- Office Hours: Lyon 321
- MWF: 8:00-8:50 a.m.; 10:00-10:50 a.m.; 1:30-2:30 p.m.
- TTh: 8:00 a.m.-9:20 a.m.
- or by appointment
- Phone: 698-4351
E-mail: pcbube@lyon.edu
Many resources for the course will be found at Educator: https://online.lyon.edu
Required Texts:
| W. Barnes Tatum | In Quest of Jesus |
| Funk, Hoover, et al | The Five Gospels |
| Borg & Wright | The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions |
| Recommended: | An additional translation of the gospels, such as the HarperCollins Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version |
In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 8, verse 29, Jesus asks his followers, "Who do you say I am?" This question has been posed afresh to each generation of Christians (and often non-Christians) ever since the gospels were written. This is the central question of the course. For many Christians the answer to the question seems obvious at first glance. However, merely comparing several of the most popular movies about Jesus made in recent times indicates that there are a variety of views about who Jesus is. Indeed, a little exploration suggests that the answer was not even so obvious to Jesus’ first followers.
As 20th century people living in America, we have different tools for answering this question than Jesus’ followers. Some of our tools may be better, some may be worse. On the one hand, we have the benefit of the written gospels and hundreds of years of archeological and historical research to help us; on the other hand, we do not have living eyewitnesses around to question. These advantages and disadvantages will become apparent as we embark upon our quest.
To give clarity to our explorations, this course makes a careful distinction between the quest of the historical Jesus and the quest of the Christ of faith. As we will see, Christianity has always been primarily concerned with the Christ of faith, providing us today with a vast wealth of resources for this aspect of the quest. However, the quest for the historical Jesus is a relatively new concern in scholarship and raises many problematic issues. This quest will be a significant focus for much of the course.
We will raise many difficult questions; some questions we may like, some we may not. But the ultimate purpose of this course is to see how these questions help us draw together faith and reason in ways that can deepen and enrich each other. Keep in mind, there are often differences of opinions about interpretation of the biblical texts and about the historical Jesus. Although I will present a particular set of perspectives, I hope that we would all respect each other’s perspectives where they differ. Even if I question a student’s views, I respect those views. We should all be open to having our perspectives questioned and challenged – that is not a lack of respect for differing views, but a means of trying to better understand others and, when done honestly, a way to pursue Truth.
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 students should be able to:
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apply critical thinking skills to the reading of biblical texts by learning to discriminate among the historical, literary, and theological dimensions of selected biblical passages |
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interpret biblical texts using historical-critical methodologies |
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apply modern historical methods to the biblical texts and other evidence to better understand what may be known of the historical Jesus |
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analyze the theological and historical approaches to Jesus found in contemporary films |
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integrate faith and reason by understanding how the historical, literary, and theological dimensions of the Bible affect each other, and how they affect our lives today |
Attendance Requirements:
In a word, attendance is crucial. Students are expected to attend all classes and to be on time. It is a historical fact that students who attend classes do better on assignments and examinations than those who do not. Attendance will be taken and counts 5% of the final grade.
Students must turn in all e-journals, essays, take all exams, and must turn in a paper for the course. Failure to turn in an essay, take an exam, or turn in a term paper will result in an "F" for the course. Students will be penalized points for taking a quiz or exam late, or turning in an e-journal, essay, or paper after the due date.
Essays on Films:
In order to understand how Jesus is sometimes interpreted in modern north American culture, we will watch several films depicting Jesus from the following: King of Kings (1961); The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965); Jesus Christ Superstar (1973); Last Temptation of Christ (1988); Jesus of Montreal (1989); and The Passion of the Christ. Most of these videos are available either at the Lyon College Library or at local video stores. Students will need to watch three of the first four videos on their own and write a 3-5 page essay (word-processed, one-inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced) analyzing the three films by addressing the following questions: (1) Which gospel(s) seem to have the most influence on the film? Give examples that support your observations. (2) What key aspects of the film are not in the gospels at all? (3) What symbols are used to convey the film maker's view of Jesus? (4) Do you think those symbols capture meanings found in the gospels themselves, even if the symbols are not in the gospels? (5) What kind of picture of Jesus is the film trying to portray? (6) How does that portrayal reflect the time that the movie was made? (7) As a whole, do you think the film is a faithful portrayal of Jesus, theologically and/or historically? Explain why or why not. The first essay is due Oct. 17; the second essay is due Nov. 3; and the third essay is due Nov. 17.
Paper:
As an upper division course, each student is expected to do an in-depth research paper of at least 15 pages (excluding bibliography/works cited pages). Students are welcome to research a topic of her/his interest related to the nature of the gospels, the historical Jesus, or related issues. Students need to turn in a paper proposal by Sept. 20 or earlier. The proposal should contain a tentative topic, a short statement about what is being explored or researched, some relevant references that will be used in the paper. I am open to students doing a project that does not take the form of a traditional term paper--students will need to negotiate with me on an alternative project and settle on it by Oct. 6. To get ideas for papers, students should skim ahead in their books and explore websites like The New Testament Gateway (http://www.ntgateway.com/). Check the paper guidelines at http://www.lyon.edu/webdata/groups/rph/rph325/paperguide.htm for more specific instructions.
E-journals:
The purpose of e-journals is to encourage personal reflection upon the material covered in the course as well as to increase student accessibility to the professor. Students will need to keep an e-journal throughout the course, writing at least two paragraphs each week, and e-mailed to me at pcbube@lyon.edu by Thursday at 5:00 p.m., The e-journal should discuss the material covered – what it means, how it relates to our understanding of ourselves today, asking questions about concepts that are not clear from class discussions, and communicating with the professor about your final paper. Students will be graded down if e-mail journals are not turned in on time.
Grading:
| Essay #1 | 5% |
| Essay #2 | 5% |
| Essay #3 | 5% |
| E-journals | 10% |
| Exam #1 | 10% |
| Exam #2 | 5% |
| Exam #3 | 15% |
| Attendance | 5% |
| Paper | 20% |
| Final Exam | 20% |
Assignment Schedule
Aug. 25
Overview of the course, basics to background of study of the Bible [click here for slides related to this session and the next]
Aug. 30
Further Background on the New Testament; read pp. 15-21 in Tatum
Click here to see comparisons of reading levels of several major translations at the Zondervan site
Sept. 1 [first e-journal due]
Historical-critical method in studying the gospels: read pp. 25-54 in Tatum
For more information about the Synoptic Problem check out http://www.mindspring.com/~scarlson/synopt/index.html by Stephen C. Carlson and http://virtualreligion.net/primer/ by Mahlon Smith of Rutgers.
Sept. 6-8 [e-journal due]
Read Gospel of Mark; pp. 55-6J1 in Tatum [click here for slides related to Gospel of Mark]
Sept. 13-15 [e-journal due]
Read Gospel of Matthew; pp. 61-66 in Tatum [click here for slides related to Gospel of Matthew]
Sept. 20-22 [e-journal due]
Read Gospel of Luke; pp. 66-71 in Tatum [click here for slides related to Gospel of Luke]
Exam #1 [check study guide] is due Sept. 25 by 11:59 p.m.
Sept. 27-29 [e-journal due]
Read Gospel of John; pp. 71-84 in Tatum [click here for slides related to Gospel of John]
Oct. 4 [e-journal due on Oct. 6]
Read the Gospel of Thomas [click here for slides related to Gospel of Thomas]
Exam #2 [check study guide] is due Oct. 5 by 11:59 p.m.
Oct. 6-11 (Oct. 13-14 is Fall Break) [e-journal due on Oct. 12 because of Fall Break]
Quest of the Historical Jesus: read pp. 87-109 & 139 in Tatum; pp. 3-27 in Borg & Wright; and pp. 34-38, 128 in Five Gospels; (recommended pp. 16-34 in Five Gospels) [click here for slides on the historical quest]
Essay #1 on a Jesus movie is due in class on Oct. 17
Oct. 18 [e-journal due]
Conclude Overview of Historical Quest
Begin Resurrection and Virgin Birth: read ch. 7 in Tatum; pp. 269-270, 397-400, 465-470 in Five Gospels; pp. 171-186 & 111-142 in Borg & Wright [click here for slides on the resurrection and virgin conception]
Oct. 20 (I will be out of town at a conference. Use this time to view one of the assigned films. For your e-journal this week, comment on the readings handed out on the 18th)
Oct. 25
Conclude Resurrection and Virgin Birth
Begin Titles of Honor: ch. 8 in Tatum; pp. 76-77 in Five Gospels [click here for slides on Titles of Honor]
Oct. 27-Nov. 1 [e-journal due Oct. 27]
Conclude Titles of Honor:
Exam #3 [check study guide] due by Oct. 31 at 11:59 p.m.
Kingdom Preaching: read ch. 9 in Tatum; 136-137 in Five Gospels; pp. 31-76 in Borg & Wright [click here for slides on Kingdom Preaching]
Essay #2 on a Jesus movie is due in class on Nov. 3
Nov. 3-8 [e-journal due Nov. 3]
- Torah Teaching: read ch. 10 in Tatum; pp. 143-145, 289-295 in Five Gospels [click here for slides on Torah Teaching (ethics)]
Nov. 10-15 [e-journal due Nov. 10]
- Parables: read ch. 11 in Tatum; pp. 194-197, 323-324 in Five Gospels [click here for slides on Parables]
Essay#3 on a Jesus movie is due in class on Nov. 17
Nov. 17-22 [e-journal due Nov. 17]
Miracles: read ch. 12 in Tatum; pp. 309 & 436-439 in Five Gospels [click here for slides on Miracles]
Nov. 23-25 Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 29-Dec. 1 [e-journal due]
- Arrest, Trial, and Crucifixion: read ch. 13 in Tatum; pp. 117-126 in Five Gospels; pp. 79-107 in Borg & Wright and Course Wrap-up [click here for slides on Arrest, Trial, and Crucifixion]
Discussion of Films (if time)
On-line Final Exam [click here for study guide]