Prof. Joseph Molleur
Prall House 101
Jmolleur@cornellcollege.edu
Office Phone: 895-4237
REL. 251: Jesus in the Gospels
Aim of the Course
The purpose of this course is to study the career of Jesus of Nazareth, as he is represented and interpreted in the four so-called "canonical" gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), three "apocryphal" gospels (Thomas, Peter, and "Secret Mark"), and a "hypothetical" gospel known by New Testament scholars as "Q", short for the German word Quelle, which means "source." We will also look carefully at the writings of two contemporary New Testament scholars, John Dominic Crossan and Luke Timothy Johnson, who give sharply differing interpretations of Jesus of Nazareth. We will seek to deepen our understanding of Jesus by asking such questions as the following: Who was Jesus of Nazareth? What did he teach? How did he behave? What deeds did he perform? For what did he hope? How, and why, did he die? And what significance did his followers find in him?
Class Meeting Times
Class meetings will be held on Monday through Friday, from 12:45 to 3:00 PM.
Course Requirements
1. Class Participation (20% of final grade). Regular attendance at class meetings and regular participation in class discussions are expected. More than one absence from class will progressively lower this portion of your grade. Additionally, you will be required, on a daily basis, to write a one-page reflection on a specific passage in the assigned texts. The purpose of this exercise is to facilitate informed participation in class discussion. These written reflections will be collected from time to time, without prior notice. Therefore, you should always bring your written reflection with you to class. Late submissions of written reflections will not be accepted.
2. Midterm Exam (25%), which will take place on the second Wednesday of the term. The exam will contain short answer and short essay questions.
3. A 4-5 page essay (25%), due on the third Wednesday of the term. Late essays will not be accepted without prior consent of the professor.
4. A Take-Home Final Exam (30%), which will be due by 1:00 PM on the fourth Wednesday of the term. An assignment handout will be distributed that Monday.
Required Texts
1. Robert J. Miller, ed., The Complete Gospels: Annotated Scholars Version.
2. John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean
Jewish Peasant.
3. Luke Timothy Johnson, The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical
Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels.
Academic Honesty
Consult the COMPASS for the College's policy on cheating and plagiarism. More will be said about plagiarism when your essay assignment is distributed.
Students with Special Needs
Cornell College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to all students. If you have a documented learning disability and will need any accommodation in this course, you must request the accommodation(s) from the instructor no later than the third day of the term. Additional information about the policies and procedures for accommodation of learning disabilities is available at http://cornellcollege.edu/academic_affairs/disabilities/.
Course Calendar
Note: The reading assignments listed in this course calendar are to be completed PRIOR to that day's meeting of the class.
WEEK 1
Monday: Getting oriented
I. What do the Gospels SAY?
Tuesday: (a)
Mark (Miller, ed., The Complete Gospels, pp. xiv-xv, 9-52).
(b) Michael Holmes, "To Be Continued… The Many Endings of the Gospel
of Mark" (Cole Library reserve).
Wednesday: Sayings Gospel “Q” (Miller, pp. 8, 53-54, 248-300).
Thursday: Matthew (Miller, pp. 55-114).
Friday: Luke (Miller, pp. 115-174).
WEEK 2
Monday: John (Miller, pp. 194-246).
Tuesday: Thomas, Peter, “Secret Mark” (Miller, pp. 301-322, 398-411).
Wednesday: MIDTERM EXAM, 12:45 PM.
II. What do the Gospels MEAN?
Thursday: A "Radical" Interpretation of Jesus: John Dominic
Crossan.
(a) Jeff Sharlet, "Battle Lines in the Jesus Wars: A Historian Claims Radical
Scholars Have Distorted Early Christianity" (Cole Library reserve). NOTE:
You need to place the first page above the second page, and read both at the
same time--the copies were made from a newspaper.
(b) Crossan, The Historical Jesus, Prologue, Chapter 11 (also glance
briefly through Appendices 1-6, pp. 427-461, to see how he sets things up there).
Friday: Crossan, Chapter 12-Chapter 13, p. 313.
WEEK 3
Monday: Crossan, Chapter 13, p. 313-Chapter 14, p. 367.
Tuesday: Crossan, Chapter 14, p. 367-Epilogue.
Wednesday: ESSAY DUE, 12:45 PM.
In-class viewing of the film Jesus Christ Superstar or Godspell.
Thursday: A "More Traditional" Interpretation of Jesus: Luke
Timothy Johnson.
Johnson, The Real Jesus, Preface-Chapter 2.
Friday: Johnson, Chapter 3-Chapter 5, p. 117.
WEEK 4
Monday: Johnson, Chapter 5, p. 117-Epilogue.
Tuesday: No class session--work on take-home final.
Wednesday: TAKE-HOME FINAL DUE, 1:00 P.M.
A List of Reference Resources Available in the Library
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Ref 203 Ox2)
The Anchor Bible Dictionary, 6 vols. (Ref 220.3 An21)
Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Ref 220.3 Ee72)
Harper's Bible Dictionary (Ref 220.3 H231)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 4 vols. (Ref 220.3 In8)
Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vols. (Ref 220.3 In83)
Oxford Companion to the Bible (Ref 220.3 Ox2)
New Oxford Annotated Bible, 3rd ed. (Ref 220.5204320 N42h)
The New Revised Standard Version Concordance (Ref 220.520433 K824n)
Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible (Ref 220.7 Ee72 2003)
Harper's Bible Commentary (Ref 220.7 H234)
Interpreter's One-Volume Commentary on the Bible (Ref 220.7 In84)
New Jerome Biblical Commentary (Ref 220.7 N42)
The Oxford Bible Commentary (Ref 220.7 Ox2b)
The Women's Bible Commentary (Ref 220.7082 W842)
New Interpreter's Bible, 12 vols. (Ref 220.77 N42)
Oxford Bible Atlas (Ref 220.9 M451o)
Women in Scripture (Ref 220.92 W842m)
The Five Gospels (Ref 226.066 F586)
Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, 2 vols. (Ref 270.103 En19)