The written assignments for this class consist of two analytic response papers, directed toward specific topics, detailed below. An analytic response paper asks you to provide your educated analysis of a topic, text, or work without any outside reading or consultation. You are not being asked for a personal response ("I hated it!") but rather an academic response. You may draw on whatever you have learned in class, and may cite works we have read together if they pertain to the topic: but you should do no outside research beyond that. Assume your audience has encountered the same texts and course readings you have.

Assignments should be uploaded to the Sakai Drop Box by the specified due date and time. Note these are not normal class meeting times. Late papers will not be accepted except under extraordinary circumstances. All graded papers will be returned via Sakai Drop Box.

Format

Each response paper should be 750-1000 words long in a resonably-sized font (such as Times New Roman, 12 pt.). Please number your pages.

Citations of the Bible should follow this format: Book chapter:beginning verse-ending verse. For example, if you are citing the first through third verses of the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, you write: Matthew 1:1-3 (you may abbreviate Biblical books, e.g.: Matt 1:1-3).

First analysis paper: Movie Response

Due: 5 pm on Sunday, September 21

In an essay from her collection Jesus of Hollywood, New Testament scholar Adele Reinhartz wrote: "Jesus movies probe our deeper societal preoccupations, including gender roles, sexuality, and politics. Even as the Jesus biopics play out our society's fascination with Jesus as a historical and religious figure, they also address our own fears and desires, our comforts and joys, our beliefs and values."

What "beliefs and values"--political, social, cultural, and so forth--do you see depicted in DeMille's 1927 King of Kings? Would you argue that this movie is more about Jesus (historically or religiously) or about the times in which it was made (in other words, is DeMille asking us to think about Jesus or through Jesus)?

Second analysis paper: Noncanonical Analysis

Due: 5pm on Sunday, November 23

Choose one of the noncanonical early Christian texts from the list below (links will take you to recent, reliable English translations as well as the Wikipedia page which will give you basic information on the date and origins of the text). For the text you have chosen:

• provide a simple summary (no more than one paragraph);
• explain its central themes and ideas;
• argue how this text does and/or does not fit into the larger themes and ideas found in the canonical New Testament;
• theorize why you think this text is not included in the canonical New Testament.

Your analysis may be broken down into sections, or composed as a single essay. Please quote directly from the noncanonical text where appropriate; you may quote from other texts used in this class but you may not conduct any outside research on this text. [Addendum: You may consult and cite ch. 2 from Martin, New Testament History and Literature, in which he discusses canon formation.]

Noncanonical texts:

Infancy Gospel of Thomas (text) (Wikipedia)

Protoevangelium of James (text) (Wikipedia)

Gospel of Peter (text) (Wikipedia)

Gospel of Mary (text) (Wikipedia)

Gospel of Nicodemus (text) (Wikipedia)

Gospel of Judas (text) (Wikipedia)

Acts of Andrew (text) (Wikipedia)

Acts of John (text) (Wikipedia)

Acts of Thomas (text) (Wikipedia)

Letter of Barnabas (text) (Wikipedia)

1 Clement (text) (Wikipedia)

*Apocalypse of Paul (text on Sakai) (Wikipedia)

*Apocalypse of Peter (text on Sakai) (Wikipedia)

Shepherd of Hermas (note: extremely long!) (text) (Wikipedia)

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