Office
Telephone:
(706) 542-5356 (messages)
This
course will offer an introduction to the monotheistic religions originating in
the West: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course has three goals:
á
to
provide knowledge about the origins, important figures, key ideas, and
practices of the religion.
This will be assessed in the exams for which you
will need to know names and terms and be able to explain the ways that the
religions developed.
á
to
develop an understanding of others who inhabit our planet and who are engaged
in practices that are viable and vital.
Short
Quizzes: 50%
In-class
work: 10%
Assignments: 40%
Grading
scale: 93-100=A;
89-92.999=A-; 86-88.999=B+; 83-87.999=B; 79-80.999=B-; 76-78.999=C+
70-75.9999=C; 69 and lower: you need to talk to me!
Quickly!
Texts
(all available in the UGA bookstore)
Fisher,
Living Religions (Western Traditions)
And
any handouts that are on-line or given out in class.
á
You
should come to class on time. You should bring whatever we are working on to
class. Otherwise, why are you
here?
á
All
work will be done on time. The
information in the course builds on each component, so late work is not
acceptable and will not be accommodated.
á
QUIET: No newspapers, crunchy
and otherwise noisy food, talking to others, etc. You know how to behave. If you are bothering me, you are bothering your
classmates. In other words, you
should be focused on this class when you are here. If you are not, you will be asked to leave.
á
At
times, we will be talking about things that are different and that may seem odd
or weird to you, in tension with your beliefs and ideas. Discomfort is to be handled with
reflection, not with insult, indifference, and/or insolence. In plain language, inappropriate
language—verbal and body—will not be tolerated.
á
Respect
is the order of the day—for your classmates, for the professor, and for
the subject matter.
á
Laptop
computers are fine—until I catch someone checking e-mail, looking through
the internet, or something like that. Then, all computers will be
banned.
All
academic work must meet the standards contained in ÒA Culture of Honesty.Ó Each
student is responsible to inform himself or herself about those standards
before performing any academic work.
I
will not automatically drop you from the course. If you want to withdraw,
please initiate the process yourself.
I will assign a ÒWÓ until after the official midpoint withdrawal of
October 14.
Brief
Outline of the Course: Details will be announced in class: The course syllabus is
a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the
instructor may be necessary.
I. Judaism: (READ Fisher, Judaism)
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/source/judaism.html
May
14: Judaism
Background: Themes: Creation, Revelation,
Liberation
May
16: The Exodus and Moses; Israel in the New Land: Judges,
Monarchy and Messing Up
May
19: **** QUIZ#2*****
Discussion of prophecy:
Assignment: Read one of the books of the
shorter prophets: Amos, Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Malachi, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk,
etc. and write about briefly to be shared:
a. prophetic call
b.
major
theme(s)
c.
location
in Israelite history: When does he write and what is going on?
May
20: Judaism in Exile
Assignment:
Using the Judaism website above, or beliefnet.com, research one practice of
Judaism around birth, rite of passage (movement from youth to adulthood) or
death. Write a one-page summary to share in class.
How can a religion survive in
diaspora?
Towards Modern Judaism
Assignment: Research to discuss one of the
following: Orthodox, Reform, or Conservative
Judaism.
á
How
does it define what Judaism is?
á
When
did it begin?
á
How
is it in tension and agreement with the other forms?
á
Where
is it most practiced?
****
QUIZ#3****
Jesus: Life of Jesus and Jewish and Greco-Roman
Influences
JesusÕ life: Sacraments and the Liturgical Cycle
May
22: Gospels and Paul; Developments: Split of Eastern and
Western Church, Augustine, Monasticism, etc.
Assignment: Read PlinyÕs letter to the
Emperor Trajan. List what clues you can find about the structure and practice
of the early church. What does this document tell you about persecution?
Christian Denominations today
Reformation: Denominations,
non-denominational churches, mega-churches, sects and cults, and their
practices: Choose one Christian group to research. Write a one-page summary
about the denomination, including:
á
its
founder or how and why it got started
á
how
it saw itself as different from Christian practices that came before
á
important
practices or ideas in the denomination (key terms)
á
its
status today
May 26:
Memorial Day Holiday
May
27: Mohammed: The Life of the Prophet
The Five Pillars of Islam
Practices in Islam
****
QUIZ #6****
The Quran and Its Importance: (handout)
May
28: Practices and Quran continued.
May
29: Modern Islam (film)
May
30: No class
June
2: No class
June
3:Islam: final things
Assignment:
Look
up on-line information about the city ofJerusalem.
á
Cite
one reason it is important to each of the three monotheisms: What happened
there? Where do you go to experience that now?
á
How
do the monotheisms ÒshareÓ the city? What are the sites of tension and
cooperation?
Thinking
through the course: What do these religions share? Conflict about? Desire?
June
4: Final Quiz
Difference
between Judaism Holidays: connect to themes
And
Christianity Passover:
matzah, bitter herbs,
And
Islam charoset,
salt water,
Patriarchs
sanctified
wine
Sumerians:
Ur, city-temple haggadah
Tanakh Death:
Shiva, Kaddish
Pentateuch
JEDP:
characteristics of
Major
Themes: Orthodox,
Conservative, and
Creation:
yetzer-tov Reform
Judaism
Yetzer-hara
Liberation:
Moses
Revelation:
covenant
Suzerein:
structure of
The
three covenants
Redemption:
Messiah
Shekinah
God
History:
Abraham
Ur
of the Chaldees
El-Shaddai
Harran/Huran
Isaac
and Ishmael
Moses
Pentateuch:
Torah
Midian
Jethro
Zipporah
I
AM WHO I AM
Distinction
between YHWH
And
religion that comes before
Nature
of the law: what it covers
Ark
of the Covenant
Tabernacle
David
(1020 BC)
Solomon
(961-931BC)
Baal/Astarte
(Ishtar)
El/Ashirat
Structure
of Judges
Propehcy
Nebiim
Oracles,
dream interpreters, divination
ecstasy
Characteristics
of (4)
Elijah
Be
able to match or list concerns of the following
Prophets:
Hosea
Isaiah
Jeremiah:
Baruch
722
BC
586
BC
Nebuchadrezzar
Coping
with Exile:
Sabbath:
when is it? What happens?
Challah
Synagogue
Holy
ark
Menorah
Star
of David
Suffering
Servant: Isaiah 53:3-6
New
Literature: Psalms and other
Wisdom
literature
Kosher
Prayer:
Kepah or Yarmulke
Tallit
Tefillin
or phylacteries
Mezuzah
450
BC: Second Temple Judaism: Nehemiah and Ezra
Septuagint
Maccabees
TNK=Tankh:
Torah, Nebiim, Kethubim rabbi
Midrash:
halakah and haggadah
Hillel
the Elder
Mishnah:
Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Judah
Gemara
Jerusalem
Talmud
Our
God and God of our Fathers, rule over the whole world in Your HonorÉand appear
in your glorious might to all those who dwell in the civilization of our world,
so that everything made will know that You made it, and every creature discern
that You have created him, so that in all whose nostrils is breath may say,
ÒThe Lord, the God of Israel is king, and his Kingdom extends over all.
From
the beginning You made this, Your purpose known.
Yom
Kippur
Days
of Awe
Our
God and God of our fathers, may our prayers come before You. Do not hide yourself from our
supplication, for we are not so arrogant as to say before you, ÒWe are
righteous and have not sinned.Ó We
have sinned. We are guilt-laden, we have been faithless, we have robbed, we
have committed iniquity, caused unrighteousness, have been presumptuousÉWe have
counseled evil, scoffed, revolted, and blasphemed.
What
shall we say before you who dwell on high? What shall we tell You who live in
heavenÉNothing is concealed from You or hidden from Your eyes. May it therefore be Your will to
forgive us our sins, to pardon us for our iniquities, to grant remission for
our transgressions.
O
my God, before I was formed, I was nothing. Now that I have been formed, it is as though I had not been
formed, for I am dust in my life, more so after death. Behold I am before You like a vessel
filled with shame and confusion. May it be Your willÉthat I may no more sin,
and forgive the sins I have already committed, in Your abundant passion.
On
this day, sentence is passed upon countries, which to the sword and which to
peace, which to famine and which to plenty, and each creature is judged today
for life or death. Who is not
judged on this day? For the remembrance of every creature comes before You,
each manÕs deeds and destiny, words and way.
Sukkot sukkah
Hanukkah
Purim Shavout
Moses
Maimonides (1135-1204) Thirteen
Principles of Faith
á
I
firmly believe that the Creator, blessed be his name, is the Creator and Ruler
of all created beings, and that he alone has made, does make, and ever will
make all things.
á
I
firmly believe that the Creator, blessed be his name is One; that there is no
oneness in any form like his and that he alone was, is and ever will be our
God.
á
Éis
not corporeal; that no bodily accidents apply to him; and that there exists
nothing whatever that resembles him.
á
Éwas
the first and will be the last.
á
Éis
the only one to whom it is proper to address our prayers, and that we must not
pray to anyone else.
á
I
firmly believe that all the words of the Prophets are true.
á
I
firmly believe that the prophecy of Moses our teacher, may he rest in peace,
was true; and that he was the chief of the prophets, both of those who preceded
and those that followed him.
á
I
firmly believe that the whole Torah which we now possess is the same which was
given to Moses, our teacher, may he rest in peace.
á
I
firmly believe that this Torah will not be changed, and that there will be no
other Torah given by the Creator, blessed be his name.
á
I
firmly believe that the Creator, blessed be his name, knows all the actions and
thoughts of human beings, as it is said: ÒIt is he who fashions the hearts of
them all, he who notes all their deeds.Ó
á
Érewards
those who keep his commands and
punishes those who transgress his commands.
á
I
firmly believe that there will be a revival of the dead at a time which will
please the Creator, blessed and exalted be his name forever and ever.
Christianity
Mark
8. 27 INRI
450
BC Caiphas
Alexander
the Great Pilate
Features
of Hellenistic Culture Garden
of Gethsemane
Koine Barabbas
Ocumene
31
BC: Battle of Actium Crucifixion
and Resurrection
Octavian/Augustus
Jesus-Jehoshua-Jeshua James/Peter/Paul
Nazareth
in Galilee Catholic
Constantine:
313: Edict of Milan
Advent
Christmas
Epiphany
Easter:
Lent, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday,
Maundy
Thursday (mandatum), Good Friday, Passion, Easter, Resurrection
Eggs,
rabbits
Pentecost
JesusÕ
World
Jewish: Zealots,
Essenes,
Pharisees,
Sadducees Pliny
the Younger to Trajan
Essenes:
Qumran, Manual of
Discipline,
War Rule, Themes
of the Gospels
John
the Baptist and
terms
Hellenistic:
Neo-Platonic
Dualism Early
Church
Synoptic Peter
and James
Obversio/Conversio Paul
Stoicism:
Logos/logai PaulÕs
themes
Cynicism Antioch
Mystery
Religions Ephesus
Cybele,
Mithra, 66
ADˆ 70AD
Eleusis,
Isis and Osiris
Structure
of Sermon
On the Mount
Healers
and Protectors Structure:
Antitheses, etc.
Gnosticism Council
of Jamnia
Simeon
the Just
JesusÕ
Life (4BCE-31CE) Kerygma/Didache
Herod
Tekton
Bethlehem
Cepharos
Themes
of teaching (3)
John
the Baptist
Caesarea
Phillipi
Moses
and Elijah
Passover:
colt or ass
Mount
of Olives
ÒCleansing
of the TempleÓ
St.
Jerome, the Vulgate
Constantinople,
325
Council
of Nicea, Arius,
Nicean
Creed
450
Chalcedon,
1024
AD.
Patriarch, icons
(iconostasis), Philokalia