BSNT 220: Introduction to the Gospels Foster School of Biblical Studies, Arts & Sciences Cincinnati Christian University Fall 2014 Thomas A. Vollmer Office: President s Hall, 2nd Floor Office Number: 513-244-8189 tom.vollmer@ccuniversity.edu MWF: 11:00am-11:50am 3 Credit Hours Graduate Assistant Dain Smith dain.smith@ccuniversity.edu DESCRIPTION This course introduces students to the critical issues affecting the study of the Gospels and the life of Jesus, followed by a survey of the various genres and forms within the Gospels, focusing on principles for interpreting the Gospels, key concepts found in them, and their impact on the Church and Christian life. COURSE OBJECTIVES Students who complete this course should be able to: 1) Understand the critical problems associated with the Gospels, especially the problem raised in the study of the life of Jesus. 2) Evaluate the similarities and differences among the four Gospels in light of the circumstances of their composition. 3) Know the key elements of the historical background and circumstances surrounding the life of Jesus. 4) Understand the historical context, purpose, and rationale for each of the Gospels. 5) Examine key themes and events of Jesus life and ministry and carry out sound interpretation of biblical text surrounding those themes. COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1) Reading assignments assist in developing student awareness of the material. Each reading assignment is important for the study of the Gospels and measures a number of course objectives. a. Colored synopses (Assesses Objective 2, 5) i. Students will do a colored analysis of the following texts: Matt 8:19-22//Lk 9:57-62 and Matt19:13-15//Mk 10:13-16//Lk 18:15-17. ii. Students will copy the relevant pages from Thomas and Gundry, A Harmony of the Gospels, and mark the words (not just concepts) of the text according to their appearance in each Gospel. iii. The assignment is due on September 8 th and should be turned in directly to the professor. iv. The assignment measures students ability to compare and contrast a text and will serve as the foundation for the thematic treatment of material presented later in the course. v. The following key is to be used:
2 1. Words appearing in Matthew, Mark, and Luke are to be marked in RED. 2. Words appearing in Matthew and Mark only are to be marked in YELLOW. 3. Words appearing in Matthew and Luke only are to be marked in ORANGE. 4. Words appearing in Mark and Luke only are to be marked in GREEN. 5. Words appearing in Matthew only are to be marked in BLUE. 6. Words appearing in Mark only are to be marked in PURPLE. 7. Words appearing in Luke only are to be marked in BROWN. b. Summary of Gospel Themes (Assesses Objectives 3, 5) i. During the semester each student must read through each canonical Gospel in its entirety and write a 3-4 pages essay summarizing, with citation of relevant texts, two key themes of each Gospel. ii. The essays should be double spaced using Times New Roman 12pt font with 1- inch margins. iii. Students may consult any secondary sources they wish for this assignment, but the essay should be based primarily on one s own reading of the text, and submission of the essay is a statement by the student that she or he has read the entire Gospel text. iv. The summaries should be uploaded to Canvas by their due date listed below. v. There will be four summaries, each concentrating on the four Gospels. 1. The Gospel of Matthew summary will be due on September 22 nd. 2. The Gospel of Mark summary will be due on October 6 th. 3. The Gospel of Luke summary will be due on October 27 th. 4. The Gospel of John summary will be due on November 10 th. 2) Weekly Work a. In lieu of meeting in class on Friday, students will complete provided assignments in preparation for the following week s lecture. b. For example, in week two, classroom lectures will focus on the historical Jesus and the Jesus Seminar. An article will be provided for students to read the Friday before the lecture in order to be prepared to discuss the issue. A schedule of the assignments will be located on the outline at the end of the syllabus. Questions will be provided for students to help prepare for lectures. c. It is recommended that students use the Friday hour that class would normally meet to prepare for the following week s lectures. The questions and readings on Fridays will also help prepare students for the exams. d. Assignments are to be loaded to Canvas each Monday after they are due. More information will be given in class. 3) Exams a. Students will take two exams to successfully complete the course, a midterm and final exam. The midterm will cover material over the first part of the course and the final will cover material from the second part of the course. The final exam will not be comprehensive. b. The exams are designed to evaluate student understanding of course material and will measure comprehension, analysis, and synthesis of course material. c. A review guide will be provided for each exam. d. The final exam will be administered during Final Exams week. Students are advised to adjust travel plans accordingly as the exam must be taken during Final Exams week.
3 OUTLINE OF COURSE The course meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but as mentioned above Fridays will be dedicated for students to use in preparation for weekly lectures. Class will not meet on the days designated by the university calendar as holidays. The following agenda is a tentative schedule as changes can be made at the discretion of the professor. A detailed outline of the course follows as Addendum A to the syllabus. 1) Critical issues related to Gospels study 2) Introductory issues pertaining to individual Gospels 3) Thematic studies SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS 1) Assignment, except for Colored Synopses, are to be submitted to the Canvas course page. 2) Students must write in academic format using Times New Roman 12pt font with 1-inch margins. 3) All work must be submitted at or prior to the due time and date. Late work is accepted with penalty regardless of the reason for being late. All work must be completed to pass the course. Late work must be of passable quality to be accepted. a. Any work received 1 day after the due date will be reduced one full letter grade. For example, if a student would receive a B on an assignment, the grade would be reduced to a C if one day late. b. If an assignment is 3 days past the due date, it will be reduced two full letter grades. For example, if a student would receive a B on an assignment, the grade would be reduced to a D if three days late. c. An assignment received 7 days past the due date will receive an automatic F for the grade. d. All work must be submitted to pass the course, and the work must be of passable quality. POLICIES 1) Disability accommodation: Students who require accommodations due to any documented physical, psychological, or learning disability should request assistance from the Academic Support Director within the first two weeks of class. The Academic Support Office is located in the lower level of the Worship and Ministry building (room 153). You may also contact the office by phone (244-8420). 2) The professor may alter assignments and dates as the need arises and always in the interests of students. 3) The class attendance policy is described in the student handbook. 4) Sleeping is an absence. 5) If students are going to be absent, they must alert the professor before hand (email, phone call). 6) Technology a. The use of technology is confined to computers and tablets for the course. Any student wishing to use a computer/tablet must sign a technology usage form. Students are asked to refrain from using internet and social media. If a student abuses the policy, that student will not be permitted to use technology for the remainder of the course. b. Students may not use their phones while in class for any reason. Students are asked to put their phones away before the beginning of class. If a student persists in using his or her phone, that student will be asked to leave the class and will be counted absent for the day.
4 GRADES Colored Synopses 10% Summary of Gospel Themes 20% Weekly Assignments 20% Midterm Exam 25% Final Exam 25% Students must receive a minimum of 65% on the final exam to receive a passing grade for the course. In other words, students must pass the final exam to pass the course. All assignments must be submitted electronically via the CCU Canvas website for the course. Hardcopy submissions, except for the colored synopses, will not be accepted. Late work will be accepted for credit with penalty regardless of the reason. Students absent for planned travel must submit assignments before leaving. REQUIRED TEXTOOKS Blomberg, Craig L. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels. 2 nd ed. Downer s Grove, IL: IVP, 2007. Thomas, Robert L. and Stanley N. Gundry. A Harmony of the Gospels with Explanations and Essays. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row, 1978.
5 Addendum A Course Outline Aug 25 Introduction to the Course Aug 27 The Problem and Significance of the Historical Jesus Aug 29 Study Day Read Blomberg chs. 1 and 2 and answer questions Sep 1 Labor Day No Class Sep 3 Form Criticism and Redaction Criticism Sep 5 Study Day Read provided articles on the Historical Jesus and the Jesus Seminar Sep 8 Recent Developments in Gospels Study Colored Synopses Due Sep 10 Conclusions on Critical Issues Sep 12 Study Day Blomberg ch. 4 Synoptic Gospels Issues Introductory Issues Article on the Gospel of Matthew Sep 15 Synoptic Gospels Sep 17 Introductory Issues in the Gospel of Matthew Sep 19 Study Day Introductory Issues Articles on the Gospels of Mark and Luke Sep 22 Introductory Issues in the Gospel of Mark Gospel of Matthew Summary Due Sep 24 Introductory Issues in the Gospel of Luke Sep 26 Study Day Blomberg ch. 5 Sep 29 Introductory Issues in the Gospel of John Oct 1 Johannine Prologue John 1:1-18 Oct 3 Fall Recess No Class Oct 6 Infancy Narratives Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2 Gospel of Mark Summary Due Oct 8 John the Baptist Matt 3:1-7//Mk 1:1-11//Lk 3:1-22; Jn 1:19-36
6 Oct 10 Study Day Colored Synopsis on the Temptation Matt 4:1-11//Mk 1:12-13//Lk 3:1-13 Oct 13 The Temptation Matt 4:1-11//Mk 1:12-13//Lk 3:1-13 Oct 15 Jesus Proclamation of the Kingdom of God Oct 17 Study Day Blomberg ch. 3 Miracles Oct 20 Miracles Oct 22 Midterm Exam Oct 24 Study Day Article on Sermon on the Mount/Plain Oct 27 Sermon on the Mount/Plain Matt 5:1-8:1//Lk 6:17-49 Gospel of Luke Summary Due Oct 29 Sermon on the Mount/Plain Continued Oct 31 Study Day Article on Parables Article on Peter s Confession Nov 3 Parables Nov 5 Peter s Confession: Christ/Messiah, Son of God, Son of Man Nov 7 Study Day Colored Synopsis on the Transfiguration Matt 17:1-23//Mk 11:1-18//Lk 9:28-45 Nov 10 The Transfiguration Matt 17:1-23//Mk 11:1-18//Lk 9:28-45 Gospel of John Summary Due Nov 12 The Entry into Jerusalem Matt 21:23-46//Mk 11:1-18//Lk 9:28-45 Nov 14 Study Day Article on Jerusalem and the Parousia Nov 17 Jerusalem and the Parousia Matt 21:23-26//Mk 11:27-12:12//Lk 20:1-19; Matt 24:1-51//Mk 13:1-37//Lk 21:5-36; Matt 25:1-46 Nov 19 The Upper Room and Final Plot Nov 21 Study Day Articles on Gethsemane and Trials
7 Nov 24-28 Thanksgiving Break No Class Dec 1 Gethsemane Matt 26:30-56//Mk 14:26-52//Jn 18:1-12 Dec 3 Trials Matt 26:57-27:26//Mk 14:53-15:15//Lk 22:54-23:25//Jn 18:12-19:16 Dec 5 Study Day Article on the Resurrection Dec 8 Crucifixion Matt 27:27-66//Mk 15:16-47//Lk 23:26-56//Jn 19:16-42 Dec 10 Resurrection Matt 28:1-20//Mk 16:1-16//Lk 24:1-53//Jn 20:1-21:25 Dec 12 Jesus Outside the Gospels Blomberg ch. 6 Discussion Addendum B
8 Optional Research Paper Possible Topics As mentioned in the syllabus, the paper is a research paper of 7-10 pages. Students are free to choose a topic from one in this list or another of their choosing, but they must have their approved by the professor prior to beginning the paper. Students are required to use footnotes for the research paper with a bibliography of sources at the end of the paper. There are no exceptions to the footnote policy. Students must meet with the Graduate Assistant prior to submitting their topic idea to the professor in order to narrow the topic and formulate a workable thesis sentence. A signed statement from both the student and GA must be received otherwise the topic will not be approved. The following is to be submitted to the professor hardcopy prior to any student beginning work on the paper: Title of Research Paper Preliminary Thesis Statement If studying a text then what will be the primary text studied Signature of Student and GA Possible Topics Some aspect of the Historical Jesus research Method in Gospel study Introductory issue in one of the Gospels Aspect of the Infancy Narratives John the Baptist Ministry of Jesus Parables Healings/Miracles Peter s Confession Kingdom of God The Transfiguration Aspect of the Passion Narratives (Triumphal entry, Upper Room, Gethsemane, Crucifixion, Resurrection) The following guide should be used when footnoting and constructing the bibliography. The way to footnote a book is as follows: Blomberg, when speaking of the Q document, mentions that the original form has not been settled, rather, it remains a contested issue in scholarship. 1 The way to footnote an article is as follows: When thinking about the identity of the Christ followers in Rome, there is no easy way to figure who these persons were and how they came to Rome. Jeffrey Crafton notes however, It seems most likely that Christianity came to Rome in the person and message of Christian tradespersons and missionaries who began to arrive in the imperial city in the mid or late 40 s. 2 Finally, the way to quote an article in a book is as follows: After surveying the options, Scot McNight concludes that Markan priority is the most likely scenario in the discussion of Synoptic Gospel composition. 3 Those interested in adding dictionary articles or word study resources should consult the professor for the proper citation method for the assignment. It is important to note that many different footnoting styles are acceptable, but it is expected that students adopt the one set forth in these examples. Bibliography Example 1 Craig L. Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the Gospels (Second Edition; Downer s Grove, IL/Nottingham: IVP Academic/Apollos, 2007), 44. 2 Jeffrey A. Crafton, Paul s Rhetorical Vision and the Purpose of Romans: Toward a New Understanding, Novum Testamentum 32 (1990): 317-339, 322. Notice what I did here with the page numbers. You list the entire article s page numbers and follow it with the actual place where the citation occurred. The font in the footnote should be 10pt. 3 Scot McNight, A Generation Who Knew Not Streeter, in Rethinking the Synoptic Problem (David Alan Black and David R. Beck (eds.); Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001), 65-95, 95.
9 Blomberg, Craig L. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels. Second Edition. Downer s Grove, IL/Nottingham: IVP Academic/Apollos, 2007. Crafton, Jeffrey A. Paul s Rhetorical Vision and the Purpose of Romans: Toward a New Understanding. Novum Testamentum 32 (1990): 317-339. McNight, Scot. A Generation Who Knew Not Streeter. In Rethinking the Synoptic Problem. 65-95. David Alan Black and David R. Beck (eds.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001.