RLGN 1301: Old Testament
History
Summer ’09
Robert Gibbs, Instructor
Course Description: “historical literature with special
attention to the institutions, religion, and national life of the Hebrew
people”
Course Texts: (Required) The Learning Bible
(Optional) Any other version of the Bible
Course Outline:
Unit One: The Torah: Weeks 1-4
Unit
Two: The Former Prophets: Weeks 5-6
Unit
Three: The Latter Prophets: Weeks 7-8
Unit
Four: The Writings: Weeks 9-11
Course Requirements:
1. Read all assignments in the Old Testament
2.
Participate
in class discussion with an open, collegial attitude. Everyone should also contribute
to the discussion on Blackboard at least three times.
3.
Take
all weekly quizzes
4.
Review
all class lecture notes on Blackboard before the mid-term and final quizzes
Course Objectives:
Upon
completion of this course, you will be able to:
1.
Compare and contrast various approaches, study tools and interpretive models of
the Old Testament
2.
List and interpret key facts of Old Testament history, social structures,
ethics, and religious practice
3.
Describe key Old Testament literary forms and their conventions
4.
Describe key Old Testament theological ideas and how they are communicated
5.
Evaluate
your own values and beliefs and your Church’s values and beliefs with an Old
Testament perspective
Course Schedule:
Week 1. Beginnings: Introductions, Genesis 1-11
Week 2. Creation of the Family: Reading Assignment: Genesis 12-50
Week 3. Creation of the Faith Community: Reading Assignment: Exodus 1-24, 32-34; Leviticus 8-19
Week 4. Holy War: Reading Assignment: Numbers 13-24; Deuteronomy 1-11; Joshua
1-11
Week 5. Creation of the Nation: Judges
1-16; 1st Samuel (all)
Week 6. The History of the Nation: 2nd Samuel 1-19; 1st Kings
1-11
Comprehensive
quiz: weeks 1-6
Week 7. Prophets of the Assyrian Crisis: Reading Assignment: Isaiah1-11;
Amos (all); Hosea 1-3; Micah 1-6
Week 8. Prophets of the Babylonian Exile: Reading Assignment: Isaiah 40-55 and Habakkuk (all) and your choice
of either Jeremiah 1- 20 or
Ezekiel 1-20
Week 9. Postexilic Judaism: Reading Assignment: Ezra (all) Nehemiah (all);
Esther (all); Daniel 1-6; Jonah (all)
Week 10. Wisdom: Reading Assignment: Proverbs 1-8, 25-31; Job 1-8, 38-42;
Ecclesiastes (all)
Week
11. Worship: Reading Assignment: Song
of Songs; Ruth; Psalms 1, 22-23, 46, 51, 72, 79, 100, 121, 150
Comprehensive quiz: weeks 7-12
Course Grading:
The Final Course Grade will be the average of the weekly quizzes. The lowest
quiz grade will be dropped from the average. The midterm and final
comprehensive quizzes each count as two grades in the final average. If you
miss either the mid-term or the final one zero will count as your dropped grade,
and the other zero will go into your average. There are no make up exams or
other make up work. All scores may be adjusted upward or downward by as much as
one letter grade for participation in class discussion. Failure to contribute
to the discussion or to review the lecture notes on Blackboard is considered a
participation failure, and you could lose a letter grade for that. Take note: your participation can help or
hurt your grade in this course. The final scores will be distributed as A=
90%; B= 80%; C= 70%; D= 60%.
Other Information:
Course policies:
This course covers each week’s
material three times: first in the reading, second in the quiz, and third in
the discussion. These three layers build on each other to gain the maximum
learning effect. The major purpose of the weekly quiz is to ensure that you do each
week’s reading and come prepared for participation. So, obviously, it would
defeat the purpose if we discuss the material prior to the quiz. NOTE: The purpose of the class meetings isn’t
to prepare you for tests. There will be, however, summary notes posted on
Blackboard after each week’s meeting.
Again,
there are NO MAKEUPS for
weekly quizzes, but the lowest weekly quiz score will be dropped.
Discussion
is the primary learning activity in this course. Good discussion is based
on several key requirements: every member coming to class prepared, every
member making a contribution, and respect for every member’s contribution. The
goal is to make quality remarks, not a quantity of remarks. These requirements
will be the basis of your participation grade. Another factor in the
participation grade is how well you learn the expectations set out in this
syllabus and meet them. I am usually
tolerant of people who start the term with resistance toward this class, but if
your need to fight against God, or me, or Wayland, or new ideas lasts too many
weeks, you will not do well in this class.
Attendance
is required—the whole class session, every week. Three absences will result in
an “F” for the course. There are no
“excused” absences. A military drop is permitted if all three of your
absences were involuntary TDY’s. If you leave
at or before the break during any class, 50 points are deducted from your
quiz grade that week, and you are counted absent for the week. Class is not
dismissed if I am late; class will begin when I arrive and we will have the
quiz.
Summary
notes will be posted week-by-week on the class page @ http://sa.wbu.edu/academics/blackboard.
The class page also has the course syllabus, and a discussion board. Everyone
is expected to use the discussion board for participation. If you sit silently
through class and don’t enter the blackboard discussion either, your participation
grade will be lowered. Please also use the discussion board for any questions about
the class.
I am available for consultation. If you want to talk to me please leave
a message and allow a day for me to get back to you. Messages may be left for me
at my home phone, 647-7014, or my email, robert-gibbs@sbcglobal.net. Note
the hyphen in my name—it’s part of my email address. Please do not email me at
the Blackboard page or at hotmail; I don’t check those mailboxes very often. There
is NO NEED to call about absences unless you will be missing for the third time
and are calling to say goodbye. If I am
late to class please call my cell phone, 863-8785, to find out what’s up. Avoid
calling my cell phone during the daytime.
Academic Honesty:
University students are expected to conduct themselves according to the highest
standards of academic honesty. Academic misconduct for which a student is
subject to penalty includes all forms of cheating, such as illicit possession
of examinations or examination materials, forgery, or plagiarism. Plagiarism is
the presentation pf the work of another as one’s own work. It is the student’s
responsibility to be familiar with penalties associates with plagiarism stated
in the catalog.
Services for the Disabled: It is university policy that no
otherwise qualified disabled person be excluded from participation in, be
denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational
program or activity in the University.
The Campus Dean serves the University as coordinator or activities for
the handicapped and should be contacted concerning your needs. Contact the Dean
of Student’s office as soon as possible before registration to ensure adequate
time for assistance.