1 TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY RELS 101B 1: INTRODUCTION TO OLD TESTAMENT (3 semester hours) SYLLABUS Summer 2014 Dr. Dorothy M. Peters Instructor: Dorothy M. Peters, Ph.D. Class Location: NWB 114 E-mail: dorothy.peters@twu.ca Class Dates and Times: Office: TWU Extension Office or The Cog MTRF, May 26 June 6, 2014 Office Hours: T/R 11:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. 8:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. CALENDAR COURSE DESCRIPTION An introduction to the major divisions of the Old Testament (Pentateuch, Prophets, and Writings) including an orientation to the following areas in the field of OT studies: inspiration, principles of interpretation, canon, text, world of the OT historical backgrounds, archaeology, theology, criticism, literary forms and apocryphal writings. COURSE OBJECTIVES: Students will study 1. The Old Testament (OT) as a conversation and controversy with ancient Near East culture. We study selected OT texts to see how the biblical writers responded theologically to the songs, stories, people, and events of their own time. Even those parts of the OT writings that appear to be culture-specific and time-bound are still useful for teaching (2 Tim 3:16), containing cross-cultural and timeless truth and wisdom. 2. The Old Testament as a collection of writings recording a conversation between God and humans. We seek out the overarching biblical themes but also evidence of internal theological tensions within the OT, diverse expressions about God, people, and the world. 3. The Old Testament in conversation with its later interpreters (Dead Sea Scrolls, New Testament, and until today). We are invited into the conversations about the big questions ongoing since the days of the OT - e.g. Who is God? Why did God make humans? Why do people suffer? In so doing, the Bible continues to live an inspired ( God-breathed ) book. COURSE COMMUNICATION: Important information is posted to your MyCourses (be sure you are subscribed!) and e-mails sent to your @mytwu.ca account. Please ensure that you are receiving the e-mails; you may ask TWU to direct your @mytwu.ca to your personal e-mail account. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Required Texts: Victor Matthews and James Moyer (M&M). The Old Testament, Text and Context. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012. An English Bible: e.g. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), New American Standard Version (NASB), New International Version (NIV). Students for whom English is not a first language may use an inter-linear Bible in their first language. For personal study only (not for in-class use), electronic copies of the Bible are available on biblegateway.com. CoursePack: Bring to every class.
2 Assignments and Grading Attendance 10% Success in a university course normally Quizzes 10% requires 2-3 hours of homework for every Reading Reflections 10 @ 3% 30% hour of class. Research Essay 20% Final Exam 30% Total 100% Attendance and Participation (10 marks) The course is divided into Units/Days 1-11 plus the Final Exam on Day 12. Every morning, several of you will lead the class in a responsive reading of a Psalm of your choice, telling us what you feel is timeless and cross-cultural about the Psalm. Because your participation in class discussions cannot be made up, you receive ten (10) marks just for being present and participating. Two (2) marks are lost for every absence except for documented, major emergencies. One (1) mark is lost for missing ½ a class. In all of our lives, there are minor emergencies: car troubles and traffic jams, fatigue and stress, friends in difficulty and late nights (or challenges with getting up on time!). Some things are beyond our control while others we decide. Penalties are not a punishment; your attendance grade is not a judgment on whether or not your absence was within your control. It simply reflects whether or not you were present! This course will follow the attendance policy as outlined in the Academic Information section of the Academic Calendar: any student who misses 25% or more of the classes (i.e. 3 or more morning classes/9 hours) will not be permitted to write the final examination and will not pass the course. Students bring Bibles and CoursePack to class; handouts will be provided in the CoursePack. Laptops are not be used unless by special arrangement and cell phones are to be powered off. Quizzes (10 @ 1 = 10 marks) Students write a brief short-answer quiz from 8:30 a.m. 8:40 a.m. (only!) on Days 2-11 on material from the previous day s lecture and handout in Course Pack. Students arriving to class late (after quizzes are handed in) have decided to miss the quiz and will forfeit the mark for that day. Reading Reflections (10 @ 3 = 30 marks) Reading Reflections for Units #2-11 are due into MyCourses at 11:00 p.m. the night prior to each class or, for Monday classes, the Saturday night prior (see Course Outline for dates). Students missing the deadline have decided to skip the assignment and forfeit the 3 marks. Templates for Reading Reflections will be supplied in written form and electronically. Part 1: Reflection on Bible Readings (Units 2-11) Chose five items from a range of the assigned Bible readings. For each of the five passages, answer: Does the passage reflect a belief, law, or practice (way of living) that is more (a) timeless and crosscultural or (b) timebound and culture-specific? Explain your choice in 2-3 sentences. For example, explain how an OT proverb might be true today (timeless/cross-cultural) or how you do not sacrifice a goat (timebound/culture-specific) but might make other kinds of sacrifices.
3 Reflection on 5 passages from the Bible Readings: Unit # Name: Bible references plus quote or Beliefs, laws, practices that are culture-specific & timebound or summary of passage cross-cultural & timeless? 1. 2. (etc.) Part 2: Reflection on Textbook (M&M) Readings (Units 2-11) Every year, some students come to class believing that the Bible is primarily a human-authored collection of writings and other students come believing that the Bible is primarily God-authored. Everyone is welcome into honest and respectful conversations in this course. The textbook (M&M) is good at helping us understand the human role in the authorship of the Bible; during class we will also explore ways that we might understand God s role and how he worked with humans in writing the Bible. M&M can be worrisome for students used to thinking of the OT as God-only authored. Here is where you can express two things in M&M that you found either challenging or intriguing. Reflection on 2 portions of textbook readings: Unit # Name: Page # & quote Comment on two challenging and/or interesting things in M&M. or summary 1. 2. Part 3: Responses to reflective questions listed in CoursePack for each unit. Research Essay on Ruth and Boaz (20 marks) Due: Friday, June 20 at 6:00 p.m. into MyCourses. Students will study the characterizations of Ruth and Boaz, using the fascinating literary interpretative perspective as taught in class. For example, identifying first speeches in mouths of these characters reveals something about the message that the narrator hopes to communicate. The Research Essay question to be answered is: What is the narrator of the book of Ruth attempting to communicate about the person and character of Ruth and of Boaz? Bonus marks and penalty marks Research Essays handed in at least two days early (June 18 at 6:00 p.m.) receive 2 bonus marks. J Research Essays handed in late will be penalized 2 marks per day to a maximum of 10 marks, not counting weekends; e.g. June 23 at 6:00 p.m. (-2 marks) until June 27 (-10 marks). L Penalty-free extensions will be considered only for serious, documented emergencies and must be requested in writing, by e-mail, accompanied by research notes and essay draft completed to that point. Final Exam 30 marks Final exam consists of short answers and essay questions drawn from the daily Big Questions for each Unit in the Course Pack. Big Questions are summarized in the Unit titles (below). A student who is absent from a final examination without an acceptable excuse will be assigned a zero for that examination. Absence due to illness must be supported by a medical certificate indicating the nature of the illness.
4 COURSE OUTLINE Unit #1: Monday, May 26 The Old Testament Story: God-breathed Scripture or Human-authored Literature or Both? Telling the big story of the Old Testament The Old Testament within ancient Near East (ANE) time and space Who wrote the Bible and how was it written? Discussion: Let s talk about what each of us thinks about the extent to which the Bible is God breathed (i.e. inspired ) or human-authored or both. Due Monday, May 26 at 11:00 p.m. into MyCourses: Unit #2 Reading Reflection M&M: pp. 237-256 Bible: Proverbs 1-4 plus 6 chapters of your choice; Job (esp. chapters 1-10, 19, 28, 38-42) Ecclesiastes (the whole book); Psalm 1, 19 CoursePack Reflective Questions: Unit #2 Pre- Reading for Unit 1. Simply record # pages you read of M&M (no written Reading Reflection required): pp. 3-34 with special attention to pp. 3-4, 14-15, 19, 22-26; outline of Israel s history, (pp. 14-15) dates for Middle Bronze II-A Hellenistic period (p. 19). Bring to share with class: A wise saying or proverb from your country s culture to share. Unit #2: Tuesday, May 27 The Wise & Foolish, Happy & Suffering: Limitations of Reward & Retribution Theology? Quiz on Unit #1 (8:30 a.m. 8:40 a.m.) What kind of truth do the Proverbs tell? Ecclesiastes: Is life meaningless or meaningful? The book of Job and Lament Psalms as protest to black-and-white reward/retribution theology Discussion: Does the OT answer why good people suffer? If not, which questions does it answer? Due Wednesday, May 28 at 11:00 p.m. into MyCourses: Unit #3 Reading Reflection Bible: Psalm 8, Psalm 104; Genesis 1-11; Job 26:1 27:6 + review Job 38-42 M&M: pp. 35-41 CoursePack Reflective Questions: Unit #3
5 Unit #3: Thursday, May 29 Creation, Fall, and Flood Stories: How Did They Teach God s People about Himself? Quiz on Unit #2 (8:30 a.m. 8:40 a.m.) Who is God? How did God make the world? Why did God bother making humans?: Differing Theologies in the OT and ANE Stories (Genesis 1-2) Creation Falls: A Good & Evil Conflict and Decision Story (Genesis 3) Creation Destroyed by Humans and God: Noah & Flood (Genesis 6-11) Discussion: Does science agree or disagree with the ancient creation and flood theologies? Or do science and theology answer different sorts of questions? Due Thursday, May 29 at 11:00 p.m. into MyCourses: Unit #4 Reading Reflection Bible: Genesis 12-50 M&M: pp. 41-49 (esp. note Principal themes on p. 41) CoursePack Reflective Questions: Unit #4 Unit #4: Friday, May 30 Those Misbehaving Covenant Ancestors: How Did Mistakes Show a Need for Torah Laws? Quiz on Unit #3 (8:30 a.m. 8:40 a.m.) Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar: I now pronounce you man, wife, and concubine Abraham and Isaac and when ignorance is not bliss: Did God demand human sacrifice or not? Tricky Jacob and his tricky children Judah finally grows a character with the help of tricky Tamar: which one was in the right? Joseph demonstrates how to live in a foreign land as a successful and prosperous immigrant Discussion: Were the unchosen non-covenant people also under God s care? Does God ever change his mind in response to human words and actions? Due Saturday, May 31 at 11:00 p.m. into MyCourses: Unit #5 Reading Reflection Bible: Exodus 1-17, 19-24, 32-34; Leviticus 19, Deuteronomy 4-7, 27:9 28:37; read Leviticus and Numbers for your own interest! M&M: pp. 50-58 CoursePack Reflective Questions: Unit #5
6 Unit #5: Monday, June 2 The Exodus and Torah: How did Yahweh Show He was Not Like other Kings and their Gods? Quiz on Unit #4 (8:30 a.m. 8:40 a.m.) (In one corner) Yahweh God + Moses vs. Pharaoh + Egyptian gods (in the other corner) Yahweh God s Torah laws: making people good or just preventing them from becoming too bad? Discussion: Natural or theological explanations for the Egyptian plagues or both? Which Torah laws seem to be culture-specific & timebound and which are cross-cultural & timeless? In-class Workshop: The upside-down dark humour in Exodus 1:1 2:10. Training in thinking like the narrator from the literary interpretative needed for writing the Research Essay. Why might an Israelite woman or man have found this story darkly funny? Due Monday, June 2 at 11:00 p.m. into MyCourses: Unit #6 Reading Reflection Bible: Joshua (esp. ch. 1-8, 24) and book of Judges (esp. ch. 1-18). Cf. instructions about war in Deuteronomy 7 and 20 M&M: pp. 58-82 (learn Universalism Theme on p. 63) CoursePack Reflective Questions: Unit #6 Unit #6: Tuesday, June 3 Yahweh the Warrior God: What s With the God-Ordered Conquest and Killing? Quiz on Unit #5 (8:30 a.m. 8:40 a.m.) The Canaanite prostitute Rahab: wanting into God s people Warfare in Deuteronomistic History: God-ordered(?) killing Prophet Deborah, Warrior Jael, Barak, and Sisera: heroes and villains in the book of Judges Jesus reinterprets the OT: love your enemies instead of killing them Discussion: Is it ever right to fight? Due Tuesday, June 3 at 11:00 p.m. into MyCourses: Unit #7 Reading Reflection Bible: Ruth, Judges 19-21 (Levite s concubine) M&M: pp. 228-237 CoursePack Reflective Questions: Unit #7
7 Unit #7: Thursday, June 5 What Happens to the Powerless (Women) When God & Torah are Obeyed or (Dis)obeyed Quiz on Unit #6 (8:30 a.m. 8:40 a.m.) Without David-King & Torah: Levite and his concubine and all that s dark and dreadful Ruth and Boaz: Ancestors of the David-Kings Discussion: How might the dark stories also be hopeful stories? Due Thursday, June 5 at 11:00 p.m. into MyCourses: Unit #8 Reading Reflection Bible: (Review Judges 4-5); 1 Samuel; 2 Samuel (especially chapters 5, 7, 11-13, 22); 1 Kings 1-11; Song of Songs M&M: pp. 83-102; 254-256 CoursePack Reflective Questions: Unit #8 Unit #8: Friday, June 6 King and Prophets in the United Monarchy: Who is Listening to Whom and How Well? Quiz on Unit #7 (8:30 a.m. 8:40 a.m.) (Review: Prophet Deborah and Commander Barak) Prophet Samuel and King Saul Prophet Nathan and King David Solomon and Yahweh Face-to-face and Women Discussion: Lover and beloved in Song of Songs. Male or female initiative or both? Due Saturday, June 7 at 11:00 p.m. into MyCourses: Unit #9 Reading Reflection Bible: Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah 1-3, 9; 1 Kings (esp. chapters 12, 17-19, 21-22 and only skim the rest); 2 Kings (esp. chapters 18 20 which is parallel to Isaiah 36-39), and the book of Esther M&M: pp. 102-179 (esp. pp. 116-121, 130-152 and learn chart on p. 115); pp. 232-237 (on Esther) CoursePack Reflective Questions: Unit #9 \
8 Unit #9: Monday, June 9 Divided Kingdom Kings & Prophets: Who? How? What? To Whom? Quiz on Unit #8 (8:30 a.m. 8:40 a.m.) Prophets as loyal critics of kings & queens re: what Yahweh God really, really cares about A Contest!: Yahweh & Elijah vs. Baal & Ahab & Jezebel Potential abuses from misinterpreting Hosea & Gomer as a picture of Yahweh God & bride How Jesus followers believed the words of OT prophets lived and breathed in their day Discussion: Fast forward to the post-exilic book of Esther in which God seems to be hiding and there is no mention of God or prophets; instead, there are Queen Esther, Mordecai, villain Haman and the ridiculously inept and drink-loving Persian King Ahasuserus (a.k.a. King Headache ). Compare and contrast the ways that Queen Esther and Queen Jezebel used their power to influence their king-husbands. Due Monday, June 9 at 11:00 p.m. into MyCourses: Unit #10 Reading Reflection Bible: Ezekiel 1-5, 10, 12, 37; Daniel 1-7, 9 (skim others), Isaiah 40, 42-45, 53 M&M: pp. 181-204; 264-270 CoursePack Reflective Questions: Unit #10 Unit #10: Tuesday, June 10 A Theological God Crisis: Did Israel s Exile = Powerless Yahweh God? Quiz on Unit #9 (8:30 a.m. 8:40 a.m.) Why did God s people lose the land? The very extremely strange play-acting prophet Ezekiel: Where on earth is Yahweh God? Dreamy Daniel: Who is the Most High God in Babylon? The Servant in Isaiah: The OT prophecies and Jesus Discussion: Why is a Smashing Babies song in the Bible? (Psalm 137). Due Wednesday, June 10 at 11:00 p.m. into MyCourses: Unit #11 Reading Reflection Bible: Haggai; Malachi; Isaiah 61; Jonah; Ezra (esp. chapters 1-4, 9-10); Nehemiah (esp. chapters 1-9, 13); Zechariah 14 and review the book of Ruth M&M: pp. 204-228 CoursePack Reflective Questions: Unit #11
9 Unit #11: Thursday, June 12 What are the Insiders and Outsiders Battles in the Post Exile? Quiz on Unit #10 (8:30 a.m. 8:40 a.m.) Persian King Cyrus, Yahweh s servant allows Jews to rebuild Jerusalem temple The marriage controversy: Ezra/Nehemiah, Malachi, book of Ruth What about the outsiders who want to worship Yahweh? Keeping outsiders out or inviting them in? Wall builders and bridge builders Jesus and his followers weigh in on the OT controversy What the hell? : insiders and outsiders for eternity? Discussion: If you believed that your religion was the best one for a good and just society, would you want it to be (a) the official state religion and all other religions suppressed (Israelites killing Canaanites) or (b) one of many religions allowed to be practiced freely (Persian King Cyrus). Day 12, Friday, June 13 FINAL EXAM Due Friday, June 20, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. into MyCourses RESEARCH ESSAY DUE UNIVERSITY POLICIES: THE FINE PRINT University Standard Grading System Letter Grade Percentage Grade Point A+ 90-100 4.3 A 85-89 4.0 A- 80-84 3.7 B+ 77-79 3.3 B 73-76 3.0 B- 70-72 2.7 C+ 67-69 2.3 C 63-66 2.0 C- 60-62 1.7 D+ 57-59 1.3 D 53-56 1.0 D- 50-52 0.7 F Below 50 0
10 Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism at TWU Academic integrity is a core value of the entire TWU community. Students are invited into this scholarly culture and required to abide by the principles of sound academic scholarship at TWU. This includes, but is not limited to, avoiding all forms of plagiarism and cheating in scholarly work. TWU has a strict policy on plagiarism (see the Academic Calendar). Learning what constitutes plagiarism and avoiding it is the student's responsibility. An excellent resource describing plagiarism and how to avoid it has been prepared by TWU Librarian William Badke and is freely available for download (PPT file) or used as flash (self running) tutorials of varying lengths: http://acts.twu.ca/library/plagiarism.swf (14 minute flash tutorial) http://acts.twu.ca/library/plagiarism_short.swf (8 minute flash tutorial) Academic dishonesty can include (but is not limited to) presenting someone else s ideas or words as your own, quoting another source without providing a proper citation, failing to place quotation marks around quoted material, allowing another student to copy your work, submitting a paper you have written for one course to another course without first obtaining permission from both instructors, purchasing or downloading an essay on the internet, or having another person write an essay for you. The Little, Brown Handbook offers helpful advice on what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. We will also discuss the proper citation of sources in class, but it is your responsibility to maintain your academic integrity. Students are reminded that essays written for this course may be subject to scanning by a plagiary detection service employed by the university. Plagiarized papers will result in a minimum of a failing grade (zero) on the assignment; serious cases of plagiarism may result in failure in the course and expulsion from the university.