, the study of the Bible is foundational to a liberal arts education. Most generally, therefore, the overall goal of the course in the program of Curriculum II is for the student to gain a orientation to the critical study of the Bible and to begin the process of understanding how this book has affected and continues to affect our society.
As the student undertakes this critical investigation of the Bible, it will be important to realize the Bible was not written in a vacuum, nor do modern communities interpret the Bible in a vacuum. The course will thus also include components that treat the historical setting of the Bible and the ways in which the Bible continues to be shaped and used by modern communities. With these general goals in mind, the student will accomplish the following objectives:
  1. Gain an understanding of the content and framework of the Bible.
  2. Gain an overview of the cultural and geographic setting of the ancient Near East as the intellectual and cultural context within which the Bible was written.
  3. Explore major questions and methods within biblical scholarship, including historical criticism, literary criticism, and socio-locations criticism of the Bible.
  4. Gain experience and proficiency in the interpretation of biblical texts.

Course Requirements: In order to accomplish the above objectives, the student will complete the following requirements:

  1. Faithfully attend class and participate in class discussions.
  2. Faithfully complete assigned readings before the assigned date. Faithfully complete the study questions for the assigned readings before the assigned date (your answers will not be collected, but you will be responsible for the questions in class discussion).
  3. Complete two short essay assignments (described below) that specifically examine the appropriation of biblical narratives by modern communities.
  4. Complete two written exams that are non-cumulative. These exams will be written during the class hour and will cover the content and framework of the Bible, the cultural and geographic setting of the biblical narratives, as well as examine the student's ability to reflect on critical questions.
  5. Complete a final exam during the period assigned by the registrar. The content of the final exam will be similar to the three other exams, except that the final exam will be cumulative. The focus of the final exam will be on the material covered during the final section of the course, so at least 50% of the final exam will be from Section Five "The New Testament."
Short Essay: One short essay will be assigned at the beginning of the course and one essay at the middle of the course. The essays should be typed using a 12 pt. font, doubled spaced, and have one-inch margins on all sides. The first essay should be about a page. The second essay should be about two pages. An essay may be returned to the student without comments or a grade if the essay contains sentence fragments or incomplete sentences. Returned essays must be resubmitted to the professor within one week or the grade will be affected adversely. If the essays are resubmitted there will be no penalty in the grade.
note on grading: Papers with grade "B" or better will receive a satisfactory grade (S). Papers below the level of "B" will receive a "rewrite" (R). Exceptional papers will be given a grade of excellent (E). Papers that receive a grade of "R" must be resubmitted within 9 days or else the grade will be a "D" or an "F" at the discretion of the professor. Students that receive an "R" are strongly encouraged to consult with the professor before submitting the rewritten paper. Rewrites that do not attain the level of "B" work will be given a letter grade.
-Essay 1: "Why study the Bible today?" Please incorporate discussion from the first few days of class. However, the paper is intended primarily to let me get to know you and the reasons that you are taking this course. You are encouraged to include a reflection section.
-Essay 2: "How can biblical history be 'true' if it is not factual?"
Anticipated Method of Evaluation:
Short essay and participation: 5%
First Exam 20%
Second Exam 35%
Final Exam 40%
____
100%
Note on exams: All exams must be taken at the designated time except in the case of an emergency. If a student is phsically unable to take an exam because of illness, written confirmation from a college nurse or a physician is required before a makeup exam will be given. Oversleeping or lack of preparation are not adequate excuses and will not warrent a makeup test. If a student does have to miss a test because of an emergency, he or she should know that the makeup test will normally be scheduled for either 5:30AM or 6:00AM as the early morning hours are the only times where there are no other conflicts. If a student fails to take an exam and is not allowed to take a makeup exam, he or she will receive a grade of "0" for that exam.

ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND READINGS (note: continue to check to the web syllabus instead of just printing out a copy-- you will be responsible for changes that are made and announced in class and by the class email alias)
 
Section One: Opening
Sep. 04 (W): Course introduction and "Why Study the Bible"
-read syllabus carefully BEFORE the first class meeting. Focus on the goals and objectives for the course.
06 (F): Is the Bible True?
-complete group assignment before class
-Cambridge Companion, 1-31
-We will focus on Placher's article in class, but start reading the Cambridge Companion for what we will cover on Friday. Much of this introductory material will be covered on the first test and not reviewed in class.
-W. Placher, "Is the Bible True," Christian Century 112 (Oct. 11, 1995): 924-28 (on reserve in library)
-questions: 1) Make a list of things that you like about Placher's argument and a list of things that you do not like. 2) Think about this question: How does Placher know the Bible is "true" for him? Can he be disproven from his perspective? Is his perspective / personal knowledge necessary for everyone else? How might one describe Placher's view as a "faith statement?"
Section Two: Genesis and the Critical Study of the Bible
09 (M): Creation and the Documentary Hypothesis, Part 1
-Gen 1-2
-We will focus on Genesis 1 in class today, but read Genesis 2 so you will be able to describe differences between the 2 creation accounts in class. The professor will call on students at random to describe the differences between the story in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2.
-Cambridge Companion, 32-35, 43-48
-"The Enuma Elish Stories," OTP, 9-18
-"The Hymn to Ptah," OTP, 3-5
-"Stores of Adapa," OTP, 41-45
-With all 3 stories, students should be prepared in class to summarize the content of each story and describe how the story is similar or different from the biblical stories. Students should also begin to think about the significance of these similarities and differences.
-notes on comparison between Gen 1 (P account of creation) and the enuma elish
-definitions of myth used in class (make sure and read these definitions before class. We will discuss them in class).
study questions:
-Why are the sun and moon created on the 4th day and not on the first day?
-What is the background and significance of 1:21?
-How is the passage structured and what significance might this have held for liturgical life of the people?
-Who might have written chapter 1? Why?
-How is this story similar or different from other creation stories listed above (note: this is a question that we will return to in the next two weeks)?
-Connection question: How does the definition of myth used in the Biblical Tradition compare with the definition of myth used in Historical Perspective? Are there any differences? How are the similarities helpful for understanding the topics covered in each course?
10 (Tu): Lecture on Greece for Historical Perspective Class
11 (W): Creation and the Documentary Hypothesis, Part 2
-Gen 2-3
-Cambridge Companion, 36-42
-first essay due at the beginning of class
-discussion groups for these first essays: We will set up 4 different times for students to discuss the content of this essay with the student assistants for the course (Dan Pioske and Rachel Schwingler). We will have 2 options for meeting times on Wednesday evening and 2 options on Thursday evening. Everyone must sign up and attend one of the discussions. These times will be set during the first week of class when Rachel's and Dan's schedules are known.
-notes on characteristics of J, E, P, and D
study questions:
-Why were the humans kicked out of the garden?
-How does the second account of creation (Gen 2:4ff) differ from Gen 1?
-Which account is more majestic? Why?
-Which account is more human? Why?
-How is God portrayed in the two accounts? How are the humans portrayed?
13 (F): The Flood Story
-Cambridge Companion, 47-51
-Gen 5-8 (you may skim the genealogies)
-"Stories of Gilgamesh," OTP, 19-30
-"Stories of Atrahasis," OTP, 31-40
-With both of these stories, students should be prepared in class to summarize the content of each story and describe how the story is similar or different from the biblical stories. Students should also begin to think about the significance of these similarities and differences.
study questions:
-What inconsistencies are in the flood stories that support multiple sources?
-How many days did it rain?
-How many animals did Noah take into the ark?
-How do the stories of Gilgamesh and Atrahasis compare to the biblical story?
16 (M): Workshop on the Documentary Hypothesis
-complete worksheet on characterization in Gen 1-3 or Gen 6:5-13
-write short statement (less than 1 page) on why multiple sources may be identified in the passage you have chosen from the work sheet
-you will not hand this statement in to the professor, but rather it will be used to begin studying for one of the core questions on your first test
17 (Tu): Library Session I: meet in library lobby by newspapers at normal class time for your Biblical Tradition class. Michelle Twait will introduce students to the library. Attendance is mandatory at this and other orientation meetings.
18 (W): The Primeval History, the Tower of Babel, and Gilgamesh
-reread Gen 1-3
-reread Gen 6:1-4
-who are the sons of the gods? Who are the human women that these divine beings have sex with? Does the passage indicate that there might have been the possibility for deathlessness if humans have sex with the gods? Why or why not? NB: This is a strange but interesting passage.
-read Gen 11:1-9; Gen 12:1-4
-Is the desire to make the name great positive or negative in Genesis 11? What about in Genesis 12? Why the difference?
-reread the selections of Gilgamesh in OTP
-Think about how the story of Gilgamesh is a story about "growing up" and accepting one's limitations as a human. How does this realization allow Gilgamesh to make strides in terms of achievement? How might the biblical writers react to these strides if God were left out of the picture? All of these questions help us understand how Gilgamesh is adapted in Genesis 1-11.
-Connection question: In Historical Perspective you have been studying a continuum between the mythic mode and the scientific. How do these mythical stories in the Primeval History fit into this contimuum and what are the ways that the continuum is different? Hint: the continuum is different in part because the biblical writers are more like the Pre-Socratic philosophers, so the differences between the mythical and the scientific are not as pronounced.
20 (F): The Ancestral Narratives, Part 1 (Lecture presented by Dr. Casey Elledge [Dr. Vaughn will be in Rochester, NY]).
-Cambridge Companion, 51-60
-Gen 12-15, 17, 21-22 (required)
-rest of Gen 12-22 (optional; at minimum you should skim the headings in y our study Bible)
-"Nuzi Archives," OTP, 46-51
study questions:
-Would you classify the promise to Abraham in Gen 12:1-4 as conditional or unconditional? Why?
-What examples can you cite in chapter 12-22 of Abraham (and Sarah's) incomplete faith (or times that they do not show blind trust in God)?
-How do the Nuzi Archives help us understand Gen 12-22?
-Connection question: In Historical Perspective you have been discussing Thucydides as a historian. Think about whether or not his criteria are at play in the "history-like" stories about Israel's ancestors. Why do you think that the biblical historians have a different set of criteria? What are the important philosophical differences?
23 (M): The Ancestral Narratives, Part 2
-Gen 24; 25:19-34; 27; 29; 37:12-36; 41-43, 50 (required)
-rest of Gen 23-50 (optional)
-"Stories of Anubis and Bata," OTP, 61-65
study questions:
-How do the stories of Anubis and Bata help us understand the Joseph Cycle?
-How is the theme of God's sovereignty seen in the Joseph Cycle?
-Connection question: On your Historical Perspective syllabus, you were asked on September 11th: "How do the Pre-Socratic philosophers differ from Hesiod in their ways of analyzing reality?" Reflect on how you would classify the writers of the Ancestral Narratives-- would they be more like Pre-Socratic philosophers or the later philosophers? The parallel is not exact here, but it is instructive. Make sure to be prepared to articulate in clase "why" you draw whatever connection you make.
24 (Tu): Lecture by Dr. Tim Robinson, Director of the Nobel Conference (8:30AM in Banquet Room B)
23-24 (M and Tu evenings): Four different review sessions will be set up for students to meet with either Dan Pioske or Rachel Schwingler to go over questions for the first test. These sessions will be optional, but attendance may be very helpful as students prepare for the first test.
25 (W): First Exam over Sections 1 and 2 (20%)
-a Test Study Guide will be available on the web
Section Three: Religion and Politics
27 (F): Moses and the Exodus
-Ex 1-15
-Cambridge Companion, 61-71
-rest of Exodus (optional)
study questions:
-study tool: list of JEP for Exodus
30 (M): Covenant and the Law in Exodus and Deuteronomy
-Ex 16-24
-Deut 1-6
-"The Code of Hammurabi," OTP, 101-109
-Cambridge Companion, 71-95
study questions:
-How does the Code of Hammurabi compare / differ with the biblical laws?
-
Oct. 01 (Tu): Nobel Conference
02 (W): Nobel Conference
04 (F) The "Occupation of the Land, Part 1"
-Deut 30
-Jos 1-2; 6; 8-13:7; Jud 1; 3
-Cambridge Companion, 96-107
-link for lecture slides
study questions:
-locate on a map (found at the back of the Harper-Collins Study Bible) the cites that are listed as destroyed in Joshua
-locate on a map the cities that are listed as not destroyed in Judges chapters 1 and 3
-What are the inconsistencies that you see here?
07 (M): The "Occupation of the Land, Part 2"
-Cambridge Companion, 108-119
-Cambridge Companion, reread 88-95 while paying care attention to the term "Deuteronomistic History"
study questions:
-What are some of the archaeological inconsistencies are there with Joshua's account?
-Which account is more factually accurate-Joshua or Judges? Is the other account deceptive?
-What are some ways in which Deut serves as an introduction to Jos ­ Kings?
-What is meant by the term "Tetrateuch"?
-Why does the theory of the "Tetrateuch" and the "Deuteronomistic History" help with the duplication of material in Exodus and Deuteronomy?
08 (Tu): Preparation for class trip to Minneaopolis Institute of Arts and Guthrie Theator (8:30AM in Banquet Room B)
09 (W): Origination of the Monarchy
-Jud 6; 9
-1 Sam 3, 8-10, 31
-2 Sam 2, 6-7
-Cambridge Companion, 119-126; 129-132; 133
Study questions:
-Is the covenant between God and David in 2 Sam 7 unconditional or conditional?
-What resistance to kingship is seen in the passages from Judges? Is this resistance present before the establishment of the monarchy?
-What problems do the existence of a human king pose for the kingship of Yahweh (God)?
11 (F): The Divided Kingdoms
-1 Kings 3, 11-14
-Cambridge Companion, 132-148
-scan paragraph headers in 1 and 2 Kings
-"Karatepe Annals of Azitiwada," OTP, 162-165
-"Annals of Shalmaneser III," OTP, 166-171
Study Questions:
-What comparisons and differences to you see between the Karatepe Annals and Solomon's prayer in 1 Kings 3?
-Was Solomon a completely positive king? Was David completely positive?
-Why did the kingdoms of Judah and Israel split?
-What do the annals of Shalmaneser III tell us about the strength of Ahab?
14 (M): The Last Days of Judah and the Chronicler's History (link for lecture slides)
-2 Kings 19-24
-2 Chr 29-33
-Cambridge Companion, 148-161; 228-236
-"Annals of Tiglath-Pileser III," OTP, 172-173 (skim)
-"Annals of Sargon II," OTP, 174-176 (skim)
-"Annals of Sennacherib," OTP, 177-179 (skim)
-"Annals of Nebuchadnezzar," OTP, 182-184 (skim)
Study Questions:
-What is similar about the campaigns of Tiglath-Pileser III, Sargon II, Sennacherib, and Nebuchadnezzar? What motivated these campaigns?
-What is the difference in how Hezekiah is portrayed in Chronicles and Kings? What are the similarities?
15 (Tu): Session on Academic Advising and Counseling: Session led by Jackie Alvarez and Julie Johnson. Sessions introduced by Dr. Eric Dugdale (who will announce times and locations).
Section Four: Prophecy and Writings
16 (W):Introduction to the Prophets: Metaphor and Meaning
-Ezekiel 16
-Judith Sanderson, "Nahum" (on reserve)
-Nahum 1-3
-Cambridge Companion, 127-128, 161-171
18 (F): Reading Break-- no class
21 (M): Reading Break-- no class
22 (Tu): Session on Community Service: led by Sara Pekarna (8:30AM in Banquet Room B)
23 (W): Prophecy, Part I "State and Peripheral Prophets" (mid-term grades due)
-"Mari Letters," OTP, 318-322
-Cambridge Companion, reread 161-166
25 (F) Prophecy, Part II (Eighth-Century Prophets)
-Amos 1; 3-5
-Cambridge Companion, 171-175; 200-207
28 (M): Prophecy, Part III (Eighth-Century Prophets)
-Isa 1-12; 31; 36-39
-Cambridge Companion, 175-179, 182; 183-188
30 (W): Prophecy, Part IV (Sixth-Century Prophets)
-Jer 1-4, 31-33
-Ez 1-6; 30-40
-Second Essay Due: How can biblical history be "true" if it is not factual?
-4 discussion meetings to be set up with Dan Pioske and Rachel Schwingler in the evenings this week
Nov. 01 (F): Prophecy, Part IV (Sixth-Century Prophets [Second Isaiah])
-Isa 40-55
-other readings to be assigned
04 (M): The Rise of Apocalyptic Literature
-Ezekiel 1-6, 40-48
-Dan 1-3; 5; 7
-Cambridge Companion, 189-194; 271-280
-definitions used in class
06 (W): Wisdom Literature: Focus on Job
-Job 1-4; 6, 8, 38-39
-Cambridge Companion, 246-249; 253-257
-Cambridge Companion, 133; 236-246 (note: this reading on Psalms will be covered on the second exam but not in class)
08 (F): Second Exam (35%)
-A Test Study Guide will be made available on the web
Section Five: The New Testament
11 (M): Judaism Encounters the Hellenistic World
-Cambridge Companion, 288-293; 306-321; 368-378
13 (W): The World of the New Testament and The Synoptic Problem
-Mark 1-3:6
-Cambridge Companion, 383-401; 447-454
-skim the parallel material in Matthew and Luke
Study Questions:
-How does the beginning of Mark compare with what you would expect of a normal biography?
-How do you account for the differences / similarities in Matthew and Luke?
-What do you think about the proposals in Harris for this relationship?
15 (F): the Gospel of Mark
-Mark 8:22-16:8
-Cambridge Companion, 455-468
Study Questions:
-How does Jesus' emphasis on what pleases God differ from the view of the Pharisees in Mark?
-What portrait of the disciples emerges in chapters 9-16? What do the disciples learn about leadership? How does their view of greatness
differ from Jesus'?
-What portrait of Jesus emerges from these stories? On what charge is Jesus convicted before the Sanhedrin? Before Pilate?
-The best Greek manuscripts end with 16:8, so it seems that this was the original ending to the gospel. What seems unusual about this ending?
18 (M): The Gospel of Matthew
-Matt 1-2, 11-13; 26-28
-Luke 1-3
-Cambridge Companion, 501-511
Study Questions:
-Compare the birth narratives in Matthew and Luke. How do they differ? What does Matthew emphasize?
-What is different about the genealogies in Matthew and Luke?
-What is Jesus' attitude towards the law in 5:17-20
-How do the antitheses in 5:21-48 develop this view of the law?
-According to 7:13-27, what must characterize the disciple of Jesus?
-compare Matthew with Mark and see what he adds or leaves out of the parallel stories
20 (W): The Gospel of Luke
-Luke 1-2; 15; 23-24
-Cambridge Companion, 519-525
22 (F): Luke / Acts (lecture by Chaplain Brian Johnson)
-Acts 1-2; 6-7; 9-11:18; 15:1-35; 26; 28
-Cambridge Companion, 526-537
25 (M): no class (professor at a conference); hold this day open for class as Chaplain Johnson may need to lecture on this day rather than Friday, Nov. 22nd.
27 (W): The Gospel of John
-John 1-3; 9; 11-13;17-21
-Cambridge Companion, 538-547
Study Questions:
-How does John's beginning differ from the opening chapters of the
Synoptics? What expectations does this beginning set up about Jesus, and
about the content and style of this Gospel?
-What seems to be the "content" of Jesus' preaching in the Gospel of
John? How does this compare to the content of his preaching in the
Synoptics?
29: Thanksgiving
02 (M): Paul, Part I (The Mission to the Gentiles)
-Galatians
-Cambridge Companion, 468-480
-3rd brief essay: "Which Jesus: Matthew's, Mark's, or Luke's?"
-brief essay due at the beginning of class
04 (W): Paul, Part II (Romans)
-Romans 1-8; 12-14
-Cambridge Companion, 484-490
06 (F): Paul, Part III (The Disputed Pauline Letters)
-Ephesians 1-6
-Cambridge Companion, 492-498
09 (M): The Apocalypse of John
-Rev 1; 6-7; 10-13; 18-22
-Cambridge Companion, 553-559
11 (W): makeup day
13 (F): review for final exam
 
Exam period: Final Exam (40%)
-the final exam is cumulative with concentration (with about 50%) on the NT section
-study guide will be made available on the web