Tasks
These tasks are inspired and governed by my rules for the game of Christian liberal arts education. You should be aware of those rules.
Active attendance. You will attend class sessions and group meetings and participate in discussions. These times together are integral parts of the course. Our subject is best understood when lived and discussed, not just when heard and read. When you fail to attend, you frustrate not only your education, but that of your teammates and especially those in your group. Students have asked for accountability in attendance, and this semester I am obliging. Your 'course participation' grade includes whatever forms it takes for you (including appointments).
The syllabus often contains links to lecture outlines, but beware: I frequently make points in class that are not on the outline. Where I do skip points in an outline, you are not formally responsible, but you should still browse the whole outline to see how I would develop the topic if we had more time.
Office hour appointment. I consider time spent with a student in person a much better investment for both of us than the same time spent writing comments on an assignment that may never be read. So you will meet with me one-on-one at least once during the semester during my office hours. We can get to know each other better, address concerns, tailor the course to your particular interests and needs, and extend what you are learning. Make an appointment on my office door. If you forget your appointment, just apologize and make a new one on my office door. If I cancel your appointment unilaterally, please accept my apologies, and make a new one on my office door.
I have no agenda for these appointments, but common questions you can think about beforehand include: (a) How is the course going for you? (b) Do you have comments, criticisms, objections, or questions about specific topics, texts, or class sessions? (c) How is your faith? (d) Have a question about interpretation of a particular Bible passage? (e) How is it here for you at Westmont right now? (f) Can I help you with any upcoming assignments? (g) Are there theological issues you would like to chase down on your own with additional reading or alternative assignments? (h) Do you have thoughts or questions about future work in theology, religious studies, other majors, or ministry?
I especially encourage office-hour visits if you are feeling discouraged by test results, unsure about what to do for your applied theology project, intimidated or overwhelmed by the material, unsure in your faith, or vexed by the flipped format.
Further help may be available through the library's tutoring program.
Class preparation. You must read material for class discussions (Bible Project videos, Bible reading, our NT survey, etc.) before class. Bring up misunderstandings in class. You should stay caught up on your chosen book. Assignments draw on lectures, readings, and discussions, so you are accountable soon anyway. Do not fall behind, or you and your teammates will be sorry!
Written exercises. You will write occasional exercises on lectures and readings. These may be essays, outlines, reading notes, letters, or reading journals. You have a choice from available topics, so you can choose the ones that interest you most. You will be able to find each assignment from a link on the syllabus. These are like 'problem sets' meant to get you into readings and lectures before you forget the information (this doesn't take long, believe me), to keep you caught up, and to train you in how to study, understand, apply, and write about the New Testament.
| Reading |
The Holy Bible.    NRSV or RSV preferred. NASB, ESV, fine. NIV, KJV, NKJV, TNIV acceptable. NLT, Message unacceptable. Others by permission. |
Mark Allan Powell, Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey, Baker. Either edition okay. |
Additional readings on Canvas.
|
| ... plus one of the following: |
Lesslie Newbigin, A Walk through the Bible, Regent. |
Craig R. Koester, Revelation and the End of All Things, Eerdmans.
|
Neil Anderson with Hyatt Moore, In Search of the Source: A First Encounter with God's Word, Multnomah.
|
Holly Beers, A Week In the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman, IVP.
|
Preston Sprinkle et al., Two Views on Homosexuality, the Bible, and the Church, Zondervan.
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Richard Hays, Reading Backwards, Baylor.
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Michael S. Heiser, The Bible Unfiltered: Approaching Scripture on Its Own Terms, Lexham.
|
Kent L. Yinger, The New Perspective on Paul: An Introduction, Wipf & Stock.
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Blackwell and Goodrich, eds, Reading Romans in Context: Paul and Second Temple Judaism, Zondervan.
|
Richard Bauckham, ed., The Gospels for All Christians, Eerdmans.
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Luke Timothy Johnson, Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church: The Challenge of Luke-Acts to Contemporary Christians, Eerdmans.
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N.T. Wright, The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is, IVP.
|
J. Richard Middleton, A New Heaven and a New Earth: Reclaiming Biblical Eschatology, Baker.
|
| Assignments |
| New Testament application project |
| in-class homily or presentation (skipped) |
| ... plus four of the following: |
| close reading of a passage in Revelation |
| culturally informed interpretation of 1/2 Corinthians |
| Old Testament in the New |
| report on the book you're reading |
| New Testament in worship |
| New Testament in life |
| Bible/mentoring report |
| reflection on a synoptic gospel passage |
| Holy Week worship service analysis |
| reflection on entrance exam |
New Testament application project. Develop and undertake a biblical application project over the semester, for your own reasons. Draw broadly on the course material from across the semester (this is essential) to do something like one of the following:
- develop a 'biblical' perspective on a big topic or question you have.
- illuminate some aspect(s) of your life that you haven't understood.
- inform your major or career.
- pursue a broad hermeneutical or theological dispute(s) you'd like to solve.
- evaluate something you care deeply about.
- prepare to reach someone else who needs Christ's help (or equip yourself for it).
- present or teach a major topic in this material to a specific audience.
- address some doubt(s) or problem(s) you have with Christian faith, or one variety of it.
- and so on.
Your work can take many possible forms. It could be a discipline (for instance, regular discussions), a presentation you might deliver, an exploratory essay, a dialogue, a work of art or music with explanatory text, or some other format besides a research paper. It can have multiple parts (if, for instance, you want to face a set of interrelated problems or puzzles). It should be something you're proud of and "want to keep." Do it for the Lord, others, and yourself, not the grade; the grade will follow.
Choose a companion—a fellow student, or a mentor—for inspiration and accountability. You must draw widely on the course material as it is appropriate to your project, applying it to some context you personally care about.
You will file several progress reports and a final submission on Canvas. If you wish to deliver or present on your project in class, we may be able to make time available in the weeks before the final submission is due, but you will need to arrange it ahead of time.
In-class homily or presentation. (Under this semester's circumstances, we will skip this.) I'd love each student to give a five-minute homily on a biblical passage, or (if you're uncomfortable doing that) an equally brief presentation on a class topic. A discussion text should be no more than one tightly written, single-spaced page. Preachers should use secondary course materials for insight but go beyond them to preach the living Word of God. All presenters and preachers must give me a copy of their presentations at the time they speak. Your presentation or response will count as a written exercise. All participants, but especially presenters, will want to consult my list of pointers for presentations. Preachers will want to consult my tips on preparing to preach.
Examinations. You will take two in-class midterm exams and one final exam. These will cover major terms and topics in the lectures and required texts. The final exam will concentrate on the last part of the course, though it will also have a cumulative component.
Late work. Work that is late will be penalized, moderately, unless I have excused it.
Grading. Here is how the different 'performance' aspects of our course are likely to figure into your final grade:
| factor (* = final grade penalty if incomplete) | weight of grade |
| participation* (attendance, diligence, office hour visit, tests, etc.) | moderate |
| written assignments* | moderate |
| midterms | moderate |
| in-class final | moderate |
| oral final (optional) | moderate |
| project | moderate |
You probably want a rubric with precise percentages, but after twenty years of teaching I'm unsatisfied with those and especially with the way the pursuit of grades can distort the learning process. Some students' understanding is best reflected (for better or for worse) in written work; others, in test scores; still others, in oral communication. Your grade will be whatever in my judgment best reflects your understanding at semester's end. You may appeal if you think the results are inaccurate.
So your course grade reflects the final product more than the process, while the process is what produces the product. The course's vision page describes both. I consider lectures, readings, written assignments, and even mid-term tests to be preliminary steps along the way of our course. They give you exposure to material, experience processing, and some feedback. They are for getting you ready. So use them that way!
I am not using grades as rewards along the way to direct the process. If you are the type of learner who needs such incentives and is unlikely to adapt, you should either work out an accountability structure for yourself or reconsider taking the course at this time.
You will not engage in academic dishonesty (as described in the student handbook). Students who do will fail the course.
"You know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1). There is perhaps no more responsible position in the Church than teaching doctrine and preaching Scripture, whether behind a lectern, in a small group, or around a dinner table. In grading these assignments, I will resist grade inflation. I have found (as both a teacher and as a student!) that this way students are more likely to improve, and grades are just as high at the end of the course because of that improvement.
Having trouble understanding the reading? I may sometimes post introductions to readings in advance. Look up unfamiliar terms in a dictionary (for instance, the on-line New Advent Catholic Dictionary), or google them. If even these suggestions do not help, then I leave you with the advice of Thomas Cranmer:
"I cannot understand it." What marvel? How shouldest thou understand, if thou wilt not read nor look upon it? Take the books into thine hands, read the whole story, and that thou understandest keep it well in memory; thou that understandest not, read it again and again: if thou can neither so come by it, counsel with some other that is better learned. Go to thy curate and preacher; show thyself to be desirous to know and learn: and I doubt not but God, seeing thy diligence and readiness (if no man else teach thee) will himself vouchsafe with his Holy Spirit to illuminate thee, and to open unto thee that which was locked from thee (Preface to the Great Bible 6).
In other words, giving up on difficult material is not an option. 
