RELIGION 220: INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
Section 02 (M-W-F 9:00-9:50 a.m.)
Location: Bowman 307
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisites: ENG 101 or ENG 110 ("prerequisite" means
already completed with a passing grade)
Upon logging onto Moodle you will see the link to REL 220
Instructor: William E. Abshire
Office: Bowman 219
Phone: 5346 (use this, not e-mail for fastest contact)
E-mail: wabshire@bridgewater.edu (use this only for
contact that can be delayed for a day or two)
Office Hours: as posted on door (and by advance
appointment)
COURSE TEXTS
REQUIRED:
Powell, Mark Allan. Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey. Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2009. It is ISBN 978-0-8010-2868-7.
Coogan, Michael D. ed. The Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, New Revised Standard Version, College Edition,
Augmented 3rd Edition. New York: Oxford, 2007. It is an authoritative English translation by ecumenical scholars
(representing the main branches of Judaism and Christianity). It is ISBN 978-0-19-528882-7.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7 th edition New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2009.
ISBN is 978-1-60329-024-1.
RECOMMENDED:
Throckmorton, Burton H. ed. Gospel Parallels: A Synopsis of the First Three Gospels with Alternative Readings. 5th ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. Publishers, 1992. Copies of Throckmorton also are on reserve in the library.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course is a general, but critical, introduction to the history, literature, and thought of the New Testament and the
early Christian church. It covers the period from circa 330 B.C.E. until circa 150 C.E.
COURSE GOALS:
At the conclusion of this course the student will have:
1. introductory knowledge sufficient to present key information (persons, dates, events, themes, methods of study,
etc.) central to examining the New Testament documents
2. specific and detailed knowledge of major 1) events, 2) dates, and 3) terms vital to understanding the New
Testament documents (in addition to your reading / preparation for class notes and class notes, keeping descriptive sets of notes in each of these categories throughout the semester is a very useful resource and strategy for study and learning)
3. the ability to participate, using knowledge of key information, in the procedure of critical academic study of the
New Testament (this participation is evaluated by class discussion, quizzes, tests, resource assignment and a final
comprehensive examination)
COURSE OBJECTIVES / STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon successful completion of this course, a student will be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
identify key places in the ancient Mediterranean world
identify key people and events in the New Testament
identify key theological and ethical concepts in the New Testament
identify the different portraits of Jesus and his significance in New Testament literature
identify and demonstrate an understanding of scholarly approaches to the New Testament
describe the social and historical contexts of emerging Christian communities
BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE HONOR CODE:
Ethics, honor, and integrity are the fundamental principles at the core of the Bridgewater College experience. Our
community can only flourish in an environment of trust and respect and these notions of personal honor, integrity, and
faith are the fundamentals of the Bridgewater Honor System. The Code of Honor prohibits lying, cheating, and stealing
and Bridgewater College’s commitment to ethics, integrity, and values is embodied in the Code of Ethics. Violation of
these Codes demonstrates harm to the community and an all-student Honor Council administers regulation of this Honor
System. It is the goal of Bridgewater College's Honor Council to assist in the development of students’ ethical and moral
base. Bridgewater College Academic Catalog 2010-2011. Students should read the Bridgewater College Plagiarism
Policy, adopted 23 August 2005. It appears at http://bridgewater.edu/WritingCenter/BCplagiarism.htm
-2-
BRIDGWATER COLLEGE STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES:
The Academic Support Center, located in Bicknell House, promotes learning skills and personal development through
academic counseling, advising, tutoring services, disability services, and a transition program for selected new students.
See www.bridgewater.edu/departments/academic_support. Students who have registered 504 plans must schedule a time
to meet with the instructor to discuss the necessary accommodations.
BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE WRITING CENTER:
You should use the Bridgewater College Writing Center (BCWC) as a support for the major writing assignments of
this course. The Writing Center is on the third floor of Bowman Hall. See www.bridgewater.edu/StudentServices/
Writing Center/BCWCWritingManual.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Extensive Reading (over 100 pages weekly, on average). Class discussions and lectures will not merely
replicate the reading. You also must develop the skill of learning directly from the reading. You must record
notes from your reading and ask (and answer) questions from it in class. These are your reading / preparation for
class notes. You must use what you read. During appointments, I will ask to see your reading / preparation for
class notes.
2. Always Contact Me (in advance if possible) about your reason for missing any class session. Otherwise, contact
me (or have someone contact me for you) within 24 hours of your absence. Absences always affect participation
scores. Absences without good reason affect participation scores more negatively. Absences without your contacting me (or having someone contact me) within twenty-four hours and giving me a good reason affect participation scores most negatively.
3. Missing any Assignment Deadline and not contacting me in advance will result in a zero for that assignment.
Any assignment turned in after a deadline, for any reason, but with advance contact with me, will have 3 points
deducted for every 12 hours late.
4. I score Participation within the range of +1 to –1 added to your final average in the course (that makes it 10% of
the course score). Interactions with me in class and outside class (see 1, 2, and 3, above), and with your fellow
students (especially in the pretest oral work), especially count as participation.
5. As with all courses in the Department of Philosophy and Religion, assignments and tests scores are on a tenpoint scale with pluses and minuses. See the next page for the numerical scores corresponding to specific letter
grades.
6. Article Analysis Essay, meeting and draft worth 5% and final draft worth 18% of the course grade. Pages 4 and
5 of this syllabus and all the pages that follow are information and sample pages for this assignment.
7. Threat of "spot" individual Quiz(zes). Worth 3%, deducted from test percentage.
8. Tests (three) with group and individual scoring of the multiple-choice portion. Tests have full range of format
(multiple choice, short answer, short essay, etc.). Each test is 19%. So, 3 X 19% = 57% of the course grade.
Dates are underlined on page four of this syllabus. In general, tests cannot be made up if you miss taking
them on the date they are administered. In extreme and rare situations where the test is taken at another time,
there can be no group score.
9. A Final, Cumulative Exam (20% of course grade).
10. To be considered for a score of "I" (incomplete) in the course, you must have completed at least 66% of the
course requirements with a passing average. You also must submit a plan of completion for the course and have
it approved by the Office of Academic Affairs. Likewise, the Office of Academic Affairs sets the final exam date
and time. I cannot change it for individuals nor for the class as a whole.
-3ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION:
Below-average spontaneous activity in asking questions and making comments, or neglecting to have someone contact
me on the day of any absence, likely results in a negative participation score in the course. If several of the problems just
described apply, the likely score for participation in the course is "-1" points.
A participation score of average ("0" points) in the course requires average activity in questions and comments during
class activities. It requires perfect attendance, or no more than one absence and contact with me about the good reason(s)
for the absence within twenty-four hours. Neglecting to inform me within that timeframe makes a “0” the highest
possible participation score. Perfect attendance but not often spontaneously asking questions or making comments in
class will result in a participation score not higher than average.
A positive participation score in the course requires spontaneous and above-average questions and comments during all
class activities. It requires perfect attendance, or no more than one or two absences, with contact with me about the good
reason(s) for the absence within twenty-four hours.
A high participation score (up to "1" point) in the course requires very active and relevant spontaneous questions and
comments during all class activities. It requires you to have shown outstanding and thorough preparation for class,
including initiative on your part and having gone beyond merely what is required. It requires perfect attendance, or no
more than one or two absences, with contact with me about the good reason(s) for the absence within twenty-four hours.
DETAILS ON SCORING AND LETTER GRADES:
As with all courses in the Department of Philosophy and Religion, assignment and test scores are on a ten-point
scale with pluses and minuses. The system at Bridgewater College provides for the letter grades of "A," "A-,"
"B+," "B," "B-," "C+," "C," "C-," "D+," "D," "D-," and "F" (note that the system at Bridgewater College does not
provide for "A+," "F+," or "F-"). Bridgewater College allows faculty to set numerical equivalents for the letters
as the faculty member sees fit. For all faculty in the Department of Philosophy and Religion, the following numerical equivalents correspond to the letter grades.
93 or greater is an "A"
90, 91, or 92 is an "A-"
87, 88 or 89 is a "B+"
83, 84, 85 or 86 is a "B"
80, 81 or 82 is a "B-"
77, 78 or 79 is a "C+"
73, 74, 75 or 76 is a "C"
70, 71 or 72 is a "C-"
67, 68 or 69 is a "D+"
63, 64, 65 or 66 is a "D"
60, 61 or 62 is a "D-"
59 or lower is an "F"
-4OUTLINE OF THE COURSE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS
JANUARY
26 (W) Introduction to the course
28 (F) Introduction to the course (continued)
POWELL
OXFORD ANNOTATED BIBLE (or GOSPEL PARALLELS)
pp. 9-45
FEBRUARY
pp. 47-101
1 MACCABEES, Ch's. 1-3 (Alexander the Great's death, the Maccabees
rebel against Antiochus IV), Ch's. 8, 12 (Maccabee alliance with Rome).
It begins on p. [201 Apocrypha] in your Bible. Also examine the layout of
passages in Gospel Parallels.
pp. 125-145
Oxford Annotated Bible, "Introduction to the Gospels" pp. [3-6 New Testament], and
MARK (all). Mark begins on p. [56 New Testament] in your Bible
14 (M) 16 (W), 18 (F), 21 (M), 23 (W)
{25 (F) Pre-test Work 3: Is MT just new laws?}
pp. 103-123
Gospel Parallels, fifth edition, pp. ix-xxvi, and
MATTHEW, Ch's. 1-7 (beginning to "sermon on the mount", 13 (parables in Matthew),
16 (controversy and Peter's confession), 18 (on humility and forgiveness), 23 (versus the
Scribes and Pharisees) 26-28 ("last supper," "crucifixion," "empty tomb," "post-resurrection
appearances")
25 (F), 28 (M)
pp. 147-167
LUKE, Ch’s 1-4 (beginning), 6 (so-called "sermon on the plain"),
8-10 ("parables" and miracles"), 15-16 (Luke's "special section"), 22-24 ("last supper,"
"crucifixion," "empty tomb," "post-resurrection appearances")
pp. 169-189
JOHN (all)
pp. 191-253 and
pp. 307-321
ACTS (all). GALATIANS 1-2 (comments by Paul on his early activity)
pp. 273-291 and
pp. 255-271
I CORINTHIANS (all). ROMANS (all).
11 (M), 13 (W)
{19 (M) Pre-test Work 8: Is Ephesians Paul's or not?}
pp. 323-341
EPHESIANS (all)
15 (F), 18 (M), 20 (W)
pp. 493-507
pp. 427-443
1 JOHN (all) HEBREWS (all)
pp. 519-537
REVELATION, all.
31 (M), 02 (W), 04 (F) Continued introduction to the
course and background
{04 (F) Pre-test Work 1: The "synoptic problem"}
07 (M), 09 (W), 11 (F)
{11 (F) Pre-test Work2 2: Why so many loose ends in
MK?)
SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT AND MEET
WITH ABSHIRE PRIOR TO WEDNESDAY 23
FEBRUARY TO DISCUSS YOUR CHOSEN
ARTICLE (BRING A COPY OF THE ARTICLE
TO THE MEETING).
MARCH
02 (W)
{02 (W) Pre-test Work 4: Politically Correct Luke?}
04 (F) TEST ONE
07 (M) – 11 (F) SPRING BREAK
14 (M), 16 (W), 18 (F)
{18 (F) Pre-test Work 5: Why is John so different?}
YOUR DRAFT OF YOUR ARTICLE’S
COMPLETE ANALYSIS IS DUE, AT THE START
OF CLASS ON MONDAY 21 (triple participation
score), WEDNESDAY 23 (double participation
score), or FRIDAY 25 MARCH
21 (M), 23 (W), 25 (F), 28 (M)
{28 (M) Pre-test Work 6: Saul / Paul versus Cephas /
Peter?}
30 (W) TEST TWO
APRIL
01 (F), 04 (M), 06 (W), 08 (F)
{08 (F) Pre-test Work 7: Meat to idols in 1 COR 8
and 10. When to eat and when not to eat}
YOUR FINAL DRAFT OF YOUR ARTICLE’S
COMPLETE ANALYSIS IS DUE, AT THE START
OF CLASS, ON MONDAY 11 (+5 score),
WEDNESDAY 13 (+2.5 score), or FRIDAY 15
APRIL
22 (F) – 25 (M) EASTER BREAK
27 (W)
{27 (W) Pre-test Work 9: Since it is not about ethical
improvement, what is the point of Revelation?}
29 (W) TEST THREE
MAY
02 (M), 04 (W) Test Three Post-Test and Questions from you about the Final Comprehensive Examination
OUR FINAL, COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION is
THUR. 5 MAY
Date
at
1:30-3:30
Time
UNDER COLLEGE POLICY, I CANNOT GRANT ANY EXCEPTIONS.
-5INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT ARTICLE ANALYSIS ESSAY
(See page 4 of this syllabus for due dates. See page 2 of this syllabus for percentage weights)
PURPOSE: This research assignment assists you in developing skills in writing in general, but specifically in
analyzing an argument in biblical scholarship.
GUIDELINES:
1.Follow all rules for formal writing and MLA documentation style. Your guide is MLA Handbook for
Writers of Research Papers seventh edition. I recommend you purchase it, but it is always available behind
the circulation desk at the Alexander Mack Memorial Library. Begin your research and planning long
before it is due. You may turn in the essay before its due date. You may set up an appointment with me to
do that. In any case, you must carefully proofread your writing before you turn in your final draft. I
briefly will review your drafts before the deadline for drafts if you wish. If you have had difficulties with
college-level writing in the past, set up an appointment to have the Writing Center assist you. Attach a
note to your assignment that gives the name(s) of the Writing Center staff person (s) with whom you work
and the dates when you work with them. You must write this note on your paper or attach it to it.
2.If, on your first page or two, you have several serious writing errors (sentence fragments, comma splice
errors, etc.) that do not reflect college-level skills and/or failure to proofread carefully, you will receive an
immediate “D” or “F” on the essay. Having several serious citation errors (not citing a source of
information, citing it incorrectly, etc.) on your first page or two will result in your receiving an immediate
“D” or “F” also. Again, I encourage you to have your paper previewed by the Writing Center if you have
had trouble in past college-level writing.
3.Be sure to review and use proper MLA form. Your essay must have a page of "Works Cited." Failure to
properly cite sources is plagiarism and an honor offense. Be sure to study the M.L.A. Handbook 7th ed. and
the "Style Sheet for Papers in Philosophy and Religion."
4.You must cite any ideas you borrow. Borrowing ideas without attributing them to sources is plagiarism and
an honor offense. I immediately will refer any honor offense to the Honor Council.
5.You may work with others. Of course, you may not turn in an essay that is a copy or paraphrase of anyone
else's writing, or part of their writing, unless you correctly cite them as a source. Again, I encourage you to
have your paper previewed by the Writing Center if you have had trouble in past college-level writing.
6.In directions that say ". . . give at least a complete sentence in answer . . . ," giving only one complete
sentence is a minimum. For that, you likely will not earn more than a "D -" for thoroughness or quality of
reflection.
(continued)
-6THE ARTICLE ANALYSIS ESSAY ITSELF:
Use the following resources (all available in the Alexander Mack Memorial Library): Bible Review, Bible Today,
Biblical Archaeology Review, Interpretation, Journal of Biblical Literature, or Near Eastern Archaeology. Of
course, you may use one of these journals on line if you prefer.
Choose one article in those biblical journals or periodicals, about something of interest to you from the New Testament. Before you read the article in detail, write at least a paragraph on why you are interested in the topic, and what
your initial ideas are about the topic. You must write at least a paragraph here.
Only after writing your paragraph, carefully read, and take critical notes on that article. Also, list this source correctly in your list of “Works Cited.” You should photocopy this entire article. You will need to show it, on paper, to
Dr. Abshire and meet with him to discuss it even before you begin work on a draft of your essay. You also will need
to show Dr. Abshire the paragraph on why you are interested in the topic. Dr. Abshire must approve your article
choice as one that is already relevant to content from REL 220, or else that REL 220 eventually will examine content
that relates to your article choice.
WRITING:
Write the heading “New Testament Article Analysis,” as the title of your research (see the M.L.A. Handbook 7th ed.,
section 4.3 for how to construct the heading and title of your essay.
Introduction to your Essay:
Write at least a paragraph explaining why you chose this article. Your introduction should include content from what
you wrote about the topic before you read the article carefully.
Body Section One of your Essay:
Describe the central point of the article you read carefully. Do not merely describe the article's topic. You must identify
the thesis of the argument. That means that you must state what is the central point that the author is asserting and
defending. You may not merely state that the title of the article is the central point or thesis of the argument. The author
is trying to prove something to the reader. In section one, you are identifying what that is. You are presenting your evidence for why you have identified as the central point, whatever it is that you have identified as the central point. This
section also must be at least a paragraph. You must cite your article for evidence.
Body Section Two of your Essay:
Explain the author’s line of argument for defending that central point. In other words, fully explain the structure that the
author has devised for defending that central point. This section must be several paragraphs in length. You must cite
your article for evidence.
Body Section Three of your Essay:
Examine what you have said in sections one and two in relation to any three items of knowledge or ideas from your work
in REL 220 this semester (e.g. something you have learned from Powell, from annotations in your Bible, from Gospel
Parallels, from class notes, from other research you have done, etc. You should discuss this with Dr. Abshire at your
meeting/s with him). Analyze those correlations by considering the implications and consequences they have for your
understanding. You must cite all sources to which you refer. This section must be the longest section of your essay.
Conclusion of your Essay
Write at least a paragraph explaining way(s) that writing the essay confirmed, modified, and / or changed your perspectives. Here you are referring to what you wrote about the topic before you read the article carefully as well as to what
you wrote in the body sections one, two, and (especially) three.
Eagle 1
Ernie Eagle
Dr. Abshire
Religion 220
21 March 2011
Article Analysis Essay
This page shows the first page of how you should format your article analysis essay, especially if your name is "Ernie Eagle." You can see where the information (including your name,
the course title, the date, the page numbers, etc.) goes and how it is spaced.
The next page shows how a second page of your essay should be formatted and the page after that (labeled page 5) shows how sources would look on your "Works Consulted" page. Please
be very aware that for your writing in this assignment "the organization and development of your
ideas, the coherence of your presentation, and your command of sentence structure, grammar,
and diction are all important considerations, as are the mechanics of writing—capitalization,
spelling, punctuation, and so on" (MLA Handbook 49). Those previous two sentences just
showed you the use of parenthetical citation in MLA form. In the first instance, the quotation is
from your course textbook. In the second instance, there is no author's name; therefore, the parenthetical citation is the book's title and the page number from which quotation comes. You will
find the works cited entry for these books on the next page.
The MLA form is the guide you should use. Do not trust simplifications such as Diana
Hacker's A Writer's Reference. Be sure directly to consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers, Seventh Edition and the "Style Sheet for Papers in Philosophy and Religion."
They are on permanent reserve behind the circulation desk in the Alexander Mack Memorial Library and the “Style Sheet for Papers in Philosophy and Religion” is on Moodle. These should
cover any question you might have. If they do not, ask me or ask at the Writing Center.
Eagle 2
You will continue with each of the body sections and conclusion of your essay. The next
page shows you the format of a “Works Consulted” page (notice this is “works consulted,” not a
“works cited” page—if you do not know the difference, ask me) for Ernie Eagle’s paper that was
five pages long.
It lists many more works than your actual essay will. At minimum, your essay should use
the correct MLA format and list the full and correct publication information for the course textbook, the course in-class notes, the course Bible, and the article you chose.
Eagle 5
Works Consulted
Abshire, William. “What is a Critical Study?” Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Virginia. 16
February 2011. Lecture.
Ayalon, Dan D. "Why Didn't Herod Defend Against the Ramp." Biblical Archaeology Review.
January/February 2002. Biblical Archaeological Society. Online. Web 19 February 2009.
Coogan, Michael D. ed. The Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, New Revised Standard
Version, College Edition, Augmented 3rd Edition. New York: Oxford, 2007. Print
Eck, Werner. "Hadrian's Hard-Won Victory: Romans Suffer Severe Losses in Jewish War."
Biblical Archeology Review. Sept./Oct. 2007: 42-47, 50-51. Print
Gaventa, Beverly Roberts and Richard B. Hays. “Which Jesus? The Search for a Scholarly Consensus.” Christian Century. 4 November 2008. 27-32. Print
Kittel, Gerard. "
The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Ed. Gerard Kittel.
Trans. Geoffrey Bromiley. Vol. 4. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967. 69-143. Print.
Kohlenberger, John III. The NRSV Concordance, Unabridged. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Zondervan Publishing House, 1991. Print.
Mann, C. S. Mark. Volume 27 of The Anchor Bible. Garden City, New Jersey: Doubleday and
Company, 1964. Print.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition. New York, New York: The
Modern Language Association of America, 2009. Print.
Mueller, Tom. “The Holy Land’s Visionary Builder.” National Geographic. December 2008:
36-59. Print
Perkins, Pheme. "Messiah." Harper's Bible Dictionary. Gen. Ed. Paul Achtemeier. San Francisco, California: Harper and Row Publishers, 1985. 630-631. Print.
Eagle 6
Powell, Mark Allan. Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological
Survey. Grand
Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009. Print.
Spalding, John. “Excavating Jesus: An Interview with Jonathan L. Reed.” Christian Century. 29
July 2008: 28-30. Print
Willimon, William. Acts. Volume 41 of Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and
Preaching. Ed. James Luther Mays. Atlanta, Georgia: John Knox Press, 1981. Print.
Wright, George Ernest et al., eds. The Westminster Historical Atlas to the Bible: Revised Edition. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Westminster Press, 1956. 134. Print.
Zissu, Boaz. "Village Razed, Rebel Beheaded: How Hadrian Suppressed the Second Jewish
Revolt at Horvat 'Ethri" Biblical Archaeology Review. Sept./Oct. 2007: 33-41. Print.