The Scroll

(Requirements)

Home Up Scroll Time Table

Reading: These assignments are the lifeblood of this course.  Do them diligently and thoughtfully, taking note—literally—of questions you need to ask and topics you would like to discuss.   I plan to lecture only enough to highlight fundamental facts about the readings and raise a few crucial issues.  It is up to you to pursue these issues with me and your classmates.

Exams:  There will be three exams, including the final.  Exams one and two will be take-home essay exams.  The Final will consist of the last readings quiz (20 questions/10 pts), and two thirty minute essays (2 questions/40 pts), one non-cumulative and one cumulative.  Make-up exams and quizzes will be given if the absence is excusable according to university policy (see below).  It is in your best interest to take exams on time and avoid make-up exams.  Most students perform poorly on them.

Attendance: Apocalyptic movements are usually group oriented and a movement's continued success depends on the dedication of its members.  As a class community formed in the latter days—much later than any of the ancient authors we will read had in mind—our survival and the quality of our academic life demands that we not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.  Attendance will be recorded each class day in the book of life. Since class meetings consist of mini-lectures and discussion, students find it very difficult to do well in the time of testing without attending faithfully, taking good notes and reviewing them at least weekly throughout the semester. 

To paraphrase the Undergraduate Catalog, you may be excused from class without penalty

1) for University sanctioned activities,

2) for severe illness as evidenced by a written doctor’s excuse, and

3) for a death in your immediate family.

You are allowed two unexcused absences without penalty.  Each additional unexcused absence will result in a 1 pt. deduction from your course grade. 

Also, being a frequent distraction will adversely affect your grade.  Do not make a habit of arriving late, leaving early, or talking to your neighbor. Cell phone demons must be silenced during class.  The policy of the Office of Academic Affairs is as follows:

. . . the Office of Academic Affairs prohibits the use by students of cell phones, pagers, or similar communication devices during scheduled classes. All such devices must be turned off or put in a silent mode and cannot be taken out during class. At the discretion of the instructor, exception to this policy is possible in special circumstances.  Sanctions for violation of this policy are determined by the instructor and may include dismissal from the class – see Class Disruption (http://www.missouristate.edu/recreg/classdis.html).

Paper: This will be a ten to twelve page research paper.  Click here for details.

Email: An email account and some basic web surfing are required in this course. You can earn 2 extra points immediately by completing the email assignment found on the Schedule page by Aug 31, the Day of the Lord.  

Readings Quizzes: There will be three during the semester.  Also, the final exam will have textbook quiz section.

Anything read since the previous quiz is fair game.  Each quiz will consist of 20 questions.  Most questions will be on major points, important terms, etc., not "trivia."  Underline or highlight as you read.  As the semester progresses you should get better at mastering the readings.  This will mean you are becoming a more skilful reader.

Grading

Readings Quiz 1 10 pts.
Exam 1 30 pts.
Readings Quiz 2 20 pts.
Exam 2 30 pts.
Readings Quiz 3 10 pts.
Paper 60 pts.
Final Exam (includes a 10 pt. Readings Quiz) 40 pts.
TOTAL 200 pts.

Your Course Grade is based on a standard 10 pt scale, so 90-100% (i.e. 180-200 pts.) is an A, 80-89% (i.e. 160-179 pts.) is a B, etc. As someone has said, "Earnestly desire the higher gifts."

See Attendance section above on how absences affect your grade.

An incomplete (i.e., grade "I") will be given for the course if you miss the Final, have a legitimate excuse, and request one within 24 hours after the Final was given.  Any other missed assignments must be made up by Study Day—the day make up exams are given—or you will receive no points for those assignments.

Textbooks

Required

Collins, John J. The Apocalyptic Imagination: An Introduction to Jewish Apocalyptic Literature (2d. ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998).

Probably the best one volume introduction to this subject.

Reddish, Mitchell, G. Apocalyptic Literature: A Reader (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1995).

A fine collection of some of the most significant extra-canonical apocalyptic texts with brief introductions. 

Witherington III, Ben.  Revelation (The New Cambridge Bible Commentary; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003).

A well-informed, reader-friendly commentary.

A Bible (one that is mostly "literal" and accurate)

Most biblical scholars consider the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) to be the all around best translation. Although there a few other decent translations on the market these days, this one is fairly literal while maintaining a natural English style, and is the most accurate over all.  "Literal" basically means translated word for word as much as possible.  The guiding principle of a literal translation is "As literal as possible, as free as necessary."  While every translation is an interpretation, "dynamic or functional equivalence" translations more freely paraphrase the Hebrew and Greek, often turning a few words in the source language into many in the target language.  Sometimes this is necessary due to the unique idioms found in different languages, but it increases the risk that a translator will intentionally or unintentionally introduce his or her biases into the translation.  More literal translations, a.k.a. "formal equivalence" translations, are preferred by most scholars.

Also, there is a difference between academic study Bibles that have a lot of explanatory footnotes and other helps pertaining to historical and literary issues, and most other study Bibles on the market.  Most are confessional/devotional study Bibles, a type that concentrates on doctrinal and/or personal devotional rather than academic matters. If you choose to purchase a study Bible for biblical studies classes at Missouri State, you will benefit most from one that mainly concentrates on the kinds of issues that will be encountered in this course.  How an academic approach to the Bible affects your spiritual life is beyond the scope of a religious studies course in a state university, though I am happy to discuss such issues through email and during office hours.

Best Choice: The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

The NRSV is extremely accurate and faithful to the earliest and best manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament.  It is mostly literal and is the translation most often quoted by a wide variety of biblical scholars (evangelicals, moderates, liberals, secular historians, etc.) in the top academic publications.  It uses gender inclusive language where the grammar and/or context supports it.  If you want it in a study Bible edition, the best choices are The New Oxford Annotated Bible (3d ed.) or The HarperCollins Study Bible.  Both try to present the best of historical-critical biblical scholarship in an objective, non-sectarian way.  The more concise and economical Access Bible from Oxford is also acceptable.

Acceptable Second Best Choices:

Aside from the Revised Standard Version, which translates the Hebrew Bible mostly accurately, I am only comfortable regarding the New Testament portions of the Bibles in this section as acceptable.  Some of them purposely mistranslate a few passages in the Hebrew Bible to "Christianize" them.  Most study Bible editions of these translations are highly sectarian cannot be recommended for academic use, e.g., the Zondervan Study Bible.

1) The Revised Standard Version (RSV).  The RSV is an excellent mostly literal translation, but it uses non-inclusive language and often retains some of the 17th century language of the King James Version.

2) The New American Bible (NAB).  The NAB is an excellent mostly literal translation commissioned by the Catholic Church.

3) The New American Standard Bible (NASB).  The NASB is popular with fundamentalist and ultra-conservative scholars because it is extremely literal, even to the point of not sounding very natural at times.  Strangely, however, even when the Greek original is grammatically gender inclusive, and would have to be translated that way to be literally accurate, it often uses masculine pronouns instead.

4) The English Standard Version (ESV).  The English Standard Version was published by some ultra-conservative scholars who were—rightly—dissatisfied with the inaccuracies of the New International Version (see below) and other dynamic/functional equivalency translations.  Their solution was to take the RSV, which they mostly liked since it was very literal, slightly update it, and "correct" the places where a very literal translation of the Hebrew and Greek might not support very traditional doctrine.  Since most of the questionable translations are in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament portion, I consider it acceptable for a New Testament course.

Unacceptable for Academic Work:

1) The King James Version (KJV) or The New King James Version (NKJV).  The KJV was a great literal translation in its day, but that day was the 17th century!  Many earlier and more accurate biblical manuscripts were discovered afterwards and most modern translations are based on them.  The NKJV updates some of the 17th century language, and I like its literalness, but most of the time it relies on the same late and less accurate manuscripts that were available to the KJV translators in the 17th century.

2) The New International Version (NIV).  The NIV was the first moderately "dynamic" translation to achieve immense popularity.  It has its merits, but the departure from literal translation theory allowed some phrases and sentences of the Hebrew and Greek to be more paraphrased than translated.  This led to several inaccurate and misleading translations.  Dissatisfaction with the NIV among some very conservative Christian scholars was one of the reasons they brought out the ESV (see above).

3) All "dynamic/functional equivalency" versions.  While even a literal translation is to some extent an interpretation, these versions, to varying degrees, often read more like paraphrases and commentary than translations.  Among the least objectionable are the American Bible Society's TEV (Today's English Version) and the CEV (Contemporary English Version).  More serious problems are found in the NLT (New Living Translation) and The Message, which I like to abbreviate as the MESS, because that's what it is from the standpoint of accuracy.

The Fine Print

1) Academic honesty is expected of all Missouri State students (see Academic Integrity Policies and Procedures).  In my course, cheating on any assignment besides the final exam will result in an F for that assignment and usually cannot be made up. Cheating on the final exam will result in an XF. 2) Nondiscrimination is practiced at Missouri State and Missouri State is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer (see EOAA Summary Statement). 3) Disability Accommodation is available at Missouri State (DSS). Inform me during the first week of class if you have a documented learning disability.  4) Some minor aspects of this syllabus are subject to change with notice. Academic honesty is expected of all Missouri State students. You are responsible for making yourself aware of policies on cheating and plagiarism in the Undergraduate Catalog.