WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
FAIRBANKS CAMPUS
SCHOOL OF RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Wayland Mission Statement: Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an
academically challenging, learning-focused, and distinctively Christian environment for
professional success, and service to God and humankind.
Course Title and Number: RLGN 1302, New Testament History
Term: Fall 2014
Name of Instructor: Bryan Myers
Office Phone Number and WBU Email Address:


Phone Number – 907-322-3302
Email address: bryan.myers@wayland.wbu.edu & myers.br@gmail.com
Office Hours, Building, and Location: Eielson AFB, Building 2631, Room 321; Thursdays from 610 PM
Class Meeting Time and Location: Please contact me at 907-322-3302 for additional help and to
arrange non-class meetings times.
Catalog Description: New Testament History is an introductory survey of the historical literature with
special attention to the background and origins of Christian beliefs and practices, and to the life of Jesus
Christ and the early Christian community.
Prerequisites: None
Required Textbook(s) and/or Resource Material:

Required Texts
 Elwell, Walter A., & Robert W Yarbrough. Encountering the New

Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey, Grand Rapids, Baker
Academic, 2013 ISBN 978-0-8010-3964-5.
The Learning Bible , NIV. New York: American Bible Society, 2003, ISBN
978-1585166817.

Required Articles
 “The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept” Mark Dever found in The
Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept (pp 21-35) – Will be available in
Blackboard
Course Outcome Competencies:




Demonstrate knowledge of the historical, religious, and social context of the New
Testament world.
Demonstrate knowledge of some of the critical methods used in New Testament studies.
Demonstrate an understanding of the basic content of the New Testament and its main
teachings (theological content).
Demonstrate knowledge of the canonical process producing a more complete
understanding of the New Testament.
Attendance Requirements:



Roll will be checked each class meeting. If you are late for class, it is your responsibility
to have your absence removed form the grade book.
The Division's "no cut" policy allows no unexcused absences.
No student missing more than 25% of the class meetings (including both excused and
unexcused absences) can pass the course. Students who need to leave class early must
get approval from the professor in advance.
Attendance - External Campuses
 Students enrolled at one of the university's external campuses should make every effort
to attend all class meetings. All absences must be explained to the instructor, who will
then determine whether the omitted work may be made up. When a student reaches that
number of absences considered by the instructor to be excessive, the instructor will so
advise the student and file an unsatisfactory progress report with the campus dean. Any
student who misses 25 percent or more (3 Classes) of the regularly scheduled class
meetings may receive a grade of F in the course. Additional attendance policies for each
course, as defined by the instructor in the course syllabus, are considered a part of the
university's attendance policy. A student may petition the Academic Council for
exceptions to the above stated policies by filing a written request for an appeal to the
provost/academic vice president.
Disability Statement: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA),
it is the policy of Wayland Baptist University that no otherwise qualified person with a disability
be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination
under any educational program or activity in the university. The Coordinator of Counseling
Services serves as the coordinator of students with a disability and should be contacted
concerning accommodation requests at (806) 291- 3765. Documentation of a disability must
accompany any request for accommodations.”
Course Requirements and Grading Criteria:

University Grading System
A
90-100
B
80-89
C
70-79
I
Cr
NCr
INCOMPLETE**
FOR CREDIT
NO CREDIT
D
F

60-69
BELOW 60
WP
WITHDRAWAL PASSING
WF
WITHDRAWAL FAILING
W
WITHDRAWAL
**A grade of incomplete is changed if the deficiency is made up by midterm of
the next regular semester; otherwise, it becomes "F". This grade is given only if
circumstances beyond the student's control prevented completion of work during
the semester enrolled and attendance requirements have been met. A grade of
"CR" indicates that credit in semester hours was granted but no grade or grade
points were recorded.
Elements of Final Grade
o Essays – 250 points (50 points per essay)
o Mid-Term Exam– 250 points
o Final Exam – 250 points
o Quiz Average – 200 points (23 points per quiz)
o Participation – 50 points
o Extra Credit –
 If over 75% of the class submits the end of term class review, I will give the
entire class 20 extra points.
 While I encourage you to let someone else proof read each of your papers, if
you turn in the correction that your proofreader made for one paper I will
give you 20 bonus points.
 Quiz, Exam, & Essay Information
1. QUIZZES: Quizzes will be given weekly over the reading assignment. The quizzes
will cover the material read in A Survey of the New Testament and reading from the Bible.
Regardless of where we are in the class lecture, the quizzes will be taken from the reading
material for the week. Follow the syllabus and you will do fine. I’ll post the quiz on Blackboard
on Monday and remove it Saturday at midnight. The quizzes will be open book, but once you
take it, there are no retakes. Makeup quizzes will be sparingly administered with prior consent of
the instructor. If a student either fails to submit a quiz or obtain prior consent, the student will be
given a score of zero for that quiz.
2. MID-TERM and FINAL EXAMS: The mid-term and final exams will cover lecture
material. If you miss the exam and have my prior consent you will be given a different make-up
exam. Make up exams will generally be taken within a week of the scheduled exam. Please
contact me to make arrangement for make-up exams. The final exam will not be comprehensive.
3. ESSAYS (Five Total): Students will be responsible for an on time submission of a
600-800 word (about two pages) essay on the given topic or question(s). Each essay will be
worth 50 points. Regarding the content of these essays, please understand the writing assignment
before you start writing. If you do not understand, ask. I want to help you. The content of the
paper should be based upon your thoughts and interactions, so quotations should be minimal.
Finally, please do not try to take a position that you feel I will find agreeable, in hopes of a better
grade or thinking “this is what he [Bryan] wants me to say.” You should give an honest response
that indicates that you are familiar and interacting with the material. If something in the reading
uplifts, encourages, challenges, or upsets you, I want you to tell me in your paper.
As far as the grading criteria, I am looking for fulfillment of the essay objectives. You
will be graded based upon their success in answering the question and carrying on a logical and
coherent argument. Also, grammar and spelling matter! You will be graded according to a
grading rubric that will be presented and explained on the first night of class.
Some other grading criteria include prompt turn-in time. (Essays should be turned in on
the day marked in the syllabus by the beginning of class. The instructor on a limited basis will
approve late submissions). Essays will lose one points for every day they are late for a max loss
of eight points. Essays not submitted within two weeks of assigned due date will receive a score
of zero. All essays will be submitted via safe assignment on Blackboard. Essays will not be
received any other way. Finally, format should be a 12-point font and double-spaced reaching a
minimum of 600 words. If you are struggling to meet the required number of words, focus on
more content rather than filler words and sentences.
All of this is designed to help you to know how your papers will be graded. My effort is
to be fair to you on the front end. If you focus on solid content presented in a logical format with
few, if any, grammar or spelling errors you will do well. Finally, I want you to do well because I
am interested in your thoughts on the assigned topics.
Students shall have protection through orderly procedures against prejudices or capricious
academic evaluation. A student who believes that he or she has not been held to realistic
academic standards, just evaluation procedures, or appropriate grading, may appeal the final
grade given in the course by using the student grade appeal process described in the Academic
Catalog. Appeals may not be made for advanced placement examinations or course
bypass examinations. Appeals are limited to the final course grade, which may be upheld, raised,
or lowered at any stage of the appeal process. Any recommendation to lower a course grade must
be submitted through the Executive Vice President/Provost to the Faculty Assembly Grade
Appeals Committee for review and approval. The Faculty Assembly Grade Appeals Committee
may instruct that the course grade be upheld, raised, or lowered to a more proper evaluation.
Tentative Schedule: Course Outline, Calendar, & Requirements
Date
Week 1
21 August
Week 3
4 September
Class Topic
Course Overview
Introduction to the New
Testament
The Inter-Testamental
Period & New
Testament Historical
Setting
Gospels & The Life of
Jesus (Part 1)
Week 4
11 September
Gospels & The Life of
Jesus (Part 2)
Week 5
18 September
Week 6
25 September
Acts (Part 1)
Review for Mid-Term
Acts (Part 2)
Mid-Term
Week 2
28 August
Assignment
Encountering pp. 1-55
Quiz – due 23 August @
midnight
Encountering pp. 53-104
Quiz – due 30 August @
midnight
Encountering pp. 105-154
John
Quiz – due 6 September @
midnight
Essay Due at the beginning
of class
Encountering pp. 155-206
Luke
Quiz – due 13 September @
midnight
Essay due at the beginning
of class
Mid-Term
Encountering pp. 207-234
Encountering pp. 235-268
Quiz – due 27 September @
midnight
Essay due at the beginning
Week 7
2 October
Week 8
9 October
Week 9
16 October
Week 10
23 October
Week 11
30 October
Early & Major Letters
(Galatians, 1&2 Thes, 1
& 2 Cor, Romans)
Prison & Pastoral Letters
(Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, I & II
Timothy, & Titus)
The General Letters
(Hebrews, James, I
Peter; I-III John, Jude)
Revelation
Review for Final
Final
of class
Encountering pp. 269-308
Quiz – due 4 October @
midnight
Encountering pp. 309-342
Quiz – due 11 October @
midnight
Essay Due at the beginning
of class
Encountering pp. 343-356
Quiz – due 18 October @
midnight
Encountering pp. 356-376
Quiz – due 25 October @
midnight
Essay due at the beginning
of class
Final Exam
Academic Honesty (Plagiarism):
University students are expected to conduct themselves according to the highest
standards of academic honesty. Academic misconduct for which a student is subject to penalty
includes all forms of cheating, such as illicit possession of examinations or examination
materials, forgery, or plagiarism. Plagiarism is the presentation of the work of another as one’s
own work. It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with penalties associates with
plagiarism stated in the catalog.
Academic dishonesty in any of its forms will not be tolerated.
I know that this is a required class and that your familiarity with the New
Testament may be minimal. The printed prerequisite for the class is listed as “none.”
I assume little or no knowledge of the New Testament. If you are not a “biblical
scholar,” you can do well in the class. At the same time, I expect that even those who
are quite familiar with the New Testament will be challenged. The bottom line is that
I want you to do well. I want you to love the New Testament, as I do (or more). This
may be your first interaction with the New Testament; I want it to be a good one!
Finally, I reserve the right to change the syllabus at any time when doing so
will contribute towards the fulfillment of the learning objectives.