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History and Literature of the Bible Syllabus (Course Policies) |
| Micheal W. Palmer
Phone: 919 933-0259 Web resources: http://greek-language.com/bible Email: course number and section + @ + greek-language.com (no spaces) |
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Table of Contents |
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REL103, "Introduction to Biblical Literature and History," is a one-semester historical, literary, and theological survey of the Bible. We will examine the historical and cultural settings in which the biblical documents arose, discuss the types of literature found in the Bible, and explore appropriate ways of interpreting these documents.
I have two types of goals for this class. First, there are goals concerning the information you will learn and the skills you will gain or sharpen (content goals). Second, there are goals concerning the way in which you will learn that information and sharpen those skills (process goals).
A. Content Goals
By the end of this term you should be able to
B. Process Goals
While we have a great deal of material to cover this semester, and the format for class will often include some lecture, I also hope we will be able to talk about the issues that the Bible and its interpretation raise for you personally, for others you know, and for our culture(s). In order for us to do so meaningfully, we must maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect. For this reason I have the following goals for our learning process:
We should always
I will attempt to maintain an atmosphere of openness where your views may be expressed without fear of reprisal or peer pressure and where you are encouraged to support those views in appropriate ways.
You will be required to use two books.
Stephen L. Harris, Understanding the Bible, 5th ed. (Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 2000).
You will also be required to read a number of articles posted online, but it will not be necessary to purchase these.
Required readings are listed in the tentative course schedule. These readings are to be completed before the day for which they are assigned.
Two other books are optional. You are not required to buy these books, but may use them for extra credit work if you wish.
Anita Diamant, The Red Tent (New York: St. Martins Press, 1997)
James A. Michener, The Source (New York: Random House, 1965 and 1993)
You are required to attend class regularly, be prepared for class every day, treat your classmates with respect, and take the three exams listed in the course schedule. Other activities that may contribute to your grade are optional.
This is a computer enhanced class. It will not be possible for you to successfully complete the class assignments without consistent use of a computer. Computers are provided in labs all over campus for this purpose.
A. Attendance, Preparation for Class, and Classroom Etiquette
1. Attendance
The correlation between attendance and scores on the exams for this class is usually very high. Frequent absences will make it almost impossible for you to pass the exams.
You are allowed two weeks worth of absences (6 times for a class that meets three times per week), before a penalty for absences will be assessed. For each unexcused absence beyond these two weeks, 2 points will be deducted from your final semester average.
Excused absences will not count against you. An excused absence is one for which you have provided appropriate documentation demonstrating that the absence was outside your control, such as when you are sick or there is a death in your family. Any absence for which you do not provide appropriate documentation will be considered unexcused.
In the event of an extended medically related absence which will cause you to exceed the maximum number of absences, contact the professor for special arrangements. Documentation of the reason for the extended absence will be required.
2. Preparation
If in the judgment of the professor you are not adequately prepared for class (you appear not to have completed or understood the assigned readings), the day for which you were unprepared will be treated as an unexcused absence.
Assigned readings are listed in the tentative course schedule. All assigned readings must be completed before the class session for which they are assigned.
Practice questions are provided online to help you see how well you have understood the assigned readings. While these practice questions look very similar to the Biblical Studies Quiz Game ("Basic Knowledge for Biblical Studies"), do not be fooled. They are different questions. Some of the practice questions for the readings and some of the questions from the quiz game will be included on each exam.
You will be expected to show appropriate respect for your classmates at all times. Any behavior which, in the view of the professor, could interfere with another student's ability to participate fully in the class may result in your being asked to leave the classroom. In such case you would be counted absent (unexcused).
Please turn off your cell phone when you enter the classroom. Answering a cell phone in class will be considered an act of extreme disrespect for your classmates. You will be asked to leave and will be counted absent (unexcused). Running out of class to answer a cell phone will be considered the same as asnwering it in class. If you forget to turn off your phone, just hang up immediately if it rings. Do not answer it.
An exception to the policy on cell phones will be made for anyone who provides documentation demonstrating to the satisfaction of the professor that she is under legal obligation to answer the phone immediately.
A question-and-answer game called "Basic Knowledge for Biblical Studies"is provided online.
Many questions included in this game will be included on the exams as well.
Some of these questions in this online game are related to parts of Harris' book that are not
assigned reading for the class. You may use Harris' book as a resouce to
help resolve any issues raised for you by these questions. Each question based
on Harris' book will tell you the number of the relevant page in that book
if you answer the question incorrectly. If you answer correctly, it will
simply congratulate you.
Other questions in the game are not based on Harris' book. For those questions, online help is provided if you answer the question incorrectly.
This online game looks a lot like the practice questions for the assigned readings. Do not be fooled. They are not the same. Questions from both the online game and the practice questions for the readings will be included on the exams.
C. Exams (3 x 100 = 300 points possible)
You will take two one-hour exams and a final exam of longer duration. Each exam will have a value of 100 points. The dates for these exams are listed in the tentative course schedule.
The exams will include a variety of objective questions (multiple choice, matching, and fill-in-the-blank) and may also include some written assignments (short-answer questions, definitions, and possibly an essay).
The second exam will not be comprehensive. The final exam may contain a comprehensive section, but if so you will receive information in advance about what that section will contain.
D. Extra Credit Assigments
There are two ways for you to earn some credit over and above your scores on the exams.
The due date for each extra credit assignment is given in the course schedule.
The maximum countable score for the semester is 300 points. Any extra credit you earn
that places your total semester score above 300 points will not affect your
grade in any way.
A. Total Points Possible for each Graded Assignment
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| Exam One | 100 points |
| Exam Two | 100 points |
| Final Exam | 100 points |
| Extra Credit Reading Response Paper |
(20 points) |
| Extra Credit Chapter Response Paper |
(5-10 points each) |
| Possible attendance and preparation reduction | (minus up to 39 points) |
| Total Possible Points | 300 points (While extra credit assignments could push your score above 300, any score above 300 will receive the same grade as a score of 300.) |
Your grade will be determined by adding up the total number of points earned on the exams, making any necessary deductions for attendance and preparation, then comparing the result to the list of grade categories outlined below.B. Letter Grade Equivalencies
| Points Earned | % of Points Possible | Letter Grade |
| 270-300 | 90-100% | A |
| 240-269 | 80-89.9% | B |
| 210-239 | 70-79.9% | C |
| 180-209 | 60-69.9% | D |
| Below 180 | Below 60% | F |
I will make an effort to meet all classes. In the event of
inclement weather that necessitates the cancellation of all classes,
a message will be available on the inclement weather line (919 832-8878).
In case of bad weather, use your best judgment about traveling. You can check the latest changes to the college wide inclement weather policy online.