- Phone:870-307-7351 (office)
- 870-793-2558 (home)
Required Texts:
- Bart D. Ehrman – The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings (4th edition)
- (check http://www.us.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780195322590/?view=usa for on-line study materials)
- HarperCollins Study Bible
- Glossaries, quizzes, assignments, and exams can be found in Educator (https://online.lyon.edu).
If you are interested in a very good -- and free -- computer based Bible study program, click below:
Nature and Purpose of the Course:
This course provides an overview of most of the New Testament. Students will be expected to do a fair amount of reading in both the Bible and textbook. The course introduces students to the historical-critical method of biblical study and illustrates a number of ways this method helps us to understand the New Testament documents in their original contexts.
Students will bring varying backgrounds and expectations about the Bible, in general, and the New Testament, in particular. It is not the aim of the course either to convert the unbeliever or to subvert the faith of the believer. However, it is the position of Lyon College's Program in Religion and Philosophy that faith and learning are compatible and mutually enhance each other. The course aims at helping students to read biblical texts with the same care and intelligent analysis as they would read an ancient piece of literature, a historical document, a philosophical essay, or an ancient letter. (By the way, all these sorts of writings can be found in the New Testament.)
This course approaches the New Testament texts as documents of faith central to the Christian heritage, and looks upon these texts as having a unique role in revealing the nature of God and how humanity is invited to respond to God. A guiding assumption behind this course is 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 putting aside 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:
Because this is an online summer class, listening to on-line lectures as well as completing assignments on time and in full are crucial. In addition to the reading assignments, quizzes, and exams, students will write a three page analysis of a passage to be assigned by the professor (see http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/groups/rph/rph120/PassageAnalysis.htm).
Dates and times listed in the schedule below are Central Time.
On-line lectures. Audio recordings of all relevant lectures can be downloaded at the links listed below to play on an mp3 player or your computer. In addition, you can download copies of the slides that were shown when these lectures were originally recorded. (The slides are available in PowerPoint format in Educator under the "Course Materials" link.) Please note: the lecture recordings were made during the Spring 2009 New Testament course, and consequently, there will be references to due dates and assignments that are not relevant to this Summer class. You should go by the due dates in this syllabus. If you have any questions at all, please e-mail or call me.
On-line quizzes. Students are required to take 15 on-line quizzes over readings by the dates assigned (approximately 3 per week). The quizzes are made up of short, objective questions (e.g., multiple choice and true/false) available on Educator at https://online.lyon.edu. The quizzes are based on the idea of mastering the information, therefore, students may take a quiz as many times as they want prior to the date the quiz is due to receive the grade they want. However, keep in mind that once the date of the quiz has passed, the quiz cannot be re-taken and the grade cannot be changed. All of the quizzes are available to take, so students are welcome to work ahead on them.
Exams build upon previous material (glossaries, on-line quizzes, and other exams), so in a sense each exam is cumulative. There will be an objective section to each exam and an essay section. The exams will also be on-line and will be timed with an expiration time like the quizzes. Unlike the quizzes, a student may take the exam only once. There will be study guides posted through this website for each exam. Exams will emphasize the material covered since the previous exams, but there may be questions from the previous exams and quizzes on the current exam.
E-mails. Since we do not have face-to-face meetings to interact and have discussions, students need to e-mail me by 5 p.m. each Thursday (a total of five times) with a short reflection and/or questions about the material covered. Students are encouraged to e-mail more often and/or telephone any time they have a question or want to talk more about the material discussed in the readings or lecture recordings.
Extra credit: students may receive up to 5 points extra credit by participating in the online threaded discussion in Educator (Click on the "Discussion/Groups" link on the left side of Educator.)
All graded work in this class is to be pledged in accordance with the Lyon College Honor Code.
Grades will be weighted as follows:
| Quizzes | 15% |
| Exams | 40% |
| Analysis of assigned passage | 15% |
| Five e-mails | 5% |
| Final Exam | 25% |
| Total Possible Percentage: | 100% |
Final letter grades will generally be based on the following scale: 90-100 = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C; 60-69 = D; below 60 = F.
COLLABORATION: Students are encouraged to help each other in preparing for exams and exchanging ideas and advice on papers. However, in keeping with the Lyon College honor code, the term paper, and actual written work on exams are to be done by the student her or himself.
In keeping with Lyon College policy, students are expected to check their First Class e-mail accounts daily. This is the primary way professors and college officials have to communicate with you. Students are accountable for information regarding due dates, assignments, exams, etc., that are sent through First Class.
Analysis of New Testament Passage:
Please note: Students seeking reasonable accommodations based on documented learning disabilities should contact the Office of Academic Services at 307-7332.
Course Outline: [Note: the lecture audio recordings were done during Spring 2009 and may include references to dates and assignments that are not relevant for the summer schedule. Use this syllabus for the correct dates of assignments, quizzes, etc. To save a recording to play back on an mp3 player, right click and save to disk and transfer to your player.]
(E) = Ehrman’s book; the name of the New Testament Book indicates that the entire book should be read unless otherwise indicated.
| June 1 |
Take the on-line sample quiz on Christmas through Educator at https://online.lyon.edu
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June1-3
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| June 2 |
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| June 4-5 |
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June 4: |
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June 8-9: |
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June 8: |
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June 10: |
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June 11:
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June 11:
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June 12-15:
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[Lecture Slides Can Be Found In Educator Under the "Course Materials" Link]
June 12: |
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June 16-17:
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June 16: |
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June 18-19: |
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[Lecture Slides Can Be Found In Educator Under the "Course Materials" Link]
June 18: |
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June 22: |
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[Lecture Slides Can Be Found In Educator Under the "Course Materials" Link]
June 22: |
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June 23: |
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June 24-25: |
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Paul –
chs. 19 & 20 (E); 1 Thessalonians
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[Lecture Slides Can Be Found In Educator Under the "Course Materials" Link]
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June 30-July 1: |
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Recording #30
June 30: |
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July 2: |
| Deutero-Pauline
& Pastoral Epistles – ch. 24 (E); 2
Thessalonians; Colossians; 1 & 2 Timothy
July 2: |
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July 3 |
Independence Day Observed |
July 6: |
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July 6: |
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July 7-9: |
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July 7: |
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July 8 |
Analysis of New Testament
Passage is due by noon (send as an attachment by e-mail) |
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FINAL EXAM
due by noon
[click here
for study guide] |
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