ENG210A--The Bible as
MWF 1-2 17ML 333
A & H
3 units glevine@ashland.edu
Spring 2003 (419)-289-5658
Office Hours: WF
2-3 and by appointment http://www.ashland.edu/~glevine
Tu by appointment
Required Texts:
The Harper Collins Study
Bible, Student edition, or any New Revised Standard Version. Other translations
must be approved by the instructor.
Gabel, John B., Charles B.
Wheeler and Anthony D. York, The Bible As
Literature: An Introduction. Fourth Edition.
Catalog
description: Sustained study of
representative Biblical texts using the tools of literary analysis. The course will approach the Bible as
literature from a social, historical, and literary perspective. This course is approved for Tier II Core
credit. Prerequisite: English 102 or
equivalent.
Course
Objectives (from Core Master Syllabus):
Students will demonstrate knowledge of a variety of
Biblical texts; their relevant historical, cultural, and literary background;
Biblical characters and the development of important themes and concepts; and
the history of the Biblical texts, including canonization and translation.
Students will develop the skills necessary to read and
interpret Biblical texts as literature, to recognize Biblical literary forms
and conventions, to use commentaries and other interpretive aids, and to
recognize Biblical allusions and motifs in other literature.
Students will come to understand the diversity of
literary modes in the Bible; the importance of the Bible to the development of
Western culture and literature; and the depth and complexity of religious,
psychological, and cultural themes and insights in the Bible.
Course Overview and Assumptions: The course will focus on the evolution of
Judeo-Christian values in the Bible. We will
read the Bible as a literary text, similar to other writings from the ancient
and classical world, operating under the assumption that the Bible is a human
document, an anthology of writings put together by human beings over time. The
Bible as Literature will provide us with the necessary historical and critical
background. Assuming the Bible is a
human document is not incompatible with religious faith, and most of the
scholars who study the Bible as literature are in fact deeply religious
individuals. While students are free to
believe whatever they wish concerning the composition of the Bible outside of
class, the entire course is based on the idea of the Bible being written by
human beings over a period of time in a specific historical context. Just as Creationism-believing students in science
courses are required to accept
Your Academic Rights: According the AU student handbook, if you
feel your academic rights have been violated, you are required to first attempt
to address the issue with the instructor before escalating the issue to the
department chair. I interpret this as a
face-to-face meeting with me outside of class in my office, either during
regularly scheduled hours or by appointment.
If you are not able to resolve the issue with me, it is then appropriate
to escalate the issue to the department chair, and then to the dean, and then
to the provost, if necessary.
Outside/Internet Sources: None of
the assignments in this class will require the use of outside sources. If you do wish to use outside sources on a
paper, use the bibliography in Gabel, Wheeler, and York; most of the books are
in the Ashland Theological Seminary library.
Do not use the Internet, as
many of the sources you will find are of dubious quality, to say the
least. Remember to cite all sources
using MLA, APA, or Chicago.
Attendance Policy: You are allowed three unexcused
absences without penalty. After three, I
reserve the right to lower your final grade by 1/3 grade for each unexcused absence.
After eight absences, I reserve the right to fail you. Chronically tardy students may find
themselves marked absent if they arrive after roll. Students are responsible for getting all
assignments, handouts, etc. if they are absent.
Late Papers: Papers are due on the assigned day, in class or in
my mailbox. I will deduct 1/3 grade (i.e., a B becomes a B-) for each class
meeting your paper is late. You may be granted an extension if the request is
made in advance at least a week before the due date. To protect yourself from
the horror of a lost or missing paper, please make and keep a copy of every
paper you submit. Also note that electronic failure ("the computer ate my
paper") is not a valid excuse. You should assume that at some point
technology will in fact fail you. Save your document frequently under different
filenames, and when you get a page, print it out. (That said, the
computer will probably eat your paper anyway).
Journals: Journals
will be collected 6 times over the course of the semester, approximately every
other week. You should write
approximately one page in your journal (single-spaced, handwritten) per
class. You are expected to keep up with
the reading and your journal entries, even if we fall behind in the class
discussion. Late journal entries will
not be accepted. I will give you one
class notice before collecting journals.
GWY quizzes: To underscore
the importance of the ideas in The Bible
as Literature to our approach to the text, there will be regular quizzes on
the assigned readings. Students who are
absent during a quiz are responsible for scheduling a makeup ASAP.
The
Plagiarism: Plagiarism means using another writer's work,
ideas, or phrasing without giving full credit to that writer. This includes
incomplete or inaccurate citations. Unauthorized collaboration on papers is
another form of plagiarism. Willful plagiarism will result in failure of the
course; unintentional plagiarism will result in a failing grade on the assigment. All
plagiarism will be documented for the Registrar's student files.
Requirements and Grading Distribution
|
Journals |
|
18% |
|
|
GWY quizzes |
15% |
|
|
|
Paper #1 |
|
12% |
|
|
Paper #2 |
|
15% |
|
|
Midterm |
|
10% |
|
|
Final Exam |
15% |
|
|
|
Class Participation |
15% |
|
|
|
|
|
100% |
|
Sch
edule of
(Note that this schedule is subject to change. Changes will be announced in
class and posted on the class website. Students are responsible for keeping
track of any changes).
M--Jan.
12 Introduction
W--Jan.
14 GWY, ch. 1; Judges
F--Jan.
16
GWY, ch 2-3
M--Jan.
19 MLK Day
(Jan. 20 Last day to add classes)
W--Jan.
21 GWY quiz #1; Judges 11,
13-16, 19-22
F--Jan.
23 GWY ch.
4
M--Jan.
26 GWY ch.
18
W--Jan.
28 GWY quiz #2 ; 1 Samuel 1-15
F--Jan.
30 GWY ch.
5; 1 Samuel
16-31
M--Feb.
2 GWY ch.
6 & 7, 2 Samuel 1-10 (Last
Day to Drop "W")
W--Feb.
4 GWY quiz #3; finish 2 Samuel Paper
#1 Assigned
F--Feb.
6 1 Kings 1-13; Exodus 21; 32-33;
Num. 21:4-9
M--Feb. 9 J:
Genesis 2:4b-6:4; 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 7, 10, 12, 16b-20, 22-23; 8:2b-3a, 6,
8-12, 13b, 20-22;
W--Feb. 11 J: Genesis 12:1-20, 13:1-5,
7-18; 14, 15-16:2, 4-14; 18, 19, 24, 25: 5-6, 11b, 21-34, 27:1-45; 26; 29;
30:25-43; 31: 3, 17, 18a: 32 4-13; 34:1-31, 35:21-22
F--Feb.
13 E: Genesis 20:1-18, 21:6,
21: 8-34; 22:1-10, 16-19; 25:1-4; 28: 11-12, 17-18, 20-22; 31:1-2, 4-16, 19-54;
32:1-3, 14-33, 33:1-20, 35: 1-8, 16-20
M--Feb.
16 J and E (with a little P):
36: 31-43; 37: 2-36; 38-50
W--Feb.
18
1 Kings 18-21; P: Leviticus
1-2, 7, 11-12, Paper #2 due
F--Feb.
20
Leviticus 14-15. 16:8, 18, 25
M--Feb.
23 P: Genesis 1:1-2:3; 7:8-9,
11, 14-16a, 21, 24; 8:1-2, 3-5, 7, 13, 14-19; 9:1-17
W--Feb.
25 P: Genesis 10:1b-7, 20, 22-23, 31, 32; 11:27-31,
12:4-5; 13:6, 11-12; 17: 1-27; 16:3, 15-16, 19:29, 21:1-5; 23:1-20, 25:20,
25:7-11, 13-18; 26:34-35, 27:46, 28: 1-9: 31:18, 35: 9-15, 23-29; 36-2-30
F-- Feb 27 Review
for Midterm
M--Mar.
1 Midterm (read Exodus)
W--Mar.
3 Exodus
F--
Mar. 5 Exodus
Spring
Break
M--Mar.
15 Numbers 12-16, 20, 25,
27, 31
W--Mar.
17 2 Kings 21-25; Psalm 137;
Lamentations 2
F--Mar.
19 Deuteronomy
4-8, 13, 20, 22-23; 25:5-16; Deuteronomy 28, 33
M--Mar.
22 Ruth
W--Mar.
24 GWY,
F--Mar.
26 Daniel Paper
#2 Assigned
M--Mar.
29 Ecclessiastes
GWY
W--Mar.
31 Job
F--April
2 Job GWY ch. 11
M--April
5 GWY ch. 12, Appendix 3; 2 Maccabees
W--April
7 GWY
quiz #4; Mark; Matthew
5, 10
F--April
9 Good Friday
M--April
12 Easter Break
W--April
14 GWY
F--April
16 Luke;
Paper #2 due
M--April
19 Luke; John 8, 11, 13-14, 10-21
W--April
21 GWY
F--April
23 GWY quiz #5; 1
Corinthians
M--April
26 Galatians
W--April
28 James
F--April
30 Final Exam Review
Classes End
Final Exam
Period:
Monday, May
3,