COURSE INFORMATION

Course websites

1. http://andrewjacobs.org/js120/ (this website!): All public information about this course, including syllabus, assignments, and additional resources
2. https://learn.bu.edu/ultra/courses/_100018_1/cl/outline (login required): Assigned readings, discussion boards, assignment portals, and other restricted information

Course description

Introduction to the great canonical anthologies of Jews and Christians. Students will learn to read for historical context and genre conventions; study classical and modern strategies of interpretation; and create a collaborative commentary or piece of “fan-fiction.”

No prior knowledge of Judaism, Christianity, biblical texts, or the study of religion is required for this course. We will not be reading the Jewish and Christian Bibles cover-to-cover, but we will be reading significant excerpts in order to gain a sense of the worlds that are created and inhabited by authors and readers of these Bibles: from the ancient worlds of the Near East and Mediterranean to the modern day.

We will approach the Bible from three perspectives:

1) historical: as collection of stories compiled in various times and places that give us insight into the world-views of ancient peoples of the Near East and Mediterranean;
2) literary: as examples of specific genres and modes of composition as well as a source of inspiration for modern creative rewriting and composition;
3) ethical: as a set of resources used by various communities in various times and places to enact communities of belief and practice

There is no requirement to believe, or disbelieve, anything we are reading, whether in the Bible or in our additional readings. You are being asked to take seriously the worlds evoked in Bibles and the communities that find meaning in them.

This course meets BU Hub learning outcomes in three areas: Aesthetic Exploration; Historical Consciousness; and Creativity/Innovation (for more information on Hub capacities, click here). Here’s how you can expect course assignments and Hub capacities to come together in this course:
  1. You will engage with and analyze the sociocultural and religions contexts in which biblical texts were produced and in which they continue to be interpreted (Aesthetic Exploration 1; Historical Consciousness 3) (weekly responses; Red Tent and King of Kings essays)
  2. You will produce your own interpretations of biblical texts in both historical and aesthetic contexts (Aesthetic Exploration 2; Historical Consciousness 2) (weekly responses; final exercise)
  3. You will engage with and analyze the literary modes in which biblical texts were composed (such as genre) and in which they are encountered (such as popular culture, politics, and liturgy) (Aesthetic Exploration 3) (weekly responses; final exercise; Red Tent and King of King essays)
  4. You will assess historical arguments in biblical texts (such as apocalypticism or divine providence) and about biblical texts (such as the “documentary hypothesis” or “synoptic problem”) (Historical Consciousness 1) (weekly responses; final exercise)
  5. You will engage in your own creative world-building out of biblical texts through revised short writing exercises and a creative assignment accomplished in stages through the semester (Creative Toolkit 1 and 2) (weekly responses; final exercise)

Integrity

BU has a very long and detailed Academic Conduct Code which you can find here. It is worth reading so that you understand your rights and responsibilities as a member of the BU academic community. I confess little interest in acting as a classroom police officer; I am more interested in fostering an intellectual community in which we all want to learn with and from each other. If you find yourselves having the kinds of difficulties that make academic dishonesty seem easier or more appealing, I encourage you instead to come and speak with me so we can figure out a path together.

You (and I) may be unclear on the growing role of automated content generators like ChatGPT; if you are using these automated aids to generate new ideas and prose, you are probably not doing your own work (and you are helping to train systems whose ultimate uses and goals are unclear). I have tried to design assignments that make automated content generators unnecessary and even intrusive in the close reading and analysis of biblical texts. But, once more, I am more interested in helping generate original ideas and intellectual conversation than I am in acting as content police. If you are uncertain about how these new and uncertain tools fit into our intellectual community, I encourage you to come and speak with me.


Accessibility

All classrooms should be inclusive learning environments; if you have any concerns about accessibility (in general or to foster your own learning success) please get in touch with me. If you are unfamiliar with the classroom accommodations that BU can provide, you can find information here. I understand that getting “official” certification for accommodations can take time; I am happy to work with you to put needed accommodations in place for you while the machinery of bureaucracy proceeds.


Required course texts

1. Bible. For this class I have ordered the HarperCollins Student Study Bible (available at the BU Bookstore). This Bible uses the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation, which is my preferred version for this class since it is very readable and gives a good sense of the “original” languages of the texts. This edition also has lots of useful maps, timelines, introductions, and notes (some of which I supplement with online readings). If you choose to use another Bible, that’s fine with me; if it’s not an NRSV translation, please check with me as some published bibles are paraphrases rather than translations (you can find a good overview of the difference here.) You can also find links to online English translations of the Bible on the main course website.

2. Anita Diamant, The Red Tent. We will be reading this novel together, and copies should be available through the BU bookstore. You can also certainly find lots of used copies online or in local libraries; while there are many “anniversary” editions any copy will be fine.

I have also assigned several online readings from Bible Odyssey to provide introductory context as well as some contemporary essays to prompt discussion about the modern ethical issues our texts might raise. These supplementary texts are linked in the syllabus and readings section. The online syllabus also has additional visual/audio/video links for further exploration.


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