Azusa Pacific Online University Syllabi · Humanities · Liberal Arts BIBL230 Introduction to Biblical Literature: Luke/Acts BIBL-230 FA1 2012 - FA2 2012 Section All 3 Credits 09/03/2012 to 12/21/2012 Modified 11/14/2012 Course Description This course introduces New Testament biblical literature, hermeneutics, and inductive methodology with a primary focus upon the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. Special attention is given to the text with regard to its political, cultural, religious, and geographical setting, the literary genre, and the intended meaning of the text in its original cultural and literary context. Meets general studies core requirements for God’s Word and the Christian Response. Prerequisite: BIBL 100: Exodus/Deuteronomy or instructor’s approval COURSE PURPOSE This course provides students with a foundational understanding of the New Testament books of Luke and Acts as they were written in their cultural, historical, political, and religious setting. Completion of BIBL100 (Exodus/Deuteronomy) or the approval of the instructor is required. The course is structured to help students first gain a comprehensive theological perspective of these two New Testament books and then acquire skills for interpreting specific texts as the course progresses. An emphasis is placed on the application of the biblical message in the life of the student and in contemporary society. Who We Are MISSION STATEMENT Azusa Pacific Online University is an evangelical Christian community of disciples and scholars who seek to advance the work of God in the world through academic excellence in liberal arts and professional programs of higher education that encourage students to develop a Christian perspective of truth and life. ONLINE LEARNING Azusa Pacific Online University (APOU) specializes in online education for students who need a flexible learning schedule. The Online University vigorously pursues the goals of Christ-centeredness, academic excellence, affordability, accessibility, and relevance to the contemporary world. Fully online courses are primarily designed for “asynchronous” learning, which enables students to log in and complete their studies at whatever time of the day or night they wish. Occasionally, online courses include “synchronous” sessions where students may interact with one another in real time. APOU courses begin on a Monday. Accordingly, an APOU course week extends from Monday through Sunday with the exception of the final week, which ends on Friday. Graded assignments are due on the days listed in the Course Calendar. All deadlines refer to Pacific time, unless a different time zone is set up by students in their individual Profile settings. Required Texts and Resources Please use The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible for all assigned reading: http://www.devotions.net/bible/00bible.htm (http://www.devotions.net/bible/00bible.htm) Gaventa, Beverly Roberts. (2003). The Acts of the Apostles. Abingdon. ISBN: 9780687058211 1 of 16 Longenecker, Bruce. (2003). The Lost Letters of Pergamum. Grand Rapids: Baker. ISBN #0-8010-2607-5; e-book is ONLY available from Amazon and must be used on their product, the Kindle or using a Kindle app for a desktop, tablet or smartphone. Same ISBN # as hard copy. Talbert, Charles H. (2002). Reading Luke: A Literary and Theological Commentary. Reading the New Testament Series. Macon, GA: Smith and Helwys. ISBN: 1573123935 Outcomes Course Goals Method of Assessment Goal 1: Help students recognize the books and recall the general structure of the New Testament, explain the basic process of New Testament canonization and transmission, and recall content and structure within the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts SLO 1.1: Students will be able to categorize the different types of literature in the NT canon and articulate how to read them Online discussions with their different literary genres and styles. Reflection papers Quizzes SLO 1.2: Students will be able to describe the general content of the New Testament, explain the origin and formation of the Reading outline New Testament canon, and identify texts and traditions that contributed to the development of the New Testament as well as those texts that remained outside the canon Online Discussions Reflection Papers Goal 2: Help students learn the historical, social, political, religious, literary, and geographical world of the New Testament as well as to identify and describe how the followers of Jesus interacted with their Scriptures in richly diverse ways. SLO 2.1: Students will be able to locate Luke-Acts in its particular religious, social and cultural contexts and articulate their Reading Outline, bearing on earliest Christianity, its development, and its diversity. Students will also be able to identify key geographical sites that impinge on their understanding of the New Testament. Book Review, Quizzes, Reflection Paper SLO 2.2: Students will demonstrate the inter-relationships between Christianity and various forms of Judaism in the first Book Review, century. Quizzes, Reflection Paper SLO 2.3: Students will be able to examine and appraise some of the ways in which the early church interpreted the life, Reflection Paper, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Exegetical Paper, Online Discussions 2 of 16 Goal 3: Help students become equipped as critical, reflective readers by familiarizing themselves with the complex methodologies and approaches for interpreting Scriptures. Students will also develop a set of analytical tools for developing and assessing scholarship on Luke-Acts from diverse socio-cultural locations. SLO 3.1: Students will be able to analyze the complex methodologies and approaches for interpreting Luke-Acts. Students Reading Outline, will also apply various critical methods of biblical interpretation to analyze selected passages in Luke-Acts. Reflection Papers, Online Discussions, Exegetical Paper SLO 3.2: Students will identify the structure, argument, and major theological themes and perspectives found in Luke-Acts. Reading Outlines, Students equally appraise the religious dimensions of Luke-Acts in order to appreciate the individual voice of each of the two Lucan books. Reflection Papers, Exegetical Paper, Exams SLO 3.3: Students will be able to develop a set of analytical tools for performing basic research skills into the critical Exegetical secondary literature in New Testament studies and interact with it critically. Students also learn to assess scholarship on Luke-Acts from diverse socio-cultural locations. Paper, Reflection Papers, Quizzes Goal 4: Help students evaluate how the material from the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts can be integrated into their own walk of faith. SLO 4.1: Students will be able to articulate and apply the Wesleyan Quadrilateral and assess the merits of this approach to Online Discussions, reading Scripture. Reflection Papers, Exegetical Paper SLO 4.2: Students will be able to theologically and hermeneutically relate the New Testament to various theological and Exegetical pastoral situations of the church in its contemporary context, locally and worldwide. Paper, Reflection Papers SLO 4.3: Students will be able to practice exegesis of Scripture intelligently and faithfully by understanding and articulating Exegetical how history and culture influence the appropriation of Luke-Acts in the on-going life and ministry of Christian churches. Paper, Literature Review Course Requirements A students’ course grade for this class is dependent upon completion and quality of their course work requirements. There are eight categories of course requirements that all together add up to 345 pts. These are the eight categories (These are a combination of activities, collaborative assignments, and projects): 3 of 16 Online Discussions (40 pts cumulative, 8 of them at 5 pts each) The student is to participate in Online Discussions. The instructor will post a discussion topic and/or question to which each student will be required to respond in a short paragraph (3-5 sentence minimum). Students are encouraged to check back frequently during the discussion period after posting their comments to see what has been posted by others and to respond to the comments of others (minimum of two times). Initial responses are due by one day with peer engagement through the assigned deadline each week. Any later submissions will be counted 0 pts will be granted. Each Online Discussion session is worth 5 pts. Each student will be expected to post an initial response to the prompts provided as well as to sustain discussion with at least two of their peers during each of the discussion sessions, posting on at least 2 different days during each instructional week between on the assigned discussion dates. Discussion responses are evaluated on the quality of their content and not on the quantity of posts. Points are given following the assessment rubric for online discussions. The rubric is included in this syllabus. Reading Outlines (60 pts cumulative, 6 of them 10 pts each) Reading Outlines are objective notes about each week’s assigned reading that help students write their own reflections, as well as inform their work when composing their Exegetical Paper later in the term. An example of an outline is provided as a downloadable document from the course assignment page. Students are required to submit a total of seven outlines on the assigned readings in Talbert (for the Gospel of Luke) and in Gaventa (for the Acts of the Apostles). Each outline should be one page long with single-spacing. The reading outlines for each session should be submitted for credit in the respective assignment pages, no later than the Monday morning of the coming week, except for the final week when they will be due the final Friday of the term. There will be a total of 10 outlines worth 10 pts each. The main purpose of a reading outline is to help students to read the assigned material effectively in order to inform their written reflection papers, as well as to provide a guide from which to write their Exegetical Paper later in the term.