THE ART OF THEOLOGICAL RESEARCH WRITING
Course Syllabus
Zion Bible College
EN 2241-01 - 2 Credits
Spring Semester 2011
Wednesday, 1:45-2:35 p.m.
Classroom Buuilding, Room 204
Dr. Daniel W. Howell, Professor
Office: 116, Academy Hall; Campus Phone: 978-478-3462
Office hours: Wednesday, 2:45-3:45 p.m. and Thursday, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Email: dhowell@zbc.edu
Office hours:
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed for those who are considering seminary and who will need to
write at an advanced level. The focus of this course will be the development of writing
skills: through building a better vocabulary, both theological and non-theological; by
teaching the mechanics of writing a paper, such as flow of thought, transition from
section to section, the art of crafting good sentences and paragraphs; instruction on
correct formatting of a paper using the 7th Edition of Turabian and the Zion Writing
Standard; and training in research and note taking. The course will include lecture,
writing exercises, peer review, and library research. The prerequisite for this course is a
C, 73 or higher, in English Composition 1.
OBJECTIVES
1.
The student will cultivate their vocabulary skills.
2.
The student will enlarge their basic theological vocabulary.
3.
The student will be able to correctly format a paper according to the 7 th Edition of
Turabian and the Zion Writing Standard.
4.
The student will develop their writing skills by comprehending how to craft good
sentences and paragraphs and by transitioning their thoughts from paragraph to
paragraph and section to section.
5.
The student will develop a system of note taking.
6.
The student will increase their ability to conduct theological research.
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TEXTBOOKS AND REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Bartlett, John. Bartlett’s Roget Thesaurus. No City: Hachette Book Group, 2003.
Grenz, Stanley, David Guretzki, and Cherith Fee Nording. Pocket Dictionary of
Theological Terms. Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 1999.
Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations,
7th Edition. Revised by Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M.
Wiliams. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2007.
Vyhmeister, Nancy Jean. Your Guide to Writing Quality Research Papers for Students
of Religion and Theology. Grand Rapids: MI: Zondervan, 2008.
Webster’s Vocabulary Builder. No City: Federal Street Press, 2006.
Zion Writing Standard
Suggested Titles:
Carson, D.A. New Testament Commentary Survey, 6th Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Academic Press, 2007.
Longman, Tremper. Old Testament Commentary Survey, 4th Edition. Grand Rapids,
MI: Baker Academic Press, 2009.
REQUIRMENTS:
1.
Reading Assignments:
a.
students will be required to read Your Guide to Writing Quality Research
Papers for Students for Religion and Theology pages 1-80, 103-125, 141188.
b.
students will be required to read portions of A Manual for Writers of
Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th Edition.
c.
students will have various research reading assignments as they relate to
writing exercises.
d.
reading for this two hour course will not exceed 500 pages.
2.
Written Assignments:
a.
there will be weekly written assignments that correspond to the lecture
topic and/or objectives of this course
b.
there will be no formal written paper for this course. Some assignments
for this course will include evaluating various portions of papers for other
classes. To this extent, each student will devise a schedule of writing for
the papers of their classes.
c.
students are required to review two papers written for other classes with
the professor of the class. Those reviews then will be discussed as a part
of this class.
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3.
Vocabulary;
a.
there will be weekly vocabulary quizzes.
b.
students will be required to do certain self-tests in the Webster’s
Vocabulary Builder.
4.
Exams: there will two exams, a mid-term, March 2, and a final.
POLICIES:
1.
Attendance:
a.
Students are expected to attend all class periods. Five absences are
granted for illness, personal matters, or for emergencies.
b.
Because the class is offered back to back, one extra absence is granted
(for a total of six absences). Please refer to the Student Handbook for
information on excessive absences.
c.
If the student comes in to class after attendance is taken, it is the
responsibility of the student to inform the professor of your attendance.
2.
Daily assignments must be completed by the due date. Late work will be
accepted but at a point loss of five points per day past the assigned date.
3.
Examination and Quiz Policy
a.
Exams can only be made up by the student according the following policy.
Students have one-week (seven days) from the original exam date to
make up the missed exam.
b.
In the case of illness, the student must notify the Resident Director of
his/her illness and secure from the Resident Director a “sick-slip.” The
student should fill out a “Make-Up Exam” request form. Forms are located
in the Office of the Academic Dean and the Office of Admissions. The
completed form is to be submitted to the Office of the Academic Dean for
approval and appropriate signature. The student will receive notification in
their campus mail, as will the faculty member. Once the student has been
approved to make up an exam he/she should schedule a time with the
faculty member. The student has one-week (seven days) from the date of
the original exam in which to make up the exam. The student will receive
a grade of zero “0” for an exam not made up within that one-week period.
c.
Students who miss an exam for non-illness reasons should fill out a
“Make-Up Exam” request form. Forms are available at the Office of the
Academic Dean and the Office of Admissions. The completed form is to
be submitted to the Office of the Academic Dean for approval and
appropriate signature. The student will receive notification in the campus
mail, as will the faculty member. Once the student has been approved to
make up an exam he/she should schedule a time with the faculty member.
All exams are to be made up within one week (seven days) of the original
exam, it is therefore imperative that a student attend to this as quickly as
possible. A fee of $5.00 will be added to the student’s account. The
student will receive a grade of zero “0” for any exam not made up within
that one-week period.
d.
The faculty member may deduct a maximum of 10 points for all nonillness related make-up exams.
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Project Extensions
Extensions will only be granted for the following four reasons: 1) hospitalization
for illness. A doctor’s note confirming such is required; 2) extended serious
illness that prevents a student from attending class. This requires a doctor’s note
and signature of verification from the student’s Resident Director; 3) funerals or
family emergencies granted as an approved absence by the Academic Dean and
Dean of Students; 4) school-approved activities. If the student meets one of
these exceptions, a “Request for Extension Form” must be filled out. The form
can be obtained from the Office of Admissions or the Office of the Academic
Dean. If your paper is turned in after attendance is taken on November 5, you
will receive an automatic point deduction of five (5) points. For each twenty-four
hour period (this includes Saturday’s, Sunday’s and school breaks) the paper is
not turned in, there will be a forfeiture of five (5) points from the total points. If
the paper is not turned in within five twenty-four hour periods after the due date
and time, an automatic score of zero (0) will be entered for the grade with no
chance of making up the paper/grade. If a hard copy cannot be presented by the
specified time and hour, an email copy may be presented for verification of
completion with a hard copy following.
5.
Plagiarism Policy
Any material, whether published or unpublished, copied from another writer, must be
identified by use of quotation marks, block quotations, and documentation with specific
citation of the source. Paraphrased material must likewise be attributed to the original
author. As a school, intent on training men and women of integrity for the ministry Zion
takes plagiarism seriously.
a.
Plagiarism consists of the following categories:
i.
Use of another’s ideas without giving credit;
ii.
Quoting material from published or unpublished works, or oral
presentation, without giving proper citation;
iii.
Paraphrasing material, whether published or unpublished, written or
oral, without proper citation;
iv.
Copying another student’s paper, without that student’s permission.
b.
Any Student found guilty of plagiarism will be subject to, but not
necessarily limited to, the following discipline:
i.
Faculty discipline on first offense:
•
Reduction of grade
•
Failure of assignment
•
Letter of reprimand
ii.
Academic Affairs Committee discipline on successive offense(s).
Student will be subject to, but not necessarily limited to, the
following discipline:

Receiving an “F” for the course

Removal from any extracurricular activities (second offense)

Dismissal for one year (three or more offenses)
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Faculty is to report all cases of plagiarism to the Dean of Academics in the form of a
“Plagiarism Report.”
6.
Cheating
Cheating consists of but is not necessarily limited to the following:
a.
Using unauthorized notes or material when taking an examination;
b.
Copying answers to examination questions, obtaining, or helping others to
obtain, unauthorized copies of examination questions;
c.
Copying another person’s class work/assignments and/or homework and
submitting it as one’s own.
d.
Having another student do one’s paper, or any other assignment, in whole
or in part and submitting the assignment as one’s own work;
e.
Allowing another student to copy one’s paper;
f.
Copying another student’s paper with that student’s permission;
g.
Students found guilty of cheating will therefore be subject to, but not
necessarily limited to, the following discipline:

Receive an “F” for the assignment/course;

Dorming/Campusing

Suspension

Dismissal
MY EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS:
1.
To be in class and alert, to participate in class discussions, and to take notes. If
a student is caught using their computer or other note taking device during class
for non-class purposes they will be required to leave the class and counted as
absent for the day.
2.
To do the assigned readings before coming to class in order to be able to
participate in discussion and to have a working knowledge of the concepts before
the lecture.
3.
To turn in all assignments, projects, and papers when attendance is taken, not to
turn in work for another student, not to turn in work after the due date and time.
4.
To bring their Bible and textbooks to class.
5.
To express individual opinions in a polite manner while respecting the opinions of
others.
6.
To apply the Matthew 18 principle in your relationship with myself.
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Dr. Daniel W. Howell
If a student realizes they are beginning to or are falling behind in class work, I
expect the student to take the initiative to set an appointment in order that a plan
might be organized for the student to get their work caught up so their grade will
not be adversely affected.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bauer, David R. An Annotated Guide to Biblical Resources for Ministry. Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson Publishing, 2003.
The Vyhmeister book has a bibliography of how to write and research books.
The Carson and Longman books are bibliographies of biblical/theological works.
INITIAL
DATE
SCHEDULE:
READINGS
The Art of Theological Research Writing
LECTURES
Introduction to Class; Pre-Class Fun; Lecture: What is
Research?
Jan. 19
Jan. 26
Vocabulary Quiz
Vyhmeister: Ch. 1,
Ch. 2, pgs 60-62
Lectures: What is Research?; The Spirituality of Writing;
The Intellectual Virtues
Feb. 2
Vocabulary Quiz
Vyhmeister: Ch 2,3
Lecture: The Library
Feb. 16
Vocabulary Quiz
Vyhmeister: Ch. 4,5,
14
Lectures: Choosing Your Topic; Planning Your Research
Vocabulary Quiz
Vyhmeister: Ch.
Lectures: Bibliographies and Reading; Footnotes, Why and
6,8,9
When
Feb. 23
Vocabulary Quiz
Vyhmeister: 12
Lectures: Organizing the Paper;
I Ain't Gonna Be No English Teacher
March. 2
Mid Term;
Vocabulary Quiz
Lecture: Writing the Paper
Feb. 9
March. 9
March. 16
March. 23
Spring Break
Vocabulary Quiz
Vocabulary Quiz
Lecture: DVD - A Sequence of Words
Lecture: DVD - Grammar and Rhetoric
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April. 6
April. 13
7
Vocabulary Quiz
Vocabulary Quiz
Vyhmeister: Ch. 15
Vocabulary Quiz
Vyhmeister: Ch.16
April. 27
May. 4
Vocabulary Quiz
Vyhmeister: Ch. 17
Vocabulary Quiz
Vyhmeister: Ch. 18
Finals Begin
28 hours
Bold=Projects and
Exams
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Lecture: DVD - Propositions and Meaning
Writing Exercises
Writing Exercises
Paper Evaluations
Paper Evaluations; Post Class Fun
Bold=Days Class not in Session
VOCABULARY WORDS
DATE
WEBSTER
LESSON - ROOT
WEBSTER WORD
THEOLOGICAL
Jan. 26
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Bell
Bell
Pac/Peas
Pac/Peas
Hosp/Host
Hosp/Host
Am/Im
Am/Im
antebellum
bellicose
pacify
appease
hospice
inhospitable
amicable
paramour
adiaphora
advent
anahypostasis
animinism
anthropomorphism
antinomianism
antinomy
asceticism
assensus
axiology
Feb. 2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Crim
Crim
Prob/Prov
Prob/Prov
Grav
Grav
Lev
Lev
decriminalize
recrimmination
approbation
probity
gravitas
gravid
alleviaite
levity
Barth, Karl
bibliology
binitarianism
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich
Brunner, Emil
Byzantine
fideism
fides quaerens intellectum
filioque
foreknowledge
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Feb. 9
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
AG
AG
Ven/Vent
Ven/Vent
Cap/Cep/Cit
Cap/Cep/Cit
fin
fin
agitate
prodigal
provenance
venue
incipient
susceptible
affinity
infinitesimal
canon
casuistry
catechesis
concomitance
concupiscence
concurrence
contingency
correspendence theory of truth
cosmology
credo ut intelligam
Feb. 16
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
jac/jec
jac/jec
tract
tract
duc
duc
sec/secqu
sec/secqu
adjacent
conjecture
protracted
intractable
conducive
induce
consequential
obsequious
Feb. 23
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
ambi/amphi
ambi/amphi
ep/epi
ep/epi
hypo/hyp
hypo/hyp
therm/thermo
therm/thermo
ambiguous
ambient
ephemeral
epithet
hypochondriac
hypothetical
thermocline
thermonuclear
deconstruction
deification
demythologizing
determinisim
dialectical theology
dispensationalism
docetism
Donatism
dualism
Duns Scotus, Scotism
Eastern orthodoxy
ecumenism
efficacy, efficacious
emanation
Enlightment
essence
eternity
evidentialism
existentialism
expiation
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
poly
poly
prim
prim
hom/homo
hom/homo
dis
dis
polychromatic
polyglot
primal
primogeniture
homologous
homophone
disseminate
dissipate
March.
2
genre
glory
Kierkegaard, Soren
kerygma
ubiquity, ubiquitarianism
Unitarianism
vestigium Dei
vicarious
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Wesleyan quadrilateral
Zwingli, Ulrich
March.
16
March.
23
March.
30
April. 6
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
vor
vor
carn
carn
cred
cred
fid
fid
omnivorous
voracious
carnage
incarnation
credulity
creed
diffident
perfidy
heilsgeshichte
hermeneutic of suspicion
historicism
homoiousios
hypostasis
neo-orthodoxy
Niebuhr, Reinhold
nihilism
notitia
numinous
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
curr/curs
curr/curs
ped
ped
flect/flex
flect/flex
post
post
concurrent
cursory
impediment
pedestrian
deflect
genuflect
posterior
postmodern
Marxism
medieval theology
memorilism
metanarraive
metaphorical theology
method of correlation
middle knowledge
modalism
moral argument
mysticism
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
mal
mal
cata
cata
prot/proto
prot/proto
ante
ante
malevolent
mailgn
catalyst
catatonic
protocol
prototype
antedate
anterior
immutability
impassibility
inclusivism
inerrancy
infallibility
irenics
ordination
ordo salutis
orthodoxy
ousia
5
5
5
orth/ortho
orth/ortho
rect
orthodox
orthography
rectitude
paradigm, paradigm shift
paradox
patristic era
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April.
13
April.
20
April.
27
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5
5
5
5
5
rect
eu
eu
dys
dys
rector
euphemism
evangelism
dyslexia
dyspeptic
Pelagianism
phenomenology
pietism
polemics
praxis, orthopraxy
procession
prolepsis
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
rog
rog
quis
quis
ple
ple
metr
metr
abrogate
arrogate
aquistitve
requisition
deplete
replete
symmetrical
tachometer
liberation theology
literalism
liturgy
logocentricism
reader-response
redaction criticism
reformed tradition
relativism
Renaissance
Romanticism
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
aud
aud
son
son
err
err
ced/cess
ced/cess
auditor
inaudible
dissonant
resonance
aberrant
erratic
accede
antecedent
sacrament
Schleiermacher, Friedrich
scholasticism
sensus plenior
sola fide
sola gratia
sola scriptura
subjectivism
subordinationism
syncretism
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
vid/vis
vid/vis
spic/spec
spic/spec
voc/vok
voc/vok
phon
phon
visage
vis-à-vis
auspicious
perspicacious
equivocate
vociferous
caophony
polyphonic
teleological argument
theocentricity
theodicy
theologia crucis
theopneustos
Tillich, Paul
traduacianism
transcendence
tritheism
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typology
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