Christian Scriptures and Early Scriptural Interpretation
T, F 12:30-1:50 Dr. Susan Marks
PME 219 smarks@ncf.edu
Office Hours: Tues 2:00-3:00p.m. PME 221; x 24271
Thurs 3:00-4:00p.m.
and by appointment
Objectives:
In this course we will approach the earliest texts of Christianity with an eye towards an historical understanding of events and movements, and attention to how these texts found their way to us. The landscape that emerges will appear unfamiliar to anyone whose ideas of Christianity have been shaped by the works of later centuries. Each of you will have heard bits and pieces of what the “Dead Sea Scrolls” or “Nag Hamadi Discoveries” reveal about Christian Scriptures. But this course challenges you to go beyond isolated glimpses and instead look deeply at ancient context. This course asks for a synthetic consideration of various currents in the ancient world rather than a single new datum cobbled to a substantially anachronistic understanding of older sources. This course demands that you develop a self-critical eye, not critical of your own beliefs or practices (whether you be a Christian, an atheist, a practitioner of another tradition), but careful that you don’t confuse your own preconceptions with your scholarship.
In order to engage in this exploration we will need tools for reading and situating texts, as well as the courage and patience to consider worlds that are different than our own. Christian Scriptures includes an incredible variety of texts. Some texts will feel familiar and others alien. Each can provide us with essential challenges. Each can reveal its own history or hide it. And each can contribute to our overarching goal, as we seek to talk about and make sense of these competing visions within a world that had yet to hear of the “New Testament” or other canonical formations that shape later reception.
Expectations:
Regular attendance is required. In order to facilitate review by both your peers and myself, assignments must be handed in on time. Class participation counts towards your overall evaluation. Your classmates will come to depend on your comments even as you will come to depend on theirs. If you are a person who does not readily talk in public, I encourage you to come see me during my office hours, and we can devise other ways for you to have input into class discussions.
Responsibilities:
1. Academic integrity.
2. Active participation. Since participation depends on regular attendance, more than three absences will be grounds for an unsatisfactory evaluation. Students should arrive on time, with readings in hand, having done relevant readings before class session as well as any informal writing assignments.
3. Two papers. Each student will prepare two written assignments, each involving drafts and revisions (a 6-8 page paper and a final 9-12 page paper).*
4. A mid-semester exam.
*An appropriately formatted hard [paper] copy of formal assignments must be handed in on-time, together with all drafts and doodles. You will be evaluated based on the energy of the original exploration as well as the development in the revision process.
Required Texts:
Bart Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 3rd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004).[Ehrman]
David R. Cartlidge and David L. Dungan, eds., Documents for the Study of the Gospels (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1994).[DOCS]
Meeks, ed. HarperCollins Study Bible (New York: HarperCollins, 1993).**
Meyers, ed. Women in Scripture (Grand Rapids: Eerdman’s Publishing Co., 2000).[WIS]
Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels (New York: Vintage, 1979, 1989).[Pagels]
**You may substitute another modern translation for the HarperCollins Study Bible (e.g., RSV, NRSV, NJPS, or NIV). The King James Version is not acceptable as a primary translation, although you are welcome to use it as a secondary text.
You will also be reading one of the following “historical” accounts of the life of Jesus by one of the following: Crossan, Fredrikson, Sanders or Smith (see assignment). A handful of each are available for purchase.
Additional readings will be available and electronic reserve [* = reserve reading]
***Please also check Library Reserve for many additional, related books***
Websites of Interest:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/
http://wesley.nnu.edu/noncanon/fathers.htm
http://www.utoronto.ca/religion/synopsis/
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/kraft.html
Schedule:
Read: *Gager, Kingdom and Community, 19-49
DOCS, 1-3
Galatians 1-2
Acts 15
Tues Feb 10 Jewish Context
Read: Josephus, Autobiography 1-2
http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/autobiog.htm
The War Scroll:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/portrait/scrolltranslation.html
Ehrman, chap 2, pp. 35-45
Fri Feb 13 Greco-Roman Context
Read: DOCS, 151-2, 165-8, 203-38, 284-9
Ehrman, chap 2, pp. 18-35
The Empire's Religions:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/portrait/empire.html
WIS 507
Tues Feb 17 Gospels
Read: Gospel of Mark
Ehrman, chapters 4,5 and 29
WIS 421-438
Fri Feb 20 Synoptic Gospels
Read: Gospel of Matthew
Ehrman, chapters 6, 7
WIS, 17-23, 407-421, 552-5
Tues Feb 24 Q and More
Read: Gospel of Luke
Acts
Ehrman, chapters 8, 9
Q passages in Ehrman, p. 88
WIS, 438-453, 457-468
Fri Feb 27 The Fourth Gospel
Read: Gospel of John
Ehrman, chapter 10
WIS, 453-7
Due: Draft of Book Review
[Two copies of paper due]
[Exchange papers with peers]
Tues Mar 2 Peer Review
Due: PRF for each paper
Read: Two papers from peers
Pagels, Intro and Chapter 3
Fri Mar 5 Other Gospels
Read: DOCS, Coptic Gospel of Thomas, 19-29; Gospel of Peter, 76-79;
Infancy Gospel of Thomas, pp. 86-90
Gospel of Mary
http://wesley.nnu.edu/noncanon/gospels/gosmary.htm
Ehrman, chapter 12
SBL Forum articles by King and Brock
Compare Mark 15.42-16.8, Matt 27.57-28.10, Luke 23.50-24.11
and Gospel of Peter 34-57
Week 6
Tues Mar 9 From Jesus to Christ
Due: Revision of Book Review
In Class: Excerpts from From Jesus to Christ
Fri Mar 12 Historical Jesus
Read: Ehrman, chapter, 13 and 15.
Tues Mar 16 Jesus in the Gospels
Read: Ehrman, chapters, 16-17
WIS – named women in Gospels
Fri Oct 10 Exam
BREAK
Tues Mar 30 Paul
Read: 1 Thessalonians
Ehrman, chapters 18-19
WIS, 485-486
Fri Apr 2 Research Tools -- presentation by Librarian Gail Novak
Tues Apr 6 No Class - Passover
Fri Apr 9 More Paul
Read: 1 & 2 Corinthians
Galatians
Romans
Ehrman, chapters 20-22
WIS, 469-480
Tues Apr 13 Acts of Paul and Thecla
Read: Ehrman, chapter 24
* MacDonald, 13-33, 54-77, 90-103
Acts of Paul and Thecla
http://wesley.nnu.edu/noncanon/acts/plnthec.htm
Fri Apr 16 Pastoral Epistles
Read: 1 and 2 Timothy
Titus
Ephesians
Ehrman, chapter 23
WIS, 487-495
Tues Apr 20 Apocalyptic
Read: Revelation
Ehrman, chapter 28
*Marshall, 68-87
WIS, 503
Fri Apr 23 Competing Christianities
Read: Gospel of Truth
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gostruth.html
Apocryphon of John
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/apocjn.html
Pagels, chapters 1, 4, 5
Tues Apr 27 Christian Texts
Due: Draft of Research Assignment,
[Two copies of paper due]
[Exchange papers with peers]
Fri Apr 30 Peer Review
Read: Two papers from peers
Tues May 4 Interpreting Christianity
Read: Ehrman, chapter 26
Ignatius to the Romans
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/ignatius.html
Pliny's Letters:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/primary/pliny.html
Fri May 7 The Texts of Christianity
Read: Ehrman, reread chapter 28
Muratorian Canon
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/muratorian.html
Shepherd of Hermas
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/shepherd.html
Tues May 11 Share research finds
Fri May 14 Christian Scriptures
Final Papers due Tuesday, May 18th at Noon