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RS 306 New Testament Themes
Dr. Kelli O’Brien
Office: Loyola 32
Phone: 303-964-3682
E-mail: [email protected]
Spring 2010
Office Hours: MW 1:30-2:30;
F 10-12, & by appt.
Approach and Goals of the Course
The New Testament is the foundation of Christian faith. From it, as well as the Old Testament,
Christians derive their ideas about God, salvation, worship, and Christian living. It is the best
source of information about Jesus’ life, ministry, and teaching and provides a picture of the
earliest Christians. An understanding of Christian faith and ability to do theology for today
requires thorough knowledge of the New Testament (as well as the Old).
Yet, because it is a series of ancient texts, written by people who lived in a culture very different
from our own, it can be difficult to understand. So the class will work on historical background,
as well as skills for reading complex, nuanced texts. The ultimate goal is that you will have not
only a general knowledge of the New Testament by the end of the semester, but that you will be
prepared to do further study on your own later on.
When you take an active-learning approach to this class, you will develop both skills and
knowledge. By the end of the course, you should be able to demonstrate:
 Factual knowledge of the readings, i.e., what occurred in narratives or was discussed in nonnarrative material; the basic meaning of the passages; basic background knowledge. Or, put
simply, you should be able to discuss what the New Testament is about and its historical
context.
 Critical reading skills, i.e., being able to explain not just literal storyline, but also the meaning
of the text, how the text fits in a historical context, how it uses symbols, etc. This includes the
ability to use scholarly resources to learn about the text on your own. That is, you should be
able to discuss in greater detail what the New Testament meant to the people who wrote it
and be able to study this more on your own later.
 Critical, theological reasoning for understanding how Scripture can speak to people today and
how to apply that message in contemporary life. That is, you should be able to discuss what
the New Testament means to people today, including being able to evaluate your own and
other people’s suggestions.
Texts



A study bible, with notes and introductory material, e.g., The HarperCollins Study Bible or
The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV is the preferred translation; NAB, NIV also good)
Achtemeier, Greene, Thompson, Introducing the New Testament: Its Literature and Theology
Other material distributed by handouts or via the web
Course Requirements and Grading
15%
25%
20%
15%
25%
Graded homework analyses
Ungraded homework analyses
Essay
First exam
Final exam
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Reading analyses are very short written assignments on the day’s reading. They help you to
focus and ask questions as you do the reading. Often these will be done individually, sometimes
in groups in class. Most of these will be pass/fail. Some assignments (relatively randomly picked)
will be assessed more carefully and graded. So that you are able to join in the class discussion,
you will need to do the readings and written work before class each day.
The essay will be your opportunity to work through an interpretive question during the semester.
It will be a 5-7 page research project. More information will be forthcoming.
The exams will give you and me a chance to assess your knowledge of the material, your ability
to integrate knowledge of different material learned in the class, and your ability to think
“critically” about it. (Thinking critically” means engaging in thoughtful evaluation, not taking
things at face value or being content with the slogans we often hear, but probing more deeply.)
They will include short answer questions on factual content: historical information; what
happened in the narratives — who did what to whom, when, where, why; what was discussed in
non-narrative New Testament material; etc. The exams will also include essay questions which
require you to analyze and synthesize the material. A number of essay questions will be presented
to you in advance, so that you may prepare your answers. The exam will include a selection of
those essay questions.
Grading scale:
93-100 A
87-89 B+
90-92 A83-86 B
80-82 B-
77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C-
67-69 D+
63-66 D
60-62 D-
0-59
F
Planning your time: The standard of homework for college classes is about two hours of outside
work per week for every credit hour, in this case about six hours of homework per week. Reading
assignments and written work seem to take students, on average, 1-1.5 hours per class, with some
students taking less time, some more. Additional time will be necessary for other assignments,
including the papers and studying for exams.
Regis Writing Center: I highly recommend the Writing Center for improving writing skills. It is
free, and their peer writing consultants will help you at any point in your writing process, from
brainstorming ideas and organizing a draft to polishing the final version. (You may want to attach
a draft or two of this process to your final paper to demonstrate your improvement.) You may
drop in, or since it is a popular service, you may make an appointment. Drop by the Writing
Center in Loyola 1 or call (303) 458-4039 for more information.
Students with Disabilities: If you have a documented disability and need accommodation, please
let me know immediately. If you think you may have a disability that is not documented, please
contact Learning Support Services (Life Directions Center 118, [email protected], 303-4584941).
Attendance and Deadlines
Attendance and deadlines are crucial for success in the class. There are significant penalties for
excessive absences (four or more) or failing to meet deadlines. Please see “Ground Rules” for
more information.
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Office Hours
For many good reasons, the particular office hours a professor keeps may not to be convenient for
you. Do not let that stop you! Office hours are just a start. I (along with most professors) am very
happy to make an appointment with you at a time that is convenient for both of us. I would love
to see all of you outside of class, just to have a chat or help solve a problem or discuss a particular
question you may have. Please do seek me out before or after class and by e-mail.
Ground Rules
One of the major reasons people go to college is to prepare for a career. There are a number of
expectations for professional conduct in a work environment. To help you develop those skills,
those codes of conduct are ground rules for participation in the course.
The first rule is that of respect. Professionals treat others with respect, including both supervisors
(in this case your professor) and colleagues (in this case, other students). Our course meetings are
analogous to wok meetings, and respectful communication plays a major role here. This includes
active listening, openness to new ideas and differences, and speaking appropriately.
Respect for others also means keeping distractions to a minimum. This means avoiding things
like loud food and obtrusive or excessive side conversations. Turn off your cell phones, including
for text messages.
Getting up and walking out of a meeting is a sign of disrespect, and going to the bathroom is no
exception. This is simply not done in a professional environment. (Obviously, if you suddenly
become sick or have some other emergency, leaving the meeting is appropriate. Discuss the
problem with me briefly as soon as possible.) Avoid scheduling appointments during meeting
times. If for some reason you must schedule something that requires you to leave during class
time, discuss it first with me. Excessive lateness is also distracting and disrespectful. Make every
effort to be on time. (Note: if you come in late, you may be marked absent, and I will not stop the
class to change the roll. If you want to make sure you are marked late instead of absent, come
speak to me after class.)
Do beware of computers as distractions for you and your neighbors. There is a strong, but not
absolute, correspondence between computer use in class and low performance. Therefore, use of
a computer in class requires my permission. Some students do find computers very helpful, even
necessary. If you would like to use a computer in class, please speak to me about it.
There are many other possible distractions, and not all can be listed here. Be considerate and
think about your conduct.
In a work environment, respectful treatment of others also includes timeliness in your work. You
will work as part of a team, and others — your coworkers, your clients — depend on you. Being
unreliable can cause serious problems for your company and clients. To be reliable, you must be
organized. Even when organized, however, people sometimes run into unusual difficulties. In
such cases, supervisors are often flexible, when flexibility is possible. Likewise in the course,
deadlines count. Class meetings are like work meetings. To understand fully and contribute to the
discussion, you will need to do the readings and analysis before class. Paper preparation is
similar. Therefore, all course work must be turned in on time for credit. Late papers are not
accepted. However, if you have a special difficulty, do discuss it with me as soon as possible, and
we will try to find a solution appropriate to your situation, if we can.
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Of course, in a career, you must actually be where you are supposed to be, day in and day out.
Employees often have only a few sick days a year. In the course, you may have three absences for
any reason. After that though, as at a job, absences will begin to cost you. In this case, the fourth
and each subsequent absence will cost you two points off your final grade. In certain limited
circumstances, you may be able to make up missed classes with additional work. Please see me as
soon as possible with attendance difficulties.
If you are permitted to make up an absence, here is what to do: Get notes from three people who
were in class that day. Read their notes, ask them questions, etc. Using what you learn from these
other students, write up a fairly detailed description of what was discussed in class. Write the
names of the students from whom you got the notes. Your write-up is due one week after you
return to class.
Note: I suggest that you find three study partners in the class. You and your partners can provide
each other notes, handouts, etc., whenever one of you is absent. Any time you are absent, read the
notes, discuss them with your study partners, and come speak with me if something is not clear.
Integrity is of particular concern. In a work environment, using someone else’s work and
claiming it as your own could result in significant penalties, including being fired. Academic
dishonesty is no different. Plagiarizing and other forms of cheating will result in a zero grade on
the project, and possibly failing the course. Consistent with Regis College policy, all violations of
academic integrity in this course will be reported to the Dean's office. A student who has
committed multiple instances of academic dishonesty may face probation, suspension, or
expulsion from the College. The Academic Integrity policy is described in the Bulletin; detailed
information about the policy and the appeals process can be found in the Dean's office.
For more information
Many want more help understanding the biblical texts we read. Here are some suggestions:
 David Noel Freedman, editor, Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, in the Reference section of
the library. This dictionary has short articles on many biblical subjects (such as Elijah and the
Exodus), including articles on the books themselves (such as Corinthians and James). It is
clearly written, does not assume much prior knowledge, and the articles are short.
 James D.G. Dunn, gen. ed. Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible, in reference. This is a
commentary on all the books of the Bible. Its articles are rather longer and very informative.
 R. E. Brown, et al., eds., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, in reference. This is a
commentary on all the books of the Bible. It contains many articles by Catholic scholars.
Unfortunately, the articles also assume a good deal of knowledge on the part of the reader and
can be difficult for the beginner to understand. If you start with the Eerdmans references, you
may find this material very helpful.
 Freedman, David Noel, gen. ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary (6 vols.), in reference. This is
currently the best dictionary on the Bible. Many articles are very detailed. Scholars use it.
Some articles are difficult for beginners, but generally worth the trouble.
 Individual commentaries — that is a book on a single book of the Bible — are very helpful,
but not all commentaries are created equal. The following are all excellent series. They are
usually shelved by individual book (e.g., commentaries on Mark are all shelved together.)
o The Anchor Bible
o Hermeneia
o Sacra Pagina (by Catholic scholars)
o Word Biblical Commentary (by Evangelical scholars)
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Schedule
The schedule is subject to change. Changes will be announced in class and electronically. Our
initial schedule is as follows. INT=Introducing to the New Testament
Topic
Date
Reading
Gospels
W 1/20
—
F 1/22
Mark 1; Isaiah 40; Malachi 3-4; 1 Kings 16:29-19:21; 2 Kings
2:1-25; 4:1-6:7; “Introduction to the Bible” handout
M 1/25
Mark 2:1-8:21; Introducing the New Testament (INT) ch. 1
W 1/27
Mark 8:22-10:52; INT pp. 15-37
F 1/29
Mark 11-15; Psalm 22; INT pp. 37-51
M 2/1
Mark 16:1-8; INT ch. 5
W 2/3
Matthew 3-5; Luke 3:3-22; 4:1-13; 6:17-49; Gospel of Thomas
Preface, 1-10, 76-114; INT ch. 3
F 2/5
INT ch. 8
M 2/8
Matt 1-2, 16, 18, 23-25, 28; INT ch. 4
W 2/10
Matt 5-7, 10
F 2/12
Internet research: see web
M 2/15
Luke 1-2; 4:14-30; 7:18-8:3; 10:25-42; 22-24; INT ch. 6
W 2/17
Luke 12, 14-16, 19
F 2/19
Internet research: see web
M 2/22
Skim all of John quickly; read John 1 carefully; INT pp. 175183; 197-205
W 2/24
John 2-6; INT pp. 183-194
F 2/26
John 7-12
M 3/1
John 13-19; INT pp. 194-197
W 3/3
John 20-21
F 3/5
Mid-term Exam
3/6-14
— (Spring Break)
Early Church
M 3/15
Acts 1-8; INT pp. 245-254
W 3/17
Acts 9-18; INT pp. 255-262
F 3/19
Acts 19-28; INT pp. 262-269
M 3/22
Philemon; INT ch. 11; INT pp. 423-25
W 3/24
Philippians 1-4; INT ch. 16 (INT ch. 10 optional)
F 3/26
Galatians 1-6; INT ch. 14
M 3/29
1 Corinthians 1-4; INT pp. 327-338
W 3/31
1 Cor 5:1-11:1; INT pp. 338-346
F 4/2
— (Good Friday)
M 4/5
1 Cor 11:1-16:24; 2 Cor 8-9
W 4/7
Ephesians 1-6; INT ch. 15
F 4/9
1 Timothy, 2 Timothy; INT ch. 19
M 4/12
Hebrews 1:1-4:13; INT pp. 465-83
W 4/14
Heb 4:14-10:18; INT pp. 483-490
F 4/16
Heb 10:19-13:19; INT ch. 25
M 4/19
James 1-5; INT ch. 21
W 4/21
1 Peter 1-5; INT pp. 515-27
F 4/23
1 John 1-5; INT pp. 535-47
M 4/26
Rev 1-5; INT pp. 555-577; Essay due
W 4/28
Rev 6-14; INT pp. 578-82
F 4/30
Rev 15-22; INT pp. 582-587
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