
Both Primary and Secondary readings are required.
Primary readings are actual selections from the Bible or Ancient Near
Eastern/Jewish/Christian Literature. Secondary readings are the textbook, charts,
etc. which discuss and/or analyze the literature.
Harris=Stephen L. Harris, Understanding the Bible
HCSB=Harper Collins Study Bible page number.
Miller=Robert J. Miller, The Complete Gospels
Web=Resources only on the internet--Links are in the Outline.
WebCT=Files that are stored on the WebCT section for our course.
Exploring the Web: Optional (not required) links for exploring the subject further.
- Monday, September 8
- Introduction to Religious Studies
- Approaching Ancient Texts
- Secondary: Harris, pp. 2-6, 13-22, 26-35
PENTATEUCH (Torah)
HISTORICAL BOOKS (The "Former Prophets")
- Monday, September 15
- Sacred Stories in the Ancient Near East
- Primary: Ptah and Atum-Re (WebCT); Sumerian Flood Story (WebCT); Enki and Ninhursag (WebCT); The Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet XI (web)
Secondary: Harris, pp. 41 (map only); 49-60
- Creation, Sacred Stories and the Covenant with Abraham
- Primary: Genesis 1-3; 6-8; 16-22;
Secondary: Harris, pp. 86-116
Exploring the Web Ancient Near Eastern Myths
Exploring Ancient World Cultures: Ancient Near East
Online Primary Literature Related to Ancient Near Eastern Religions
Exploring Ancient World Cultures: Ancient Egypt
The Life of Adam and Eve: The Biblical Story in Judaism and Christianity
Adam and Eve Temptation Pictures
The Lilith Page (Adam's "First" Wife--In Jewish Folklore)
- Monday, September 22
- The Exodus from Egypt
- Primary: Exodus 3-15; Exodus 19-20;
Secondary: Harris 117-129; HCSB 77-78 (Rev=83-84); Examples of Ancient Near Eastern Law (WebCT)
- Deuteronomy: A Call for Return to the Covenant
- Primary: Deuteronomy 5; 18-22; 26-32; 34
Secondary: Harris, pp. 70-77; 136-143; The Emergence of Monotheism in Ancient Israel (WebCT)
THE PROPHETS (The "Latter" Prophets and the Book of the Twelve)
- Monday, September 29
- Joshua and Judges: Two Views of "Conquest"
- Primary: Joshua 1-8; Judges 1-5; 19-21; Mesha Stele(WebCT)
Secondary: Harris 144-163; HCSB 346-347
- Of Prophets and Kings
- Primary: 1 Samuel 7-10; 16; 28; 2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Kings 18; 22; 2 Kings 2
Secondary: Harris 164-189; Magical Practices for Bringing Up the Spirits of the Dead in the Ancient World (WebCT)
POETRY AND WISDOM (THE WRITINGS)
- Monday, October 6 (First Half of Class)
- "Major" and "Minor" Prophets
- Primary: Isaiah 6-11; 52-53; Amos 1-4;
) Secondary: Harris 201-206, 218-220, 223-224; HCSB 912-914; 1216-1218
- Monday, October 6 (Second Half of Class)
- Psalms, Song of Songs
- Primary: Psalm 2; 5; 8; 51; 82; 89; 137; Song of Solomon 7-8
Secondary: Harris 232-243; 263-264; HCSB 903-904- Monday, October 13
- Midterm #1 (Over Material Up Through and Including the Prophets) First Half of Class
- Wisdom and Questions
- Primary: Proverbs 4; 10-11; 31; Job 1-2; 4-6; 38-42; Ecclesiastes 1-5; 12
Secondary: Harris 244-260
THE APOCRYPHA (Deuterocanonicals)
APOCALYPTIC
- Monday, October 20
- History and the Hellenistic Period
- Primary: 1 Maccabees 1-9;
Secondary: Harris 284-292
Exploring the Web Ancient Greece
Ancient Rome
- Another Approach to Wisdom
- Primary: Wisdom of Solomon 1-5; Tobit 1-6, 7-13 14
Secondary: Harris 292-296; 301-302
"NON-CANONICAL" LITERATURE
- Monday, October 27 (First Half of Class)
- Daniel (Jewish Bible-but from from the Hellenistic Period)
- Primary: Daniel 1; Daniel 3; Daniel 7-12;
Secondary: Harris 271-275; 294-295; HCSB 1168-1169
- Monday, October 27 (Second Half of Class)
- Qumran and Pseudepigrapha
- Primary: 1 QS Manual of Discipline (Community Rule)(WebCT); 1 Enoch chapters 1-5 (web); Jubilees chapters 15 and 23(WebCT); Early Jewish Interpretations of Gen. 6 (Web)
Secondary: Harris 304-306, 326-337
Exploring the Web Orion Center for the Study of the Dead Sea Scrolls
1QIsaiah 10 (Scroll of Isaiah)
The Noncanonical Home Page (Early Jewish and Christian Texts)
OTHER CHRISTIAN GOSPELS
- Monday November 3
- Mark and Q
- Primary: Mark (in Miller); Sayings Gospel Q (in Miller)
Secondary: Miller 6; 8; 53-54; 248-252; Harris 345 (box 11.2 only); 353-355; 360-374
- Monday, November 10
- Matthew, Luke and John
- Primary: (Read these chapters from Matthew, Luke and John in Miller) Matthew 3-6; Matthew 23; Matthew 26-28; Luke 3; Luke 15-16; Luke 23-24; John 1; John 3; John 8; John 18-21
Secondary: Harris 374-391; 408-425
THE HISTORICAL JESUS
- Monday, November 17 (First Half of Class)
- Examples of Early Christian Writings Not Included in the New Testament
- Primary: Gospel of Thomas (Miller 301-322); Gospel of Peter (Miller 399-407); The Edgerton Papyrus ("Edgerton Gospel" in Miller 414-417); Infancy Gospel of Thomas 9-13 (Miller 375-376)
Exploring the Web The Noncanonical Home Page: Early Christian Gospels
The Five Gospels Parallels (Site for comparing the Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Gospel of Thomas)
; Resurrection Accounts (WebCT)
- Monday, November 17 (Second Half of Class)
- Birth Traditions and Teaching
- Primary: Birth Narratives (WebCT); Infancy Gospel of James 7-25 (in Miller 386-396);
Secondary: Harris 340-342; 429-446; Class Handout on the Birth Traditions (WebCT); Josephus on John the Baptist and James(WebCT)
- Monday, November 24
- Midterm #2 (From Psalms through Other Gospels) First Half of Class
- Death and Resurrection Accounts
- Primary: Gospel of Mary (Miller 357-366); Empty Tomb/Ressurection Narratives (WebCT)
Secondary: Jesus' Saying Concerning the Destruction and Rebuilding of the Temple (WebCT)
|
From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians (Web site for the PBS Frontline Special) |
|---|
THE LETTERS
- Monday, December 1
- Acts and the Early Christian Community
- Primary: Acts 1-5; Acts 8-11; Acts 15; Acts 17; Acts 19;
Secondary: Harris 448-464
APOCALYPTIC
- Monday, December 1 (Second Half of Class)
- Paul's Writings
- Primary: 1 Thessalonians 4-5; 1 Corinthians 6-7; 11-15;
Romans 1-4; Philemon
Secondary: Harris 464-480; 486-490; 493-494; 478-485; 488-489- Monday, December 8 (First Half of Class)
- Late Jewish Christianity
- Primary: James 1-2, 3-4, 5; Hebrews 5-9;
Secondary: Harris 505-510; HCSB 2035-2036; 2052-2053 Development of the Melchizedek Tradition(WebCT); Paul and "James" on Abraham and Faith (web)
- Monday, December 8 (Second Half of Class)
- The Book of Revelation
- Primary: Revelation 1-3; 13-17; 19-22;
Secondary: Harris 516-524; HCSB2307-2309- Monday, December 15 7:00-9:00 PM
- Final Exam


Return to |
Last Modified:
|
Intro to the Bible |