Alabama Course of Study
Birmingham-Southern College
Spring 2014 - March 21-22; April 11-12
Assignment and Course Assignments
Course:
Instructor:
Address:
Telephone:
COS 511 – New Testament II
Brady Whitehead, Jr.
4600 Bells Highway Jackson, Tennessee 38305
(731) 668-6552
Required Texts
1. Bible. The New Revised Standard Version is recommended, and is the one the
instructor will be using in class. If you prefer a different translation, however, that is
acceptable. We will use the Bible in class every day.
2. Holladay, Carl, A Critical Introduction to The New Testament: Interpreting the Message
and Meaning of Jesus Christ, Abingdon Press, 2005. ISBN: 0-687-08569-1
3. Gaventa and Petersen, eds., The New Interpreter’s Bible One-Volume Commentary.
Abingdon Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-687-33411-7. (Provides excellent introductions to
and commentaries on each book of the Bible.)
Required Reading
1. Holladay, chapters 11-27
2. Romans 9:1-11:36
3. The hand-outs given out in class.
4. The readings required for the Pre-Course Paper.
5. The readings required for the Mid-Course Paper.
Recommended Reading (but not required)
Gaventa and Petersen, pp. 768-942
Required Written Work
1. A pre-course paper
2. A mid-course paper
3. Other assignments given in class
4. A test
The Pre-Course Paper
1. From your reading of Romans 9:1-11:36 and what Gaventa & Peterson and Holladay
say about these three chapters, write a four-page paper on Paul’s understanding of
the place of both Jews and Gentiles in the Christian Movement.
Please be sure that your paper: (1) is written in complete sentences, with complete
grammar, punctuation, and spelling; (2) is turned in on time, since late papers will be
graded down; and (3) is duly footnoted or documented in some other way as to
wherever you received the ideas and material you use in your paper. You should write
your paper in your own words. Any quotation from the articles should be brief and duly
footnoted. (Read again the statement on plagiarism at the bottom of the Cover Sheet.)
Late papers will be graded down.
Time Crunch
We have a lot of material to cover in this Course. We shall want, therefore, to be
considerate of others by not taking class time with stories that can wait until break time.
Class discussion is an important method of learning, but only if it illustrates, corrects, or
advances the point at hand. Every member of the class (not just the instructor) has the
responsibility to act as a gatekeeper – to keep the discussion within the confines of the
gate (the topic at hand), to open the gate for those who have not had a chance to say
much, and to narrow the gap for those who have had a tendency to dominate the
discussion. Will you help the instructor by being a gatekeeper in this class?
The Mid-Course Paper
A mid-course paper will be assigned during the first weekend of the course and will be
due the Friday of the second weekend of the course. Late papers will be graded down.
The Test
A test will be given the Saturday of the second weekend of the course. The questions may
come from the Bible, the textbook, the handouts given out in class, and the material
covered in class. As you take the test, you may consult the Bible, the textbook, the
handouts, and the notes you took in class.
Grading System
The Pre-Course Paper - - - - - 40%
The Mid-Course Paper - - - - - 20%
The Test - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40%
Textbooks may be ordered through Mary Cook, the Birmingham Cokesbury Resource
Consultant, (205) 821-2030 or mcook@cokesbury.com; or through Cokesbury online
at www.cokesbury.com; or from Amazon @www.amazon.com.