The syllabus is subject to periodic revision during the semester. Students should regularly check the syllabus on-line.
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Nature and Purpose of the Course:
Is it important to study the Bible, especially the Old Testament? If one is a Christian, why not just study the New Testament? If one is not a Christian, is there any value in studying any part of the Bible?
There's a good chance that among the members of this class, there are a variety of answers -- and probably additional questions -- that we bring to the study of the Old Testament. An important goal of this course is expand upon our answers and our questions, to stretch our imaginations as well as to enlarge our knowledge. We may even revise our answers and develop new questions along the way.
In practical terms this course provides an overview of representative sections of the Old Testament. We will read from a variety of books of the Old Testament in addition to portions of our text books. We will learn how to use a variety of analytical tools to help us explore how to interpret the biblical texts. Some of these tools, such as feminist criticism, will seem controversial, but the aim with any tool we use, controversial or not, is to better understand what the Bible itself is saying. In other words, the tools are always just tools -- when used properly they help us to learn what a text in the Bible means.
Each of us brings to the course varying backgrounds and expectations about the Bible, in general, and the Old Testament, in particular. It is not the aim of the course either to convert the unbeliever nor to subvert the faith of the believer. However, it is the position of the Program in Religion and Philosophy that faith and critical thinking are compatible and mutually enhance each other. Our ultimate goal is to learn to read biblical texts with at least as much care and intelligent analysis as we would read an ancient piece of literature, a historical document, a philosophical essay, or a legal contract. (By the way, all these sorts of writings can be found in the Old Testament.)
Although the aim of the course is neither to convert nor subvert, I think it is important for students to be aware of my "bias" as we begin our study together. As a Christian, I approach the biblical texts as documents of faith shared by Jews and Christians, and look upon these texts, along with the New Testament, as having a unique role in revealing the nature of God and how human beings are invited to respond to God. As a scholar, I have discovered that my faith has been enriched by the kind of study we will do in this course. My experience has been that the Truth revealed in the biblical texts is best apprehended when one critically examines them in the context of their original languages, social setting, and history. To do so means bracketing many theological assumptions in order to allow the texts to speak to us with the same sort of freshness as they did to their first readers. Thus, a guiding rule-of-thumb for reading and interpreting texts in this course is to ask, "How would the first readers of this text have understood it?"
As we begin this course, let me suggest a prayer, "For the Spirit of Truth," to guide all of us:
- From the cowardice that dares not face new truth,
- From the laziness that is contented with half truth,
- From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth,
- Good Lord, deliver me. (United Methodist Hymnal #597)
Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Requirements:
Students will be expected to complete all reading assignments on time, attend classes, take all quizzes and exams, and write an 8-12 page term paper on an Old Testament book or passage not covered in class or a book analysis on one of the books listed on the Guidelines page. Guidelines for the paper are posted at http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/groups/rph/rph110/guidelines.htm. Note the due dates found in the guidelines. It is important for students to keep in mind that the college requires all students to turn in their own work in accordance with the Lyon College Honor Code. If students have questions about what constitutes plagiarism, they should read the MLA Handbook’s discussion of plagiarism and consult with someone in the writing lab or with me prior to turning in the paper. Students may find it helpful to make an appointment with the someone in the Writing Lab for advice on writing their papers.
COLLABORATION: Students are welcome to help each other in preparing for exams (e.g., study groups) and exchanging ideas and advice on papers. However, the writing of the term paper, actual written work on quizzes and exams, etc., are to be done by the student her/himself and pledged in accordance with the Lyon College Honor Code.
CONTENT QUIZZES: 15% of your grade is made up of content quizzes over the readings from Reading the Old Testament. Each quiz has a due date -- prior to that due date, you may take the content quiz as often as you like in order to achieve a grade on the quiz that you are satisfied with. These quizzes are open-book and open-Bible quizzes. Whatever grade you have on the quiz at the time it is due, is the grade you will receive on the quiz. Note: Because the quizzes are open-book and can be retaken, there will be no extensions given beyond the due date listed in the syllabus and Educator.
EXAMS: Exams are NOT open-book or open-note and may NOT be retaken. However, students may use an unmarked Bible on exams. The exams will also be taken on-line through Educator at https://online.lyon.edu . Each exam has a specific due date and time--there is no reason for late submissions. To avoid technical difficulties, it is recommended that students take the exam at least 2 hours before it is due.
Grades will be weighted as follows:
Attendance/Participation 10% Content Quizzes 15% Exam#1 5% Exam#2 10% Exam#3 10% Exam#4 10% Term Paper (the bibliography & rough draft grade counts 5% of this grade) 20% Final Exam 20%
Grading Scale: A=90-100; B=80-89; C=70-79; D=60-69; F=0-59
Attendance:
Every student is expected to attend all classes and turn in all assignments on time. Attendance and participation are graded, and they will also enhance the student's ability to do well on exams. Late assignments will be graded down five points for each calendar day late.
Please note: Students seeking reasonable accommodations based on documented learning disabilities should contact the Office of Academic Services at 698-4332.
Course Outline
There are links to slides that relate to the material being covered in class. These are useful in preparing for class discussions and in highlighting or complementing the readings. Normally, they will not be viewed in the class itself.
- Content Quizzes #1 & #2:
- Complete content quiz #1 on "Reader's Introduction" by 7:00 a.m. August 24.
- Complete content quiz #2 on "The Biblical Story" 7:00 a.m. August 29.
TORAH
Content Quiz #3: Complete content quizzes on "Chapter 1 Genesis 1-11" by 7:00 a.m. Sept. 5.
| Due by Sept 6 (11:59 p.m.) -- First (objective) exam. See questions 1-10 on the study guide as well as the questions from the Bandstra CD. Go to Educator to take exam. |
(11:59 p.m.)
- Content Quiz #4: Complete content quiz on "Chapter 2 Genesis 12-50" by 7:00 a.m. Sept. 21.
Sept. 28 -- turn in paper topic for approval (e-mail the topic before class begins)
Due by Oct. 1 (11:59 p.m.) -- Third Exam (see Bandstra CD for study guide questions and click here for additional study questions).
Oct. 12-15 -- FALL BREAK
Week 9 (Oct. 17-19):
Due by Oct. 22 (11:59 p.m.) -- Fourth Exam (see Bandstra CD for study guide questions and click here for additional study questions).
NEVI'IM
Content Quizzes #8 & #9 & #10:
Complete content quiz #8 on "Chapter 6 Joshua" by 7:00 a.m., Oct. 24.
Complete content quiz #9 on "Chapter 7 Judges" by 7:00 a.m., Oct. 26.
Complete content quiz #10 on "Chapter 8 Samuel" by 7:00 a.m., Oct. 31.
KETUVIM
Content Quizzes #12 & #13 & #14:
Complete content quiz #12 on "Part Three Writings" by by 7:00 a.m., Nov. 16
Complete content quiz #13 AND quiz #14 on "Chapter 14 Psalms" and "Chapter 16 Five Scrolls" by 7:00 a.m., Nov. 21
November 22-26 is Thanksgiving Holiday. Students should use this time to work on their term papers.
[Approximately 3/4 of the exam will be over the last 5 weeks and 1/4 will be comprehensive]
© 2007 Paul Custodio Bube