LAST OFFERED: Summer 2006 

Instructor: Dr. Tony Chartrand-Burke
E-mail: tburke@yorku.ca
Phone: (416) 736-2100 ext. 22329

1. Course description: A study of the synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew, Luke) and other early Christian texts from a historical and literary perspective. The course begins with a discussion of the first-century Palestinian context for traditions about Jesus and a look at scholars’ attempts to reconstruct the oral traditions that preceded the three written gospels. Each gospel is then examined in turn with emphasis on the socio-historical background of the text and its interpretation and transformation of oral and literary sources. Theories on the literary relationships between the three gospels will be discussed also. The synoptic gospels are considered historians’ best source for the life of Jesus. Therefore, the course will examine closely certain episodes from Jesus’ life as recorded in these gospels, including the stories of his birth, death, and resurrection. Non-canonical texts and non-Christian texts will be brought into the discussions where they shed light on the canonical gospels. The course will conclude with a look at the Book of Revelation, a first-century text attributed to John of Patmos. The goal here will be to understand the text by placing it in its appropriate literary genre—i.e., apocalyptic literature, such as the Book of Daniel and the non-canonical Apocalypse of Peter.

2. Prerequisites: May be taken independently of AK/HUMA 3421 3.0. Not open to students who have taken AK/HUMA 3420 6.0.

3. Required Texts:

Ehrman, B. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. 3rd ed. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Steve Ross, Marked. Seabury Books, 2005

B. Aland. Synopsis of the Four Gospels. Philadelphia: Fortress, 2004.

New Revised Standard Version, The New Oxford Annotated Bible, College Edition. Oxford University Press, 2001 (another Bible is also acceptable but it must be the New Revised Standard Version)

A Supplementary Readings Package available from the book store.

4. Methods of Evaluation

All written work in this course is expected to be of high quality—i.e., it must conform to the style and format guidelines typical of Humanities courses—and it must be your own. To help ensure that these requirements are met, you are urged to visit the on-line guides listed below. In addition, a style sheet of my own design is to be attached to your first short paper and your film review (see the assignment descriptions below). No paper will be accepted without the style sheet attached. For additional writing assistance, visit the following web sites:

http://www.atkinson.yorku.ca/Writing/tutoring.htm

http://www.arts.yorku.ca/caw/resources.html

A. Academic Integrity: York University is very concerned about the increase in student plagiarism. As heinous a crime as plagiarism is, sometimes it is perpetrated in ignorance. The university has set up an on-line tutorial to help students recognize acts of plagiarism. You are required to complete this tutorial (no papers will be accepted until you do so). Go to the web site and work your way through the tutorial. Print off the results of the quiz and hand them in by July 13. There is no grade value for this assignment, but no papers will be accepted until the test results are handed in to the instructor. Site address:   http://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/ (select “For Students”).

B. First-Century Judaism Quiz: Learning about biblical literature necessitates knowledge of the land and cultures in which it was written. To that end, study chapter 15 of Ehrman’s textbook, the lecture material from June 29, and the map on p. 73 in preparation for a quiz that will take place in the first 15 minutes of class July 4. To prepare, memorize the locations of the following: Bethlehem, Caesarea, Caesarea Philippi, Capernaum, the Dead Sea, Decapolis, Gadara, Galilee, Jericho, Jerusalem, the Jordan River (runs from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea), Judaea, Nazareth, Sea of Galilee, Samaria, Sidon, and Tyre. Grade value: 10%.

C. Tutorial Assignments: For several classes you are asked to prepare for class answers to questions related to the assigned readings. Your answers must be approximately one page in length and should be brought to class to aid you in contributing to group work and class discussions. Each assignment will be graded out of 5. If you are unable to attend a class in which an assignment is due, you may e-mail the assignment to the instructor; no late assignments will be accepted. WARNING: the ideas presented in your assignments must be your own; any assignment which shows evidence of plagiarism will be given a grade of zero. Total Grade Value: 15%.

D. Synoptic Problem Test: By the middle of the course I expect you to be comfortable enough with the methodology to perform your own study of a pericope (episode from the gospels). For the test, you will be given an episode found in the three synoptic gospels. From it you must determine: a. the earliest form of the pericope (which gospel writer came first? what evidence do you see in the pericope for this determination), b. filter out the gospel writer’s redactional (editorial) interests (noting also the changes made to the story by all the gospel writers and how their changes relate to their own redactional interests), and c. determine the original pre-gospel form of the pericope (what was the story before the earliest gospel writer incorporated it into his text?). The test takes place July 25. No aids are allowed. To prepare, make sure you are familiar with the various solutions to the Synoptic Problem, and know generally how each gospel writer tends to edit his sources (redactional interests). Value of final grade: 10%.

E. Book Analysis: Steve Ross’ Marked is retelling of the Gospel of Mark in a graphic novel form. His interpretation of the text is unconventional and perhaps, to some, even unattractive. As you read the book, consider whether or not he has captured the gospel well, and how the graphic novel genre helps or hinders the reading of the text. Prepare a five-page report of your findings. Your paper will be accepted only if the required style sheet is attached. Required length: five pages. Due date: July 20. Grade Value: 15%.

F. Film Analysis: in the class on July 27 we will view The Passion of the Christ, a controversial portrayal of Jesus’ final days by director Mel Gibson. Some viewers applaud the film for its realism, for telling the story as it was, for being powerful and faithaffirming; but others charge it with being unhistorical, Anti-Semitic, and extremely violent (“the greatest gory ever sold”, “pornography for fundamentalists”). We may never know exactly what happened in Jesus’ final days but we do know what the gospels say about the events. Your assignment is to critique how the filmmaker uses the gospels in the film. In interviews, Gibson has stated: “We’ve done the research. I’m telling the story as the Bible tells it. I think the story, as it really happened, speaks for itself. The Gospel is a complete script, and that’s what we’re filming.” Do you agree? In your essay, consider the following questions: What does he include from the gospels? What does he exclude? What is emphasized? or minimized? What do you see in the film that is not found in the gospels? In your essay be sure to refer frequently to the gospels, using appropriate documentation style. The essay must be five pages long (and no longer) and is to be handed in on the final class (August 3). Your film review will be accepted only if the required style sheet is attached. Required length: five pages. Value of final grade: 30%.

G. Class participation: each class features an hour of group work sandwiched between two hours of lecture/discussion. To ensure your participation in this group work, a large portion of your final grade is allotted to evaluating your contributions to the group discussions. Your participation grade will be calculated as an average of the score given to yourself and by the other members of the group. This will provide you with an opportunity to think about your own work habits and how instructors struggle with the grading process. When grading yourself and others consider attendance and attentiveness as well as actual verbal interaction with the group. Value of final grade: 20%.

H. The Peda-BLOG: learning does not stop after the lecture—not for the student nor for the instructor. Often instructors finish a lecture thinking that the session could have been better but it is not possible to go back and change things. The Peda-BLOG is an experiment in allowing the instructor and students to continue the lecture dialogue after class. It will feature weekly reflections on the lecture (could a concept have been explained clearer? did the scheduled assignment/discussion accomplish its goals? were the readings effective?) and invite suggestions for improvement. The goal is to incorporate these reflections and suggestions into future lectures and future versions of the course.

Missing papers: In the event that papers go missing, it is your responsibility to keep a hard copy of all written work submitted for the course.

Late papers: the instructor, like you, is a very busy person. He likes to receive papers on time so that he can give them back to you within a reasonable time and then get on with other things he has to do (the instructor has other courses to teach and other papers to grade). Late papers complicate his life. So, he cannot accept late papers unless they are accompanied with documentation from Special Needs or Health Services. Contact the instructor if you foresee problems handing in papers on time.

5. Important Dates

Friday, July 7: Last date to enroll in Summer term courses without the permission of the instructor.

Friday, July 14: Last date to enroll in Summer term courses with the permission of the instructor.

Friday, July 21: Last date to drop Summer term courses without receiving a grade.

6. Class Schedule

Please come to class having read the assigned primary and secondary readings and having consulted the on-line resources. A lecture outline for each week’s class will be posted on-line by Tuesday evening of each week. It is your responsibility to print your own copy of the outline and bring it to class.

June 27: Introduction to the study of religion, and the study of the New Testament [Guest instructor: Tony Michael]
Read after class today: Ehrman, chs. 1 and 29.
On-line Resources: the readings for today from the textbook discuss the process of assembling the modern New Testament from ancient Greek manuscripts. For additional insights into this process check out the Interpreting Ancient Manuscripts site at http://www.earlham.edu/~seidti/iam/interp_mss.html. Here you will see a detailed description of how scholars work with manuscripts to establish a critical edition. Be sure to try the Exercise in Textual Criticism to get a sense of the difficulties faced by New Testament text critics.

June 29: The New Testament World [Guest instructor: Tony Michael]
Read for today’s class: Ehrman, ch. 15; Exodus 1-13.
On-line resources: for images of sites from the world of Jesus visit http://www.holylandphotos.org/. Enter in the search line any of the locations from the map assigned from next week’s quiz (e.g., Capernaum, the Decapolis) or check out their collections.

July 4: Literary criticism and the Gospels
Read for today’s class: Ehrman, ch. 3 & 4.
** First-Century Judaism Quiz in class today **
On-line resources: for more information on the world of Jesus visit James Tabor’s excellent site “The Jewish Roman World of Jesus” (http://www.religiousstudies.uncc.edu/JDTABOR/indexb.html).

July 6: The Gospel of Mark
Read for today’s class: Ehrman, ch. 4 & 5; Gospel of Mark, Secret Gospel of Mark (Reader); 2 Kings 2-5 (Bible).
Assignment: The vast majority of scholars believe Mark was the first gospel to have been written. Imagine you are living in the first-century and Mark is the only gospel text you know. Answer the following questions solely from information from the text: who is Jesus (where was he born? where did he live? what did he do?). Who are his most important followers and how are they portrayed? What happens when the women go to the tomb to prepare Jesus’ body (Mark 16:1-8; do not read 16:9-20 if it is included in your text)?
On-line Resources: the Galilean city Sepphoris was a mere hour’s walk from Nazareth. The analysis of the excavations of Sepphoris may tell us much about the influences upon Jesus. For a tour of the excavations see the following site: http://www.ancientsandals.com/overviews/sepphoris.htm. Be sure to select the link to “Sepphoris photos” at the top of the page. The homepage of the organization also offers tours of other biblical sites including Nazareth and Bethlehem.

July 11: The Synoptic Problem and “Sayings” Gospels
Read for today’s class: Ehrman, chs. 6 & 12; Q (Reader), Gospel of Thomas (Reader).
On-line Resources: The Oxford Hypothesis (one of several solutions to the “Synoptic Problem”) has found an outspoken defender in British scholar Mark Goodacre. He has constructed a web site that is a great resource not only for the study of the Synoptic Gospels, but for other biblical research also. Check out his response to the Two-Document Hypothesis at http://www.ntgateway.com/Q/faq.htm. If time permits, click on some of his links for a sample of other scholarly on-line resources.

July 13: The Gospel of Matthew
Read for today’s class: Ehrman, ch. 7; The Gospel of Matthew.
Assignment: read Peter’s Confession (Synopsis pp. 149-150). Assuming Mark wrote first, and Matthew used Mark as the source for his gospel, what changes did Matthew make to the story? What are the results of these changes (i.e., how does Matthew’s version read compared to Mark’s?).
On-line resources: Several years ago PBS produced a series called “From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians.” To accompany the series, PBS set up a web site with some useful articles and resources. You can visit the site at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/.
** Integrity Test Results due today **

July 18: The Gospel of Luke
Read for today’s class: Ehrman, ch. 8; The Gospel of Luke.
Assignment: Luke offers us our second look at the birth story of Jesus. For this assignment I want you to read both Matthew’s and Luke’s infancy narratives (Synopsis pp. 7-11) and note the differences between the two accounts. Working as a historian, what do you think we can say about Jesus’ early years based on these two accounts?
On-line resources: readers of Luke are surprised at the prominence of women in the gospel. One of the most exciting areas of research in the New Testament is the topic of women in Early Christianity. For a recent discussion of the topic visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/women.html.

July 20: Studies in the Synoptic Gospels
For today’s class: Today we will look at several key pericopae (episodes) from the Synoptic Gospels. Be sure to bring your copy of Aland’s Synopsis to class.
** Marked Book Review due in class today **
On-line resources: For a different take on a synopsis of the gospels, see the on-line synopsis assembled by University of Toronto professor John Marshall at http://www.utoronto.ca/religion/synopsis/

July 25: The Passion Narrative.
Read for today’s class: Gospel Parallels on resurrection; Gospel of Peter (Reader).
** Synoptic Problem test in class today **
On-line resources: for additional information on crucifixion, including archaeological finds, consult the following sites: http://www.uncc.edu/jdtabor/crucifixion.html; www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/jesus/crucifixion.html

July 27: The Passion of the Christ
To prepare for today’s class: review the material from last week’s class so that you can observe which elements from the gospels that Gibson draws upon for his film.
On-line resources: visit the official site for the film at http://www.thepassionofthechrist.com. Also, check out the official merchandise available at http://www.sharethepassionofthechrist.com/. You may want to consider buying a mug or nail jewelry, because that’s what it’s all about, y’know?

August 1: The Historical Jesus
Read for today’s class: Ehrman, chs. 13-17.
On-line resources: Today’s lesson illustrates that there were as many titles ascribed to Jesus as there were interpretations of his life and death. Even today Jesus continues to be presented in new and even bizarre ways. For an amusing take on modern uses of Jesus’ image check out http://www.jesusoftheweek.com. Warning: may offend some.

August 3: Revelation
Read for today’s class: Ehrman, ch. 28; Revelation, Daniel 7 (Bible), Apocalypse of Peter (Reader).
On-line resources: Revelation has been continually interpreted over the centuries in light of current events. One modern example of this practice is Jack van Impe’s television show “This Week in Bible Prophecy.” To learn more about it visit http://www.jvim.com/. While there, view the latest episode of the show (http://www.thegospel.org/Pages/JVIM.asp).** The Passion of the Christ Film Review due today **