Fall Semester 2010

New Testament - The Gospels

Μαθθαῖος, Μᾶρκος, Λουκᾶς, Ἰωάννης

Instructor:  Michael Rhodes                                       Office:  316 D JSB, Ext. 22445

Meeting times: 

          Section 3,   M, W    8 – 8:50, 106 JSB         

Midterm Exam:  In testing center, In testing center, Mon October 25 – Sat October 30

Final: In room 3222 of the Wilkinson Center during finals period, Mon. Dec. 13 – Fri. Dec. 17

Required texts: Standard Works: Bible, Book of Mormon, D&C, Pearl of Great Price.

Suggested books for reference:

The New Testament with Joseph Smith Translation, Steven J. Hite & Julie Melville Hite

Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, vol. I, Bruce R. McConkie

Student Learning Outcomes

Brigham Young University:

To assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life by providing an education that is (1) spiritually strengthening, (2) intellectually enlarging,  (3) character building, and (4) leading to lifelong learning and service.

Religious Education:

Students who successfully complete the required Doctrinal Foundation core in Religious Education will be able to demonstrate that they have acquired an understanding of LDS scripture, doctrine and history through the process of rigorous study and personal faith (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118).

Inherent in the process of learning by study and by faith is the responsibility each student assumes for their part in the learning process. Therefore, students who apply themselves will be able to demonstrate competence in the following areas: (1) recall factual information necessary for a basic understanding of LDS scripture, doctrine and history, (2) analyze and interpret LDS scripture, doctrine, and history, (3) use factual knowledge and conceptual understanding of LDS scripture, doctrine, and history to problem solve, and (4) seek the Holy Ghost as an aid in studying and pondering LDS scripture, doctrine, and history.

Religion 211:

At the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Outline the historical background of the Gospels.

2. Identify the fundamental Gospel principles taught in the Gospels.

3. Clarify the fundamental Gospel principles taught in the Gospels by the use of the other standard works.

4. Expound on the fundamental Gospel principles taught in the Gospels with statements from modern apostles and prophets.

5. Understand how to apply these Gospel principles to their own life.

Measures of Student Learning

Assigned Scripture Reading before Class

You are expected to have done the assigned reading for each lesson before the class in which that lesson is covered. You need to mark having done this in Blackboard before class begins. You can mark this reading from two days before the assigned class up until the hour that class begins on that day. For each reading not done ahead of time (and marked in Blackboard), you will have 2 points deducted from the possible 50 points for reading.

Quizzes

You will take the quizzes in Blackboard. They will consist of five questions on the assigned reading for the class on that date and the class prior to that. The quizzes can be taken up to two days prior to the time indicated in the syllabus, but must be completed by the time the class meets on that date. You may use the scriptures or notes when taking the quizzes. After you have completed the quiz, Blackboard will give you your score and feedback on any question you missed. Instead of quiz 14, you will receive 10 points for filling out the online teacher evaluation by logging on to Route Y and clicking “Student Ratings.”

Second Scripture Reading

During the course of the semester you are to read the first half of the New Testament (Matthew – John) a second time. This needs to be some other version than the King James Version – the Revised Standard Version, the Contemporary English Version, etc. or a foreign language you are fluent in – the choice is yours. Note that this is not extra credit. If you do not do it you will lose 50 points. When you have completed this second reading, mark having done it in Blackboard. You have until the last day of the final exam period to complete this reading.

Midterm Exam

The midterm exam will be given in the testing center. It will consist of 50 questions—some multiple choice, some matching, and some true/false. Most of the test material will be over what is discussed in class but you can expect some questions over material in the assigned reading. The exam will cover lessons 1 – 14.

Final Exam

The Final exam will be given in the Testing Center. It will consist of 100 questions—some multiple choice, some matching, and some true/false. It will be comprehensive, covering all course material from the beginning of the semester. Most of the test material will be over what is discussed in class but you can expect some questions over material in the assigned reading. Note that all Religion finals are given in room 3222 of the Wilkinson Center, and that on the last day of the finals period, they close at 5:00 PM.

Class Preparation and Attendance

You are expected to attend each class period. I will pass a roll around for you to mark your attendance. Marking the roll indicates that you were present during the entire class, i.e. you did not arrive late or leave early. For each class missed, you will have 2 points deducted from the possible 50 points for attendance. You should always bring a copy of the Standard Works to class with you. Since a significant portion of the exam questions will be based on classroom discussion, it is to your advantage to be in class every day. One or two absences may not hurt you, but excessive absences will. In cases of illnesses, family emergencies, etc., please see me.

Blackboard

This course will be using Blackboard extensively. You can access Blackboard by logging on to Route Y and clicking the Blackboard Icon. You will be using Blackboard to record your reading and to take quizzes. You will also be able to check your cumulative points in the course at any given time. I will regularly post announcements on Blackboard for the course. Using Blackboard you can also email me with questions you might have. Outlines of each lesson as well as other supplementary material helpful for the course are also available there.

Grading

 Your grade for the course will be based on the percentage of points that you earn. I will curve the grades based on the overall performance of the entire class.

University Policies

Religious Education fully supports all University policies including those that relate to the honor code, sexual harassment and to students with disabilities, and classroom disruption, and online evaluations. You can review these policies in their full form on the Religious Education website. See http://reled.byu.edu/policies.php

Frequently asked questions about Religious Education can be reviewed at the same site.

Class Schedule 

Lesson Outlines

Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Lesson 6
Lesson 7
Lesson 8
Lesson 9
Lesson 10
Lesson 11
Lesson 12
Lesson 13
Lesson 14
Lesson 15
Lesson 16
Lesson 17
Lesson 18
Lesson 19
Lesson 20
Lesson 21
Lesson 22
Lesson 23
Lesson 24
Lesson 25
Lesson 26