On most days you will find both Biblical readings and Additional readings. If you can only do one set of readings please read the Biblical readings. Please bring all readings to class with you.

You will find general outlines of what you can expect to cover in class each day here; these outlines are subject to change and provided primarily to guide your reading and expectations for each class day.

Underlined readings may be found online; asterisked readings (links in red) may be found on Blackboard.

I have also included some additional media links (videos, podcasts, webpages) in case you want to dig further into that week's topics. These additional media are not required but if you did engage with them you should feel free to bring them up in class!

I. PROLOGUE

Wed., Sep. 6: Course introduction
No reading

Fri., Sep. 8: How do we read a Bible?
Biblical reading: None but please bring your Bible to class if you have it
Additional reading: Sara Schectman, “How do Biblical Scholars Read the Hebrew Bible?”; Mark Allan Powell, “How do Biblical Scholars Study the New Testament?”

Bible basics
Mon., Sep. 11: Canons and boundaries
Biblical reading: Genesis 1; 2 Chronicles 36; Malachi 4; Revelation 22
Additional reading: A.-J. Levine, “What is the Difference Between the Old Testament, the Tanakh, and the Hebrew Bible?”; “Three Biblical Canons”; Rhonda Burnette-Bletsch, “Why Does the Bible Look the Way It Does?”

Additional media: Religion for Breakfast, "Gospel of Thomas: Why is it Not in the Bible?"; Matt Baker, "When Was the Bible Written?" (usefulcharts.com)

Wed., Sep. 13: Times and places
Biblical reading: Genesis 11; Mark 5:1-20; Revelation 17
Additional reading: “Empires of Antiquity” (short video); Warren Carter, “The Roman Empire”; Judith H. Newman, “Alexander the Great”; “Timeline”; “Maps”

Fri., Sep. 15: Reading and identity
Biblical reading: John 4:1-42 (also included in the Parks, Scheinfeld, Warren reading)
Additional reading: *Parks, Sheinfeld, and Warren, Jewish and Christian Women in the Ancient Mediterranean (excerpt)

II. TANAK

Divine encounters
Mon., Sep. 18: Creation and destruction
Biblical reading: Genesis 1-11, 19; Job 1, 38-39
Additional reading: Jeffrey Geoghegan, “Two Flood Narratives (Genesis 6-9)”; Steven L. McKenzie, “What is Source Criticism?”; Kacie Klamm, “Enuma Elish and the Bible”; Jeremy Jerome Cohen and Julian Yates, “Ravens and Doves,” Emergence Magazine (also available as an audio story)

Additional media: "YHWH had a Wife?"; Wikipedia, "Kuntillet Ajrud Inscriptions"

Wed., Sep. 20: Covenant and promise
Biblical reading: Genesis 12, 15-18, 21-22; Exodus 20, 34; 2 Samuel 5-7
Additional reading: Marvin A. Sweeney, “Covenant in the Hebrew Bible”; Stuart Macwilliam, “Marriage Metaphors in the Prophets”; Hannah K. Harrington, “Circumcision”

Additional media: Hanan Harchol, "Kindness (Chesed)," Jewish Food for Thought (sefaria.org)

Fri., Sep. 22: Crisis and redemption
Biblical reading: Exodus 1-2, 14-15; Judges 4-5; 2 Kings 25; Ezra 1-3; Amos 1-3; Jeremiah 31
Additional reading: Martien A. Halvorson-Taylor, “Exile in the Hebrew Bible”; Walter Brueggemann, “A New Covenant (Jer 31:31-34)”; Tamra Cohn Eskenazi, “The Destruction and Reconstruction of the Temple”

Response paper 1: Describe God as he appears in the biblical texts we read this week as if to someone who has never read any of the Bible.

Human community
Mon., Sep. 25: No class (Yom Kippur)

Wed., Sep. 27: Families (husbands, wives, children, slaves)
Biblical reading: Genesis 16, 21:1-21, 28-46; Ezekiel 16
Additional reading: Wil Gafney, “Hagar”; Chance Bonar, “Dismantling the Myth that Ancient Slavery ‘Wasn’t That Bad’,” The Conversation; *Renita Weems, “A Mistress, a Maid, and No Mercy”

Fri., Sep. 29: Politics (judges, kings, queen, prophets)
Biblical reading: Genesis 26; 1 Samuel 1-10; 2 Samuel 11-18; 1 Kings 16-18; 2 Kings 9:30-37
Additional reading: Steven L. McKenzie, “Kingship in the Ancient Near East”; Cameron B. R. Howard, “David and Bathsheba (2 Sam 11)”; Corrine Carvalho, “How to Recognize a Biblical Prophet”; Cat Quine, “Jezebel”

Response paper 2: List three ways in which the families we read about in the biblical texts this week are different from your personal experience of families; list three ways in which they are similar to your personal experience of families.

Literary modes
Mon., Oct. 2: Law and (moral) order
Biblical reading: Exodus 21-24; Leviticus 11-13, 18-19, 23; Amos 5-6
Additional reading: Dennis R. Edwards, “The Bible in the Civil Rights Movement”; Margaret Cohen, “Dietary Laws”; Cheryl B. Anderson, “Audience of the Ten Commandments”; Joel M. Hoffman, “The Decalogue as Moral Code”

Wed., Oct. 4: Wisdom and folly
Biblical reading: Proverbs 1-3, 9; Ecclesiastes 1-3, 8-10; Job 20-21, 36, 42
Additional reading: Amy Erickson, “Job and Woman Wisdom”; James Crenshaw, “Theodicy in the Hebrew Bible”; Shawna Dolansky, “Satan: From Title to Proper Name”; Alexander Golberg, “Theodicy on ‘Planet Auschwitz’”

Fri., Oct. 6: Song and dance
Biblical reading: Psalms 23, 44,128, 129, 137, 138; Song of Solomon (entire book)
Additional reading: Michael Coogan, “Sex in the Song of Songs”; Mark Ronance, “Psalm 23 as Cultural Icon”; Melody Knowles, “Zion”

Response paper 3: Ask three people you know (who are not in this class) why societies have laws; which one do you think gives the best way of understanding legal passages in the Tanak?

 * The Red Tent response due by 5pm Sunday, Oct. 8 *

Empire falls
Tue., Oct 10: Diaspora and danger
Biblical reading: Esther 1-4, 9-10; Daniel 1-6
Additional reading: Martien Halvorson-Taylor, “Diaspora Literature”; Elsie Stern, “Where is God in Esther?”; Daniel L. Smith-Christopher, “Daniel and Diaspora”; Sarah Shectman and Shawna Dolansky, “Gender and the Hebrew Bible”

Wed., Oct. 11: Love and romance (and demons)
Biblical reading: Ruth (entire book); Tobit 2-4, 7-8; Judith 8-13
Additional reading: Jessica Tinklenberg, “Judith and Wonder Woman”; Jennifer L. Koosed, “Ruth as a Fairy Tale”; “Asmodeus” on Wikipedia

Fri., Oct. 13: Culture and conflict
Biblical reading: Daniel 7-12; 1 Maccabees 1-4
Additional reading: Bart D. Ehrman, “Apocalyptic Literature”; PBS, “The Apocalyptic Worldview,” “Apocalyptic Literature in Judaism & Early Christianity”; Rachel Tingley, “The Maccabees and Me: How I Learned to Love Hanukkah”

Response paper 4: What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about the Bible so far this semester? What is the least surprising thing you’ve learned about the Bible so far this semester? When possible, refer to specific classes/readings/discussions.

III. NEW TESTAMENT

Divine encounters
Mon., Oct. 16: Jesus as wonderworker
Biblical reading: Mark (entire book)
Additional reading: Graham H. Twelftree, “Exorcism in the Gospels”; Kelly R. Iverson, “The Healing of a Blind Man (Mark 8:22-26)”; *Candida Moss, “The Man with the Flow of Power: Porous Bodies in Mark 5:25-34”

Additional media: Religion for Breakfast, "How did the New Testament Form?"

Wed., Oct. 18: Jesus as prophet
Biblical reading: Matthew 1-7, 13, 27-28; Luke 1-8, 18-24
Additional reading: Four Source Hypothesis Chart; Mark Goodacre, “Q Source”; Helen K. Bond, “What Is the Significance of Jesus’s Action Against the Money-Changers at the Temple?”; Jennifer Knust, “Jesus and Women”

Additional media: Religion for Breakfast, "Did the Gospels Copy Each Other?"

Fri., Oct. 20: Jesus as God
Biblical reading: John 1-6, 8-11, 19-21
Additional reading: Craig S. Keener, “Eternal Life in John”; Meredith J.C. Warren, “Eating Jesus’s Flesh (John 6)”; Dorothy Lee, “God So Loved the World (John 3:16)”; Christopher W. Skinner, “Who Was the Beloved Disciple?”

Response paper 5: You are holding auditions to cast the role of Jesus in a feature-length film. List three actors you invite to audition and explain why you’ve chosen them; choose two scenes from the gospels (restrict yourselves to what we read for class) to have them act out for the audition and explai

Human community
Mon., Oct. 23: Apostles and teachers
Biblical reading: 1 Thessalonians (entire book); 1 Corinthians 9-16; Acts of the Apostles 1-15; 2 Peter
Additional reading: Davina Lopez, “Paul”; Anders Runesson, “Ekklesia”; Jeremy Hultin, “2 Peter”; Mathew Schmalz, “Why the Label ‘Cult’ Gets in the Way of Understanding New Religions,” The Conversation

Additional media: Keeping it 101 Podcast: "Cults"

Wed., Oct. 25: Jews and gentiles
Biblical reading: Galatians (entire book); Romans 1-4; Hebrews 8-13
Additional reading: Amy-Jill Levine, “Is the New Testament Anti-Jewish?”; Gay Byron, “How Are Race and Ethnicity Constructed in the Bible, and How Does That Affect Readers Today?”; Matthew Thiessen, “Gentile Circumcision”

Additional media: Religion for Breakfast, "When did Christianity and Judaism Part Ways?"

Fri., Oct. 27: Insiders and outsiders
Biblical reading: 1 Corinthians 1-8; 1 Peter (entire book); 1 John (entire book)
Additional reading: Edward Adams, “The Church at Corinth”; Jamie Davies, “Antichrist”; PBS, “The Diversity of Early Christianity”

Response paper 6: You are designing a new religion and you have to choose from among the following forms of leadership: popular election; divine selection; lottery. Which do you choose and how would you convince others to accept your choice?

Literary Modes
Mon., Oct. 30: Letters
“Biblical” reading: 1 Timothy (whole book), 2 Timothy (whole book); Letters of Paul and Seneca
Additional reading: Cavan Concannon, “Paul and Authorship”; Olivia Stewart Lester, “Pseudepigraphy”; Nicola Denzey Lewis, “What Are Noncanonical Writings?”

Wed., Nov. 1: Histories
“Biblical” reading: Acts of the Apostles 16-28, Acts of Peter (selections)
Additional reading: Nicola Denzey Lewis, “Does the Bible Relate to History ‘As It Actually Happened’?”; Steve Mason, “What is Historiography?”; Paul Dilley, “Peter”

Fri., Nov. 3: Biographies
“Biblical” reading: Mark (skim); Infancy Gospel of Thomas
Additional reading: Christopher Frilingos, “Infancy Gospel of Thomas”; Review of Helen Bond, The First Biography of Jesus (Reading Religion)

Additional media: Religion for Breakfast, "The Infancy Gospel of Thomas Explained"

Response paper 7: Pick any famous person you are interested in (past, present, future). How would you learn the most about them: from letters they wrote? from a professional historian who researched them, but didn’t know them? or from a biography written by someone who knew them? Explain your choice.

Empire falls
Mon., Nov. 6: Martyrs
“Biblical” reading:  Josephus, Jewish War (selection on Masada); Ignatius, “Letter to the Romans”; Acts of Paul (selections)
Additional reading: Candida Moss, “Early Christian Martyrdom”; David Eastman, “Martyr Texts”; Karen King, “What Truths Do Martyrs Tell?” Harvard Divinity Bulletin

Additional media: Religion for Breakfast, "Why did Romans Persecute Christians?"

Wed., Nov. 8: Women
“Biblical” reading: 1 Corinthians 7; Romans 16; Acts of Thecla (PDF)
Additional reading: Yii-Jan Lin, “Junia”; Jimmy Hoke, “Sexuality in Paul’s Letters”

Fri., Nov. 10: The end of the world
Biblical reading: Revelation (entire book)
Additional reading: The Brick Bible: Revelation

Additional media: Religion for Breakfast, "666: What Does it Really Mean?"

Response paper 8: What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about the Bible since Response paper 4? What is the least surprising thing you’ve learned about the Bible since Response paper 4? When possible, refer to specific classes/readings/discussions.

Cinematic interlude
Mon., Nov. 13: King of Kings mini-screening
Biblical reading: Mark (entire book)
Additional reading: “The King of Kings: Trivia (IMDB)” (be sure to click see more)

Wed., Nov. 15: King of Kings discussion
Biblical reading: John 1-6, 8-11, 19-21
Additional reading: Peter Matthews, “King of Kings: Showman of Piety”

Fri., Nov. 17: No class (conference)

Mon., Nov. 20: No class (conference)

Wed., Nov. 22: Thanksgiving break

Fri., Nov. 24: Thanksgiving break
 

IV. CONTEXTS

Bible and ritual
Mon., Nov. 27: Scroll, codex, website, app
Biblical reading: The Great Isaiah Scroll (Dead Sea Scrolls; be sure to click on the scroll to explore); John 1 in Codex Sinaiticus; Genesis 1 in 5 translations
Additional reading: Brennan Breed, “How was the Bible Written and Transmitted?”; Jesse Abelman, “A Glimpse at the Museum of the Bible’s Torah Scrolls and Database Project”; John Dyer, “Bible Apps are the New Printing Press,” Christianity Today

* King of Kings response due by 5pm Monday, Nov. 27 *

Wed., Nov. 29: Lectionaries
Reading: “Judaism 101: Torah Readings” (scroll down to the Table of Weekly Parshiyot and select one Torah reading and its accompany Haftarah to read); “Online Chapel (Greek Orthodox Church in America)” (click on the epistle reading and gospel readings for today); *Wil Gafney, A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year A (excerpt)

Fri., Dec. 1: Homilies
Reading: “Torah Study (Union for Reform Judaism)” (click on the “Learn More” button and read through whatever commentary you find in the next page); Martin Luther King, Jr., “Paul’s Letter to American Christians” (if you have time, try reading it out loud to see how long it takes you)

Response paper 9: What do people like and dislike about the YouVersion app? Skim some of the reviews here and pick out a few to analyze closely (you might start by choosing some one-star and five-star reviews to compare).

Bible and culture
Mon., Dec. 4: Performance
Reading: Emily Schultheis, “The Pandemic Canceled This German Community’s Once-a-Decade Play; Now the Show Must Go on,” Lonely Planet; you can also explore the Oberammergau Passionsspiele website here

Wed., Dec. 6: Popular culture
Reading: *The Simpsons season 10, episode 18: “Bible Stories” (video on Blackboard); *M. Pinsky, Gospel According to the Simpsons (excerpt)

Fri., Dec. 8: Politics
Reading: “Teaching God’s Word” (Gospel Thrillers site); John R. Vile, “The Bible and the U.S. Constitution”; “Christian Nationalism,” First Amendment Encyclopedia; Kenneth Mott, “Ten Commandments,” First Amendment Encyclopedia

Additional media: Religion for Breakfast, "Should Public Schools Teach Religion?"

Response paper 10: You have been given an unlimited grant to install a Biblical Recreation Site anywhere in the world: what site do you chose and what do you choose to install there?

Conclusions
Mon., Dec. 11: Conclusions
No reading