Life and Literature of the New Testament - RS 10.3

Home Page: http://www.westmont.edu/~fisk/docs/
Contact: fisk@westmont.edu
Location: Clark A / Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 10:00 to 11:50 a.m. (10.3)
Office: Porter Center 15
Phone: (805) 565-7020
Office Hours: Mon 12:00 - 2:00 & Wed: 11:30 - 1:30 in office or DC and by appointment.

Course Description

2. My Goals for You.

Why require an academic course in New Testament? Doesn't the Bible properly belong in church? Will this course strengthen, or undermine, my faith? Are there risks when the Word of God becomes an object of rigorous study? Shouldn't this course be an elective, rather than a GE requirement? Whether or not these are your questions, let me offer something of a course rationale and lay out a few of my goals for you.

At the heart of this course will be the text of the New Testament, which we will read and discuss together as much as possible. Even if you've grown up in the church, this book can still be quite foreign, since it is always easier to talk about it rather than read it carefully. To be a good reader, you'll need to develop your skills of observation, grasp various bits of the historical context, learn some new vocabulary, cultivate your imagination, and develop a knack for identifying your own bias--the way you tend to distort what you read to make it agree with you.

Good readers learn to dance between strangeness and familiarity. That is, they recognize that the text of the New Testament is very old and strange, from another world almost, and yet they cling to the conviction that this ancient text has something profound to say to us today. One more thing: the best readers don't go it alone. The scariest, safest place to read the New Testament is within the Christian community, alongside others who ask different questions and who can help keep you awake and honest.

Sound, responsible readers of the New Testament also know when to go for help. They dip into Bible commentaries and read books by the best biblical scholars, but they also seek help from a host of other disciplines, many of which you'll be exploring here at Westmont alongside your RS classes. It would be foolish to ignore the rich contributions--questions, methods, findings--of other fields of study. Historians, for example, study the ways history gets written down--historiography is what this is called--which helps big time when we turn toward historical texts like the four Gospels and Acts. Scholars of literature have a keen eye for the quirks and surprises of language, and help us listen for texts within other texts, something so critical for students of a book (the New Testament) so connected to another book (the Old Testament). Social scientists are experts at tracking social forces and dynamics (like poverty, war, taxation, patronage) that exert pressure on new movements, movements like the early church. Archaeologists unearth and interpret ancient artifacts not because artifacts are intrinsically important, but because clay pots and stone walls reveal to us how ancient peoples (like 1st century Jews and Christians) lived, what they cared for, and how they organized their lives. Philosophers like to decode ancient world views and to get inside the heads of very important (but very dead) thinkers--Jewish maybe, or Greek--who have left their mark on the New Testament world. Rhetoricians understand the powers and the dangers of the spoken word, which means they can shed light on why preachers like Jesus and Paul captivated some but aggravated others. On and on we could go. To study the New Testament closely is to draw on almost every one of the liberal arts. Maybe all of them. As we do, we find our insights into Scripture bouncing back to enrich and challenge the very disciplines that lent us help in the first place.

Interdisciplinary dialogue may be win-win, you say, but what about me? Will an academic course like this nudge me over the cliff into spiritual crisis? That depends. College is the time when we discover that some of the pat answers we've clung to won't sustain us for the long haul. You'll find that in all your classes, not just this one. The time has come for you to puzzle things out for yourself. I deeply hope that when surprises come in this class, and when questions loom large, you'll not escape into agnosticism or stoop to cynicism. Instead, I hope you'll allow your world to grow larger (and, I suppose, messier), and you'll find ways to enjoy the journey into a more thoughtful, reflective, sustaining faith. I may be a few steps ahead of you, but I'm on the same path.

I want "biblical scholarship" to become one of your favorite terms, not an oxymoron nor a fire swamp to be avoided. Untethered biblical scholarship can be destructive, but it can also raise exciting new questions, provide a reality check, introduce fresh ways of reading, ground private faith in public reality, and offer a way past the sloppy thinking and cliches that sometimes pass for thinking Christianly.

All that to say, I'm hoping this course will help you:

• know your way around the New Testament, and associate its major ideas, themes and arguments with particular NT works or authors
• enter imaginatively into the world of the New Testament, as you show increasing respect for its social context while refusing to read the NT in a historical vacuum
• appreciate the complex and compelling portrait of Jesus depicted in the Gospels, and discover the importance of contemporary debates about the historical Jesus
• situate Paul's epistles within the historical context of his ministry and of the emerging NT church
• discover some of your own presuppositions and biases in Biblical interpretation
• develop life-long habits of reading and studying the NT, particularly in the context of the Christian community
• make connections between the New Testament and the rest of your studies in history, science, literature, philsophy, psychology, sociology, you name it
• grow as a Christian (or maybe even become one), as your character, heart and mind are transformed by a sustained, thoughtful encounter with Jesus.

These are my goals. What are yours?

3. Course Format

In addition to lectures, there will be regular large and small group discussion of readings, video screenings, key NT passages and web-based material.

4. Course Texts

	David Wenham and Steve Walton, Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Gospels & Acts. InterVarsity Press, 2001. This is volume one of a two-volume set that is full of useful stuff, discussion questions, reading suggestions and more. I've not used it before so let me know what you think of it. I like how it seeks to foster dialogue and discussion, and doesn't avoid some of the harder questions in Gospels studies. Sections include "Setting the Scene" on Greco-Roman and Jewish backgrounds to the Gospels and Acts; "Approaching the Gospels" on ways of studying the first four books; "Getting into the Gospels" dealing with each Gospels individually; and sections on the so-called "Historical Jesus" and on the book of Acts. Readings in ENT-I are indicated below in the Schedule.
	I. Howard Marshall, Stephen Travis, Ian Paul, Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Letters & Revelation. InterVarsity, 2002. This volume, by different authors, but in the same series, picks up where volume one left off: with the many epistles by Paul, Peter, James, Jude and John, as well as the anonymous book of Hebrews and the final, most exotic book: Revelation. It will fill in many gaps in your Biblical knowledge and who want a trustworthy guide through many puzzling issues and passages. Readings in ENT-II are indicated below in the Schedule.
	Theissen, Gerd. The Shadow of the Galilean: The Quest of the Historical Jesus in Narrative Form. Fortress, 1987. This novel, set in first century Roman Judaea and Galilee during the time of Jesus, is about a Jewish merchant forced to become a spy for the Romans. As he travels the land on assignment he discovers a wild diversity of opinions about Jesus of Nazareth. But was Jesus a threat to the Empire? With what other known groups and figures might Jesus be compared? Why did he attract followers, and why did Jewish and Roman officials want him executed. I suspect this book will challenge a few of your ideas about Jesus. As you read, consider the following questions: 1. How does Theissen's portrait of Pilate compare and contrast with the Pilate of the Gospels? 2. How does the story of Susanna and Tholomaeus and their sons affect the way you think about Jesus? 3. Why does Theissen intrude the letters to Dr. Kratzinger? 4 Do you see parallels between Jewish Zealots and Iraqi insurgents? Why / why not? 5. What do you think of the descriptions of Jesus as "philosopher," "poet," "prophet," and "Messiah"? 6. Why was Jesus crucified, according to the novel? Does this agree / disagree with the Gospels? 7. Does Andreas become a Christian? What happens to him at the end of the story? What happens to Jesus?
	Longenecker, Bruce, W. The Lost Letters of Pergamum. Baker, 2002. From inside the cover: an "introduction to the New Testament world, disguised as a collection of 'lost' letters between Luke and several well-positioned members of Roman society. The genius of the book lies in its fusion of current New Testament scholarship with a very plausible, personal narrative: the sobering story of one man's shift in allegiance from Caesar to Jesus. Along the way we overhear pagan reactions to Jesus' message and endearing stories from household churches; we sense the perils of sea travel and witness the horrors of the Roman games; we identify with privileged benefactors and hurt for subsistence farmers. . . . a reliable, if not always comfortable, guide to the dangerous world of the first-century Roman Christianity." As you read, consider the following questions: 1. What social roles did the gladiatorial games play in Roman society? Do we have modern counterparts? 2. How similar / different are the two house churches? 3. What do "honor" and "shame" mean in Roman society? Does your (sub-)culture operate with similar values? 4. What factors persuade Antipas to become a Christian? 5. Should faithful Christianity be politically subversive? Has this book challenged your ideas about the relationship between "church" and "state"? 6. Are the churches you know more like the church of Antonius or of Kalandion? Why? 7. Was Demetrius, the stone mason, heroic or foolish at the end of the story?
	Brian McLaren, The Secret Message of Jesus. W Publishing Group, 2006. McLaren is a major figure within the Emergent Church movement and beyond. Known to many for his earlier book A New Kind of Christian, this latest volume is about Jesus' passion, the Kingdom of God. To quote one reviewer, "McLaren believes that Jesus didn't come to start a new religion but was on a radical journey to start a revolution in the way people lived their everyday lives on every level - political, social, artistic, economic, intellectual, and spiritual. His secret message was the kingdom of God, and it was so radical that it knocked over many of the conventional assumptions, priorities, values, and practices of those who heard it." Read according to the Schedule. We'll discuss together some of its more provocative claims.
	New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha (NRSV). Oxford, 1991, 1994. This is one of the better study Bibles available, in a version that may be new to you: the New Revised Standard Version. More formal than the NIV or the NLT, smoother than the NASV, less antique and opaque than the KJV, it is widely used in the academy, in part because it aims to be ecumenical and it seeks to employ gender-inclusive language when possible. You'll find the notes and maps helpful but not overwhelming, and the inclusion of the Apocrypha is helpful, especially for Protestants many of whom know little about these "extra" books. See the essay on pages AP iii-xv for a valuable introduction. Read it, mark it up, bring it to class.

In addition , I'll point you to on-line bits (linked in the Schedule) and reserve readings (available in the library) that you'll need to read before class on the day they are due.

Assignments

1. Eight Studies (60%)

From the following list complete the two required projects and chose an additional six from the optional ones. Topics and NT books may be used only once. Books not eligible are Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, Jude.

Required (2 x 9% = 18%)

• Luke Map: create a hand-drawn map on poster board (no smaller than 11 x 17 inches) labeled with major regions and cities mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. Trace Jesus' ministry, as much as possible, using geographical references in the Gospel and your own research (commentaries, etc.). Indicate key events using boxes, lines, colors, mini drawings, scripture references, etc. You may consult, but do not trace, other maps (e.g., in Study Bibles, ENT, commentaries). Make every effort to be accurate and to scale. Graded for neatness, completeness, accuracy and creativity.
• Acts Map: for the book of Acts, create a hand-drawn map on poster board (no smaller than 11 x 17 inches) labeled with major regions and cities mentioned in Acts. Trace Paul's three journeys and indicate key events using boxes, lines, colors, mini drawings, scripture references, etc. Consult but do not trace other maps. Make every effort to be accurate and to scale. Graded for neatness, completeness, accuracy and creativity.

Options (6 x 7% = 42%) Choose six, one of which must focus on a Gospel but not Luke.

• Theme: a creative visual, literary or oral depiction of a major theme of the book (drawing, sculpture, video, photoshop project, original song or poem, etc.). Grading will consider creativity, quality AND the way the work helpfully develops a major theme in the book.
• Praxis: a practical work of service designed and implemented to apply a central teaching of the book. Submit a brief written proposal (by e-mail) in advance for approval. After completion, submit a 2 page report to outline what you did, why and how it worked. If you like, you may work with a partner and/or complete the practical work during March break. Due date for this project is negotiable.
• Key Word (or Phrase): a 3-4 page paper discussing the use of a key word or phrase in the book. This will require reading the book through carefully multiple times and using a concordance. Commentaries and other word books will also be helpful. Bibiliography required. Library research assistance will be available.
• Images: collect at least 10 works of art (digital images saved as a Powerpoint file) that deal explicitly with the subject matter of a book of the New Testament. (The most likely candidates are the Gospels, Acts and Revelation.) Arrange the art in order of the texts they exposit. Prepare a 1/2 page analysis of each piece, focusing on the way the art interprets and explains the Biblical text. Be sure to include the source (full URL) for each image. A nice digital collection is available here.
• Historical Figure: a 3-4 page paper discussing an important Biblical character in the book. Use a concordance to find and examine all the places in the NT/Bible where the character appears. Read at least one article on your character from a Bible dictionary or encyclopedia. The character may be from the Old Testament as long as it plays an important role in the NT book. Focus on the role your figure plays in your chosen book. Discuss the characters significance and how he/she is deployed by the NT author. Bibliography required. For this assignment only, the letter to Philemon is eligible.
• Epistle Flow Chart: for one NT epistle (Romans through 1 John, but not James) trace the argument for a paragraph or chapter (minimum 12 verses) using the method outlined in T. R. Schreiner, Interpreting the Pauline Epistles (Baker, 1990), 97-126 [BS2650.2 .S36 1990]. This assignment will appeal most to lovers of language, English majors and Religious Studies majors. See me for further details.
• Digging Deeper: write a 3-4 page paper on a selected "Digging Deeper" assignment from ENT I or II dealing with a theme, issue or topic related to the book. Choose an assignment that requires the use of additional sources. Bibliography required.
• Shadow and Gospel: write a comparitive essay that brings Gerd Theissen's Jesus (his ministry, trial, execution, resurrection) into conversation with the Jesus of the Gospels. Consider ways that Theissen's Jesus parallels, supplements, contrasts and even contradicts what you see in the Gospels. This will require a careful comparison of a number of episodes in the novel with parallel passages in the Gospels.
• Pergamum and Corinth: compare the glimpses of early Church life we find in The Lost Letters of Pergamum (esp. the two house churches) with the situation Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians. Write a 3-4 page paper that describes Paul's vision for church life and how it does or doesn't find fulfillment in the real church of Corinth and the imaginary churches of the novel.
• Commentaries: a 3-4 page paper comparing and contrasting three commentaries on a selected chapter of the book. Select commentaries that represent a range of perspectives. Highlight differences in approach, assumptions, conclusions, and assess the strength of their arguments. Bibliography required. Your choice of commentaries must be approved in advance by me.
• Parallels: compare one of the following sets of passages: Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2; Mark 11 and John 2; Ephesians 5-6 and Colossians 3-4; James and Matthew 5-7; Acts 9, 22 & 26. Consider context, similarities, differences. For comparing passages in the Gospels, this site may be helpful.
• Old Testament in the New: a 3-4 page study of how a New Testament book quotes or alludes to the Old Testament. Bibliography required. For Paul's use of the Old Testament, this site may be helpful.
• Matthew and Godspell: Read Matthew through several times and then attend the performance of Godspell (Friday, February 2nd - 7:00 pm; Saturday, February 3rd - 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm at Montecito Covenant Church; tickets are $7.00 for students). Write a 3-4 page reflection paper that assesses the way Godspell interprets (clarifies, explains, updates, modifies, distorts, etc.) Matthew's story of Jesus.

Except for "Praxis," all projects are due at the beginning of class on the (first) day that the book is considered in class. No late submissions will be accepted without prior approval. Since I assume that wise students work ahead, technology glitches, sudden sickness and unavoidable absence are not excuses for late submissions. Unstapled materials will cost you 10% (a full letter grade). No title pages. In the top right corner of page one, type or print your name, class, the NT book, the project descriptor(e.g., Theme) and a title.

Art projects may be accompanied by a 1-page written piece that includes appropriate documentation, support and explanation.

Research should use both library and web sources. Avoid vanity sites and non-scholarly materials. Do not simply surf the web or wander the library stacks. Begin your research here or here. Any sources you consult beyond the Bible and class texts should be listed in a bibliography using the following form. (Replace underlined elements; do not use underlining.) Failure to follow this form will cost 10%.

When you quote from any source (including class texts), or when your ideas have been influenced in some way by a reading, insert a footnote (at the bottom of the page), or an endnote (at the end of the paper), according to the following form. (Again, replace underlined elements but do not use underlining.)

Failure to acknowledge sources used in a paper amounts to plagiarism. There is an entire level of hell dedicated to people who plagiarize. To avoid perdition, and to understand why it matters, please read Westmont College's plagiarism policy, and check out these helpful strategies for avoiding plagiarism.

Written work will be graded on clarity, evidence of careful thought, evidence of substantial work, lack of errors (grammatical, typographical, spelling), and absence of plagiarism.

2. Memorization (10%)

Select one of the following passages to memorize in the New Revised Standard Version. You will write it out by hand from memory at one sitting.
At the bottom, a witness must write and sign the following statement to confirm that you used no helps of any kind: 

"I, NAME OF WITNESS, solemnly declare, having read Ephesians 4:25, that YOUR NAME wrote the above with no help of any kind."
Signed, _________________________________________

• Matthew 5:1-48 (max. 10 pts)
• Matthew 6:1-34 (max 9 pts)
• Luke 12:1-48 (max. 10 pts)
• John 14:1-31 (max. 9 pts)
• Romans 12:1-21 (max. 8 pts)
• 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (max 7 pts)
• Galatians 5:1-26 (max. 8 pts)
• Ephesians 1:1-23 (max. 8 pts)
• Hebrews 12:1-29 (max. 9 pts)
• James 1:1-27 (max. 8 pts)
• 1 Peter 1:1-25 (max. 8 pts)

3. Bible (10%)

Each day we will record whether or not you bring and use a Bible. To arrive without a Bible or to bring a Bible but leave it unopened counts the same as being absent.

4. Final Exam (20%)

Selected elements from the entire semester. The exam will consist largely of multiple-choice questions. Anyone caught giving or receiving information, or using study notes, during the exam will fail the exam and quite possibly the course. Preparing for largely objective tests can be daunting. Consider the following suggestions:

• Attendance: get enough sleep; complete readings on time, according to schedule; review before class; attend faithfully; sit near the front to avoid distractions; listen actively; ask questions

• Note Taking: indicate the day's date in the top right corner of the page; begin new thoughts or sentences on a new line; consider leaving blank lines between major ideas, to allow you to add more later; don't copy passively; good note-taking is thoughtful and active; use your mind to summarize, simply, emphasize and organize; think before you write; only rarely is it more important to write than to think; print or write as neatly as you can but develop your own abbreviations (e.g., drop final letters or some vowels; use symbols) to save time & space; don't write down everything said in class (people talk at about 125-140 words per minute; you write at about 25. Seek to put the main points in your own words); listen for clues pointing toward the big ideas and key points: repetition, inflection, transition, pause, Powerpoint; use outline form (bullets, dashes, indentation) to subordinate minor points and to show parallel ideas; use boxes, arrows, asterisks or underlining, etc. to highlight key ideas that you'll want to find quickly; take notes on student comments and questions when they seem helpful, when they generate good discussion or when I stress their importance

• Studying: start early; use small blocks of time; don't rewrite your notes; use the time you save to re-read, review, reflect, hi-lite, discuss; use left margin of notes for adding key words that "reduce" the lecture to its basic ideas; don't use study time to socialize; select your study partners carefully; study alone first and then consult with others; avoid large groups; study from text books and notes, not just from summary sheets and flash cards

• Reading:these tips for Academic reading may be helpful

Grading Scale

		B+	87-89	C+	77-79	D+	67-69
A	95-100	B	84-86	C	74-76	D	64-66	F	0-59
A-	90-94	B-	80-83	C-	70-73	D-	60-63

Schedule