Jesus & the Gospels (2011 Boccaccini), course

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Jesus & the Gospels is a course offered by Gabriele Boccaccini at the University of Michigan in the Fall 2011.

Overview

The course focuses on the founder of Christianity, Jesus son of Joseph (Joshua bar-Yosef), as an historical character. By examining all extant historical sources (Jewish, Christian, and Pagan), the course offers a critical reconstruction of the major stages of the life and deeds of the prophet from Nazareth, from his birth under Herod the Great to his death and crucifixion under Pontius Pilate, within the diverse world of Second Temple Judaism. The format of the course consists of three lectures per week by the instructor and a weekly discussion session conducted by a GSI. The course grade will be based upon daily assignments and attendance; two midterms, a paper and a final exam.

Lectures: 182 DENN, MWF 3-4pm

Office: 4145 Thayer, Department of Near Eastern Studies

e-mail: gbocca@umich.edu; tel 763.1595; fax 936.2679

Office Hours: WF 4-4:30pm (182 DENN); 4:30-5:30 (4145 Thayer), or by appointment

GSI: Jason Zurawski, UM PhD student jasonzur@umich.edu & Vahe Sahakyan, UM PhD student sahakv@umich.edu

History

Gabriele Boccaccini is Professor of Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins at the University of Michigan since the Fall 1992. He has been offering courses on Jesus & the Gospels since the mid-1990s.

Syllabus (Fall 2011)

[Note: The syllabus may be still subjected to some minor changes]

Introduction

(1) Wed Sep 7, 2011 -- Do we have any evidence from Jesus himself?

(2) Fri Sep 9, 2011 -- Did Jesus REALLY exist?

(3) Mon Sep 12, 2011 -- Survey of Christian Sources

(4) Wed Sep 14, 2011 -- The Historical Context--Jews and Romans

(5) Fri Sep 16, 2011 -- Survey of Non-Christian Sources / The Contribution of Archaeology

(6) Mon Sep 19, 2011 -- The Religious Context

(7) Wed Sep 21, 2011 -- The Messianic Context

[First Mid-term – During discussion sessions in the following week, Sept 26-30, 2011]

PART I – The Ministry of Jesus

(1) Fri Sep 23, 2011 -- The Precursor: John the Baptist

(2) Mon Sep 26, 2011 -- The Death of John the Baptist / The Legend of Salome

(3) Wed Sep 28, 2011 -- John the Baptist and Jesus.

Did John Recognize Jesus as the Messiah?

(4) Fri Sep 30, 2011 -- The Beginnings of Jesus’ Ministry as a Miracle-Worker

(5) Mon Oct 3, 2011 -- From Healer to Forgiver

(6) Wed Oct 5, 2011 -- The Announcer of the Kingdom of God / The Parables of the Kingdom

(7) Fri Oct 7, 2011 -- Where does the authority of Jesus come from? / The Heavenly Messiah

(8) Mon Oct 10, 2011 -- The Disciples and the Family

(9) Wed Oct 12, 2011 Agreements and Controversies with the Pharisees

(10) Fir Oct 14, 2011 Relation with the non-Jews (Gentiles)

(-) [ Mon Oct 17, 2011 ] Fall Study Break, no class

(11) Wed Oct 19, 2011 -- Forgiveness. Good Works

(12) Fri Oct 21, 2011 -- Moral Integrity

(13) Mon Oct 24, 2011 -- Sharing of Goods

(14) Wed Oct 26, 2011 -- Service, Love

(15) Thu Oct 27, 2011, 7pm -- SPECIAL MEETING

  • Lecture by Daniel Boyarin (University of California at Berkeley) on the Gospel of Mark

PART II - The Passion of Jesus and Afterward

(1) Fri Oct 28, 2011 -- Arrival at Jerusalem

(-) Mon Oct 31, 2011 -- Second Mid-Term (in class)

(2) Wed Nov 2, 2011 -- Teaching at the Temple

(3) Fri Nov 4, 2011 -- The Plot to Arrest Jesus

(4) Mon Nov 7, 2011 -- Last Supper and Arrest of Jesus

(5) Wed Nov 9, 2011 -- Jesus and the Jewish Authorities

(6) Fri Nov 11, 2011 -- Jesus and the Romans

(7) Mon Nov 14, 2011 -- The Death and Burial of Jesus. The Women, the Disciples, Joseph of Arimathea

(8) Wed Nov 16, 2011 -- The Belief in the Resurrection

PART III - More Stories and Legends about Jesus

(9) Fri Nov 18, 2011 -- The Infancy of Jesus according to Matthew

(10) Mon Nov 21, 2011 -- The Infancy of Jesus according to Luke

(-) [ Wed Nov 23, and Fri Nov 25, 2011 -- Thanksgiving Recess, no classes ]

(11) Mon Nov 28, 2011 -- Ancient Legends about Jesus: More Stories about the Family and the Infancy of Jesus.

(12) Wed Nov 30, 2011 -- Medieval Legends About Jesus

(13) Fri Dec 2, 2011 -- Modern Legend about Jesus (I): Was Jesus a Member of a Secret Organization? Did Jesus visit India? Did He Survive the Crucifixion?

(14) Mon Dec 5, 2011 -- Modern Legends about Jesus (II): Was Jesus Married? Did He Have Children?

JESUS: A MAN FOR ALL GENERATION

(15) Wed Dec 7, 2011 -- Updating Jesus (I): Godspell (1973)

(16) Fri Dec 9, 2011 -- Updating Jesus (II): The Son of Man (2005)

(-) Mon Dec 12, 2011 -- Wrap-Up Session—-Who Was Jesus?

Final Exam [date TBA]

Grading System and Requirements (for students attending the course)

[Read this section of the syllabus very carefully. The syllabus is like a contract between the student and the instructors, which we are all bound to respect.]

ATTENDANCE: The course is based on lectures, weekly discussion session, three written exams, and one (or two) papers. Regular attendance is mandatory. If you happen to miss a session, it is your responsibility to ask the Professor or the GSI or a class-mate for information about what was discussed in class. Students whose attendance is poor (that is, have missed 15-25% of either lectures or discussion sessions without justification) will see their final grade reduced of half point. Students who do not attend the class regularly (that is, have missed more than 25% of either lectures or discussion sessions without justification), or do not fulfill each and all the requirements of the course, will not be graded and will receive a NR report.

GRADING SYSTEM: The final grade is based on five elements (of which the last one is optional): (a) Participation: 10% -- (b) First Midterm: 10% -- (c) Second Midterm: 20% -- (d) Paper 20% – (e) Final exam: 40% -- (f) Short paper (optional): possible increase

(a) Quality of participation in class and discussion sessions makes 10% of the final grade. The evaluation will be made conjunctly by the Professor and the GSIs on the basis of the student’s attention, comments, questions, commitment for an enjoyable environment, etc., as follows: Outstanding (100%) / Very good (95%) / Good (90%) / Average (85%) / Poor (80%) / Very poor (75%) / Insufficient (70%)

(b-c) The two mid-term exams are a series of multiple-choice questions from the lectures and the textbooks. The results of the test will be discussed in class and in the discussion sessions. The grade is determined proportionally to the amount of questions correctly answered (unanswered questions are counted as incorrect), as follows:

  • A+ (100%-98%) / A (97%-91%) / A- (90%-88%)
  • B+ (87%-85%) / B (84%-78%) / B- (77%-75%)
  • C+ (74%-72%) / C (71%-65%) / C- (64%-62%)
  • D+ (61%-59%) / D (58%-52%) / D- (51%-49%)
  • F (48% or less)

The first midterm exams (10% of the final grade) is a series of 50 questions about the contents of the first part of the course. It is aimed to be a sort of preparation to the more important second mid-term and final exams. No re-taking will be allowed, and no curve will be granted, under any circumstance. If your grade is F, you must submit a written petition (by e-mail) to the Professor and receive written permission (by e-mail) to continue the class, provided that your attendance is good. If you need or want to improve your grade, just followed the instructions below (f).

The second midterm exam (20% of the final grade) is a series of 100 questions (80 new questions about the contents of the second part of the course, plus 20 questions from the first midterm). No re-taking will be allowed, and no curve will be granted, under any circumstance. If your grade is F, you must submit a written petition (by e-mail) to your GSI and receive written permission (by e-mail) to continue the class, provided that your attendance is good. If you need or want to improve your grade, just followed the instructions below (f).

(d) As a written assignment (20% of your final grade), you have to pick up an episode of the Gospel (your choice must be pre-approved by your GSI) and write (by Dec 5, 2011) a (3,000 word) paper dealing with the interpretation of the episode in Scholarship and Fiction. (The bibliography must include the reading of at least two books, or an equivalent number of articles).

  • A+ = 99% / A = 96% / A- = 90%
  • B+ = 87% / B = 83% / B- = 77%
  • C+ = 74% / C = 70% / C- = 64%
  • etc.

The best papers may be used and posted online in “4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism” <www.4enoch.org> under your name.

(e) The final exam (40% of the final grade) is a series of 150 multiple-choice questions aimed at a general review of the entire course: 100 new questions about the contents of all three parts of the course (but with special emphasis on the third and last part), plus 50 questions from the first two exams (15+35, respectively). The grading system will follow the same criteria as the midterm exams.

(f) [Optional] The Instructor’s goal is to help the deserving students, who may have some initial difficulties, to improve their grade. You may choose to write (any time but not before Oct 1 or after Dec 1, 2007) one additional paper on a novel or play on one of the other NT characters, who lived after Jesus (your choice must be approved by the GSI). Depending on the grade of your essay(s), you will have an increase of 8 (A), 6 (B), 4 (C), or 2 (D), or 0 (F) points the grade of your first exam.

VERY IMPORTANT !! If you have any questions or something goes wrong, or you realize that your attendance is going to be poor or insufficient, please do not wait until the very last moment to express yourself. I will be always available to talk to you immediately after class or during my office hours or, if necessary, scheduling a meeting at a different time. We can find together a solution to (almost) every problem. But, please, don’t ask the impossible when there is no more time.


IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, NEVER BLAME OTHERS. BLAME NO ONE BUT YOURSELF.

IF YOU ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY, YOU ARE IN THE POSITION TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

WHATEVER OTHER PEOPLE’S FAILINGS MIGHT BE, YOU ARE THE ONE TO SHOULDER RESPONSIBILITY.

THERE ARE NO EXCUSES.

REMAIN FOCUSED: YOUR GOAL IS TO LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN: ALL THE REST IS REALLY NOT IMPORTANT

!! BE SMART AND RESPONSIBLE: ENJOY THE CLASS !!

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