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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to read biblical texts with the same care and intelligent analysis as they would read an ancient piece of literature, a historical document, a philosophical essay, or an ancient letter.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 familiar with representative concepts, theories, and methods New Testament studies.

• be able to identify strengths and weaknesses of diverse positions in New Testament studies

• be able to engage in basic research about an assigned New Testament passage

• take steps to integrate faith (broadly construed to include one's philosophy of life) and reason

Requirements:

Students will be expected to complete all reading assignments on time, attend classes, take all quizzes and exams, and write an analysis of one of the passages found at http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/groups/rph/rph120/passageanalysis.htm (due April 20). To avoid plagiarism, students 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. It is not enough simply to list all the works consulted at the end of a paper.  All information and ideas which a student finds from the works consulted must be specifically cited at the point in the paper where that information is included. Students may find it helpful to make an appointment with the Writing Center on the second floor of Alphin Hall to obtain help with their papers and to clarify what is and is not considered plagiarism.

On-line quizzes.  Students are required to take 15 on-line quizzes over readings by the dates assigned.  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.

Exams build upon previous material (glossaries, on-line quizzes, and 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 the course 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.

All graded work in this class is to be pledged in accordance with the Lyon College Honor Code.

CELL PHONES, COMPUTERS, AND OTHER ELECTRONICS: Cell phones should either be turned off or put on silent or vibrate in class. They should be put away and not visible. Texting during class is not permitted. If you are awaiting an emergency call, then you should sit near the class entrance, and when your phone vibrates, you should quietly exit and take your call in the hallway out of earshot of our class and other classes. Students may use computers in class to keep notes only, unless directed by the professor (i.e., no Facebook, etc.). Listening to iPods or other mp3 or similar players is prohibited in class. Violation of these requirements will adversely affect your participation/attendance grade for the class.

Grades will be weighted as follows:

Quizzes	15%
Exams	40%
Attendance & Participation	10%
Analysis of Assigned Passage	15%
Final Exam	20%

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.

Attendance & Communication:

Every student is expected to attend classes and participate. Attendance and participation count for 10% of your final grad. It is the student's responsibility to check this online syllabus at least once a week in case the schedule is changed. Be sure to check your e-mail every day. This is Lyon College policy, and it is the main way I communicate with students outside class. If a student receives an e-mail indicating that an exam is available to take, and she/he misses the exam because she/he did not read the e-mail, that is the student's fault and the exam will receive a zero.

Portfolios

Although this is a freshman level course with only one paper, I would like you to create electronically (e.g., a folder on your I-drive) a portfolio in which you save your paper and any other papers you may do in RPH courses. This will not be graded, but in the event you do take other RPH courses, Dr. Beck and I would like to be able to ‘see’ your progress and I hope you would want to reflect upon your work. Because RPH classes are so ‘holistic’ in their approach to human affairs, we both hope that what you write will be connected to your other academic work and to the choices you make in other dimensions of your lives. Those of you who are considering majoring and minoring in RPH are required to keep a portfolio. Making this a requirement in every class means that those of you who have not yet decided whether to major or minor will have the portfolios on-line and accessible, making it very easy to declare a major or minor (see catalog for requirements).

 

 

Please note: Students seeking reasonable accommodations based on documented learning disabilities should contact the Office of Academic Services at 307-7332.

Course Outline: [Note: this schedule is subject to revision and should be checked by students at least once a week.]

(E) = Ehrman’s book; the name of the New Testament Book indicates that the entire book should be read unless otherwise indicated.