ACTS THROUGH REVELATION: FAITH AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH

BNEW 113

HARDING UNIVERSITY

Spring 2012

H1: M-F 8:00-8:50 MCIN 253

H3: M-F 1:00-1:50 MCIN 225

Instructor: Dr. K. Stanglin

Office phone: 279-4620

Email: kstanglin@harding.edu

Website: www.harding.edu/kstanglin and www.facebook.com

Office hours: MCIN 209, 10:00-12:00, 2:00-3:30 (MWF)

I want you to do well in this course, so please let me know if you are having difficulty with the class material.

Office hours, phone, and email should suffice for class business.

Course Description (from catalog):

This course explores the faith and mission of the church as described in the book of Acts and in the letters to the churches of the first century. The goal is to equip students to know, live and share that content and to apply it appropriately as they love and serve the 21st century world.

Course Objectives:

In light of the university’s mission and objectives, the student who successfully completes this course will be able to:

1) List the NT books in correct canonical order.

2) Give an intelligible, accurate, and chronological account of the major events of the NT.

3) Understand the various genres and articulate the occasional nature of the NT.

4) Responsibly interpret and apply passages of the NT.

5) State the major theological themes of the NT, and be able to locate passages that illustrate these important themes.

6) Discuss some of the issues debated in NT scholarship.

7) Teach the content of the NT to someone else.

Academic Setting:

I will teach this course from a Christian perspective, and my own faith commitments and interests will undoubtedly be reflected in my approach. However, you need not share my faith commitment to do well in this course; the purpose is education, not indoctrination. Part of education is respectfully hearing, understanding, and assessing the merits of opposing viewpoints.

As a part of the liberal arts curriculum at Harding University, this course is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and meets all the criteria of the Higher Learning Commission. That is, you receive full academic credit for this course, transferable to other accredited institutions. As such, the intentional goals of the course are primarily academic, not devotional. This course should not be viewed as a substitute for, but as a supplement to, your personal and communal spiritual growth.

Required Course Textbooks:

Bible. I prefer that you use either the ESV, NASB, NIV, or NRSV. Study Bibles are best.

Bring your Bible to each class meeting.

Marshall, Travis, and Paul. Exploring the New Testament, volume 2. 2nd edition. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2011. ISBN 978-0-8308-2540-0.

Attendance Policy:

Students are expected to attend classes regularly. In the event of illness, family emergency, a school-sponsored activity, or an extenuating circumstance, it is the responsibility of the student to notify the instructor as soon as possible of the reason for the absence. With regard to excuses, I defer to the criteria set by Academic Affairs. A doctor’s note is required for excusing personal illness. Print a hard copy for my records. N.B.: Excuses will not be accepted more than one week after returning to class.

The official policy of COBR states that the equivalent of one week of unexcused absences (5) is allowed in this class. Each additional absence above 5 automatically reduces your final grade by 2 percentage points. Anyone accumulating 15 unexcused absences will be dropped from the course with a “WF” (withdrawn, failing).

You will be considered tardy if you are not present when the roll is checked or if you leave during class. 3 tardies = 1 unexcused absence. If you are tardy, it is your responsibility to make sure you were not counted absent. But if you come in more than 10 minutes late, or leave before the end of class without telling me why, you will be counted absent, and will not be allowed to take the test or quiz. Take care of all business before and after class.

Students with Disabilities:

It is the policy for Harding University to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal and state law. Therefore, any student with a documented disability condition (e.g., physical, learning, psychological, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations, must contact the instructor and the Disabilities Office at the beginning of each semester. (If the diagnosis of the disability occurs during the academic year, the student must self-identify with the Disabilities Director as soon as possible in order to get academic accommodations in place for the remainder of the semester.) The Disabilities Office is located in Room 102 of the Lee Academic Center, telephone, (501) 279-4019.

Assessment:

Harding University, since its charter in 1924, has been strongly committed to providing the best resources and environment for the teaching-learning process. The board, administration, faculty, and staff are wholeheartedly committed to full compliance with all criteria of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The university values continuous, rigorous assessment at every level for its potential to improve student learning and achievement and for its centrality in fulfilling the stated mission of Harding. Thus, a comprehensive assessment program has been developed that includes both the Academic units and the Administrative and Educational Support (AES) units. Specifically, all academic units will be assessed in reference to the following Expanded Statement of Institutional Purpose: The University provides programs that enable students to acquire essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions in their academic disciplines for successful careers, advanced studies, and servant leadership.

Academic Honesty:

Harding University places a high priority on honesty and a biblical commitment to truth. Incidents of cheating, plagiarism, or any other activities deemed dishonest will result in penalties. These penalties may range from receiving a zero (0%) on the assignment to failing the course or dismissal from the school. (According to Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, to “plagiarize” is to steal and use as one’s own the ideas, words, etc., of another. Collaborating on written assignments that should be done individually would fall under this category of dishonesty. See also the definitions and descriptions in the catalog or student handbook.)

Classroom Expectations and Decorum:

I expect your best effort and cooperation. I also expect all students to behave in a Christian manner in and out of the classroom. Appropriate behavior includes abiding by the conduct and dress codes set by the university. Turn off all cell phones. I do not want to see them. Do not eat food in the classroom. Only drinks in spill-proof containers are allowed in class. If you make a mess, it is your responsibility to clean it up or pay for it to be cleaned.

If it looks to me like you are sleeping, texting, or doing other work in class, I will ask you to leave and it will be counted as an unexcused absence.

You may use laptops for taking notes only. If you use a laptop, you must sit on the front row.

Class will begin promptly, so be ready. Class will be dismissed when I finish, not necessarily when the bell rings.

Course Requirements:

1. Every student should carefully read the entire text of Acts through Revelation and the entire text, Exploring the New Testament (ENT), by or before the time indicated in the course schedule. The student is responsible for all the information in the readings. On the final exam, you will be asked to sign a statement indicating how much you actually read.

Be prepared to discuss and answer questions about the material in class. Your daily, individual participation in class discussion (which includes reading aloud and offering relevant questions and thoughtful responses) could be a subjective element in determining the final grade.

2. The student should keep a notebook containing all lecture notes and handouts. Your notes supplement the study guides for tests. Brief study guides will appear on my website the day before each test.

3. Quiz 1 will cover ENT 1, the background and world of the NT and other issues covered in the first week of lecture. 30 pts. (Bring your own #2 pencils for use on quizzes and tests.)

4. You will be quizzed on your ability to list—in correct order and with correct spelling—the 27 books of the NT. The quiz will be worth 50 points. If you have more than two books out of order OR more than five spelling errors total, you must re-take the quiz, but this time for 45 points maximum. A third and final attempt would be worth only 35 points maximum. If this final attempt is unsuccessful, you will receive a zero.

5. Ten reading quizzes (2-11) will cover the noted sections of ENT (or, in the case of Acts, other readings). Pay special attention to key terms/people/places, issues, and questions at the end of each chapter. There will be no make-up quizzes. The two lowest grades (or first two missed) of Quizzes 2-11 will be dropped at the end of the semester. 120 pts. (15 pts. each)

6. Reading Questions and Reflections (RQR): On the Fridays of designated weeks (see schedule), turn in a brief paper over the assigned OT readings. Each paper should include three components in response to the readings: a) Five objective questions (T/F, multiple choice, fill in blank), including correct answers and textual citations, to be used on tests. b) Tell what passage or story was particularly striking and applicable to your life. How does it impact you? ½ page single-spaced. c) Respond to the following: “Which passage do you find most difficult to understand in these readings?” Or, “Why do you find this passage difficult to apply?” Or, “Which passage is most compelling, and why?” ½ page single-spaced. 150 pts. (15 pts. each)

7. Four tests will cover the noted sections of NT readings and lecture material. Memory work relevant to each section will be included on the tests as well. 400 pts. (Test 1 = 75 pts. Tests 2 and 3 = 100 pts. each. Test 4/Final = 125 pts.)

8. Read both of the following selections from Josephus and Ovid. Write at least a 400-word (approx. 1 single-spaced page) analysis paper over one of these two outside readings (see schedule). The paper should be your own work. Due W of Week 6. 30 pts.

a) Read Josephus Antiquities XIX.viii.2

http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/josephus/ant-19.htm and Acts 12:19-23. Compare and contrast these stories. What does this imply about the historical reliability of Acts?

b) Read Ovid Metamorphoses VIII.611-724 http://etext.virginia.edu/latin/ovid/trans/Metamorph8.htm#482327670 and Acts 14:8-20. How does this story illuminate the event in Acts? What is the connection? More generally, what does it say about the usefulness of historical background for understanding Scripture?

9. Each student will write, in his own words, a 270-330 word response to the designated case study. It will be due at the beginning of class M of Week 8. 30 pts.

10. Extra credit opportunity:

Attend and take notes at John Walton’s lectures on Tuesday, 1/31. There will be various topics related to the OT. Turn your notes in to me at the beginning of the next class period. (up to 5 extra points for each lecture)

Make-up Policy:

A test may be made up only if the absence is excused (see “Attendance Policy” above). Contact or see me as soon as possible to arrange it. After I am notified, the make-up test will be given on Tues./Thurs., 6:00 p.m., room 233. All make-up tests will be entirely essay format. There will be no make-ups for unexcused absences.

Grading Scale: 860 points total

90-100% = A (excellent) 80-89 = B (good) 70-79 = C (average) 60-69 = D 0-59 = F

Although it is your responsibility to keep up with your grades and absences, I will periodically post them on my website. Check your grades with last name and password (H number). If the numbers are incorrect, I will gladly correct them. Otherwise, final grades are non-negotiable.

Course Schedule:

(Acts-Rev. = 171 chapters. About 12 chs. per week.)

Wk. 1, 1/9 Introduction. Goals. Questions. World of NT. Read ENT 1, and http://www.abu.nb.ca/courses/NTIntro/History1.htm