SYLLABUS

Religion 101
Reading the Bible
MWF 1:00-1:50 PM
Class: Valade 329
Office: Valade 321
email: gcaichele@gmail.com
WWW page: http://home.comcast.net/~gcaichele/

Limits of This Course:

This is an introduction to the scriptures of the Jewish and Christian religions, and to basic factors involved in reading and understanding them. Our focus in this course is not on the Bible itself, but on factors that influence the ways that people read it or other sacred texts, including the history of its writing, the effect of the canon, translation and language, and different approaches to interpretation. No one ever reads the Bible without these factors coming into play. We will use selected portions of the biblical writings as examples of these factors and to illustrate various problems in reading and different ways in which those problems have been solved over the years. No previous background is required.

Books:

Adam, Handbook of Postmodern Biblical Interpretation
Gillingham, One Bible, Many Voices
The Bible (Old Testament/Jewish Bible and New Testament)**
class handouts

**You do not need to buy the Bible sold in the AC bookstore. However, I strongly recommend that you use one of the following translations:

Revised Standard Version
Jerusalem Bible
New English Bible
Jewish Publication Society

(Or "New" versions of any of the above.)

WARNING: extensive (or exclusive) use of paraphrases (such as the Living Bible), summaries, or "simplified" versions of the Bible will probably have a harmful effect on your grade. If you have any questions about the translation that you are using, see me! You should bring a Bible to all class meetings.

The World Wide Web:

A lot of information about the Bible and related matters can be found on the World Wide Web. However, you must be careful in your use of this material, as much of it is of no scholarly value. A number of WWW links that I have found to be quite helpful can be found at http://home.comcast.net/~gcaichele/other/links.htm. If you discover other WWW pages that you think are helpful, please let me know! If I agree that the page is a good one, you will get extra credit.

Course/Grade Requirements:

• Six short response papers: average of the 6 grades = 1/3 of final grade.
• Three 1-hour closed-book exams (including the final): each exam = 1/6 of final grade (total = 1/2).
• Participation in class discussions = 1/6 of final grade.
• Extra-credit option: see end of syllabus.

Each of the 6 response papers requires your own response (in 1-2 pages) to a question about the course readings and lectures, the purpose of which is to stimulate your thinking about the Bible. You will be graded on how well you have expressed and supported your answer. These papers may be submitted in hard copy or as email attachments (Word or Acrobat formats only!). The exams consist of multiple choice and essay questions relating to the readings and class lectures. Exams take 50 minutes each.

Note: if you have a documented disability, you may qualify for specific academic services. Speak with Professor Aichele or with any of the Academic Services staff in Jones Hall 205, extension 4413. Documentation of the disability is required.

Schedule of Assignments:

You are strongly encouraged to keep up with the reading schedule. Not everything on the reading assignment will be covered in class, but it is all "fair game" for the exams! Make-up exams and extensions on papers are offered only in extreme emergencies affecting you personally. Only the instructor may grant excused absences.

8/27-31
Introduction: Difference in Understanding

Adam: 85-90, 120-127
Gillingham:1-6, 245-247
Lewis Carroll, "Jabberwocky."
Genesis 6:1-4
Isaiah 7:11-8:10

9/5-7
History, Contents, and Text

Gillingham: xvi-xviii, 9-45
Genesis 1
Revelation 21-22

9/10-14

Response #1 due (9/12)
Aichele, "Electronic Culture and the Future of the Canon."
2 Samuel 11:1-12:14
Ecclesiastes 9:13-16
2 Kings 22:1-23:3
2 Corinthians 2:14-3:6, 6:11-7:3

9/17-21
Inside and Outside the Canon

Gillingham: 46-71
2 Timothy 3:14-17
Mark 16:1-20
Gospel of Thomas introduction, sayings 1-3

9/24-26
Review and Exam

Review (9/24)
Exam #1 (9/26)

9/28-10/5
Semiotics and Translation

Response #2 due (9/28)
Adam: 128-130, 254-260
Gillingham: 72-113
Psalm 23
Matthew 12:39-41, 16:1-4
Luke 11:29-32, 12:54-56
Mark 8:11-12
Gospel of Thomas saying 91
Genesis 11
Acts 2

10/8-12

Response #3 due (10/12)
Movie: Jesus of Montreal
Read any one, complete gospel from the New Testament (your choice!).

§ MIDTERM BREAK §
NOTE: midterm grades will not be given in this course! If you want to know how your grade stands at midterm or at any other time, see the instructor.

10/17-26
Allegory and Midrash

Gillingham: 117-143
Adam: 167-173
Franz Kafka, "Before the Law."
Hosea 1-2
Isaiah 5
Mark 4:2-9, 14-20, 7:1-23, 12:1-12, 35-37

10/29-31
Review and Exam

Response #4 due (10/29)
Review (10/29)
Exam #2 (10/31)

11/2-9
Historical Criticism

Gillingham: 144-170
1 Chronicles 1
Matthew 1-2
Luke 1-2
Acts 1:1-26

11/12-19
Structuralism

Response #5 due (11/14)
Extra credit topics due (11/14)
Gillingham: 171-186
Adam: 8-13, 106-112
Umberto Eco, "On the Possibility of Generating Aesthetic Messages in an Edenic Language."
Genesis 2-3, 32
Exodus 4:24-26
Acts 10:1-11:18
Matthew 13:44-46

11/26-12/5
Reader-Oriented Criticisms

Adam: 14-19, 55-61, 99-105, 220-226
Hugh S. Pyper, "The Selfish Text: the Bible and Memetics."
Robert P. Carroll, "Lower Case Bibles: Commodity Culture and the Bible."
Song of Solomon (entire book)
Jonah (entire book)
Gospel of Thomas 97-98
Mark 3:19-35, 4:10-13

12/7
Response #6 due
Extra credit papers due
Review

Exam #3 (Final Exam) is at 3:30 pm on Monday, December 10.

**Extra credit option

Research paper:

If you wish, you may submit an 8-10 page research paper. Your grade on this paper will replace your worst exam grade, or your participation grade, whichever is lower.

The paper topic must be one of the following:

1) the history of the text of the Bible, during some time period and in some place.
2) comparison of at least three different translations of a short passage in the Bible.
3) an allegorical, midrashic, historical, structuralist, reader response, or postmodern reading of some text from the Bible.
4) other topics relevant to this course are possible, but they must be negotiated in advance with the instructor. Use your imagination!

Topics for these papers must be approved by the instructor no later than November 14. Papers on non-approved topics will not be accepted. This paper must include research beyond the required readings for this course, with bibliography and notes indicating what research was done. This paper is due no later than 1:00 pm, December 7 - late papers will not be accepted!