Skip to: Midterm; Research bibliography
DEBATES
On February 23 and April 6, the class will hold two debates regarding the merits of alternative (or "heretical") Christianities.
The class will be divided for each debate into debaters (pro and con) and judges, who will vote on the winners of each debate. The judges from the first debate will be the debaters in the second, and vice versa.
Both sides of the debate should argue from materials we have explored in class, both primary and secondary sources. No outside sources should be used.
Everyone on a debate team must participate in whatever capacity the team decides. The only limits on a team's argument are the time limits imposed by the format of the debate, outlined below.
The topic for the February 23 debate is: Resolved: Gnostic Christianities provided the best explanation and resolution to the problems of existence. The "pro" side must demonstrate that gnostic forms of Christianity do better to explain and resolve the various tensions and problems of human existence that preoccupied early Christianity generally. The "con" side must demonstrate that this is not the case, either through direct refutation of Gnostic theories of existence and salvation or by highlighting the superior explanations of other forms of Christianity from the period.
The topic of the April 6 debate is: Resolved: Nicene-Chalcedonian “Orthodoxy” does not provide the best explanation for the relation between God, humanity, and salvation. The "pro" side must demonstrate that the theological, anthropological, and soteriological flaws of the "winning" Christianities (embodied in the creeds of the Councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon) outweigh their merits, and that other Christianities of the time provided better models for God, humanity, and salvation. The "con" side must defend the superiority of these Christianities against their competitors.
After the (due on March 3 and April 14 at 12noon), all members of the class (debaters and judges)
must turn in a 400-500 word (typed, double-spaced) overview of the debate, including:
who you think "won" the debate
what your opinion was before the debate, and whether your mind was changed
what points were brought up that you didn't expect (on either side)
whether you think the debate topic was fairly framed
Debate Rules:
1. Each side comprises equal number of members (totaling half of the class); all team members must speak during the debate.
2. The other half of the class will act as judges, who will vote on the winner of the debate at its conclusion; Professor Jacobs will cast the tie-breaking vote if necessary.
3. Each side must make its points using only materials we have studied in class (this may include points from class discussions, primary sources, and secondary sources).
4. Written notes may be used during the debate.
Debate Format:
10 minutes: Pro side lays out main points to defend the resolution
10 minutes: Con side lays out main points to refute the resolution
10 minutes: Break to prepare rebuttals
5 minutes: Pro side rebuttal
5 minutes: Con side rebuttal
5 minutes: Break for judges’ initial consultation
10 minutes: Judges pose questions (individual judges may choose to query either side of the debate, or both sides)
5 minutes: Break for judges’ final consultation and vote
Vote revealed; refreshments and discussion
March 11, 2015
An in-class exam on the material covered in the first half of the semester; blue books will be provided.
The exam will consist of: a. passages (primary sources from the first half of the semester, asking you to identify their context and significance); b. terms and people to identity; c. a brief essay question which you will be given ahead of time (to ponder). The exam will be closed book.
Due May 15, 2015 (graduating seniors: due May 6, 2015)
There is no final exam for this class; instead, the final project entails creating a research bibliography on the “heresy” of your choice (a suggested list of early Christian heresies is found below). The bibliography should include a list of relevant primary (ancient) and secondary (modern) sources, with brief comments (of 50-200 words) on each source and a brief (200-400 word) summary of potential further research that might be conducted on this heresy.
Begin here with a guide to research for religious studies.
The bibliography should follow the format of the Chicago Manual of Style: for more information, see the links & resources page.
The bibliography should be divided into two sections:
1. Primary sources. These are the ancient sources that act as our primary sources of information for the heresy. You should include for each of these sources (where available): author; title (in English, Latin, or whatever format you find it written); where it is available (including on-line editions), both in its original language and (if possible) in modern, English translation. In your discussion of each primary sources, you should explain what aspects of its give information on this heresy (is it an entire treatise on the heresy? does it mention it in passing?) and its possible reliability (is it written by someone "in the know"? or is it mainly a compilation of stereotypes and unreliable rumors?).
It is possible that, for some more obscure heresies, there may not be many primary sources; that's fine! But your list of primary sources should be as comprehensive as possible.
You may also find some recent translations or transcriptions of primary sources online; if these are the only available ways you have of accessing these ancient sources, you may cite them in your bibliography. But if your online sources has merely transcribed or scanned a printed source, indicate the printed source in your bibliography.
2. Secondary sources. These are modern analyses of the ancient heresy. You should have 12-15 secondary sources. (If your heresy is so obscure and strange that you cannot find that many secondary sources, you should probably change topics.) Keep in mind the following guidelines for your bibliography:
a. At least four of your sources should be scholarly articles or essays; the rest should be books or specialized dictionary or encyclopedia entries (not sure what counts as a "specialized" reference work? see the links & resources page).
b. You may not cite Wikipedia or any other open-source online reference works (such as OrthodoxWiki). You may consult these sources, but only in the interest of finding other bibliographic references which you should then track down and consult yourself. Some scholars may maintain websites containing original scholarly analyses; you may include these only if those authors have no also produced published work that may be cited.
c. You may cite no more than three general, scholarly works on early Christianity in your bibliography (such as Henry Chadwick, The Early Church), and only if they discuss your heresy in some detail. Some general works are indicated on the links & resources page. (You would do better to look at the bibliography of those general works and find out what secondary sources they have consulted.)
d. Please star (or otherwise signal) those secondary sources which you think are most important to understanding your heresy (the "must-see" scholarly treatment).
e. English translations of ancient sources may not be included in the secondary sources list, unless they contain substantial original commentary and analysis.
Bibliography tips:
1. Consult one of the databases on the links & resources page in order to find several good, recent, reliable treatments of your heresy. Consult those articles' bibliographies and find those sources that appear regularly as basic, good resources; you may also see which primary sources are regularly used.
2. If you have found an older source on your heresy (from, say, the 1950s or 1960s), you can find more recent works by using a citation database such as Web of Science.
3. You are not expected to read through all of your sources (although that would be great!); but you should get a sense of the contents of the sources and their significance to the study of your heresy.
Suggested heresies:
Heresies we have discussed in class are starred with an asterisk; you can find your own heresy, as long as it predates the rise of Islam. This list is not exhaustive; consult the professor if you've found an early Christian heresy you'd like to study.
(In rough chronological order)
*Jewish-Christianity (Ebionites, Nazoreans)
*Gnostics (Valentinians, Sethians)
Quartodecimans
*Marcionites
Encratites
*Montanists
Docetists
*Sabellians (Modalists)
Novatianists
*Manicheans
*Origenists
*Arians (Homoians, Homoioousians, Anomoians)
Apollinarians
*Nestorians
Messalians
*Priscillianists
Pneumatomachoi (Macedonians)
*Monophysites
*Monothelites
*Aphthartodocetists
*Donatists
*Pelagians (Semi-Pelagians)