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It is the student's responsibility to read and be thoroughly familiar with the syllabus.
Deuteronomy (GB 5133) – Web Course
Hazelip School of Theology, Summer 2013
Instructor: Dr. Phillip Camp
Phone: 615-966-6130
Office: Ezell 212
E-mail: phillip.camp@lipscomb.edu
This course begins Tuesday, May 28. There is an assignment. See the course schedule below.
Course Description (from the graduate catalog on Scripture courses):
The Scripture courses offer serious, in-depth study of a Bible book(s). Based on the English text,
attention is given to backgrounds, critical issues, and original language insights. Critical issues
of the individual books are reviewed in relation to the wider issues of the surrounding biblical
material. Characteristic of each course is a careful reading of the specific book, a study of the
general contents, and the integrating of the book into Bible history.
Course Objectives
Learning Objectives:
Students completing this
course will:
1. Have a mastery of the
contents of Deuteronomy.
2. Understand
Deuteronomy in its
historical and literary
contexts.
3. Be familiar with the
critical issues of
Deuteronomy.
How Delivered
How Assessed
Goals
Reading the biblical
text.
Power point lectures,
assigned readings.
Homework, final
exam.
Homework, final
exam.
Minimum
grade:70%
Minimum
grade:70%
Assigned readings.
Homework, final
exam.
Minimum
grade:70%
4. Understand the place of Assigned readings.
Deuteronomy in the
Pentateuch, the OT, and
the whole Bible.
Book review,
homework, final
exam.
Minimum
grade:70%
5. Gain skills to interpret
OT legal texts.
Term paper,
homework, final
exam.
Term paper,
homework, final
exam.
Term paper,
homework, final
exam.
Minimum
grade:70%
6. Understand the
theology Deuteronomy.
7. Be able to hear and
apply Deuteronomy as
God’s word, to Christians
and the church today.
Power point lectures,
discussion board,
assigned readings.
Power point lectures,
assigned readings,
discussion board.
Assigned readings,
discussion board.
Minimum
grade:70%
Minimum
grade:70%
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Required Texts:
1. Phillip G. Camp, Living as the Community of God: Moses Speaks to the Church in
Deuteronomy. An electronic copy will be made available to you on Blackboard.
2. Terence E. Fretheim. The Pentateuch. Interpreting Biblical Texts. Abingdon, 1996.
3. J. G. McConville Deuteronomy. Apollos Old Testament Commentary. InterVarsity Press,
2002.
4. Patrick D. Miller Deuteronomy. Interpretation. John Knox Press, 1990.
5. Any modern, committee translation of the Bible (e.g., NIV, NRSV, NASB, ESV).
6. Other readings (on-line resources, essays, articles) will be assigned and posted or linked on
Blackboard.
Going On-Line in Blackboard:
This course will be run through Blackboard, which you can access through your "My Lipscomb"
page. To receive credit, unless otherwise instructed, all assignments must be sent through
Blackboard. Therefore, it is essential that you familiarize yourself with Blackboard, its
components (e.g., the Discussion Board, Journals, Grade Book, Quizzes, Messages, etc.), and its
functions (e.g., attaching files for assignments) before the class begins. You cannot access the
course on Blackboard until you are officially registered for the course.
Additional readings, notes, Power Point presentations, and reading questions (see below under
course requirements) will be placed in a folder under the "Weekly Assignments" link, and each
folder will be labeled for a given week. You will need to go through everything in the folder
along with the assigned readings in the McConville and Miller commentaries.
Plan to go to the web course at least four times each week. By Monday of each week, check
the folder that week to get the notes, questions, Tegrity or PowerPoint presentation, and
additional readings. By the end of the day Wednesday, go to "Discussions" to make your initial
response to weekly Discussion Board Question(s) (see below) and to turn in your journals. By
the end of the day Thursday respond to classmates' postings on the Discussion Board Question.
By the end of the day on Friday send a message to the instructor saying you have read all of the
discussion board posts for the week. You should also check your messages each time you go
to Blackboard, and your Lipscomb e-mail each time you go online for the course.
It is assumed that the student is competent when it comes to using his/her computer, the internet,
and Blackboard. The student is responsible for solving his/her technical problems. If you
are having trouble, please contact Lipscomb's Computer Center ASAP. Keep in mind that
strange things happen in cyberspace (e.g., messages get lost, servers go down, etc.). Therefore,
do not wait until the last minute to do your work and send it in. Allow plenty of time to meet
deadlines in case of computer problems. The student is solely responsible for getting work in
on time. Also, back up all of your work (as you go) and returned assignments on a disk or
jump drive. Save everything in this way until you receive your final grade in the course.
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You must use Word or a Word-compatible program for the writing assignments (homework
and papers). Please save files and reopen them before sending them to make sure there are no
corruption issues. If I cannot open it because the program won't open in Word or because
the file is corrupted, it will be counted late.
Also, save all work with your last name as the first word in the filename and then some
description of the work, e.g., if it were mine, Camp_homework1.docx or Camp_exam.docx.
Finally, in determining whether work is turned in on time, the only consideration will be the date
on the message or Discussion Board post. The assignment must come within the due date (So
by 11:59 PM, and 12:00 AM on the day after the due date would be counted late). That is, I will
look at the date, not the time on assignments.
Course Requirements:
1. Readings, lecture notes and/or Power Point, homework questions. Do the readings each
week according to the course schedule below and go through whatever is in the folder for the
week under "Weekly Assignments". Answer the Homework Questions as you do your reading.
You will not turn in the answers to the questions, but they will highlight for you what is
important in the reading and serve, in part, as your study guide for the final exam.
2. Journals. By the end of the day Wednesday, you will turn in a multi-part journal, that will
include the following components:
(1) Write at least 300 words giving your insights, thoughts, and applications that occur
to you as you read. Do not summarize or repeat the biblical text, reflect on it. Do this
exercise prior to reading the commentaries. That is, I am interested in your fresh
thinking on the text.
(2) After your own reflections, read the McConville and Miller commentaries and write
at least 300 words on each of the commentaries (600 words minimum). Discuss helpful
or challenging insights gained or disagreements with the commentator. Imagine yourself
engaged in a conversation with the writers. Do not include quotations from the
commentary, except as need to give context for your response.
(3) When there are articles included in the week's folder (not counting Camp's book),
write at least 300 words of response to them. Note agreement or disagreements.
So in total, depending on the week, your journal will be 900-1200 words.
These are to be posted under the "Journals" link in Blackboard. There will be a heading for each
week under this link. You may either type the journal directly into the pane provided or type it as
a Word document and attach it.
Please check your grammar and spelling. Failing to do so can affect the grade. And these
journals will be made visible to the others in the class who might want to read them and
comment on them (though reading and commenting on others' journals is not required).
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Late journals will be accepted for half credit up to one week after the due date (except for the last
week of class).
3. Discussion Board Questions. The student will post a response to the threaded discussion
question given by the instructor each week and to the responses of his/her classmates. You must
post your first response, a response to the question itself, no later than Wednesday of a given
week. By Thursday, you must respond to your classmates. Feel free to comment on other's
comments as well, even if they are not in your group. Additional substantive responses are
encouraged and will be taken into consideration in the course grade when students are "on the
line" between grades. On Friday, between noon and 11:59 P.M., send the instructor a note via
Messages in Blackboard acknowledging you have read all the discussion board posts for the
week, including the instructor's final comments. You are not responsible for reading posts added
after noon on Friday (but you may read them!).
The responses for the discussion need not be long (but consider 75-100 words a minimum for
the initial posting and 50 words a minimum for each of your comments on others'
responses). The first posting should respond fully to the instructor’s question, reflect
thoughtfulness, and explicitly bring in some aspect of your readings for the week. However,
do not merely say, "The reading said…" Use the reading(s) to support your own argument, or
show where your think your reading was wrong in respect to the question. Do not include long
quotations from the readings in your response. Instead, briefly summarize what the reading said.
A good response will demonstrate critical thinking on the issue raised in light of the readings for
the week.
Likewise, responses to classmates' postings will reflect good reasoning and reflections or
expansion on what they posted, and not merely expressions of agreement or disagreement.
The grade for this component is based both on completing the assignment and on the quality of
the responses. You will be informed if your responses are not meeting expectations.
Depending on the class size, you may be divided into smaller groups and expected to respond to
all those in your group, though you can respond to others as well. You will still be expected to
read all the posts from all the groups.
Keep in mind that there may be disagreements in the course of the threaded discussions, and that
is fine. But responses must be polite, respectful, and address the person’s comment not the
person him/herself (i.e., no personal attacks or impugning another student's motives,
faithfulness, or character). The grade will be lowered significantly for inappropriate
participation. And do not use the Discussion Board to send personal messages to the instructor
or other students. Use e-mail for that.
Please do not get behind on the Discussion Board requirement. The grade for this requirement
will be lowered for late and missed responses. If you should miss a deadline, post the
response(s) ASAP and get some credit. But no post will be accepted more than a week after
the due date (and the posts for week 9 will not be accepted after July 29).
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4. Reading Quizzes on Fretheim's The Pentateuch.. There will be seven timed quizzes, one
for each chapter of the book, taken on Blackboard. The quizzes are open-book, but, since they
are timed, you need to read the chapter before starting the quiz. The quizzes are in the
content folder labeled "Quizzes on The Pentateuch." You may take the quizzes when you chose,
but all quizzes must be completed no later than 11:59 PM on July 6. Each quiz must be taken
in one sitting in the time allotted. Once you start a quiz you must complete it. Take the
quizzes on a computer that is hard-wired to the internet rather than connected by wifi to prevent
a connection that is too slow to complete the quiz no time. Click "submit" only once for an
answer and give it time. If you click twice, the quiz may give you an error message, and you
might not be able to complete the quiz.
5. Term Paper. The student will write a 3600-4200 word (about12-14 typed, double-spaced
pages) term paper. More specific paper guidelines will be posted on Blackboard. Papers are due
by 11:59 PM on July 27. Late papers will be penalized 10 points/day. The assignment will not
be accepted after July 31, so please do not wait until the last minute.
6. Final Exam. The final exam is cumulative and will cover the biblical text, class lectures,
assigned readings. It will be a closed book and note exam. The final exam will be due by noon
on August 1. Late exams will be heavily penalized, and none will be accepted after 11:59
PM on August 1. More information about what to expect will be given during the course.
Grading Percentages: Journals (20%); threaded discussion (20%); Quizzes on The Pentateuch
(10%); term paper (25%); final exam (25%).
Grade Scale: 100-93 = A; 92-83 = B; 82-70 = C; below 70 = F.
Excused "Absence." Recognizing that summer is a time for vacation, camps, etc., each student
has one "absence" from a class week, from participation on the discussion board. The
assignments will be up far enough in advance that you can complete and send in your other
assignments before the due dates on the week you miss. You still must post on the
discussion board for that week, but you can do so in this one case, within one week of original
due date (except for Week 9, which must be completed by July 29).
NOTE: No “Incompletes” will be given except for extreme emergency for the student or
his/her immediate family.
Academic Integrity: In keeping with our identity as a Christian University and our goal to help
shape lifelong disciples of Christ, academic integrity will be taken very seriously in this class.
Unless specific permission is given to collaborate on assignments with other students, each
student's work shall be his/her own. Cheating on exams or assignments and plagiarizing on
written assignments will, depending on the severity of the case, result in penalties ranging from a
significantly reduced grade on the assignment to failing the course. Instances of cheating or
plagiarism may also be reported to appropriate members of the administration, depending on the
situation. Decisions in these matters rest with the instructor. For information on Lipscomb’s
policies and procedures see the “Academic Integrity” page on Lipscomb’s website
(http://academics.lipscomb.edu/content.asp?CID=5329&SID=12)
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Dropping the Course: A decision to stop participating in the class or to not turn in assignments
does not constitute dropping the course. Please see the "Graduate Catalog" for the official
policies and procedures for dropping a course. If a student's name appears on the roster at
grading time and the course has not been officially dropped, he/she will receive a grade based on
the course requirements and grading percentages above.
Students Requiring Accommodations: If you require accommodations for a documented
disability, please discuss your circumstances with the instructor ASAP, preferably prior to the
beginning of class. If you are entitled to accommodations but have not yet registered with the
Counseling Center, contact that office immediately at 615-966-1781.
Schedule
For each week, read the assigned biblical text, corresponding sections in the commentaries
(McConville and Miller), and go through any other material in the folder for that week under
"Content" on Blackboard. On some weeks, Miller's divisions will not correspond to those below.
See the schedule below for the pages to read in those instances. You do not need to read the
translation notes for McConville.
Note that the schedule is adjusted for the shorter first week, but after that your journal and first
discussion board posts are due on Wednesdays, and your replies on the discussion board are due
Thursdays, and your acknowledgment of having read the posts on Friday.
Week 1 (May 28- June 1) – Introduction, Deuteronomy 1-3. Read the introductions in
McConville and Miller, and their commentaries on Deut 1-3.
- For this week only, turn in your journal and make your initial post the
discussion board on Thursday, make your replies on Friday, and send the e-mail
acknowledging you have read all the posts between noon and 11:59 PM on Saturday.
Week 2 (June 2-8) – Deuteronomy 4-6
Week 3 (June 9-15) – Deuteronomy 7-11
Week 4 (June 16-22) – Deuteronomy 12-14. Read pp. 128-134 in Miller.
Week 5 (June 23-29) – Deuteronomy 15-18
Week 6 (June 30-July 6) – Deuteronomy 19-22. Read pp. 145-146 (on the provision for
sanctuary in Deut 19), 156-172 in Miller.
- All quizzes on Fretheim's The Pentateuch must be completed by 11:59 PM on July 6.
Week 7 (July 7-13) – Deuteronomy 23-26. Read 164-165, 171- 189 in Miller.
Week 8 (July 14-20) – Deuteronomy 27-30. Read in pp. 189-212 in Miller.
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Week 9 (July 21-27) – Deuteronomy 31-34.
- Terms papers due by 11:59 PM on July 27.
Week 10 (July 28-Aug 1) – Final Exam due by noon on Aug. 1
Bibliography for Deuteronomy
Commentaries
Biddle, Mark E., Deuteronomy. Smyth and Helwys Bible Commentary. Macon,
Ga.: Smyth & Helwys, 2003.
Brueggemann, Walter. Deuteronomy. Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries.
Nashville: Abingdon, 2001.
Cairns, Ian. Word and Presence: A Commentary on the Book of Deuteronomy.
International Theological Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992.
Christensen, Duane L. Deuteronomy 1:1-21:9, 2d ed. Word Biblical Commentary,
Vol. 6A. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2001.
________. Deuteronomy 21:10-34:12. Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 6B.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2002.
Craigie, Peter C. The Book of Deuteronomy. New International Commentary on
the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976.
Hall, Gary H. Deuteronomy. College Press NIV Commentary. Joplin, Mo.:
College Press, 2000.
Mann, Thomas W. Deuteronomy. Westminster Bible Companion. Louisville:
Westminster John Knox, 1995.
Mayes, A. D. H. Deuteronomy. New Century Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1979.
Merrill, Eugene. Deuteronomy. New American Commentary. Nashville:
Broadman & Holman, 1994.
McConville, J. G., Deuteronomy. Apollos Old Testament Commentary. Downers
Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 2002
Miller, Patrick D. Deuteronomy. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching
and Preaching. Louisville: John Knox, 1990.
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Nelson, Richard D. Deuteronomy. Old Testament Library. Louisville:
Westminster John Knox, 2002.
Rad, Gerhard von. Deuteronomy. Old Testament Library. Philadelphia:
Westminster, 1966.
Thompson, J. A. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale Old
Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, Ill.:1974.
Tigay, Jeffrey H. Deuteronomy. Jewish Publication Society Torah Commentary.
Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996.
Woods, Edward J. Deuteronomy. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove,
Ill., 2011.
Work, Telford. Deuteronomy. Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids:
Brazos, 2009.
Wright, Christopher. Deuteronomy. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series.
Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996. (formerly in the New International Biblical
Commentary, Hendrickson Publishers).
Works on the Pentateuch
Alexander, T. Desmond and David W. Baker. Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch.
InterVarsity, 2002.
Blenkinsopp, Joesph. The Pentateuch. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
Campbell, Anthony F. and Mark A. O’Brien. Sources of the Pentateuch. Minneapolis:
Fortress Press, 1993.
Fretheim, Terrance E. The Pentateuch. Interpreting Biblical Texts Series. Nashville:
Abingdon, 1996.
Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on the Pentateuch. Baker, 1982.
Mann, Thomas W. The Book of the Torah: The Narrative Integrity of the Pentateuch.
Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1988.
Sparks, Kenton L. The Pentateuch: An Annotated Bibliography. IBR Bibliographies 1.
Baker, 2002.
Van Wijk-Bos, Johanna W. H., Making the Simple Wise: The Torah in Christian Faith and
Practice. Eerdmans, 2005.
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Walton, John H. and Victor H. Matthews. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: GenesisDeuteronomy. InterVarsity, 1997.
Wenham, Gordon J. Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Pentateuch. InterVarsity,
2003.
Whybray, Roger N. Introduction to the Pentateuch. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.