The Word: Sacred Texts in Art, History, Literature, Music, and Culture Fall 2013: The Old Testament

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Ellen Atkins
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1 The Word: Sacred Texts in Art, History, Literature, Music, and Culture Fall 2013: The Old Testament Course Length: one semester Credit: ½ credit Prerequisites: none Description: This interdisciplinary course introduces students to the Bible and its monumental influence on culture, history, literature, music, and the visual arts. Examples include the literary debt Shakespeare owes to the Bible as well as the debt of more contemporary dramatist and novelists. The course covers the basic narrative arc of the entire Bible to highlight many visual, literary, and musical examples of what a source of inspiration and influence the Bible was and is, focusing on the richness of biblical allusions in written works as well as musical and visual compositions. A basic knowledge of the characters, themes, and motifs of the Bible is important for understanding Western literature. Our study will include significant documents, cultural movements, public discourse, and the influence the Bible has had on political leaders, reformers, and the like. The course also shows how the biblical narrative, characters, and interpretations were a shared cultural and historical frame of reference for governments and citizenry from biblical times through the Reformation and up to today. It also explores how the language and concepts of the Bible provided content for thinkers and artists. The first semester will focus on the Old Testament, and the second semester will focus on the New Testament. The course also demonstrates the continuing influence of other sacred texts such as the Torah and the Qur an on popular culture. Objectives: At the end of the course, the successful student will be able to: recognize the influence of the Bible on western culture in general and American history and the early movement for women s rights in the United States; discover how understanding Biblical allusions and recognizing Biblical stories, psalms, proverbs, and letters contribute to the study and enjoyment of literature, music, and art; trace the history of the Bible s development and translation, with a special emphasis on the Bible in English; describe the major divisions within the Old Testament and between the Old Testament and the New Testament; identify the major themes, key images, and the kinds of literary structures used in the Bible; discuss the continuing influence of Biblical accounts and the characteristics and values reflected in Biblical heroes and leaders on cultural attitudes toward the human person and the natural world; catalog the important events, persons, symbols, and motifs of the Bible s stories; understand the significance of the Ten Commandments and the influence of the ideas of covenant, commandment, sacrifice, and sacred space; 1

2 list the characteristic of a gospel and ascertain the basic identifying characteristics of each gospel; analyze attempts to resolve the paradox that the existence of human suffering and tragedy pose for believers in a just God; explore the characteristics of apocalyptic literature; gain an understanding of the difference between the Jewish and Christian approaches to the Bible; understand the roles of Peter and the other Apostles in the formation of the new community which began to diverge from the original Jewish community; map the geography of the Bible and locate key centers of early Christianity; study the impact of the English Bible on the English language; and, examine the ongoing influence of the Bible on contemporary society. Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on all of the following: positive class participation, written assignments, quizzes, and special projects. Materials: Day, Robert, director. Peter & Paul (1981). Vision Video, DVD 194 minutes. DeMille, Cecil B., director. The Ten Commandments: The 50th Anniversary Collection (1956). United Artists, DVD 220 minutes. Feiler, Bruce, director. Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses. WGBH Boston Video, DVD 168 minutes. Jewison, Norman. Jesus Christ Superstar Special Edition (1973). Universal Studios, DVD 107 minutes. King, Henry, director. The Song of Bernadette (1943). Twentieth Century Fox, DVD 156 minutes. Koster, Henry, director. The Robe (1953). Twentieth Century Fox, DVD 135 minutes. Koster, Henry, director. The Story of Ruth (1960). Twentieth Century Fox, DVD 132 minutes. LaDuca, Rob and Robert C. Ramirez, directors. Joseph: King of Dreams (2000). Dreamworks Animation, DVD 75 minutes. 2

3 Markowitz, Robert, director. The Bible Collection: David (1997). Turner Home Entertainment, DVD 190 minutes. Negulesco, Jean, David Lean, and George Stevens, directors. The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). MGM Studios, DVD 199 minutes. Olmi, Ermanno, director. The Bible Collection: Genesis (1994). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD 97 minutes. Roeg, Nicholas, director. The Bible Collection: Sampson and Delilah (2005). Turner Home Entertainment, DVD 180 minutes. Sajbel, Michael O., director. One Night with the King. 20th Century Fox, DVD 124 minutes. Sargent, Joseph, director. The Bible Collection: Abraham (1994). Turner Home Entertainment, DVD 187 minutes. Schippe, Cullen and Chuck Stetson, general editors. The Bible and Its Influence. Front Royal, VA: BLP Publishing, Scott, Ridley, director. The Kingdom of Heaven the Director s Cut (2005). Twentieth Century Fox, DVD 194 minutes. PLEASE NOTE: This movie is rated R for violence and limited nudity. Younger students will need permission to view this! Wachowski, Andy and Larry, directors. The Matrix Collection: Four Film Favorites, (2008). Warner Home Video, 2008, 492 minutes.. PLEASE NOTE: Part 2 is rated R for violence and a gratuitous sex scene; Part 3 is rated R for violence. Younger students will need permission to view this! Winer, Harry, director. The Bible Collection: Jeremiah (1998). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD 90 minutes. Wyler, William, director. Ben Hur (1959). Warner Home Video, DVD 212 minutes. Young, Roger, director. The Bible Collection: Solomon (2000). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD 172 minutes. We may also include various guest speakers, field trips, newspaper and magazine articles, DVDs, and videos as time may permit. These might include: The Chrysler Museum, Barabbas, Quo Vadis, and/or The Virginia Museum of Fine Art. 3

4 Week 1 September 27 th and 29 th [A week] Introduction to the Course: Review Syllabus Class Discussion: What 10 things do you know about the Bible? What do you hope to gain from this class? How is the Bible portrayed in popular culture through books, art, and movies? The Bible as a collection of genres: history, stories, poetry, songs, etc. View: Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land through the Five Books of Moses Week 2 September 3 rd [A week; no school on Thursday the 5 th Rosh Hashanah View: Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land through the Five Books of Moses Major Assignment 1: choose one of the Ten Commandments and create a Glog to explain how this commandment might relate to contemporary society [please no more than two people per commandment!]. This is due on Thursday, October 10 th! Week 3 September 10 th, 12 th, and 13 th [B week] Unit One: Introductions Chapter 1: Why Study the Bible? Chapter 2: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible Unit Feature: Biblical Allusions Unit Two: Genesis Origins Chapter 3: In the Beginning Chapter 4: From the Garden to the Tower Unit Feature: Milton and the Bible John Milton s Paradise Lost Week 4 September 17 th and 19 th [A week] View: The Bible Stories: Genesis Unit Three: Genesis Call and Promise Chapter 5: Abraham and Sarah Chapter 6: Ancestors Unit Feature: Literary Views of Abraham and Isaac 4

5 Week 5 September 24 th, 26 th, and 27 th [B week; Administrative Half Day, Friday the 27 th, but blocks 7 & 8 meet] View: Abraham The Bible Collection View: Joseph: King of Dreams Week 6 October 1 st and 3 rd [A week] Unit Four: Exodus and the Land of Promise Chapter 7: Out of Slavery Chapter 8: The Wilderness and the Law Chapter 9: The Promised Land Unit Feature: Exodus and Emancipation View: The Ten Commandments: The 50th Anniversary Collection Week 7 October 8 th, 10 th, and 11 th [B week] Unit Four: Exodus and the Land of Promise View: The Ten Commandments: The 50th Anniversary Collection The Ten Commandments Glog is due Thursday, the 10 th! Presentations A Modern Evaluation of the Commandments which would YOU keep; which would YOU change; and why? Week 8 October 15 th and 17 th [A week] Unit Four: Exodus and the Land of Promise View: The Bible Collection: Samson and Delilah Week 9 October 22 nd, 24 th, and 25 th [B week] Unit Five: Kingdom and Exile Chapter 10: David the King View: The Bible Collection: David Week 10 October 29 th [no classes, Thursday the 31 st or Friday, November the 1 st Faculty Work Days] Minor Assignment [in class]: Art from the Old Testament a virtual field trip to the world s great museums! This will be due on Friday, November the 15 th! 5

6 Week 11 November 5 th and 7 th [A week] Unit Five: Kingdom and Exile Chapter 11: The Kingdom Falls View: The Bible Collection: Solomon Week 12 November 12 th, 14 th, and 15 th [B week] Minor Assignment Art in the Old Testament due on Friday, November the 15 th Unit Five: Kingdom and Exile Unit Feature: Exile and Return Unit Six: The Prophets Chapter 12: Warning and Comfort View: The Bible collection: Jeremiah Chapter 13: Called to Account View: The Bible in Animation Jonah Unit Feature: Thirst for Justice Week 13 November 19 th and 21 st [A week] Unit Seven A: Writings and Wisdom Chapter 14: Songs and Poetry Minor Assignment [in class]: Podcasting a Psalm due on Tuesday, November the 26 th Week 14 November 26 th [Thanksgiving break Wednesday through Sunday] Podcasts created! Major Assignment 2: Meet an Old Testament Character Choose a character from the Old Testament and present this character to the class through a personal visit, a Voice Thread, a PowerPoint, short film, or other media tool [see assignment sheet for specifics]. This is due Week 19/January 16 th! Week 15 December 3 rd, 5 th, and 6 th [B week] Unit Seven A: Writings and Wisdom Chapter 15: Bits of Wisdom Chapter 16: More Wisdom 6

7 Week 16 December 13 th and 15 th [A week Administrative Half Day on Friday, December the 13 th ; blocks 1 & 2 meet] Unit Seven B: Writings and Wisdom Chapter 17: The Problem of Suffering View: Mysteries of the Bible: Job The Devil s Test Chapter 18: Women of Valor View: The Story of Ruth Week 17 December 17 th and 19 th [noon dismissal on Friday, December 20 th for the Holiday Break Unit Seven B: Writings and Wisdom Chapter 18: Women of Valor View: One Night with the King Week 18 January 7 th and 9 th [A week] Unit Seven B: Writings and Wisdom Chapter 19: Visions of the Future Chapter 20: Renewed Commitment Unit Feature: The Bible and Shakespeare Week 19 January 14 th, 16 th, and 17 th [B week] Old Testament Character Presentation is due THURSDAY, January 16 th! Evaluation: Students will begin each class day with 4 points. These points make up the daily participation grade. Points will be lost for the following: 1. arriving late to class; 2. not having the required materials for class (text, notebook, pen/pencil); 3. being unprepared for class (reading assignments not done and/or bodily needs not taken care of prior to class); and, 4. being unproductive or disruptive during class. Any written components of assignments must be created in Word o r a s i m i l a r w o r d p r o c e s s i n g p r o g r a m and formatted in Ariel, Comic Sans, Courier, Tahoma, or Times New Roman, using a 12-point font. Work that is late will be assessed a penalty of 5 points per class day, with weekends counting as two class days. Grades for each semester will be based on points earned as follows: 7

8 Component Points Daily Participation 40 Minor Assignments [various] 20 Major Assignment 1 20 Major Assignment I look forward to a great semester with lots of stimulating discussions with you! Teacher Barb :) tbarb@friends-school.org Friday Office Hours: 4:00 5:00, BY APPOINTMENT ONLY! 8

PETERS TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL THE BIBLE IN LITERATURE I ONLINE

PETERS TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL THE BIBLE IN LITERATURE I ONLINE Course Overview and Essential Skills The Bible has been and still is one of the most influential books ever published. Its influence is seen