Goheen, Michael W. A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and the Biblical Story. Grand Rapids: Baker, ISBN $22.99.

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1 Northern Seminary OT 301 THE PENTATEUCH Winter 2017 Online or Tuesday 4:00-5:30 Jason Gile, Ph.D. Affiliate Professor of Old Testament COURSE DESCRIPTION This course will acquaint students with the history, theology, and critical study of the first five books of the Old Testament. The focus is the proper interpretation of its message to Israel and its abiding significance for the church. COURSE OBJECTIVES The student should leave the course able to: 1. understand the history and theology of the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, including its major themes of creation, fall, God s mission through God s people, promises, exodus, covenant, and Torah. 2. understand the importance of the Bible s ancient context for interpretation. 3. understand the problems associated with a single-authorship view of the Pentateuch, and summarize and evaluate the traditional, critical theory of its composition the Documentary Hypothesis. 4. explain the theology of God s mission through Israel. 5. explain the purpose of the Law in the life and faith of Israel. REQUIRED BOOKS Wenham, Gordon. Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Pentateuch. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, ISBN $ Baker, David W. and T. Desmond Alexander, Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, ISBN $ Goheen, Michael W. A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and the Biblical Story. Grand Rapids: Baker, ISBN $ Wright, Christopher J. H. How to Preach and Teach the Old Testament for All Its Worth. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, ISBN $18.99.

2 Enns, Peter. Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament. 2nd edition. Grand Rapids: Baker, ISBN $ Enns, Peter. The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn t Say about Human Origins. Grand Rapids: Brazos, ISBN $ *All other required readings in the syllabus will be provided by the professor in Moodle. FOR BOOK REVIEWS (You ll sign up for one of these) For week 2: Merrick, J. and Stephen M. Garrett, eds. Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy. Zondervan, ISBN $ For week 3: Barrett, Matthew and Aredel B. Caneday, eds. Four Views on the Historical Adam. Zondervan, ISBN $ For week 4: Halton, Charles, ed. Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither? Three Views on the Bible s Earliest Chapters. Zondervan, ISBN $ RECOMMENDED BOOKS *I ll provide pages from these books, but I highly recommend them for your library. Wright, Christopher J. H. The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible s Grand Narrative. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, ISBN $ Wright, Christopher J. H. Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, ISBN $ Brueggemann, Walter. Reverberations of Faith: A Theological Handbook of Old Testament Themes. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, ISBN $ COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1. Attendance: It is expected that students will attend each class session. There may be times when the student will miss class due to illness or other emergencies. In these cases please contact the professor by as soon as possible, ideally before the class session if possible. Students should not miss more than one class, except for extreme circumstances. 2. Readings: Students are expected to prepare for each session by reading the assigned pages on time as indicated in the course schedule. This includes the biblical texts. 3. Videos: Each week students must watch short videos covering the course content, totaling less than 60 minutes per week. 2

3 4. Discussion: Students have two options to participate in class discussion: (1) attend a 90- minute live discussion Tuesdays 4:00 5:30 pm or (2) write posts in an online discussion forum. Students must choose a discussion format at the beginning of the quarter. It will not be possible to decide on a week-by-week basis. For details on the requirements for discussion posts, see below. 5. Quizzes: There will be weekly take-home covering the videos and readings. Students will receive short-answer questions at the beginning of the week and submit their written answers in Moodle. In some cases, students may be asked to give a short evaluation or their opinion on a subject. Students must submit their quizzes by Thursday at 4 pm. At the end of the quarter students will submit all of their quiz answers in a Word document as a learning journal. 6. Book Presentation: Students will read part of a book and give a 5-minute presentation summarizing and evaluating it during weeks 2, 3 or 4. Students will submit a 1-2 page outline of the main arguments of the reading along with evaluation. Students in the live discussion will present during live class time. Students in the written discussion will record a 5-minute video and upload it to YouTube. Please ask if you need help recording and uploading a video. 7. Papers: Students will write two short papers (a) A 5-6 page paper on the theology of God s mission through Israel. Due end of week 7 (b) A 5-6 page paper on the role and purpose of the Mosaic Law in the life and faith of Israel. Due end of week 10. Further instructions will be distributed in class. Papers should be double-spaced with oneinch margins, using 12-point Times New Roman font. Students must follow the style guidelines found in Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (8th ed.; University of Chicago Press, 2013). Please contact me early in the course if you have questions about what is expected. WRITTEN DISCUSSION REQUIREMENTS Students who choose the written discussion option must write two substantial posts and two response posts. The substantial posts amounting to somewhere between 400 and 450 words should be directed towards the starter questions provided by the instructor. These posts should draw from the assigned readings, which are the primary material for the course. Students are expected to demonstrate engagement with the readings by citing and evaluating them. Each substantial post should include a follow-up discussion question for further discussion. 3

4 The response posts should be directed toward the follow-up discussion questions provided by your classmates. They may be brief and need not cite the readings The posts constitute 30% of the grade and are judged by quality and critical engagement with the readings. The written discussion forums will follow a set schedule during the week. The professor will post the discussion questions Sunday at 5 pm and students must post their first substantive post by midnight Wednesday and second by midnight Thursday. Further discussion (i.e., response posts) may continue into the weekend. You must take the quiz between 10 am Friday and midnight Sunday. STUDENT EVALUATION 30% Class Discussion: Written or Live 25% Weekly Quizzes 5% Book Presentation 20% Paper #1: Israel s Mission 20% Paper #2: The Law in the OT GRADING SCALE A = A- = B+ = B = B- = C+ = C = C- = D+ = D = D- = F = 59 and below LATE ASSIGNMENTS All assignments must be completed on time. Assignments completed late will be accepted only on permission of the instructor and are subject to a penalty in grade. No assignments can be completed after the last day of the quarter without prior permission from the professor for an Incomplete. Such permission will not be granted unless the student can show good reason why he or she was prevented, beyond his or her control, from (unforeseeably) completing the assignment on time. Examples are serious illness or a death in the family. Difficulties such as being too busy, computer problems, and not anticipating the time required to manage job, family, and school responsibilities are not grounds for an Incomplete. 4

5 COURSE SCHEDULE *The exact titles and number of video lectures are tentative. WEEK 1 THE STORY OF ISRAEL AND THE STORY OF JESUS Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christians s Is the OT all about Jesus? Is Jesus in the OT? What is christotelic interpretation of the Old Testament? What is a narrative-thematic approach to biblical theology? How does Jesus, as Israel s messiah-king, fulfill the story of Israel? Lecture: How the OT & NT Relate Wright, Knowing Jesus, 1-8 PDF [8] Wright, How to Preach, [35] Recommended: NT Use of the OT s How do we explain the NT writers use of the OT? Lecture on NT Use of the OT Enns, Inspiration and Incarnation, ch. 4 [54] Required Reading = 97 pp Review of OT History OT Introduction Recommended: Bandstra, Survey of OT History [10] Recommended: Boadt, Introducing the OT [15] Recommended: Matthews & Moyer, Old Testament [25] 5

6 WEEK 2 How to Interpret INTERPRETING THE BIBLE s Why must the Bible be interpreted? What are basic principles of interpretation? How do we use biblical languages appropriately? Lecture on Basics of Biblical Interpretation Fee & Stuart, The Need to Interpret [15] Longman PDF on hermeneutical principles, [14] Silva, Using and Abusing Language [17] What is the Bible? s What is the Bible and what do we do with it? In what ways does the Bible reflect its human authors? Lecture on Scripture Enns, Inspiration and Incarnation, ch. 1 and 3 [52] Recommended: Enns & Mohler in Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy [64] Recommended: Blog post on Stanley-Mohler Debate [3] Race & Gender Perspectives How do race and gender perspectives influence interpretation? Fee Nordling, Feminist Biblical Interpretation [5] Lemarquand, African Biblical Interpretation [6] Lee, Asian Biblical Interpretation [5] Required = 114 pages Student Reports Book: Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy a. Enns + responses by Mohler, Bird, and Vanhoozer [48] Sign up: b. Mohler + responses by Enns, Bird, and Vanhoozer [54] Sign up: 6

7 WEEK 3 Theology of Genesis 1 GENESIS 1 3: CREATION What did Genesis 1 communicate in its ancient context? Lecture on the Theology of Genesis 1 Wenham, Pentateuch, [3] Going Deeper: John Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One Going Deeper: J. Richard Middleton, The Liberating Image, Genesis 1 & Ancient Cosmology Adam & Eve Does Genesis 1 answer modern scientific questions? Lecture on Genesis 1 and Ancient Cosmology Walton, Genesis 1 is Ancient Cosmology PDF [7] Learning Outcome Were Adam & Eve historical persons? Lamoureux & Collins in Four Views on the Historical Adam [ ] Enns, Evolution of Adam, 3-8, (skip 46-50) [43] Recommended: Greg Boyd in Four Views on the Historical Adam [12] Going Deeper: John Walton, The Lost World of Adam and Eve Required Reading = 115 pages Student Reports Book: Four Views on the Historical Adam a. Walton + responses by Lamoureux, Collins, & Barrick [54] Sign up: b. Barrick + responses by Lamoureux, Walton, & Collins [58] Sign up: 7

8 WEEK 4 Theology of Genesis 4-11 GENESIS 4 11: THEOLOGY (& HISTORY?) What does Genesis 4-11 say about the world? Lecture on the Theology of Genesis 4-11 Wenham, Pentateuch, 9-19, [26] Going Deeper: Clines, The Theme of the Pentateuch, ch. 7 [22] Genesis 4 11 and History How does Genesis 4-11 relate to history? Enns, Inspiration and Incarnation, ch. 2 [48] Sparks in Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither + responses, [45] Required Reading = 119 pages Recommended: Halton, conclusion to Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither Recommended: Ancient Near Eastern Flood Accounts PDF [2]; Tower of Babel PDF [2] Digging Deeper: Walton, Mesopotamian Background of the Tower of Babel Student Reports Book: Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither? a. Hoffmeier + responses by Wenham & Sparks [50] Sign up: b. Wenham + responses by Hoffmeier & Sparks [37] Sign up: 8

9 WEEK 5 Election ELECTION & ISRAEL S MISSION s How does the OT describe Israel s election: Was there something special about them? Was election individual or corporate? Did election entail salvation? Genesis 12:1-3; Deuteronomy 7:6-11; 9:4-7 Alexander, From Paradise, PDF [7] Klein, The New Chosen People, 3-12, [12] Patriarchal Promises What are the patriarchal promises and how do they function thematically in the book of Genesis? Genesis 12:1-3; 26:3-5; 28:13-15 Clines, The Theme of the Pentateuch, 29-30, [5] (See pages for reference and skim 52 65) Alexander, From Paradise, on Blessing (PDF) [9] Brueggemann, Land [3] God s Mission How does the OT describe God s purpose in creating Israel? Genesis 12:1-3; 18:18-19: 22:18 Lecture on the Mission of God in the OT Goheen, Light to the Nations, [10] C. Wright, Mission of God [10] Ott et al., Encountering Theology of Mission, 3-24 [22] Recommended: C. Wright article in CT on Genesis 18:18-19 [5] Required Reading = 78 pages Sources for Paper Additional Source for Paper #1 C. Wright, Mission of God, pp , [78] 9

10 WEEK 6 GENESIS AND THE EXODUS Covenant Family The Exodus in Ancient Context Genesis Wenham, Pentateuch, [22] What are the theological themes of the exodus story in its ancient context? What are the historical questions surrounding the exodus? Exodus 1-18 Wenham, Pentateuch, [10] Goheen, Light to the Nations, [3] Brueggemann, Exodus [3] The Exodus in Modern Context How does the Exodus story function for faith communities today? Escobar, Liberation Theologies & Hermeneutics in DTIB [3] LaRue, Exodus in the African American Community [10] Going Deeper: Cone, God of the Oppressed [23] God s Name What is God s name and why is it important for understanding the Bible? Exodus 3 (esp. vv ); Exodus 6:2-8 Mariottini, The Name of God [3] Tabernacle Exodus Wenham, Pentateuch, [6] Goheen, Light to the Nations, [3] Required Reading = 86 pages 10

11 WEEK 7 COVENANT & TORAH Introduction Wenham, Pentateuch, [8] Covenant s How do the form and function of ancient treaties help us understand the biblical covenant? How did the laws function within the covenant agreement? Exodus Lecture on Covenant Form & Function Richter, Epic of Eden, [23] Walton, Covenants and Treaties [12] Torah s Are law and grace antithetical? How did people in OT times view the Torah? Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 6:20-25; Psalm 119 Lecture on Grace of Torah & Covenant Nomism C. Wright, Preaching from the Law PDF [17] C. Wright, How to Preach, , [12] The New Perspective on Paul in about 1,000 Words [3] Digging Deeper: C. Wright, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God Digging Deeper: Dunn, New Perspective on Paul [10] Israel s Mission How does faithfulness to the covenant/law relate to Israel s mission? Exodus 19:1-6 Lecture on the Mission of God in the OT Goheen, Light to the Nations, 34-54, (skip on Tabernacle) [19] C. Wright, Mission of God, [6] Required = 100 pages 11

12 WEEK 8 Authorship in the Ancient World AUTHORSHIP OF THE PENTATEUCH How was literature produced in the ancient world? Lecture on Authorship in the Ancient World Going Deeper: Walton, The Lost World of Scripture; van der Toorn, Scribal Culture and The Making of the Hebrew Bible; Carr, Writing on the Tablet of the Heart: Origins of Scripture and Literature Authorship of the Pentateuch s Why do scholars think the Pentateuch was written by multiple authors over an extended period of time? What is the Documentary Hypothesis and what are criticisms of it? Lecture on Authorship of the Pentateuch LaSor, The Pentateuch, 6-13 (8 pp) Enns, Evolution of Adam, 9-26 [18] DOTP, Source Criticism, [7] Wenham, Pentateuch, [28] Friedman, Torah (Pentateuch), ABD, (15 pp) Clines, New Directions in Pooh Studies [10] Required Reading = 86 pages Optional: Bauckham, Reconstructing the Pooh Community Going Deeper: Alexander, From Paradise to Promised Land, 6-111; Whybray, The Making of the Pentateuch,

13 WEEK 9 Types of Sacrifices LEVITICUS: SACRIFICE & PURITY What are the various types of sacrifices and offerings in Leviticus 1-7? Lecture on Sacrifices Wenham, Pentateuch, [19] DOTP, Sacrifices and Offerings, [17] Meaning of Sacrifices What is the meaning of animal sacrifices? Goldingay, What is the Meaning of Sacrifice? [15] Brueggemann, Atonement, Sacrifice [6] Fretheim, The Sacrificial System, [5] Janzen, Priestly Sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible [13] Holiness & Purity What is impurity in the Priestly law? 25-minute video on Leviticus Wenham, Pentateuch, [5] Klawans, Concepts of Purity in the Bible PDF [7] Required Reading = 87 pages 13

14 WEEK 10 Deuteronomy DEUTERONOMY: INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE IN THE LAND s What are Deuteronomy s distinctive theological themes? What does Deuteronomy say about judgment and restoration? Lecture on the Theology of Deuteronomy Block, Deuteronomy, in DTIB [20] Wenham, Pentateuch, [21] Wright, How to Preach, [5] Pentateuch as a Unit What is/are the theme(s) of the Pentateuch? What is the rhetoric of the Pentateuch? Wenham, ch. 7, Theme of the Pentateuch [13] Wenham, ch. 8, Rhetoric of the Pentateuch [13] Required Reading = 72 pages REQUIRED TOPICAL READINGS (Listed in order of Course Schedule) Wright, Christopher J. H. Pages 1-8, in Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament. InterVarsity, Fee, Gordon D. and Douglas Stuart. Pages in How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. 4th edition. Zondervan, Longman, Tremper III. Pages in Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind. NavPress, Silva, Moisés. Using and Abusing Language. Pages in Walter Kaiser and Moisés Silva, Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics. Revised edition. Zondervan, Vanhoozer, Kevin J., ed. Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker, Entries include: Cherith Fee Nordling, Feminist Biblical Interpretation Grant LeMarquand, African Biblical Interpretation Moonjang Lee, Asian Biblical Interpretation Samuel Escobar, Liberation Theologies & Hermeneutics 14

15 Walton, John H. Proposition 1: Genesis 1 is Ancient Cosmology. Pages in The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate. InterVarsity, Alexander, T. Desmond, From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch. Third edition. Baker, Klein, William W. Pages 3-18 in The New Chosen People: A Corporate View of Election. 2nd edition. Wipf & Stock, Clines, David J. A. Pages in The Theme of the Pentateuch. Second edition. Continuum, Ott, Craig, and Stephen J. Strauss with Timothy C. Tennent. Pages 3 24 in Encountering Theology of Mission: Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and Contemporary Issues. Baker, LaRue, Cleophus J. The Exodus as Paradigmatic Text in the African American Community. Pages in Reclaiming the Imagination: The Exodus as Paradigmatic Narrative for Preaching. Edited by David Fleer and Dave Bland. St. Louis: Chalice, Mariottini, Claude. The Name of God: Jehovah. Online: Richter, Sandra. Pages in The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament. InterVarsity, Walton, John H. Covenants and Treaties. Pages in Ancient Israelite Literature in Its Cultural Context: A Survey of Parallels Between Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Texts. Zondervan, Wright, Christopher J. H. Preaching from the Law. Pages in Reclaiming the Old Testament for Christian Preaching. Edited by Grenville J. R. Kent, Paul J. Kissling, and Laurence A. Turner. InterVarsity, LaSor, William Sanford, David Allan Hubbard, and Frederic William Bush. The Pentateuch. Pages 3-14 in Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament. Second edition. Eerdmans, Friedman, R. E. Torah (Pentateuch). Pages in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, volume 6. Ed. David Noel Freedman. Doubleday, Clines, David J. New Directions in Pooh Studies: Überlieferungs- und Religionsgeschictliche Studien zum Pu-Buch. Pages in On the Way to the Postmodern: Old Testament Essays, , vol. 2. JSOTS 293. Sheffield Academic Press, Goldingay, John. What is the Meaning of Sacrifice? Pages in Key Questions about Christian Faith: Old Testament Answers. Baker,

16 Fretheim, Terence. The Sacrificial System. Pages in The Pentateuch. Interpreting Biblical Texts Series. Abingdon, Janzen, David. Priestly Sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible: A Summary of Recent Scholarship and a Narrative Reading. Religion Compass 2/1 (2008): Klawans, Jonathan. Concepts of Purity in the Bible. Pages in The Jewish Study Bible. Edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler. Oxford University Press, Block, Daniel I. Deuteronomy, in Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. Edited by Kevin J. Vanhoozer. Baker, OPTIONAL AND RECOMMENDED READINGS (Listed in order of Course Schedule) Bandstra, Barry L. Pages in Reading the Old Testament: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Fourth edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Boadt, Lawrence. Introducing the Old Testament. Pages in Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction. Mahwah, N. J.: Paulist, Matthews, Victor H. and James C. Moyer. Introduction. Pages in The Old Testament: Text and Context. Second edition. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, Walton, John H. The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate. InterVarsity, Middleton, J. Richard. The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1. Brazos, Walton, John H. The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2-3 and the Human Origins Debate. InterVarsity, Clines, David J. A. The Theme of the Pentateuch. Second edition. Continuum, Ancient Near Eastern Flood Accounts. Pages in volume 1 of Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament. Edited by John H. Walton. Zondervan, Tower of Babel. Pages in volume 1 of Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament. Edited by John H. Walton. Zondervan, Walton, John H. The Mesopotamian Background of the Tower of Babel and Its Implications. Bulletin for Biblical Research 5 (1995) Walton, John H. and D. Brent Sandy. The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority. InterVarsity, van der Toorn, Karel. Scribal Culture and The Making of the Hebrew Bible. Harvard University Press,

17 Carr, David M. Writing on the Tablet of the Heart: Origins of Scripture and Literature. Oxford University Press, Whybray, R. N. The Making of the Pentateuch: A Methodological Study. JSOTSup 53. Sheffield Academic, Cone, James H. Divine Liberation and Black Suffering. Pages in God of the Oppressed. Revised edition. Orbis, Wright, Christopher J. H. Old Testament Ethics for the People of God. InterVarsity, Dunn, James D. G. New Perspective on Paul: Paul and the Law. Pages in The New Perspective on Paul. Rev. ed. Eerdmans, SUPPLEMENTAL BIBLIOGRAPHY Miscellaneous Provan, Iain, V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman III. A Biblical History of Israel. Westminster John Knox, Sailhamer, John H. The Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Composition, and Interpretation. InterVarsity, Brueggemann, Walter. The Land: Place as Gift, Promise, and Challenge in Biblical Faith. Second edition. Fortress Press, Hoffmeier, James K. Israel in Egypt: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus Tradition. Oxford University Press, Walton, John. Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible. Baker, Commentaries Walton, John H. ed. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament. Volume 1: Genesis-Deuteronomy. Zondervan, Hamilton, Victor. A Handbook on the Pentateuch. 2nd edition. Baker, Sailhamer, John H. The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary. Zondervan, Hamilton, Victor P. Genesis. 2 vols. NICOT. Eerdmans, 1990, Walton, John H. Genesis. NIV Application Commentary. Zondervan, Wenham, Gordon J. Genesis. 2 vols. Word Biblical Commentary. Word, 1987, Childs, Brevard. Exodus. Old Testament Library. Westminster John Knox,

18 Enns, Peter. Exodus. NIV Application Commentary. Zondervan, Milgrom, Jacob. Leviticus. Continental Commentary. Augsburg, Wenham, Gordon J. Leviticus. NICOT. Eerdmans, Milgrom, Jacob. Numbers. JPS Torah Commentary. Jewish Publication Society, Block, Daniel I. Deuteronomy. NIV Application Commentary. Zondervan, McConville, J. Gordon. Deuteronomy. Apollos. InterVarsity, Tigay, Jeffrey. Deuteronomy. JPS Torah Commentary. Jewish Publication Society, PLAGIARISM Plagiarism is the act of passing off as one s own the words or ideas of someone else without providing proper acknowledgment or documentation. Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to, the following: Submitting as one s own material copied, borrowed, or purchased from some other source. This includes, but is not limited to, downloading term papers from the internet, purchasing a paper from a term paper mill, reproducing parts or all of an article or book section, copying another student s paper, and so on. Copying verbatim or taking ideas from a source without providing documentation (i.e., footnote or quotation marks). Copying verbatim or taking ideas from a source and providing fraudulent or misleading documentation. Copying verbatim from a source without using quotation marks or a block quotation. When copied material is not properly identified with quotation marks, readers are led to believe that the material is the writer s own words, when in fact it is someone else s, which is the essence of plagiarism. Providing a footnote after copied material without using quotation marks is not adequate documentation and constitutes plagiarism. Paraphrasing material that is too close to the original, whether documented properly or not. A paraphrase is unacceptable if it merely changes a few words or transposes phrases or sentences in the original source, but retains the bulk of the text as it originally appeared. Since plagiarism is a form of claiming for ourselves what belongs to another, it constitutes an infringement on someone else s intellectual property and is a form of stealing. It is a very serious violation of Christian ethics and raises profound questions about fitness for Christian ministry. The seminary takes these matters extremely seriously and will take disciplinary action against those who engage in plagiarism. 18

19 It is sometimes difficult to know whether or how to acknowledge and document certain kinds of material. When in doubt, consult Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8th ed., 2013, especially those sections dealing with using quotations and footnotes. Students are expected to know and follow the guidelines in Turabian. Ignorance of them is no excuse. POLICIES FOR ALL MASTERS CLASSES NOTE: All communications from the seminary will go to your seminary account. Contact All Covered at (877) if you need help forwarding your seminary address to your personal address. As a seminary community we hold integrity/hospitality as core values. Individuals are able to do their best work and thinking when their peers are fully present and engaged. We expect each person to both participate in class and carefully listen to others with the belief that everyone s contribution is equally important. Therefore, the following policies have been established in order to provide clarity in regard to attendance expectations and relationships in the classroom. Diploma/Certificate Student Course Requirements The amount of work required of Diploma/Certificate students will be at the discretion of the professor. Students will be responsible for contacting the professor about what assignments are required. Class Attendance Policy It is expected that students will attend and participate in all class sessions. Failure to attend at least 80% of class sessions is grounds for automatic failure. A professor may set other attendance expectations. Students are always expected to communicate with a professor in advance if they will be absent. Attendance expectations are higher for online and intensive courses (see syllabus for specific requirements). Class Tardiness Policy The third time a student is late to the start of class, it will be counted as a class absence. It is also expected that students will return from a break by the time specified by the professor. Late Work Policy If a student cannot complete the work for a course by the due date listed on the syllabus, they must submit a Request for a Grade of Incomplete form to the Registrar by 4:30 of the last day of the term. The form must be signed by the instructor and Dean of Students. The professor may set stipulations and grade reductions. In the absence of a formal request form, the student will receive a grade based upon work completed by the last day of the term. 19

20 Turabian Format All papers, including footnotes and bibliography, must be submitted in the correct format according to Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8 th ed., Plagiarism Plagiarism is the act of passing off as one s own the words or ideas of someone else without providing proper acknowledgement or documentation. See the Academic Honesty Policy in the Seminary Catalog for more information on plagiarism and how to avoid it. Electronic Format Unless otherwise specified by the professor, all work submitted electronically must be in a Word document format (.doc,.docx). Technology Use in the Classroom Unless it is directly tied to note-taking or research for the class, students are expected to refrain from using cell phones, laptops, or other electronic devices during class. Course Evaluation in Moodle Students must complete an online course evaluation using the seminary Moodle system at The evaluation will be open at the end of the course. If you need assistance connecting to Moodle or accessing the evaluation, please send an to moodlehelp@seminary.edu. 20