DRAFT. Class: Mondays, 11:00 AM 1:00 PM, Room TBA Phone: (416) Website:

Transcription

1 Knox College KNB3102H - Genesis DRAFT Instructor: Brian P. Irwin Class: Mondays, 11:00 AM 1:00 PM, Room TBA Phone: (416) brian.irwin@utoronto.ca Website: A. Course Description and Objectives A study of the book of Genesis with emphasis on the theological message of the final form of the book and the use of the book in the life of the Church. Attention will also be paid to ancient Near Eastern mythological backgrounds, critical issues, and the history of interpretation. B. Required Textbooks A modern translation of the Bible (NET, NASB, NIV, NJPS, NRSV or RSV). The NET Bible offers extensive textual notes and is available for use online or as a free download from Walton, John H. Genesis: From Biblical Text... To Contemporary Life. NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, Selected readings available for download from the class website. C. Recommended Resources Alexander, Patrick H. et al., eds. The SBL Handbook of Style: For Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and Early Christian Studies. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, Badke, William. Beyond the Answer Sheet: Academic Success for International Students. Lincoln, NE: iuniverse, Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing, ed. John Grossman and Alice Bennett. 6th ed. Chicago, IL; London: University of Chicago Press, D. Grading and Evaluation The assignments and their weights are as follows: Commentary Comparison (20%). Students shall evaluate and compare any two commentaries on Genesis drawn from the list found at the end of this syllabus (excluding the required text by Walton). Other titles may be substituted on permission from the instructor. Questions to consider should include, but not be limited to, the following: 1) For what purpose and audience has each author produced his/her work? 2) Is there a dominant methodological approach used by the author? If so, what is it? 3) How does each commentary reflect the interests and needs of the era in which it was written? 4) What are the strengths and weaknesses of each work? 5) What contribution, if any, might each work make to the life of the church? Evaluation will be based on written clarity, degree of insight, critical awareness, and ability to follow assignment instructions. Length: 5 7 pages. Due session 4. Readings & Participation (15%). Students shall be required to submit a form indicating what portion of the required readings they have completed. This element will also take into account factors such as attendance and participation in class discussions. Due session 12. Final Exam (25%). A one-hour fill-in-the-blank test assessing knowledge of such items as direct speech as well as the chronology, people, places, and events of the book of Genesis. Students can best prepare for this test by repeated reading of the book of Genesis. Exegesis Paper (40%). Students may write a page exegesis paper on a passage from Genesis to be chosen from a list distributed in class. Evaluation will be based on written clarity, degree of insight, literary awareness and understanding of the text, effective use of secondary sources, and ability to follow assignment instructions. A completed Assignment Checklist (see Syllabus Supplement) must accompany

2 KNB3102H - Genesis Page 2 your final paper. Your paper must be submitted both in paper and electronic form. Due 10. Details to follow in class. E. Course Policies Policies for courses are contained in the TST Basic Degree Handbook and the Knox Student Handbook. See further, the Syllabus Supplement available from the class website. In particular, please note the following: correspondence related to the course will be sent to UTORmail addresses only. All students are required to have a University of Toronto address (e.g., firstname.lastname@utoronto.ca) and to check their UTORmail account regularly for messages relating to class. Students should not attempt to forward UTORmail messages to Hotmail.com, Yahoo.com or other accounts as such messages can be rejected as spam. To receive a University of Toronto address, go to the library website ( and select Library Services > Computing & connecting > UTORid. 2. Late Policy: 4% deducted per week late (2% off per half week). 3. Attendance: 80% attendance at a lecture course is required for credit; 100% attendance is required at seminar courses 4. Completion of Course work: all course work (including any late work) must be completed by the end of term, the last day of exams. Only in the case of illness (with a note from a doctor), bereavement or other unusual circumstances will an extension be considered (SDF status) and this must be authorised by the Basic Degree Committee and the Faculty. 5. Style Guidelines for Papers: see Knox Style Manual booklet and A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations, by Kate L. Turabian 6. assignments: Papers and assignments are not accepted by fax or , except in rare cases by prior permission of professor. 7. Plagiarism Policy: See TST Basic Degree Handbook 8. Use of Turnitin.com. Normally, students will be required to submit their course essays or other major written assignments to Turnitin.com for a review of textual similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their essays to be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database, where they will be used solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the University s use of the Turnitin.com service are described on the Turnitin.com web site. Students who have principled objections to the use of this service should see the course instructor early in the semester to arrange an alternative. During the first week of the course, students should download the Student Quickstart Guide from the following link, and follow the instructions to create a user profile. The course ID and password will be distributed to students via during the first week of the course. 9. Use of Technology. Laptops and other computing devices may be used in the classroom for note-taking purposes only. The use of the internet is not permitted while class is in session unless it is part of a specific class activity. Students wishing to text message, search for images, fact check etc. should do so during the break or outside of class. Much of the learning that goes on in the classroom is founded upon mutual disclosure that takes place between the instructor and the student and between students. Parties outside of that learning community have not committed themselves to this relationship of trust. For this and other reasons, permission to record lectures in audio format is granted for use by registered students only. Video recording is not permitted without the written permission of the instructor. Recordings and notes of class lectures may not be electronically reproduced, posted or distributed without the written permission of the instructor. 10. Consultation: Please do not hesitate to consult with the instructor about any questions you may have.

3 KNB3102H - Genesis Page 3 F. Weekly Schedule of Classes, Readings & Assignments Session 1 Sept. 13 COURSE INTRODUCTION WORLD OF GENESIS STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK Session 2 Sept. 20 HISTORY OF INTERPRETATION CRITICAL ISSUES Walton pp Syllabus & Syllabus Supplement Session 3 Sept. 27 CREATION ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN PARALLELS Walton pp Matthews, Victor H., and Don C. Benjamin. "The Enuma Elish Story." In Old Testament Parallels: Laws and Stories from the Ancient Orient, eds. Victor H. Matthews and Don C. Benjamin, New York, NY; Mahwah, NJ: Paulist, Lucas, Ernest C. "Some Scientific Issues Related to the Understanding of Genesis 1 3." Themelios 12 (1987): Session 4 Oct. 4 THE FALL AND ITS AFTERMATH MAN AND WOMAN Due: Commentary Comparison (20%) Walton pp Hayter, Mary. "Man and Woman in Creation and Fall." In The New Eve in Christ: The Use and Abuse of the Bible in the Debate About Women in the Church, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, Oct. 11 THANKSGIVING NO CLASS MEETING Session 5 Oct. 18 THE FLOOD END OF THE PRIMEVAL ERA Walton pp Oct. 25 READING WEEK NO CLASS MEETING Session 6 Nov. 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PATRIARCHS Kitchen, Kenneth A. "Genesis in the near Eastern World." In He Swore an Oath: Biblical Themes from Genesis 12 50, eds. Richard S. Hess, Gordon J. Wenham and P. E. Satterthwaite, Carlisle; Grand Rapids, MI: Paternoster; Baker, Session 7 Nov. 8 ABRAHAM CYCLE

4 KNB3102H - Genesis Page 4 Walton pp Anonymous. The South Vindicated from the Treason and Fanaticism of the Northern Abolitionists. Reprint of the 1836 ed. New York, NY: Negro Universities Press, Session 8 Nov. 15 ABRAHAM CYCLE Walton pp Trible, Phyllis. "Hagar: The Desolation of Rejection." In Texts of Terror: Literary- Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives, ed. John R. Donahue, Philadelphia, PA: Fortress, Session 9 Nov. 22 JACOB CYCLE Walton pp Calvin, Jean. "Commentary on the Book of Genesis Chapter 34." In Commentaries on the First Book of Moses Called Genesis, ed. John King, 2, Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, Morrison, Martha A The Jacob and Laban Narrative in Light of Near Eastern Sources. Biblical Archaeologist 46 (3): Session 10 Nov. 29 JACOB CYCLE CONT D Due: Exegesis Paper (40%) Session 11 Dec. 6 JOSEPH CYCLE Walton pp Session 12 Dec. 13 JOSEPH CYCLE CONT D Session 13 TBA FINAL EXAM G. Select Bibliography 1. Commentaries Atkinson, David J. The Message of Genesis Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, Baldwin, Joyce G. The Message of Genesis Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, Brueggemann, Walter. Genesis. Interpretation. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, 1982.

5 KNB3102H - Genesis Page 5 Calvin, Jean. Commentaries on the first book of Moses called Genesis. Calvin's Commentaries, ed. John King, 1. Reprint ed. 2 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, Original edition, Edinburgh: Calvin Translation Society, Cassuto, Umberto D. A Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Part 1. From Adam to Noah (Gen I VI.8). Jerusalem: Magnes, Coats, George W. Genesis, with an Introduction to Narrative Literature. Forms of Old Testament Literature, 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, Gibson, John C. L. Genesis. Daily Study Bible. 2 vols. Edinburgh; Philadelphia, PA: Saint Andrew; Westminster, Hamilton, Victor P. The Book of Genesis, Chapters New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, Keil, C. F. The Pentateuch. Commentary on the Old Testament by C.F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, ed. James D. Martin, 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, Original edition, Edinburgh: T & T Clark, Kidner, Derek. Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary. Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, Louth, Andrew, ed. Genesis Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture - Old Testament, 1. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, Moberly, R. W. L. Genesis Old Testament Guides. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, Rogerson, John W. Genesis Old Testament Guides. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, Roop, Eugene F. Genesis. Believer's Church Bible Commentary. Scottdale, PA; Kitchener, ON: Herald, Ross, Allen P. Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, Sarna, Nahum M. Genesis: The Traditional Hebrew Text with the New JPS Translation. JPS Torah Commentary. Philadelphia, PA; New York, NY: Jewish Publication Society, Skinner, John. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Genesis. International Critical Commentary. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, Sheridan, Mark, ed. Genesis Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture - Old Testament, 2. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, Speiser, E. A. Genesis: Introduction, Translation and Notes. Anchor Bible, 1. New York, NY: Doubleday, Stevens, Sherrill G. Genesis. Layman's Bible Book Commentary, 1. Nashville, TN: Broadman, von Rad, Gerhard. Genesis: A Commentary. Old Testament Library. Revised ed. Philadelphia, PA: Westminster, Waltke, Bruce K., and Cathi J. Fredricks. Genesis: A Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, Wenham, Gordon J. Genesis Word Biblical Commentary, 1. Milton Keynes: Word, Wenham, Gordon J. Genesis Word Biblical Commentary, 2. Dallas, TX: Word, Westermann, Claus. Genesis: A Commentary. Continental Commentaries, ed. John J. Scullion. 3 vols. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress,

6 KNB3102H - Genesis Page 6 2. General Studies Arnold, Bill T. Encountering the Book of Genesis. Encountering Biblical Studies. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, Graves, Robert, and Raphael Patai. Hebrew Myths: The Book of Genesis. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, Middleton, J. Richard. The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos, Sarna, Nahum M. Understanding Genesis. The Heritage of Biblical Israel, 1. New York, NY: Schocken; Melton Research Center of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, van Seters, John. Prologue to History: The Yahwist as Historian in Genesis. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox, van Wolde, Ellen J. Stories of the Beginning: Genesis 1 11 and Other Creation Stories. London: SCM, Articles Hasel, Gerhard F. "Recent Translations of Genesis 1:1: A Critical Look." Bible Translator 22, no. 4 (1971): Hess, Richard S. "Splitting the Adam: The Usage of <Adam in Genesis I V." In Studies in the Pentateuch, eds. J. A. Emerton, William L. Holladay, André Lemaire and Roland E. Murphy, Leiden: E.J. Brill, Hess, Richard S. The roles of the woman and the man in Genesis 3. Themelios 18 (1993): Hess, Richard S. "One Hundred Fifty Years of Comparative Studies on Genesis 1 11: An Overview." In I Studied Inscriptions before the Flood: Ancient near Eastern, Literary, and Linguistic Approaches to Genesis 1 11, eds. Richard S Hess and David Toshio Tsumura, Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, Kitchen, Kenneth A. "Genesis in the near Eastern World." In He Swore an Oath: Biblical Themes from Genesis 12 50, eds. Richard S. Hess, Gordon J. Wenham and P. E. Satterthwaite, Carlisle; Grand Rapids, MI: Paternoster; Baker, Kitchen, Kenneth A. "The Patriarchal Age: Myth or History?" Biblical Archaeology Review 21, no. 2 (1995): 48 57, 88, 90 92, Millard, Alan R. "Abraham, Akhenaten, Moses and Monotheism." In He Swore an Oath: Biblical Themes from Genesis 12 50, eds. Richard S. Hess, Gordon J. Wenham and P E Satterthwaite, Carlisle; Grand Rapids, MI: Paternoster; Baker, Schroeder, Joy A. "The Rape of Dinah: Luther's Interpretation of a Biblical Narrative." Sixteenth Century Journal 28, no. 3 (1997): Stander, Hendrik F. "The Church Fathers on (the Cursing of) Ham." Acta Patristica et Byzantina 5 (1994): van Seters, John. "The Religion of the Patriarchs in Genesis." Biblica 61, no. 2 (1980): von Rad, Gerhard. "The Joseph Narrative and Ancient Wisdom." In The Problem of the Hexateuch and Other Essays, ed. Gerhard von Rad, London: Oliver and Boyd, Wenham, Gordon J. "The Coherence of the Flood Narrative." Vetus Testamentum 28, no. 3 (1978): Wenham, Gordon J. "The Religion of the Patriarchs." In Essays on the Patriarchal Narratives, eds. Alan R Millard and D. J. Wiseman, Leicester: InterVarsity, Wenham, Gordon J. "Method in Pentateuchal Source Criticism." Vetus Testamentum 41 (1991):

7 KNB3102H - Genesis Page 7 Wenham, Gordon J. "Sanctuary Symbolism in the Garden of Eden Story." In I Studied Inscriptions from before the Flood: Ancient near Eastern, Literary, and Linguistic Approaches to Genesis 1 11, eds. Richard S. Hess and David Toshio Tsumura, Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, Wickham, L. R. "The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men: Genesis VI 2 in Early Christian Exegesis." In Language and Meaning: Studies in Hebrew Language and Biblical Exegesis, ed. James Barr, Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1974.