BNEW 112 * The New Testament * Fall 2008
Instructor
Allen Diles, Th.D. Campus
Mail,
Mc 140 (Center for World Missions) E-Mail: rdiles@harding.edu
279-4158 (HU office)
www.harding.edu/rdiles
If you need me to call you, please leave me your
Harding extension or a LOCAL Searcy phone #. I do not have a cell phone and
will not make long-distance calls.
Office Hours:
Monday: 1:00-5:00
Tuesday: 1:30-3:30
Wednesday: 1:00-3:00
Thursday: 1:30-3:30
Please Read and Be Familiar with this
Syllabus. In order to earn points for this class, each student is required to
print off, sign, and turn in the statement at the end of this Syllabus.
An
Invitation from Dr. Diles
I am at Harding to uplift
Christ, teach Scripture, and serve my students. As God gives me strength and
wisdom, I want to do all three as consistently and faithfully as I am able. I
invite you to contact me whenever you need me, whether it has to do with
academic or personal concerns. My office hours are listed above and are posted
on my office door. Appointments are not
necessary but are encouraged in order to avoid your being inconvenienced.
Without an appointment, you may arrive at my office to find me visiting with
another student or otherwise out of pocket. If you need to see me outside of
office hours feel free to call and make an appointment.
Students with Disabilities: It
is the policy for
Assessment:
BNEW 112 presents an overview
of the world of the New Testament and surveys the contents of each New
Testament book. Some attention will
be given to each book of the New
Testament, but not all books will be
examined in the same depth. Selected
passages will be examined more thoroughly to help students understand Jesus, his mission, his
message, and his church as they are revealed in the New Testament, as well as
to provide a model for studying Scripture. You will be expected to master
factual information pertaining to the New Testament, but also encouraged to
understand the relevance of its message for your lives.
The overall goal of BNEW 112
is to help you become more familiar with the content, context, and concerns of
the New Testament., so that you can better apply the New Testament to your walk
as a follower of Christ. Content
includes the major events, characters, chronology, and themes of the New
Testament as a whole as well as within various books. Context refers to the historical, literary, cultural, and
geographical setting of the New Testament. Concerns
refer to the major theological and ethical teachings emphasized throughout the
New Testament.
Specific objectives:
Responsible participation in a Bible class is an integral part of the Harding experience.
Though you are encouraged to be present for each of our class meetings this semester, you are allowed the equivalent of one week’s of unexcused absences (for a daily class, that is five; for a MWF, that is three, for a TTh class, that is two, for a night course, one). Use them responsibly. The instructor of this course intends to record attendance each day.
Three (3) tardies count as one unexcused absence. If you are late to class it is your responsibility to see that you are not charged with an absence. Tardies must be registered on the day you are late to class. Punctual means in class and in your seat on time. 3 tardies will result in an absence, and the instructor reserves the right to lock the doors when the bell rings and count anyone not in their seat as absent.
EACH additional unexcused absence beyond the number allowed will be penalized as follows (assuming a100 point scale for course grading):
For daily classes: 2 percent off the final grade
For MWF classes: 3 percent off the final grade
For TR classes: 4.5 percent off the final grade
For weekly classes: 9 percent off the final grade
When students accumulate unexcused absences totaling at least 20% (14 absences) of the total class meetings (the equivalent of three weeks) for the semester, they will be given a grade of “WF” for non-attendance (a WF - Withdrawn Failing) and referred to the office of the Vice-President of Academic Affairs where they will received further discipline for violation of academic policy. See the catalog for further clarification.
If a student accumulates two “WFs” in Bible courses due to excessive absences, this will result in a “Bible attendance suspension” for at least one semester.
For an absence to be excused, the instructor of this course must receive written confirmation from the appropriate source within one week of the student’s return to class. (Excuses are issued by the school nurse, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, a coach, or a sponsor and reported in Pipeline. Absences are not excused until posted in Pipeline.) In addition to the above, the instructor of this course reserves the right to discern whether or not a student is taking advantage of the University’s excuse policy.
Excused
absences are given for the following: Sickness, death in the immediate family,
and officially sanctioned school activities. In ALL cases the absence must be
cleared with me BEFORE class, either in person, by telephone, or by e-mail, and
in the case of sickness or officially sanctioned school activity, you must
bring me a hard-copy excuse from Pipeline, doctor, nurse, or if living off
campus, relative with whom you live (for sickness). It is YOUR responsibility
to print off the excuse and bring it to me. I will NOT search pipe-line for class excuses, and the nurse’s office
does not e-mail them to me.
You are responsible for keeping track of your own attendance record.
o
Your conduct should be in keeping with Christian
standards, the policies of
o
Display a respectful attitude toward other students
in the class and toward me, even when you do not feel like doing so. I hope we
can create a challenging yet safe learning environment. It will be safe to think and safe to
disagree. Arrogant, rude, and disrespectful behavior, however, will not be
tolerated.
o
If you bring food or drink to the classroom, you
are responsible for cleaning any spills, crumbs, etc. If this privilege is
abused, the policy may be changed at the discretion of the instructor. NO food
or drinks (other than water) will be allowed in the classroom on exam
days.
o
Please, have all cell phones and audible pagers
turned off during class. Lap-tops may NOT be used in this class without written
permission from me. NO cell phones, pagers, lap-tops, i-pods,
or other electronic devices will be allowed in class on exam days.
o
The teacher—not the bell—dismisses class. Please do not start packing your books until
class is dismissed.
o
You are expected to take an active role in the
learning process, which includes completing assigned readings and other
assignments before class, attending class, paying attention, taking notes,
asking and answering questions, participating in discussions, and being
prepared for the exams.
o
You are encouraged to participate fully in class.
Respectfully engage fellow students and me. Ask, answer, probe, question,
discuss, and think.
·
Completion of learning activities (see below).
The final grade will be based on the sum of points
from the following learning activities.
Required Activities
·
List and spell
Books of the New Testament 50
points (7.4%)
·
Read Books of the
New Testament 25
points (3.7%)
·
Four exams
including the final (comprehensive) exam 500 points (73.5%)
·
Lectureship
assignment 15
points (2.2%)
·
Memory Verse Quiz 40
points (5.9%)
·
Other assignments
and quizzes up to 50 points (7.4%)
Total 680
points
·
Plus optional
activities up
to 25 points
Explanation of Required Activities
List and Spell Books of the New Testament: Students are required to list the books of the New
Testament in correct order (27
points) and spelled correctly (27
points). Any points scored over 50 will count as “bonus” or “make-up” points
figured into your point total for the semester.
Read
Books of the New Testament: All students are required to read the entire
New Testament. You will be asked to sign and present the following statement to
me: I, (your name), give my word
that outside of class time I have read the entire New Testament during the course
of this school semester. I may take off points if the statement is not
worded correctly. You may present this statement to me at any time during the
semester but no later than Friday December 5. This counts concretely for
25 points on your final grade. Your integrity is more important to me than your
grade. I will be willing to give partial credit for partial completion of this
assignment. However, in real terms your grade may be much more dependent on
your reading of the New Testament than simply 25 points. Your familiarity with
the text of the New Testament will have an impact on your performance during
exams as well. You will be responsible for the content of the entire New
Testament whether we cover a specific text in class or not.
Exams:
Each of the first three exams will be worth 100 points and may be taken from any or all of the following
sources: 1) Material we have discussed in class, 2) assigned readings in the
NIV Study Bible, and 3) from the applicable sections of the New Testament. These
exams will not be comprehensive.
Final Exam:
The final exam, worth 200 points,
will be taken from the same sources as the previous exams and will test all
material for which the student is responsible. Thus it is both comprehensive
and tests previously untested material.
Lectureship assignment: During the fall
Lectureship (Sept. 29-Oct. 1) this class will not meet. Instead students will
be expected to attend three classes or keynote lectures and turn in at least
one page of notes for each lecture they attend. At the top of the paper
students should include their name and section number, the name of the speaker,
title of the lecture and the time, date, and location of the lecture. These are
worth 5pts. each for a total of 15 points.
All notes should be turned in at the beginning of class time on Oct. 2.
Memory verse quiz: You will be given 20 New
Testament memory verses and will be expected to match the verse with its New
Testament book, chapter, and verse. Each verse is worth 2 pts. for a total of 40
points. Likely date for this quiz is Friday,
Oct. 24.
Other assignments and quizzes: From time to time
(usually, but not necessarily always on Fridays) you will be given additional
quizzes or assignments over material we have covered or over reading assignments.
These quizzes will typically be announced the class period before they are
given. There could be as many as 10 of these throughout the semester and I will
drop the lowest score. If you miss a quiz due to an unexcused absence, you may
not make it up. The first time you miss a quiz due to an excused absence, it
will count as your drop. After that, it is your responsibility to see me about
making up the quiz.
Explanation of Optional Activities (extra credit): Students whose performance on exams falls short of their goals may accumulate up to 25 “make-up” points by completing and submitting 2 copies of an original written book review. Students may select an APPROVED book related to the study of the New Testament and write a two page review (I will not read beyond 2 pages). The book selected by the student must be one he/she has never read before. By turning in a review of a book, the student is affirming, “I myself have read this entire book, a book I have never read before.” The paper should be identified with your name, date, class name, book name, author’s name, publisher, and year of publication. The paper should be typed, double-spaced, in Times New Roman size 10 font or larger, stapled (each copy stapled separately), and should include a summary of the book’s content (7 pts.), three strengths of the book (with explanation or examples, 2 points each), three weaknesses or items with which you disagree (with explanation or examples, 2 points each), and your personal reactions to the book (6 pts.). Grammar, style, and spelling will also be factored into your grade and I reserve the right to refuse to read papers that are unintelligible. The maximum number of points available per book review is 25. Optional book reviews will not be accepted after December 1.
* In NO CASE will optional activities improve your
overall score more than 1 letter grade!
* Students who exceed 12 absences, whether excused or unexcused, are not
eligible for extra credit.
* Students with PERFECT
attendance (meaning no absences, whether excused or not, and with less than 3 tardies) will receive a bonus of 20 points at the end of the semester.
Grading Scale: 90–100=A; 80–89=B; 70–79=C; 60–69=D; 59 and
below=F
Academic
dishonesty will result in penalties up to and including dismissal from the
class with a failing grade and will be reported to the Assistant Vice President
for Academic Affairs. All instances of dishonesty will be handled according to
the procedures delineated in the
Achtemeier, Paul J., Joel B. Green, and Marianne Meye Thompson, Introducing the New Testament: Its
Literature and Theology (Eerdmans, 2001).
DeSilva, David. An Introduction to the New Testament:
Contexts, Methods, and Ministry Formation (InterVarsity,
2004).
Fiensy, David A. New Testament Introduction. In The College Press NIV Commentary.
(College Press, 1994).
Green, Joel B., Scot McKnight, and
Gundry, Robert H. A Survey of the New Testament,
4th ed. (Zondervan, 2003).
Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction
(Intervarsity, 1970).
Hawthorne, Gerald F., Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G.
Reid. Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (InterVarsity,
1993)
Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Writings of the New
Testament: An Interpretation, revised ed. (
Lea, Thomas D. The New Testament: Its Background
and Message (Broadman and Holman, 1996).
Marshall,
Tenney, Merrill C. New Testament Survey, revised ed.
(Eerdmans, 1985).
Wenham, David and Steve Walton, Exploring the New
Testament: A Guide to the Gospels and Acts (InterVarsity,
2001).
Anchor Bible Dictionary
Zondervan Pictorial Bible Encyclopedia
I affirm that I have read and understand the contents of this syllabus and am willing to abide by them as a condition for participating in the class New Testament Survey, taught by Dr. Allen Diles.