Syllabus for Religion 4040/6040: Apocalyptic Literature

Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30-10:45am

Beth LaRocca-Pitts, Instructor

 

Dr. LaRocca-Pitts can be reached via email (mblp@charter.net). Office hours will be arranged by individual appointment. Please send an e-mail to request an appointment.

 

Goals of the Course:

To introduce students to the origins and forms of Apocalyptic Literature

To equip students for further research and exegesis on Apocalyptic

 

Required Texts:

Scott Lewis, What Are They Saying About New Testament Apocalyptic?
Paulist Press (2004) ISBN: 0809142287

Mitchell Reddish, Apocalyptic Literature: A Reader
 Hendrickson Publishers (1995) ISBN: 1565632109

John J. Collins, The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature (The Biblical Resource Series) Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Revised edition (1998) ISBN: 0802843719

Harper Collins Study Bible:New Revised Standard Version with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books (New York: Harper Collins, 1993). ISBN: 0-06-0655-27-5

 

Course Requirements:

            10%     Attendance and participation (See explanation below)

20%     Mid-term exam in class, Thursday February 28th

(Withdrawal deadline Tuesday March 4th)

            40%     Research Paper (10-15 pages)

                                    Prospectus due: Thursday March 6th

                                    Completed paper due: Thursday April 24th

            30%     Final exam: TBA during the week of April 30th-May 6th

 

Please Note: All academic work must meet the standards contained in ŇA Culture of Honesty.Ó Students are responsible for informing themselves about those standards before performing any academic work. For  more  information about academic honesty see: http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/honesty/acadhon.htm. Also, please be aware that the course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.

 

On the Course Readings:

The readings for the lectures each week will be taken from the required textbooks, the Bible and some extrabiblical literature. For the biblical text I must insist on your acquisition of a critical edition. The one I recommend is the Harper Collins Study Bible (NRSV) although The New Oxford Annotated Bible would also suffice. I insist on a critical edition like these because in addition to the text, they contain maps, extensive footnotes, introductory passages on each book, historical charts, and many other useful tools. NOTE ON THE READINGS: Having been a student I know that there will be some weeks when all of the reading will not get done.  So if you have to choose, please follow my preferred hierarchy: If you donŐt have time to read it all, skim Collins and then read the Biblical or other primary texts (in Reddish) first and always.

 

On class participation, readings, and attendance:

It is entirely up to you if you attend class. Also, I donŐt need to be informed as to why you are not in class unless you have missed enough so that you wish to request an incomplete for the course. However, most of my test questions are based on lectures, not on the readings in all cases. Also, I have a tendency to explain assignments in class such that those who come to class do better on the tests and papers because they understand what is required. It has been my experience over the last two years teaching at UGA that those who attend class make higher grades than those who donŐt. Let those who have ears, hear!

 

On the mid-term and final examinations:

Objective tests such as mid-terms and exams are diagnostic in that they help me to know if you are absorbing the material. Studying for exams is also a good way of synthesizing the material. I will be giving out a study guide to both the mid-term and the final exam. These study guides will have all the questions which will be on the test so that you can have a guide for studying the material.

 

On the Research Paper and prospectus:

Writing a technical research paper on a biblical passage is the best way of getting you into the process of synthesizing and understanding biblical literature. A prospectus, which is a short paper that answers the following three questions (1. What passage are you interested in writing on? 2. Why are you interesting in this passage? 3. What resources have you found so far?) is required in advance of your beginning your project  so that I can see what you plan to do before you do it. This will help me advise you of the possible pitfalls of particular projects. It will also give me the opportunity to suggest resources for your project that you might not find on your own. Further information will be forthcoming on how to write this paper. Various methodologies can be used so you are encouraged to use the method which best fits your passage and which appeals most to you. However please note: Footnotes and bibliography are required. No more than 1 internet source per paper.

 

Class Schedule:

Tu 1/8 Overview of the course and course assignments.

Reading:  Introduction and chapter one of Lewis, pages 1-21; Reddish, pages 19-37

 

Th 1/10 What makes something a piece of Apocalyptic literature?

Reading: ŇThe Apocalyptic Genre,Ó chapter 1 in Collins, pages 1-42.

 

Tu 1/15 Enoch Literature: The Book of the Watchers

Reading: Chapter 2 of Collins, pages 43-59; Reddish, 143-62.

 

Th 1/17 More Enoch Literature: The Astronomical Book and The Apocalypse of Weeks

Reading: Collins, 59-65; Reddish 54-57

 

Tu 1/22 Still More Enoch Literature: The Epistle of Enoch and the Animal Apocalypse

Reading: Collins, 66-70; Reddish, 41-53.

 

Th 1/24 Can one speak of an Apocalyptic Movement?

Reading: Collins, 70-79.

 

Tu 1/29 Jubilees

Reading: Collins, 79-84.

 

Th 1/31 Daniel Literature

Reading: Collins, 85-98.

 

Tu 2/5 Daniel Literature Continued

Reading: Collins, 98-115.

 

Th 2/7 Oracles: Sybilline Oracle 3

Reading: Collins, 116-27.

 

Tu 2/12 Testaments: The Testament of Moses

Reading: Collins 127-33; Reddish, 214-223.

 

Th 2/14 Testaments continued: The Testament of the 12 Patriarchs

Reading: Collins 133-44; Reddish 188-92.

 

Tu 2/19 Apocalyptic at the Dead Sea Community of Qumran

Reading: Collins, 145-76; Reddish 224-240.

 

Th 2/21 A Special Case: The Similitudes of Enoch

Reading: Collins, 177-93; Reddish 163-71.

 

Tu 2/26 Apocalyptic after the fall of the Temple: 4 Ezra

Reading: Collins, 194-212; Reddish, 58-96.

 

Th 2/28 In Class Midterm

 

Tu 3/4 2 Baruch and Apocalypse of Abraham

Reading: Collins, 212-232; Reddish, 97-142.

Midterm Withdrawal Deadline

 

Th 3/6 Roman Era Oracles: Sybillines

Reading: Collins 233-241; Reddish, 334-342.

Research Paper Prospectus Due

 

Tu 3/11 & Th 3/13 No Class, Spring Break

 

Tu 3/18 Roman Era Apocalypses: 2 Enoch, 3 Baruch, Testament of Abraham

Reading: Collins, 241-55; Reddish, 193-213.

 

Th 3/20 Jesus and Eschatology

Reading: Collins 256-64; Lewis, 22-37.

 

Tu 3/25 Paul and Apocalyptic

Reading: Collins, 264-68; Lewis, 38-52.

 

Th 3/27 The Book of Revelation

Reading: Collins 269-79; Lewis 53-70.

 

Tu 4/1 A Close Reading of Revelation

Reading: The Book of Revelation (in your bible)

 

Th 4/3 The Apocalypse of Peter

Reading: Reddish, 243-54.

 

Tu 4/8 The Shepherd of Hermas

Reading: Reddish, 255-65.

 

Th 4/10 5 Ezra and 6 Ezra

Reading: Reddish, 266-68; 343-350.

 

Tu 4/15 The Apocalypse of James and the Ascension of Isaiah

Reading: Reddish, 269-76; 277-290.

 

Th 4/17 Apocalypse of Paul and Gnostic Apocalypse of Paul, Apocalypse of Thomas

Reading: Reddish, 291-333.

 

Tu 4/22 Apocalyptic Then and Now

Reading: Collins 280-83; Lewis, 71-84

 

Th 4/24 Class Summary and Review for Final Exam

Last Class: Research Paper Due

 

Th 4/30-5/6 Final Exam TBA