COURSE CONTENT AND GOALS

Transcription

1 INDIANA EXTENSION COURSE OF STUDY SCHOOL The United Methodist Church Meeting at the University of Indianapolis August 17-18, October 13, and November 10, 2018 COS 521 Bible V: Acts, Epistles, and Revelation Instructor: Steven R. Matthies Ph.D. Cell: COURSE CONTENT AND GOALS This course focuses on the content and context of the assigned biblical texts and the theological emphases of their writers. In addition to Acts and Revelation, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Hebrews, James, and 1 John will receive special attention. Students will articulate a theology of scripture. Students will be able to: 1. Distinguish these genres of biblical literature and understand the major theological themes in these writings. 2. Faithfully exegete these forms of biblical literature. 3. Apply exegesis to preaching, other pastoral responsibilities, and contemporary issues. 4. Articulate the unity and authority of Scripture as a whole. BOOKS Required Textbooks [RT] (please note that the required Study Bible, Dictionary, and Commentary should be in your library from previous COS classes): 1. Wright, N. T. Paul: In Fresh Perspective. Fortress Press, Koester, Craig R. Revelation and the End of All Things. Eerdmans, Long, Thomas G. Hebrews: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Westminster John Knox, Harrelson, Walter J. The New Interpreter s Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha [NISB]. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2003 ISBN Powell, Mark Allan, ed. The Harper-Collins Bible Dictionary [HCBD]. Harper: San Francisco, Gaventa, Beverly Roberts, and David L. Petersen, eds. The New Interpreter s Bible One- Volume Commentary. Abingdon Press, 2010.

2 Supplemental Textbooks [ST]: 1. Shillington, George V. An Introduction to the Study of Luke-Acts. Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2007/ Powell, Mark Allan. Introducing the New Testament. Baker Academic, Murphy, Nancey C. Reasoning and Rhetoric in Religion. Wipf and Stock, Strunk, William Jr., and E. B. White. The Elements of Style. Pearson, INSTRUCTIONS FOR WRITING PAPERS 1) For the Reading Questions (see below), read the text assignments, take notes and answer the questions completely in your own words, using complete sentences (unless otherwise noted). Do not quote extensively from the text that you read. Rather, digest the ideas and information and then put them in your own words. Please study closely and follow the suggestions in Tips for Becoming a Better Writer below. Also, make your paper the approximate length that is given for each item of written work, using one-inch margins. 2) Format your written work for 8 ½ x 11 paper, double-spaced. Use 12-point font. 3) Citation Rules: a) If you quote from a text, you must use quotation marks and note the source (including page numbers at the end of each usage). Quotations less than five lines should be enclosed in quotes. Quotations five or more lines should be single spaced and indented 1.5 Inches from the left margin. b) As much as possible, ideas and information should be stated in your own words and sentence structure, not in the words or sentence structure of the authors you have read. c) Whenever you use information or an idea from another source, whether that is a direct quotation or a restatement in your own words, always cite the source. You may footnote or use the in-text method (Author s last name, Year, page/s), for example: (Powell 2011, 400). If you refer to books that are not listed on the class reading list, then provide full bibliographic information in a bibliography at the end of the paper (Author, Title, Place of publication: Publisher, Date).

3 4) Submit the papers to the instructor via attachment by due date listed for that assignment in the course schedule below. Do not put the contents of the paper in the text of the but rather create a file in MS Word format (*.doc or *.docx) or Rich Text Format (*.rtf -- in most all word processing programs you can save a document in this format using the save as command). Papers for this course will not be accepted after the last class of the term. 5) When you submit the Reading Questions include a title page that contains the following information: a) The course number b) Name of the course c) Your name d) Date the paper is due 6) When you submit the Exegesis Paper place the following information on a cover page: a) The course number b) Name of the course c) Your name d) Paper s title (if you choose to title it) e) Passage being discussed f) Date the paper is due 7) Papers are normally returned by with comments embedded and/or attached. 8) NOTE: Using other people s language or intellectual property without acknowledgment or documentation, whether from a book, journal, teacher, another student, sermon service, or lectionary aid, is unacceptable behavior. Such unacknowledged use of another's ideas, otherwise known as plagiarism, usually means failure for the course with notification sent to the Conference Course of Study Registrar and the Division of Ordained Ministry. CLASS PREPARATION AND STUDY Study habits are important. Clergy need to have good study habits. Persons who have college or university experience should have developed good study habits. Persons who have not had such experience should pay special attention to observing them. One rule that students in college learn is the twofer one. One should study two hours outside of class for each hour in class. The COS assumes 20 hours of class time and about 20 pages of writing. It frequently helps to read text material twice. The first reading is to see the general ideas and progress of the author s thinking, the issue that is taken up, the thesis and conclusions and reasons for whatever thesis or conclusion that is claimed. Then ask: Is the thesis justified? Is something important omitted? Is the argument sound and convincing? Are there other solutions to the

4 issue? Are such conclusions better than those of the author? It may be helpful to make notes. For example, outline the text by writing one sentence that summarizes a paragraph or section. Grading: Letter grades are assigned. The final grade for the course is based upon how well the student fulfills all the requirements of the course. Attendance in all the sessions is required. See the Course Expectations chart below. COURSE EXPECTATIONS Assignment % Value Exegetical Paper (around 10 pages) 40 Reading Questions (3 total, each about 5 pages) (13.3% per set X 3) 40 Attendance and Participation in Class Discussion 20 Total 100 COURSE SCHEDULE Assigned readings for a session shall be completed prior to that session, including those in September. Friday, August 17, 7:00-9:00pm Topics The General Letters Christian Life and Mission in Conditions of Suffering and Persecution Exegetical papers to be explained and possible topics discussed Readings Hebrews James Thomas G. Long. Hebrews: Interpretation [RT] Saturday, August 18, 8:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Topics The Lukan Narrative(s) The Beginnings of the Worldwide Christian Movement and the Nature of Christian Witness How to write academic papers

5 Readings Acts (and review Luke's Gospel as well) "Acts," Chapter 9 in Mark Allan Powell, Introducing the New Testament [ST] Assignment Due Reading Questions for August (see below) due Saturday, August 18 Topics Saturday, October 13, 8:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Paul's Letters, Theology, and Mission Pastoral Theology and Community Formation Readings Romans 1 Corinthians N.T. Wright, Paul: In Fresh Perspective [RT] Assignment Due Reading Questions for October (see below) due midnight on Wednesday, October 10 Topics Saturday, November 10, 8:30 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. The Johannine Writings Apocalyptic, Endurance, and Hope Victorious and Enduring Faith and the Triumph of God's Kingdom Readings 1 John Revelation Craig R. Koester, Revelation and the End of All Things [RT] Assignments Due Reading Questions for April due midnight on Wednesday, November 7 Exegesis Paper due on Saturday, November 10

6 Reading Questions for August Instructions The sources for this assignment should be primarily from the assigned readings. Citations can use the abbreviations used in the course syllabus followed by a comma and page number, such as: (HCBD, 415) or (NISB, 7). Bring your completed work to the Saturday session in August. Questions on the so-called general letters in the NT: (about one page, double spaced total): Which NT letters fall into the category of general letters, and what are some of the implications of referring to these letters by that designation? Describe briefly how interpreting NT letters is different from interpreting the Gospels. Put in your own words what you consider to be the main message of Hebrews and the central message of James. Questions on Luke s Gospel: (about two pages double spaced total): What seems to be Luke s reason for writing his narrative of Jesus ministry? What role does Luke portray Jesus fulfilling in Israel, and how does Jesus do so? How does Luke s Gospel utilize the Old Testament, and for what reasons might the Old Testament story be echoed in this Gospel so loudly? Questions on Acts: (about two pages double spaced total): Luke refers to the disciples of Jesus in Acts as witnesses. Why do you suppose Luke underscores that role in his narrative, and how does that role play itself out in the story of the early church s mission in the world? Students of Luke and Acts have long puzzled over the Isaiah quote in the final scene of Acts (Acts 28:25-28), as well as earlier such texts that mention the gospel and its messengers going away from the Jews and to the Gentiles (e.g. Acts 18:6). Considering the final Isaiah quotation in Acts, what do you imagine Luke is wanting his readers to think about God s relationship to both Jews and Gentiles?

7 Reading Questions for October Instructions The sources for this assignment should be primarily from the assigned readings. Citations can use the abbreviations used in the course syllabus followed by a comma and page number, such as: (HCBD, 415) or (NISB, 7). your completed work to matthies.steve@yahoo.com by the midnight Wednesday prior to the October session. Questions on the apostle Paul: (about one page, double spaced total): What does Paul mean by calling himself an apostle? If Paul were to write his own brief job description, what do you think it would say? How would you say Paul s mission related to the rest of the early church s sense of its own identity and purpose? Questions on Romans: (about two pages double spaced total): Romans 1:16-17 is often thought of as the thematic statement for the letter to the church in Rome. How does that statement describe Paul s gospel? Historically, NT scholars have typically viewed Romans 9-11 as somewhat separate from the rest of Romans. Do you see it as somewhat distinct from the rest of the letter, or more integrally connected to it? Why? A key question in the interpretation of Romans has been why Paul wrote this letter. What do you think were his reasons, based on the contents of the letter itself? As with Luke and Acts, Paul too roots his thinking and writing in the Old Testament. How does Paul seem to use to the Old Testament in Romans and for what reasons? Or to ask that question another way, what would be lost from Paul s argument in the letter if he were to leave out all references and allusions to the Old Testament? Questions on 1 Corinthians: (about two pages double spaced total): What would you say are the top two or three problems Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians, and why does he consider them problematic? What solution does Paul propose for all the various specific problems he addresses in this letter? In other words, how, in terms of principles or strategies, does Paul want the Corinthians to think and/or behave differently?

8 Reading Questions for November Instructions The sources for this assignment should be primarily from the assigned readings. Citations can use the abbreviations used in the course syllabus followed by a comma and page number, such as: (HCBD, 415) or (NISB, 7). your completed work to matthies.steve@yahoo.com by the midnight Wednesday prior to the November session. Questions on the nature of apocalyptic: (about one page double spaced total): Where does the word apocalyptic originate and what does the term signify in when used of certain Jewish and/or Christian writings? What assumptions might we bring to our study of Revelation just based on the idea that Revelation can fit into a genre we could call apocalyptic? Questions on 1 John: (about two pages double spaced total): What does the author say is his reason for writing this little letter, and how might that reason help you interpret the letter s message? The word love plays an important role in 1 John. Briefly describe that role. Discuss two or three concerns you believe John had for the early church, based on 1 John. Questions on Revelation: (about two pages double spaced total): What kind of writing is Revelation, and how might its literary genre inform your interpretation of it? Many people have an impression of what Revelation is about, though they have not necessarily ever read it. Based on your study of Revelation for this class, how would you describe its main message and the relevance of that message for people today?

9 Tips for Becoming a Better Writer 1. Write complete sentences with a subject and a verb that agree in number. For example, write The boy is sick, not The boy are sick. Don t write In order to write a complete sentence. Instead write, To write a complete sentence, one must include both a subject and a verb. 2. Use active verbs; avoid passive verbs. Instead of saying, Mary s prayer can be understood to be a statement of confidence in God, try Mary s prayer bristles with confidence in God. Instead of It was a cloudy day, say Clouds peppered the sky. If possible, scrub your paper clean of passive verbs and leave only active verbs standing. 3. Vary your verbs and make them count. Write and rewrite verbs until they say exactly what you want them to say. Consult a thesaurus and find the best, richest verb to speak to your reader. Verbs do most of the work of a sentence. Find just the right ones and put them to good use. 4. Specify definite subjects; avoid vague pronouns. Rather than, They went to the mall, write Bob and Susan went to the mall. Instead of, It was hard for them to do (both the subject and the verb are vague in this case), say Tom and Becky struggled to pedal their bikes up the hill. Or if your readers already know Tom and Becky are riding bikes, write something like this instead: Tom and Becky agonized up the hill. 5. Employ adjectives and adverbs sparingly and vary them to keep readers engaged. Craft sentences with definite subjects and engaging verbs and those subjects and verbs will carry your ideas without much outside help. 6. Prune every sentence until it makes sense. Try reading each sentence aloud slowly, listening to how it sounds. Does it sound right, or is something about it awkward or confusing? This is one of the key steps in becoming a better writer. Don t be lazy and skip this step. Don t tell yourself it takes too much time, or that it s already good enough. And don t assume that because you know (or think you know) what you are saying, your reader or listener will understand too. That assumption is often wrong. If you aren t willing to do this rigorous, all-important step in the writing process, ask someone else who writes well to read your work before you submit it (or preach it, or whatever you re going to do with it for other people). Writing is a craft; it takes work to become better at it. Don t skip this step! 7. Proofread every sentence to make sure it is accurate and true. If you are making a claim, such as that Paul discontinued his ministry to fellow Jews to concentrate on a Gentile-only mission, ask yourself if this is accurate and true. If you think it is, how do you know? If you aren t sure, then either explore the topic more until you are sure, or else don t make that claim. 8. Include evidence for your claims either within the sentence where the claim is made, or very soon after that sentence. Your readers will be asking, How do you know that? Give them an

10 answer quickly so they stay with your argument and don t assume you re mistaken or that there isn t any evidence for your claim. 9. Reread your statements of evidence to make sure they provide plausible support for your claims. Watch out that you aren t writing tautologies (circular reasoning) or using vague and meaningless words or phrases that don t advance your argument. 10. Craft each paragraph to make a single key point, or to give one example of one kind of evidence for a claim you re making, or to tell a single story or illustration, or to express some other well-contained idea or content. Don t burden a paragraph with too many different ideas; keep it lean. 11. Write things that matter. Make a worthwhile contribution to your reader or listener. Interest them in your ideas. Ask yourself, Will this grab my reader s attention? Will it teach them something they don t already know? Will it help them or move them somehow? Will it challenge or motivate or correct or deepen them in some way? Then rework it until it does. 12. Put your writing down and walk away for a while. Come back later and whittle away at it some more. Scrap anything that doesn t need to be there. Hone what s left til it says just what s needed, no more and no less. SRM 11/1/16