Group Project Options for REL 262
Life and Teachings of Jesus

General Requirements for all papers.
Each paper must include at least the following three components. More specific requirements are stated under the description of each group project option.

.An introduction stating the scope of the paper, including the passage(s) to be discussed
.A treatment of at least one passage which appears in more than one of the canonical Gospels
.A conclusion explaining what a study of this material contributes to our understanding of Jesus of Nazareth

Group Project Options.
You will be assigned one of the following group project options based (as far as possible) on the preferences you state on the response form at the end of this handout. You will be placed in a reading group with other students who have been assigned the same option and will negotiate with them the exact passages from the Gospels which you will discuss in your paper. Working within the limits of the groups assigned topic, the members of the group must choose different passages. No two students in the same group may write on the same passage(s).
Please read each description carefully, then fill out the preference form on the last page. You must turn in the preference form on Thursday, October 23.

The Messianic Secret
This group will look at verses in Mark's Gospel where Jesus instructs someone not to reveal his identity as the Messiah, Son of God, Holy One, etc. Each paper in this group will analyze at least one passage in Mark's Gospel which contains an example of the messianic secret and also has a parallel passage in at least one of the other Gospels. The parallel in the other Gospel(s) does not have to have an example of the messianic secret. In addition to meeting the general requirements stated above, each paper in this group will address all of the following questions:
  1. Do the parallel passages in the other Gospels contain elements of the messianic secret?
  2. How are the parallel passages in the other Gospels similar to and different from Mark's version?
  3. How does the author's decision of where to place this particular passage within the larger story influence the meaning of the passage in each Gospel?
  4. How do the author's introductory and concluding remarks influence the meaning of the passage?
  5. What specific choices of wording influence the meaning of the passage in the context of each Gospel?

The Arrest, Trial, Crucifixion, and Burial of Jesus(§§330‹351)
Focussing on passages which appear in all four of the canonical Gospels, this group will examine the accounts of Jesus' arrest, trial, crucifixion, and burial. In addition to the general requirements stated above, each paper should address the following questions:
  1. How does the author's decision of where to place each paragraph within the larger crucifixion story influence the meaning of that paragraph in each Gospel?
  2. How do the author's introductory and concluding remarks influence the meaning of the specific passages chosen for the paper?
  3. What specific choices of wording influence the meaning of the passage in the context of each Gospel?
  4. What do the differences between the various accounts of the same event indicate concerning what the author intended to communicate about Jesus?

The Parables
Focussing on parables which appear in more than one of the Gospels, this group will examine the way the different Gospel writers use the parables of Jesus. Each paper should address all of the following questions:
  1. How does the author's decision of where to place the parable in the larger story influence the meaning of the parable in the context of each Gospel?
  2. How do the author's introductory and concluding remarks influence the meaning of the parable?
  3. What specific choices of wording within the parable itself influence the meaning of the parable in the context of each Gospel?
  4. What does each version of the parable indicate about the gospel writer's view of Jesus?

The Kingdom Sayings
Focussing on Jesus' kingdom sayings which appear in stories found in at least two of the canonical Gospels, this group will examine the significance of the term kingdom of God/kingdom of Heaven for each of the Gospel writers. Each paper will examine one or more passages where the term kingdom of God or kingdom of Heaven appears in one Gospel in a story which has a clear parallel in another Gospel, but the parallel story in the other Gospel may or may not contain the term kingdom of God/kingdom of Heaven. In addition to the general requirements stated above, each paper will address the following questions:
  1. Does the term kingdom of God/kingdom of Heaven appear both in your passage and in the parallel passages in the other Gospels? If not, where is it present, and where is it not?
  2. If the term does not appear in all of the parallels, are there elements in the passages lacking the term which still do imply the idea behind the term kingdom of God/kingdom of Heaven?
  3. How are the parallel passages in the various Gospels similar to and different from one another?
  4. How does the author's decision of where to place each particular passage within the larger story influence the meaning of the passage in that Gospel?
  5. How do the author's introductory and concluding remarks for each passage influence the meaning of that passage, and more specifically, the meaning of the term kingdom of God/kingdom of Heaven?
  6. What specific choices of wording influence the meaning of the passage in the context of each Gospel?

Johanine Parallels in the Synoptic Gospels(§§13, 16, 18, 25, 30, 32, 85, 146, 147, 148, 158, 269, 310, 315, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 336, 339, 341, 343, 344, 347, 350, 352)
Focussing on the passages in John's Gospel which have a direct parallel in one of the Synoptic Gospels, this group will address the issue of the uniqueness of John's perspective. In addition to the general requirements stated above, the papers in this group must address the following questions about the passages they discuss:
  1. Given that about 90% of what is found in John's Gospel does not appear in the others, is it significant that this particular passage is shared between John and the others? If so, why?
  2. What are the main similarities between John's account and the one(s) found in the Synoptic Gospels?
  3. What does John say differently from the others, and what impact do these differences have on the meaning of the passage in John's Gospel?
  4. How does the author's decision of where to place the passage within the larger story influence the meaning of the passage in each Gospel?
  5. How do the author's introductory and concluding remarks for each passage influence the meaning of that passage in each Gospel?

The Resurrection Narratives(§§352‹361)
This group will analyze the traditions regarding Jesus' resurrection by comparing the treatment of the resurrection itself as well as Jesus' resurrection appearances in each Gospel. In addition to the general requirements stated above, each paper in this group must address the following questions:
  1. What does the passage or passages you are discussing imply about the chronology of the events surrounding Jesus' resurrection?
  2. What are the main similarities between the various accounts of the event(s) you are discussing?
  3. What are the major differences between the accounts in the different Gospels, and what do these differences indicate about what the author wanted to assert about Jesus or about the early Christian community?

Birth and Infancy Stories(§3 [Compare with Mt 1:18‹25] and §§6, 7, 8, and 11)
This group will compare the birth and infancy stories in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Each paper will discuss at least one passage which appears in Matthew's Gospel and a passage which serves a similar function in Luke's Gospel. Since the birth and infancy stories in Matthew do not have any parallels in the strictest sense in Luke's Gospel, the papers in this group will have to interpret general requirement (above) somewhat loosely. In addition to the general requirements stated above, the papers should address all of the following questions:
  1. What similarities exist between the passage in Matthew and the one in Luke?
  2. What function does the particular passage which is the focus of the paper play in each Gospel?
  3. How is the function of the passage in Matthew similar to or different from the related passage in Luke's Gospel?
  4. Why might the author of each Gospel have chosen to include the particular birth and infancy stories found in that Gospel, and what evidence is there to indicate the reason?
  5. What evidence is there to indicate where the passage in Matthew and the one in Luke might fit in a chronology of the early life of Jesus? [Obviously, this question does not apply to the genealogies.]
  6. What are the major differences between Matthew's birth narrative as a whole and Luke's?

Prelude to Jesus' Public Ministry(§§13‹20)
This group will examine the passages dealing with the preaching of John the Baptist, the Baptism of Jesus, Jesus' genealogy, and the temptation of Jesus. In addition to the general requirements stated above, each paper must address the following questions:
  1. What are the main similarities between the various accounts of the same event?
  2. What are the main differences between the various accounts, and how do these differences help show what each author intended to communicate about the main character (John the Baptist or Jesus)?
  3. Does your passage indicate anything about the chronology of the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist? If so, what does it indicate? Is this compatible with what the other Gospel writers indicate?
Preferences Form

List your top three choices for a semester project in the spaces provided below.

Top choice ("I've just got to get this one or my life will never be the same"): _________________________
Second choice ("Well, if I can't have the one I really want, I guess this one wouldn't be so bad"):
_________________________
Third choice ("I really don't want this one, but if there is no way around it, I guess I could survive doing a paper on this topic"):
_________________________