Scroll down to see the new, revised late paper policy, implemented following the student survey results!

 

In this course we will be exploring the Jewish and Christian Bibles from primarily historical and literary perspectives. It is impossible to read and understand all sixty-plus books of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament in ten short weeks. Our goals for this quarter are to:

 

*  gain a general overview of the themes, ideas, and structure of the different sections and books of the Bible;

*  understand how the Bible was composed and circulated;

*  ask how and why the Bible is considered sacred (or otherwise authoritative) for billions of people.

 

As this is a lower division religious studies course, we will also try to place these goals in a broader religious studies context, asking such questions as:

 

*  What can we learn about religious history, practices, and beliefs from the Bible?

*  How and when does the Bible’s authority extend beyond the bounds of religious identity?

*  What role does the circulation and interpretation of sacred scriptures play in religious identities in general?

 

We do not expect you to have definitive answers to these questions by the end of the quarter (if you did, you’d be the first). Instead, you are going to acquire the skills and expertise that will allow you to continue to explore these issues after this course has ended.

 

This course is not a religiously oriented “Bible study”: it is not appropriate to use this class as a forum for debating your own personal ideas about religion, the Bible, God, heaven, or hell. There are appropriate times and places for such discussion: Religious Studies 10 is not one of them. The Bible provokes strong feelings from most people; nevertheless, we shall try together to set personal feelings aside in the interests of academic exploration and discovery.

 

The course is divided into lectures and discussion sections.

 

Lectures are conducted Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons (11:10am-12noon) in [link removed]. In lecture, the professor will go over the predominant themes and ideas concerning that week’s topics, building on and supplementing the readings for the week. Although attendance is not mandatory, it is highly recommended.

 

To facilitate your preparation for lecture, topical outlines of each lecture can be found here.  Complete lectures will not be posted

 

Discussion sections are conducted on various days, at various times, in various locations throughout the week. Many sections meet at very strange times in very strange places, ranging morning to nighttime: make sure you know where and when your section meets.  Attendance and participation in discussion section is mandatory.

 

For each discussion section you will be closely discussing, as a group, a particular section of the Bible that is relevant for that week. The biblical readings for discussion sections are listed on the reading schedule, and further suggestions for discussion can be found here.

 

You must have read the selection before coming to discussion section, and you must bring your Bible with you to facilitate discussion. Even if we haven’t yet discussed that part of the Bible in lecture, you should still be able to find questions or comments for discussion section.

 

In discussion sections, the TAs will also try to answer your questions from lecture and generate discussions that will help you in your overall study of the Bible.

 

 

 

 

Your final grade will be based on a combination of participation and written assignments.  The calculation of your grade is based on:

 

*  Participation in discussion sections: 15%

*  First Essay Assignment: 15%

*  Midterm examination: 20%

*  Second Essay Assignment: 15%

Genesis, A Living Conversation Assignment: 5%

*  Final Examination: 30%

 

Descriptions of the three written assignments (First and Second Essay and Genesis, A Living Conversation assignment) will be posted here.

 

Late work policy: all written assignments are due at the beginning of class. The students in RLST 10 have determined the following rules: papers begin to be late at 11:30am; papers turned in during class will not be marked down (but they will be marked "late"; this means, when final grades are calculated, TAs will take the lateness of assignments into account); papers turned in after class will be marked down 10% (one letter grade); after one day (11:30am the next day after the due date), an additional 10% will be deducted every further day the paper is late.

 

If you know ahead of time that you will be unavailable to take an exam, turn in a paper, or otherwise complete the required work speak to the professor or your Teaching Assistant as soon as possible.

 

Also note: no written work will be graded until you have read, printed out, and signed the Pledge on Plagiarism [link removed] and turned it in to your TA. You should be familiar with UCR’s regulations on academic honesty and plagiarism (warning: PDF file, requires Adobe Acrobat); any instance of cheating or plagiarism will be punished with a zero grade and will be referred to the University administration (Student Judicial Affairs) for reprimand.

 

 

 

The following required books are available for purchase at the UCR bookstore (copies will also be placed on reserve in Rivera Library):

 

An Introduction to the Bible: A Journey in Three Worlds, seventh edition. Ed. Christian E. Hauer and William A. Young. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1008

 

   (7th ed.)

 

This is the main textbook for this course; you should consider it as “background” reading to help you understand the context and content of the biblical readings for the course; there is much more information in this book than you will probably need to know in order to understand the biblical assignments, but it is all valuable information. (You may use earlier editions of the book if you like; please make sure you are covering the correct material.)

 

 

The HarperCollins Study Bible: Student Edition, Fully Revised & Updated (paperback). Ed. Harold Attridge. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 2006.

 

 

Although you may already own a Bible, I suggest you purchase the HarperCollins study Bible.  It is relatively inexpensive (considering it’s 1000s of pages long), contains useful notes, maps, and reading guides, and is in a clear, reliable translation. It also contains the Apocrypha/ Deuterocanon, portions of which we will be reading.

 

Many versions of the Bible are difficult to understand (King James/Authorized Version) or are simply adaptations instead of translations (such as the Living Bible or New Living Translation Bible), inserting, removing, or changing the texts. If you are unsure whether your Bible is appropriate, check with the professor.

 

You can also access the Bible on-line: this site contains an on-line reproduction of the Revised Standard Version, one of the most reliable and readable modern translations of the Bible. You can select individual books or chapters and print them out at your leisure.

 

It is recommended that you bring your textbook and Bible to class and discussion sections in order to make the most of both. Reading guides for the biblical passages can be found here.  These guides are not a substitute for the reading, but are provided to help give you background and provide some thoughtful questions as you read.

 

Additional readings required for the class can be accessed through the course website: these on-line readings are also required for the course.

 

 

The paper syllabus provides the bare minimum amount of information you need for this course. In order to get all necessary information concerning assignments, expectations, and resources for this course you must consult this course website regularly.

  

On the other sections of this website you will find the following:

 

Announcements pertaining to the class (also posted to the Blackboard site)

*  Complete list of reading assignments, including links to online readings (which are required)

Discussion section meetings times and places, topics for discussion in sections, and suggested directions for discussion

*  Guidelines for written assignments, and the assignments themselves (note: written assignments will not be distributed in class: you must download them from the website)

*  Topical outlines of lectures (note: full lectures will not be posted online)

*  The “Pledge on Plagiarism” (note: this must be read, signed, and turned in to your TA before any written work will be graded) [link removed]

Contact information for the professor and teachings assistants

*  Frequently Asked Questions (including, “How can I do well in this class?”)

Study guides, including: reading guides for the biblical selections; terms and identifications for which you are responsible on exams; maps, timelines, and charts

Links to sites of interest related to biblical studies, including online Bibles

 

A Blackboard site will also be set up (go to [link removed]) for this course, but the only functions operative will be Announcements, Communications, and Discussion Boards, so that you can communicate with the professor, TAs, and your fellow students. For now, students will be allowed to post anonymously (please do not abuse this courtesy). Only the announcements, communication, and discussion will be enabled on the Blackboard site: for all other information, go to the main course website.

 

A word about email: All UCR administrative business is conducted through your email account. Your TAs and professor will also use your email address to contact you, should the need arise. If you are not already doing so, you need to check your email account regularly in order to be sure you are keeping up with all necessary information and class updates.

 

 

Mark your calendars now! Hurry!

 

January 16: In-class screening of episode 4 of Genesis, a Living Conversation

January 23: Written assignment for Genesis, a Living Conversation due at the beginning of class

February 9: Last day to turn in your first essay assignment at the beginning of class

February 13: In-class midterm (no blue books required)

March 2: Last day to turn in your second essay assignment at the beginning of class

March 18: Final exam, 8am-11am (bring blue books)