Syllabus for Religion 4083/6083

New Testament World

Wayne Coppins

 

1. Course Description

 

The political, social and religious influences on the New Testament writings with special reference to Early Judaism.

 

2. Objectives

 

To learn about the world(s) of the New Testament with special reference to political history, society and culture, Greco-Roman religion and philosophy, and key features of Early Judaism and Christianity, to become familiar with primary sources outside the New Testament

 

3. Texts and Resources

 

Required:

a) Harding, Mark, ed. Early Christian Life and Thought in Social Context: A Reader. New York: T & T Clark, 2003. [= H]

b) VanderKam, James C. An Introduction to Early Judaism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001) [= V]

- pick up at one of the bookstores or order at christianbook.com, amazon.com or abebooks.com.

 

Recommended:

c) A translation of the Bible with Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical Books, e.g., NRSV.

d) Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity (3rd ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003) [= F]

 

4. Time, Place and Office Hours

 

The course will meet from 9.30am-10.45am on Tuesdays and Thursdays in room 219A (Peabody).

My office hours are from 9am-11.30am on Wednesdays in Room 216B (Peabody).

If you intend to stop by at this time or wish to arrange another time to meet, please contact me at wcoppins@uga.edu.

 

5. Format:

 

The course will be based around a mixture of brief lectures, small group discussions and class discussions. The lectures will take their basic structure from Mark HardingÕs book Early Christian Life and Thought in Social Context and James VanderKamÕs book An Introduction to Early Judaism. Students are also encouraged to consult Everett FergusonÕs Backgrounds of Early Christianity. For each class, students will be expected to study the relevant section(s) from Harding (and if possible from Vanderkam and Ferguson as well).  

 

6. Course Requirements:

 

            10%     Attendance (see page 6 below)

            15%     Book Review of J.C. Vanderkam, An Introduction to Early Judaism (2001)

            Undergraduate & Postgraduate: ca. 5-7 pages (See p. 3)

20%     Exam 1: H 1-108; (V 1-52); [F 5-47 + 399-427]

20%     Research Paper on 1 Maccabees, 1 Enoch 37-71 or Wisdom and Christology (see p. 4)

            Undergraduate: ca. 6-8 pages; Postgraduate: ca. 10-12 pages

            35%     Final exam: H 109-336; (V 53-217); [F pages identified in Syllabus]

 

7. Key Dates

 

Jan 7-10                      Drop/Add Undergraduate

Jan 7-14                      Drop/Add Graduate

Feb 14                         * 20%: Exam 1: H 1-108; (V 1-52); [F 5-47 + 399-427]

March 6                       * 15%: Book Review Due (-5 points if turned in after Spring Break)

March 7/10 – 14/16     Spring Break (Lecture Free Period)

April 8                         * 20%: Research Paper Due

May 6  (8-11am)         * 35%: Final Exam: H 109-336; (V 53-217); [F pages identified in Syllabus]

 

Class Schedule

 

H = Harding, Mark, ed. Early Christian Life and Thought in Social Context: A Reader.

 

V = VanderKam, James C. An Introduction to Early Judaism

 

F = Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity

 

1. Jan 8 (T): Introduction: Expectations/Objectives/Format

 

-- Jan 7-10: Drop/Add Undergraduate

-- Jan 7-14: Drop/Add Graduate

 

2. Jan 10 (Th): H 5-16 (11); [F 5-15]

 

3. Jan 15 (T): H 16-22 (7); [F 15-20]

 

4. Jan 17 (Th): H 23-38 (15); [F 20-26]

 

5. Jan 22 (T): H 38-52 (14); [F 26-39 + 40-47]

 

6. Jan 24 (Th): H 56-66 (10); (V 1-24); [F 398-407]

 

7. Jan 29 (T): H 66-75 (9); (V 24-32); [F 407-411]

 

8.  Jan 31 (Th): H 75-81 (6); (V 32-39); [F 411-415]

 

9. Feb 5 (T): H 81-88 (7); (V 39-52); [F 415-419]

 

10. Feb 7 (Th): H 88-96 (8); (V 39-52); [F 419-426]

 

11. Feb 12 (T): H 96-103 (7); (V 39-52); [F 419-426]

 

12. Feb 14 (Th): EXAM 1

 

13. Feb 19 (T): H 109-116 (7); [F 113-137, esp. 113-127]

 

14. Feb 21 (Th): H 117-128 (11); [F 113-137]

 

15. Feb 26 (T): H 129-143 (14); (V 53-58 + 102-115); [F 431-432, 475-478 + pages on relevant works]

 

16. Feb 28 (Th): H 143-153 (10); (V 88-102); [F 431-432 + pages on relevant works]

17. March 4 (T = WD): H 153-163 (10); (V 115-128); [F 431-432 + pages on relevant works]

 

18. March 6 (Th: BR): H 163-171 (8); (V 59-88); [F 431-432 + pages on relevant works]

 

BOOK REVIEWS DUE

 

-- March 7/10 – March 14/16 = Spring Break

 

19. March 18 (T): H 175-193 (18); [F 148-318, esp. 173-177 and 199-212]

                 

20. March 20 (Th): H 194-207 (13); [F 319-395, esp. 320-326, 348-378]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

21. March 25 (T): H 208-216 (8); [F 69-76]

 

22. March 27 (Th): H 218-224 (8); [F 77-79; 59-61]

 

23. April 1 (T): H 224-235 (11); [F 109-113; 119-120; 82-86]

 

24. April 3 (Th): H 235-249 (14); [F 69; 97-109]

 

25. April 8 (T): H 249-267 (18); [F 49-55]; RESEARCH PAPER DUE

 

26. April 10 (Th): H 273-284 (11); (V 175-217); [F 427-430; 512-513]

                                     

27. April 15 (T): H 284-294 (10); (V 175-217); [F 556; 562-567; 573-582; 513-520]                     

 

28. April 17 (Th): H 294-311 (17); (V 175-217); [F 521-535; 463-473]

 

29. April 22 (T: RPD): H 311-330 (19); [F 583-620]

 

30. April 24 (Th): Josephus on The Roman Governors (on electronic reserve)

 

31. May 6: FINAL EXAM: 8am-11am; Room 219A.

 

YOUR BOOK REVIEW

 

Write a 5-7 page review of VanderKam, James C. An Introduction to Early Judaism.

(1 inch margins; 1.5 spacing; Times New Roman; 12 point font; page count does not include bibliography)  

 

1. Introduction (ca. 1/5 page): Comment briefly on the overall structure and content of the book.

* You should write this section and the conclusion last

 

2. Discuss section 1 of the book (ca. 1.5 pages): highlight key points and draw attention to issues and observations that were particularly interesting to you.

* You would be wise to complete this section before the first exam

 

3. Discuss section 2 of the book (ca. 2.5 pages): highlight key points and draw attention to issues and observations that were of particular interest to you.

 

4. Discuss section 3 of the book (ca. 2 pages): highlight key points and draw attention to issues and observations that were of particular interest to you.

 

5. Conclusion (ca. 1/5 page): Comment briefly on the strengths and weaknesses of the book.

 

YOUR RESEARCH PAPER

 

Options 1 and 2: Write a 6-8 page paper (10-12 for grad students) on 1 Maccabees or 1 Enoch 37-71. (1 inch margins; 1.5 spacing; Times New Roman; 12 point font; page count does not include bibliography)  

 

I have placed these texts along with several concise commentaries on them on electronic reserve at the main library. To access these materials, 1) go to the Library Website (https://gil.uga.edu/), 2) choose ÒSearch Course ReservesÓ, and 3) locate materials under Course Number (4083). I will also provide you with some supplementary bibliography in due course. 4) Password = ntworld

 

1. Introduction (ca. 1/5 page): Comment briefly on the work as a whole, identifying its genre, making note of some of its key features and indicating when various scholars think it was written.

* You should write this section and the conclusion last.

 

2. Trace the content and argument of the work, drawing attention to issues and observations that are of particular interest to you (ca. 2-3 pages).

 

3. Spend the next 3-4 pages discussing a passage or issue that is of particular interest to you, with reference to selected commentaries and other secondary literature.

 

4. Conclusion (ca. 1/5 page): Draw your argument to a close.

 

Option 3: Write a 6-8 page paper (10-12 for graduate students) on Wisdom and Christology

 

* I recommend that you read through all the texts in question, including the New Testament texts, before beginning to write your essay.

 

Part I (ca. 3/4 of the essay): Compare and contrast what is said about wisdom in the following ancient sources:

 

Proverbs[1] 1:20-33 and Proverbs 8

Job[2] 28

Sirach[3] 1:1-10; 4:11-19; 6:18-37, 14:20-15:10 and 24

Baruch[4] 3:9-4:4

Wisdom of Solomon[5] 6:22-11:1, esp. 7:22-26.

1 Enoch[6] 42:1-3

 

Part II: (ca. 1/4 of the essay): Compare and contrast what was said about wisdom in the previous sources with what is said about the Word in John 1:1-18 and the Son in Hebrews 1:1-4.[7]

 

Preliminary Bibliography for your Research Paper

 

Option 1: 1 Macabees

 

1 Maccabees." In The Holy Bible. Containing the Old and New Testaments with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. New Revised Standard Version. Anglicized Edition, 140-171. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [ON ELECTRONIC RESERVE]

 

VanderKam, James C. An Introduction to Early Judaism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001). 62-65.

 

Nickelsburg, George W.E. Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishnah: A Historical and Literary Introduction. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2005. Pages 102-106. [ON ELECTRONIC RESERVE]

 

Rappaport, U. "1 Maccabees." In The Oxford Bible Commentary, ed. John Barton and John Muddiman, 711-734. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. [ON ELECTRONIC RESERVE]

 

Option 2: The Similitudes or Parables of Enoch (1 Enoch 37-71)

 

1 Enoch. A New Translation. Translated by George W.E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004. Pages 50-95. [ON ELECTRONIC RESERVE]

 

VanderKam, James C. An Introduction to Early Judaism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001). 110-112.

 

Nickelsburg, George W.E. Jewish Literature between the Bible and the Mishnah: A Historical and Literary Introduction. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2005. Pages 248-256. [ON ELECTRONIC RESERVE]

 

Olson, Daniel C. "1 Enoch." In Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible, ed. James D.G. Dunn, 904-941. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003. [ON ELECTRONIC RESERVE]

 

Option 3: Wisdom and Christology

 

VanderKam, James C. An Introduction to Early Judaism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001). 115-128.

 

Barton, John, and John Muddiman, eds. The Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. For Proverbs (407-408, 411); For Job (345-346) For Sirach (671, 673, 673-674. 677-678, 682-684); For Baruch (702); For Wisdom of Solomon (657-661, esp. 661); For John 1:1-18 (961-963); For Hebrews 1:1-4 (1237-1238)

 

Collins, John J. Jewish Wisdom in the Hellenistic Age. T&T Clark: Edinburgh, 1997.

 

In addition to making use of other secondary literature, you are also encouraged to consult the relevant pages in the Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible and in other commentaries.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Attendance and Participation Policy

 

The UGA attendance policy (http://bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/ind/attendance.html) states that Òstudents are expected to attend classes regularly. A student who incurs an excessive number of absences may be withdrawn from a class at the discretion of the professor.

 

If you have more than 13 unexcused absences, you will be withdrawn from the class.

 

An excused absence is one that is unavoidable for emergency or pressing reasons e.g., incapacitating illness, death in one's immediate or close family or of someone close to the student.  (Sleeping late, hangovers, and studying for exams are not accepted as excused absences.). Job interviews also do not constitute an excused absence. Doctor and dental appointments may or may not be excusable. Consult the instructor prior to the absence, if at all possible; if this is not possible, then consult the instructor as soon as possible after the fact. Attendance at weddings, baptisms, bar or bat mitzvahs, etc. are not normally excusable absences. But, again, consult the instructor.

 

1) Attendance is required and classroom participation is strongly encouraged.

2) Unless you obtain permission, you may not leave before class is dismissed

3) You are expected to come on time. Latecomers will be marked ÒlateÓ; if you are late three times, then this will be counted as an absence. If you arrive 10-15 minutes late, then you will marked Òextra lateÓ; if you are extra late two times, this will be counted as an absence.

4. Participation will be taken into account if your grade is borderline.

 

Attendance Scale

 

0                                  100%

1                                  99

2                                  98

3                                  97

4                                  95

5                                  93

6                                  87

7                                  80

8                                  75

9                                  70        

10                                 65

11                                 55

12                                 45

13                                 35                    

+ 13                              W or WF

 

MAKE UP EXAMS

 

You are expected to be present for all exams.

If you miss an exam without a valid excuse, then you may or may not be permitted to make it up. If you are permitted to make it up, then you will automatically lose 10 points for missing the exam.

If you miss an exam for a valid reason (see above), then you will either be permitted to make it up or greater weight shall be assigned to another exam or to your final exam.

 

 


[1] Proverbs is one of the books of the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible.

[2] Job is one of the books of the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible.

[3] Sometimes called Wisdom of Ben Sira or Ecclesiasticus. Belongs to the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical Books, which can be found in some Bibles. See Vanderkam 115-118.

[4] Baruch belongs to the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical Books, which can be found in some Bibles. See Vanderkam 121-128.

[5] Wisdom of Solomon belongs to the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical Books, which can be found in some Bibles. See Vanderkam 124-128.

[6] 1 Enoch is classified as pseudepigraphal. 1 Enoch 44:1-3 can be found in the material on reserve at the Library, in the translation of 1 Enoch by Nickelsburg/Vanderkam, which is on electronic reserve, and in CharlesworthÕs Pseudigrapha.

[7] Hebrews and John can both be found in the New Testament.