BNT620: Issues in the Synoptic Gospels

Cincinnati Bible Seminary Tom Thatcher Fall 2012, M 12:30-3:10pm (513) 244-8172 3 graduate credits [email protected]

Rationale

The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are essential to contemporary understandings of the life and teachings of Jesus. While the content of the three books overlaps substantially, each reflects distinct theological and literary themes. Christian leaders should be acquainted both with the books themselves and with major critical issues surrounding their interpretation.

Within the larger seminary curriculum, BNT620 is structured as a “seminar.” As such, aside from its narrower content objectives, its primary purpose is to allow students an opportunity to develop their skills in research, writing, and peer presentation at the graduate level. The course outline, assignment structure, and grading scale all reflect an emphasis on quality over quantity.

Objectives

The student who successfully completes this course will . . .

1) Be able to discuss major themes in the Synoptic Gospels and major critical issues in the study of these books;

2) Demonstrate expertise in specific areas of research associated with the Synoptic Gospels;

3) Demonstrate the ability to write, present, and discuss research on the Synoptic Gospels with professional peers.

The student’s achievement of these objectives will be measured through the following learning experiences and assignments.

Learning Experiences and Assignments

As noted above, Issues in the Synoptic Gospels is a seminar course. The Instructor will serve as a guide, while individual class sessions will be led by students, who will present papers on topics selected from the list below (or others of their choice in consultation with the Instructor). The class will meet the first week for a general orientation and to choose presentation topics, and will then break for several weeks to allow students time to prepare their first papers. The specific schedule for the course and the length of each weekly meeting will depend on the number of students enrolled. 1) Each student will write 2 papers and present them in class. Papers should be submitted to the Instructor no less than 5 days before the class session in which they are to be presented (i.e., by 4:00pm on the Wednesday preceding the date of the presentation). The Instructor will then post the papers on the Moodle website for the course. Papers submitted after the prescribed deadline will receive a grade not higher than “C.” Due dates for individual papers will reflect the scheduling needs of the course.

Papers should reflect careful research and original presentation, and should be no less (and not much more) than 5000 words in length. The footnotes and bibliography should reflect engagement with the best and most recent sources in the field. Papers should be prepared in accordance with the CCU manual of style, and/or following the guidelines of The SBL Handbook of Style (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1999).

After the in-class presentation, the Instructor will return a marked copy of the paper to its author. Students should reflect on class discussion, peer responses, and the Instructor’s comments and revise their papers based on this feedback. A final revised edition of all papers must be submitted by December 10, 2012. Only the final revised draft of each paper will receive a letter grade.

Grades for papers/presentations will reflect an evaluation of a) the quality of research and argument; b) the quality of presentation; c) the quality of the summary/presentation in class; d) the quality of answers to questions presented by peers.

2) Each week, students who are not presenting papers will read the presentation paper(s) and develop three discussion questions relating to each. Some or all of these questions will be discussed in class following the presentation. A typed copy of the questions, with a brief (one paragraph) rationale explaining each, will be submitted at the end of the class session.

3) In each class meeting, discussion will focus on the papers to be delivered that day. The student who is leading the discussion will present a synopsis of her/his topic. The class will then discuss the issues raised in the paper and, at the end, make constructive observations on the presentation and format.

4) Following weekly class meetings, the Instructor will post one or several questions on the Moodle forum for the course relating to the topics raised by the papers in that session. Each student will post at least one thoughtful response to each question. Students may feel free to comment on specific details of the paper under consideration, or on other student’s responses, in the course of their answers.

5) Students will select two of the following titles for a “notes and review” assignment. For each book, take careful notes as you read. A typed copy of these notes, indicating the page number for each note, must be submitted, followed by a 1500 word review of the content of the book. The review should summarize the main themes of the book and then analyze its major strengths and witnesses. Where possible, the student should consult and interact with no less than 3 published reviews of the book, which should be indicated in a bibliography at the end of the assignment. The student may not select books that she has already read. Alternate titles may be pursued with the Instructor’s permission. Both notes and review assignments must be submitted by December 10, 2012.

Beasley-Murray, G. R. Preaching the Gospel from the Gospels. Rev. ed. London: Epworth Press, 1965.

Burridge, Richard. What Are the Gospels? A Comparison with Graeco–Roman Biography. SNTSMS. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.

Carter, Warren. Matthew and Empire: Initial Explorations. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2001.

Goodacre, Mark. The Case Against Q: Studies in Markan Priority and the Synoptic Problem. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2002.

Green, Joel B. The Theology of the Gospel of Luke. New Testament Theology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.

Horsley, Richard. Hearing the Whole Story: The Politics of Plot in Mark’s Gospel. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2001.

Jensen, Richard A. Preaching Mark’s Gospel: A Narrative Approach. Lima, OH: CSS Publishing Company, 1996. (Students may prefer Jensen’s similar books on Matthew or Luke).

Malbon, Elizabeth Struthers. In the Company of Jesus: Characters in Mark’s Gospel. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2000.

Pagels, Elaine. The Gnostic Gospels. New York, NY: Random House, 1979.

Powell, Mark Alan. God With Us: A Pastoral Theology of Mark’s Gospel. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 1995.

Rhoads, David, Donald Michie, and Joanna Dewey. Mark as Story: An Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel. Rev. ed. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 1999.

Scott, Bernard Brandon. Re-Imagine the World: An Introduction to the Parables of Jesus. Sonoma, CA: Polebridge, 2001.

Stein, Robert H. Studying the Synoptic Gospels: Origin and Interpretation. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001.

Stiller, Brian C. Preaching Parables to Postmoderns. Fortress Resources for Preaching. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2005. Grading Scale

Book Review 1 10% Book Review 2 10% Paper/Presentation 1 30% Paper/Presentation 2 30% Questions 5% Moodle Responses 5% Attendance 10%

After the first absence, 4 points will be deducted from the student’s attendance grade for each absence.

All work described in this syllabus must be submitted by December 10, 2012 in order for the student to pass the class, regardless of grades received on assignments that were actually submitted. For example, if a student receives an “A” on each submitted assignment but fails to submit one of the book reviews, that student will receive a grade of “F” for the class.

NOTICE: This course plan, as distributed in class the first day of the semester and/or in electronic form, overrides all earlier versions of the course plan for the same class. All terms and conditions stated in this course plan, including objectives, outline of contents, required texts, assignments, attendance policy, and grading scale, are subject to the professor’s unilateral revision at any point before, during, or after the semester.

Paper Topics

The following list of possible topics is not exhaustive, but is rather intended to provoke your own imagination. Feel free to suggest a topic not included on the list below. Note that comparative studies of ways that the Synoptics handle specific issues and themes are acceptable, but the focus should be on the unique points and differences in the respective presentations. Papers may not simply harmonize the texts, or attempt to develop a systematic theological perspective from them. For example, a paper may compare and contrast the presentation of the Parable of the Sower or the Feeding of 5000 in the Synoptics, but the focus should be on unique elements in each presentation.

General Critical Issues

The Synoptic Problem 1) The Contours of “the Problem” 2) The Griesbach Hypothesis (Matthean Priority) 3) Source Theories The Synoptics and Noncanonical Literature 1) Genre and Nature of Q 2) Content and Layers of Q 3) Arguments Against Q 4) Q and Thomas 5) Q, Thomas, and the Synoptics 6) Narrative Gospels vs. other genres

Media Studies 1) Form Criticism and the Synoptics 2) Jesus Traditions and/in the Synoptics 3) The Composition and Publication of the Synoptics 4) Text Criticism (general issues and/or specific problems)

Historical Jesus Studies 1) Methods and Criteria (with emphasis on the Synoptics) 2) Historical Value of the Synoptics (generally or individual books) 3) Specific Jesus scholars 4) Parables 5) Healings 6) Exorcisms 7) Sabbath

Authorship Theories (ancient and modern)

Genre 1) Defining “Genre” 2) Greco-Roman Historiography 3) Greco-Roman Biography 4) Sub-genres within the Synoptics (parable, genealogy, etc.)

John and the Synoptics 1) Relationships between the books 2) Major similarities and differences (in presentation, themes, etc.) 3) Johannine themes in the Synoptics 4) Luke/John overlaps and parallels 5) John/Synoptic “interlocks”

Individual Gospels

Matthew 1) Audience (Jewish, Gentile, Mixed) 2) The Matthean Community 3) Matthew’s Use of Scripture 4) Apocalyptic Elements in Matthew 5) Outline/Structure of Matthew 6) The Sermon on the Mount 7) Matthew’s Christmas Story 8) Matthew on Divorce 9) Matthew on the Second Coming

Mark 1) Mark’s Parable Theory 2) Absence of Sayings Material 3) Mark’s presentation of the Disciples 4) The “Little Apocalypse” (Mark 13) 5) The Ending of Mark (Long or Short?) 6) The Temple Incident in Mark

Luke 1) The Nazareth Sermon (Luke 4) 2) The Marginalized in Luke 3) The Prologue (Luke 1:1-4) 4) Theophilus 5) Jesus’ Journey to Jerusalem 6) Outline/Structure of Luke 7) Parallels between Luke and Acts (structural/conceptual) 8) Luke’s Christmas Story