Required Textbooks

1.  Bart Ehrman, The New Testament:  An Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 4th ed. (3rd ok but page and chapter numbers may differ)
2.  A NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) Bible containing the Christian Old Testament and New Testament.  (The HarperCollins Study Bible is available at the bookstore; the Oxford Study Bible is also acceptable.  Students must use the NRSV or RSV translations for papers and assignments in the course.)
3.  Required readings on websites, in handouts, and on Blackboard.

 

Assignments

Attendance and Participation

Since we will all be members of a learning community this semester, enthusiastic class participation is essential.  We will discuss what makes a positive learning environment for you during the first week of class. 
The Attendance and Participation Grade will include:

  • Daily attendance.  Every absence beyond three absences may lower the participation grade by one letter level (A to B, B to C, etc.).*
  • Occasional in-class presentations, graded activities, or providing discussion questions for class
  • Regular participation in class, which means:
    •  Informed, thoughtful, and respectful engagement in discussions, activities, and in-class writing assignments on a regular basis
    • Listening to the professor and the other students on a daily basis (including taking notes)
    • Bringing class readings and/or notes to class to enable discussion
    • Respectful behavior in class.  Disruptive or disrespectful behavior (including arriving late and leaving early) will lower Participation and Attendance grades.

*Absence policy: 
Students with extended illnesses, required sports games/meets, or other emergency situations have the opportunity to make up missed participation.  The fine print:

  • It is the professor’s discretion as to which absences can or should be made up.
  • At the beginning of the semester, athletes/debaters/etc. should provide me with the dates of class to be missed due to official university activities.  Alternative assignments to make up participation will be provided.
  • Students who are too ill to come to class should go to health services and provide documentation at the next class period.
  • Students with other emergencies should email me as soon as possible. 
  • The make-up policy is designed for students who have unavoidable commitments or emergencies, which will lead to more than three absences.
    • Students with multiple unexcused absences at the beginning of the semester should not expect accommodation late in the semester.  There are three freebies:  use them wisely, and document excused absences.
    • Students who miss class due to being hung over, feeling bored with the course, studying for another class’s exam, or taking a long weekend do not need to email me, as the absence cannot be made up.
  • Lying to avoid a penalty is a violation of the honor code.
  • Absent students should get notes and assignments from other students.

 

Daily Reading Responses

For every day on which there is a reading or film assignment, each student will post to the Blackboard site under Assignments a reading response for the day. 
Students may miss five responses over the course of the semester without penalty.
The responses:

  • Are due before class begins
  • Will be at least five complete sentences about the readings for the day
  • Should demonstrate that the student has read and reflected upon the material for the day. 
  • Need not be a unified paragraph; a student may address different topics in one post
  • Can comment on aspects of the assignment that are most compelling and exciting to you (and say why!)
  • Can raise questions or points that were confusing or require clarification for you
  • Can ask questions and raise issues you would like to discuss further in class
  • Are not due on the day of an exam, paper, or other major assignment in this course
  • Will usually be open to the students’ interests; occasionally the professor will assign a specific assignment/question for the Reading Response

 

Papers

Two papers (no more than 1200-1500 words long, each) will be assigned, based on the readings for the class.  All papers are due as hard copies in class and electronically on Blackboard.

 

Exams

There will be three exams as scheduled on the Course Schedule below.  They will include maps, identifications of terms and names, short answer questions, and essays.