Class Presentations

Every student must complete at least one in-class presentation of related material beyond the day's reading assignment. The course schedule has suggested presentation readings listed below the week's assigned reading. The presentation suggestions are a mix of additional primary sources (saints' lives); secondary sources related to the historical or literary topics of the week; and broader, more theoretical texts that can expand the weeks' reading in new directions. Some readings are articles and book chapters, others are books. Larger texts (such as whole books) may be presented by a group of students.

Most of the suggested readings are available either from Rivera Library or from Prof. Jacobs.

Students may also decide to present a hagiographic text to their fellow students that is not being read by the entire class, but may be illuminating.

All students should clear their presentation texts with the professor by week two.

In the space of a roughly ten minute presentation, the students should:

1. Describe the contents of their text (especially major themes and ideas)

2. Discuss how the text might relate to the topic for the day

3. Provide some discussion questions for the rest of the class that brings the presented text into dialogue with the assigned reading.

Not all presentation texts will spur hours of dialogue in the class, but they should prompt some, even brief discussion.

Students may feel free to provide aids, such as handouts, to the class (if they would like to use the department copier, please see Prof. Jacobs before class).

Midterm assignment

In week four, Prof. Jacobs will hand out a take-home, mid-term essay assignment. The assignment will involve the close reading and analysis of a hagiographic text. The midterm assignment will be due at the beginning of class in week six, and should follow the Guidelines for Written Work.

Final paper

The culminating project for this class is a final research paper, which should be between 10-15 pages in length and follow the Guidelines for Written Work. The paper should examine a hagiographic text; the text may be one we have read together in class, but students are encouraged to find a text that interests them specifically. The text does not have to be Christian, as long as it is (in some way) a "saint's life"; students whose main field of study is not Christianity, or ancient Christianity, are especially encouraged to look in their own field of specialization to find an appropriate text.

In the final paper, students should develop a sustained argument, or set of arguments, about the nature and function of their hagiographic text. Some time may be spent introducing and contextualizing the text (especially non-Christian texts), but the bulk of the paper should be arguing something about the literary, historical, cultural, and/or political aspects of the religious text at hand.

Students must choose their paper topic by week six, and are strongly encouraged to meet with Prof. Jacobs at least once to discuss their paper.

A list of resources, both online and print, can be found here, including suggestions for final paper topics (lists of saints' Lives, both Christian and non-Christian).

Final papers should be accompanied by a bibliography of works consulted, following the format in the Guidelines for Written Work. The bibliography is not including in the final page count.