San José State University
College of Humanities and the Arts

English and Comparative Literature
ENGL 115.01: The Bible as Literature Spring 2012

Place/Day/Time: Boccardo Business Center 120, T/Th 1:30-2:45

Instructor:	Dr. Mary Warner
Office Location:	FO 127
Telephone:	408-924-4417
Email:	mary.warner@sjsu.edu
Office Hours:	M: 3:00-5:00, T: 4:00-6:00, F: 3:00-5:00
Class Days/Time:	T/Th. – 1:30 – 1:15
Classroom:	BBC 120 (Boccardo Business Center
Prerequisites:	As this is an upper division course, it is expected that you have already taken general education requirements such as ENGL 1A and 1B, and that you have already developed upper division skills as well as high standards for your written work. In English department courses, your instructors comment not only on the content of your written work, but also on the quality of work being displayed. All student writing should contain clear focus, correct grammar and punctuation, appropriate diction and syntax, and well-organized paragraphs. (See the English Department Paper Evaluation Guide later in the syllabus.)

Web Page: http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/mary.warner/

Course Description: Study of the Bible from the perspective of literature. In ENGL 115, The Bible as Literature, students will examine key portions of the Bible, exploring its array of subjects, themes, literary styles and genres, and contributions to the literature of Western Civilization. (3 credits)

Course Objectives: Students will learn to

1. read, discuss, and understand the Bible from a non-sectarian literary

perspective

2. identify, analyze, and interpret the literary devices used

3. identify, analyze, and interpret major themes in specific books of the Bible

4. recognize the Bible's rich contribution to other major literary works and integrate this knowledge with that for other course work in the humanities

5. produce thoughtful written work demonstrating the abilities learned in 1-4

above

Student Learning Objectives—Department of English & Comparative Literature

Students will demonstrate the ability to

1) read closely in a variety of forms, styles, structures, and modes, and articulate the value of close reading in the study of literature, creative writing, or rhetoric.

2) show familiarity with major literary works, genres, periods, and critical approaches to British, American, and World Literature.

3) write clearly, effectively, and creatively, and adjust writing style appropriately to the content, the context, and nature of the subject.

4) develop and carry out research projects, and locate, evaluate, organize, and incorporate information effectively.

5) articulate the relations among culture, history, and texts.

ENGL 115 specifically addresses the following Student Learning Outcomes

· read closely in a variety of forms, styles, structures, and modes, and articulate the value of close reading in the study of literature, creative writing, or rhetoric – Course Requirements 1, 4, 5, 6

· write clearly, effectively, and creatively, and adjust writing style appropriately to the content, the context, and nature of the subject—Course Requirements 2, 5

· develop and carry out research projects, and locate, evaluate, organize, and incorporate information effectively –Course Requirements 2, 3

· articulate the relations among culture, history, and texts—By its very nature the Bible is a work of many genres and of cultural and historical significance and addresses this SLO.

Required Texts/Readings: The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Revised Standard Version, 4th edition. Coogan, Michael D., ed; Brettler, Marc Z., Carol A. Newsom, and Pheme Perkins, assoc. eds. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.

The Bible and Its Influence, 2^nd edition. Cullen Schippe and Chuck Stetson, general editors, New York & Fairfax, VA: The Bible Literacy Project Publishing

Course Handouts: located at http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/mary.warner/English115_HandoutsSpr2012.html

Library Liaison: Toby Matoush; Email: Toby.Matoush@sjsu.edu; Phone: 408-808-2096

Course Requirements/Evaluation:

1. Thorough and engaged reading of all assigned texts. The course's fundamental purpose is to increase students' familiarity with the literary aspects of the Bible, comprehensively, not as isolated quotations, and to this end, students must do consistent and careful reading. 20% of the overall grade for the course is determined by participation and discussion, neither of which can be done well without doing the necessary reading. One specific measurement of participation will be the Key Quotes due Tuesdays at the beginning of class. Additionally any oral presentations – the response to a video in the Genesis: A Living Conversation series, for example – are components of participation. – (SLO 1)

2. Two essays of 3-5 pages--one of the essays will come from topics connected to the study of the Old Testament, specifically the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy); the Neviim (the Prophets)--selections from the Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings; and the Latter Prophets: Amos, Hosea, Habakkuk, Jonah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel; and the Ketuvim (the Writings)--including selections from Psalms and Proverbs, the book of Job, the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes).

The second essay will be based on topics from New Testament or the Christian Foundational Writings--the Gospel According to Mark, the Gospel According to John (selections), the Acts of the Apostles, selections from Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and Galatians; and Revelation. Each essay is worth the following percentage of the overall course grade. (SLO 1 & 2)

Essay One--15%

Essay Two--15%

I will provide a rubric for scoring the essays as a separate handout.

3. You will give an oral presentation of one of your papers--you will be able to select that paper on which you'd like to report. Oral presentations should be 7-10 min. and should offer your insights and research findings. Oral presentations will earn 10% of your overall grade. – (SLO 4)

4. A mid-term examination that will account for 10% of the course grade.

5. Sustained Silent Writing (SSW)—each week we will do 20 minutes of SSW—your writing might provide the basis for one of your papers, response to readings or to ideas raised in class discussion. Please keep a folder with the writing done in each of the SSW times and plan to submit it every other week for review. This writing helps meet the requirement for upper level literature courses of 5000 words of writing. The writing is done in-class only. The SSW requirement is 15% of the course grade. – (SLO 1 & 2)

6. A final examination that will account for 15% of the course grade; the exam is on May 19 from 9:45-12:00.

Grading: The above requirements total 100%; I will be assigning a percent for each and averaging the scores. The letter equivalent is as follows and allows for plus/minus grading:

A--91-100 B--82-90 C--73-81 D--64-72 F--below 64

The Department of English & Comparative Literature reaffirms its commitment to the differential grading scale as defined in the official SJSU Catalog (“The Grading System”). Grades issued must represent a full range of performance: A=Excellent; B=Above Average; C=Average; D=Below Average; F=Failure

Paper Evaluation Guide (Developed by the English Department)

In English Department courses, instructors will comment on and grade the quality of student writing as well as the quality of ideas being conveyed. Student writing should exhibit correct grammar/punctuation and organized paragraphs.

The “A” essay will

• be well organized and developed
• demonstrate a clear understanding of audience and purpose
• display original, provocative thought
• demonstrate advanced reading abilities
• incorporate both primary and secondary supporting materials effectively and correctly
• show student’s ability to use language effectively and to construct sentences distinguished by syntactic complexity and variety
• have no logical fallacies
• essentially be free of grammatical, mechanical, and usage errors

The “B” essay will

• demonstrate competence in the same categories as the “A” essay, but show some describable slight weaknesses in one of those categories
• slight one of the assigned tasks, show less facility of expression, or contain some minor grammatical, mechanical, or usage flaws

The “C” essay will

• complete all tasks set by the assignment, but show weaknesses in fundamentals—usually development
• be weak in support of its thesis
• have less mature sentence construction
• have less effective and correct use of language than the “B” essay

The “D” essay will

• neglect one of the assigned tasks and be noticeably superficial in fulfilling the assignment—may be too simplistic or too short
• show problems in logic or development, lack sufficient information to support its point
• have grammatical, mechanical, and/or usage errors that are serious and/or frequent enough to interfere substantially with the writer’s ability to communicate

The “F” essay will

• demonstrate striking underdevelopment of ideas and insufficient or unfocused organization.
• contain serious grammatical, mechanical, and/or usage errors that make some sentences incomprehensible.

University Policies

Participation Policy: According to University policy F69-24, “Students should attend all meetings of their classes, not only because they are responsible for material discussed therein, but because active participation is frequently essential to insure maximum benefit for all members of the class.” Because this course is predominantly discussion and lecture based, attendance and participation are essential. The best education is more student-centered than teacher-directed, and to receive the best education, each student must be willing to make a significant contribution to the learning that happens. Remember that 20% of the overall grade in the course is earned through participation, oral presentations and discussion.

Academic integrity

The University emphasizes responsible citizenship and an understanding of ethical choices inherent in human development. Academic honesty and fairness foster ethical standards for all those who depend upon the integrity of the university, its courses, and its degrees. This policy sets standards for such integrity. The public is defrauded if faculty and/or students knowingly or unwittingly allow dishonest acts to be rewarded academically and the university’s degrees are compromised.

Plagiarism: At SJSU plagiarism is the act of representing the work of another as one’s own without giving appropriate credit, regardless of how that work was obtained, and submitting it to fulfill academic requirements. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to

• the act of incorporating the ideas, words, sentences, paragraphs, or parts of,

and/or the specific substance of another’s work, without giving appropriate credit,

and/or representing the product as one’s own work;

• representing another’s artistic/scholarly works such as musical compositions,

computer programs, photographs, paintings, drawing, sculptures, or similar works

as one’s own.

(Adapted from the SJSU Academic Senate Policy, S04-12; please check this web site for the full policy: http://www.sa.sjsu.edu/judicial_affairs/index.html)

According to the SJSU policy, the minimum penalty for plagiarism is failure of the assignment/paper/exam. It is your responsibility to become informed about the Academic Integrity Policy. I am more than happy to help you learn, but if you do not do your own work, that goal cannot be accomplished. Please see me if you have any questions about documentation.

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the DRC (Disability Resource Center) to establish a record of their disability.

SJSU Writing Center

The SJSU Writing Center is located in Room 126 in Clark Hall. It is staffed by professional instructors and upper-division or graduate-level writing specialists from each of the seven SJSU colleges. Our writing specialists have met a rigorous GPA requirement, and they are well trained to assist all students at all levels within all disciplines to become better writers. Check out this link: http://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenter/

Course Calendar: (Subject to change to better address your needs and to accommodate any outside presenters)

Table 1 Course Schedule

Week	Date	Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines
1	Th., Jan. 26	Introduction to the course, the syllabus; Protocols for study of the Bible from a literary perspective; Introductory writing activity; Presentation of key terms and background ASSIGNMENT: Introduction; Genesis 1-13-- and bring 2 Key Quotes to class; The Bible and Its Influence (B&IInf) Chapters 1 &2;
2	T., Jan. 31 Th., Feb. 2	Voices in the Text/Creation Stories/the "Silent Spots"--Begin discussing Genesis 1-13 and material from Chapters 1& 2 B&IInf, SSW ASSIGNMENT: Genesis 15-23, Chapters 3&4 B&IInf, Video from the Genesis: A Living Conversation series ASSIGNMENT: Cont. work on Genesis through Ch. 23, Chapter 5 B&IF; 2 Key Quotes due; Responses to the video we’ve viewed in class; View one of the videos in the Genesis series before Feb. 9 and record notes for an oral report; Group 1 – SSW folders due on Feb. 9
3	T., Feb. 7 Th., Feb. 9	Voices in the Text/Creation Stories/the "Silent Spots"—discussion of Genesis 15-23, SSW ASSIGNMENT: Genesis 24-35; View a video from the Genesis series before Feb. 9; Oral Presentations on Genesis videos: “Temptation,” “First Murder,” “Apocalypse;” Cont. discussion of Genesis 24-35, Oral Presentations on Genesis videos ASSIGNMENT: Genesis 37-50 and 2 Key Quotes for class; Reports on remaining Genesis videos; Group 2– SSW folders due on Feb. 16
4	T., Feb. 14 Th., Feb. 16	Finish discussion of Genesis; Finish Oral Presentations on Genesis videos, SSW ASSIGNMENT: Exodus 1-20; Chapter 6 B&IInf,; Begin discussion of Exodus; ASSIGNMENT: Exodus 21-24, 28-29, 32-34; 2 Key Quotes; Chapter 7 B&IF;
5	T., Feb. 21 Th., Feb. 23	Explanation of Commentary Essays, Topics & Rubric for Papers; Cont. discussion of Exodus: the Meeting on Sinai; the Theme of Memory, SSW ASSIGNMENT: Leviticus 1, 4, 7, 10, 12, 19-26; —Group 1 – SSW folders due on Feb. 23 the Slave mentality, Offerings, the Law and Service to God; ASSIGNMENT: Numbers 6, 8, 11, 12-17, 20-24, 27; 2 Key Quotes;
6	T., Feb. 28 Th., Mar. 1	Discussion of the Book of Numbers, SSW ASSIGNMENT: Deuteronomy 1-13, 15-16, 18-20; –Group 2 – SSW folders due on Mar. 1 Deuteronomy and "the Threefold If;" ASSIGNMENT: Deuteronomy 21-23, 25-27, 30-34; 2 Key Quotes
7	T., Mar. 6 Th., Mar. 8	Completion of Deuteronomy; SSW ASSIGNMENT: Joshua 1-13; Chapter 8 B&IInf; Paper 1 due March 8 or 13 the Taking of the Land—Joshua 1-13; SSW ASSIGNMENT: Joshua 20-24, Judges 1-6, 8, 11; 2 Key Quotes; Paper 1 if not in; Group 1 – SSW folders due on Mar. 15
8	T., Mar. 13 Th., Mar. 15	Finish Joshua; Songs--the Song of Deborah; Jephthah's daughter; Samson; SSW ASSIGNMENT: Judges 13-16, 19-21; 1 Samuel Oral Presentations of Paper 1; The History Books: I Samuel/"Absalom, Absalom"; ASSIGNMENT: 2 Samuel 1-24; Kings 1-4, 8, 10-13— 2 Key Quotes; Chapter 9 B&IInf,;
9	T., Mar. 20 Th., Mar. 22	2 Samuel and begin I Kings; Review for Mid-term; SSW ASSIGNMENT: Review for Mid-term; Group 2 – SSW folders due on Mar. 22 Mid-term ASSIGNMENT: 1 Kings 17-19, 22; 2 Kings 1-5, 23-25—2 Key Quotes; Chapter 10 & 12 B&IInf,; Group 1 – SSW folders due on April 5
10	T., April 3 Th., April 5	Finish Kings; "The Prophetic Conventions”; SSW ASSIGNMENT: Amos, Hosea, Habakkuk, Jonah; Group 1 – SSW folders due on April 5 "The Prophetic Conventions; Amos, Hosea, Habakkuk, Jonah”; Paper 2 Topics ASSIGNMENT: Isaiah 1-10, 40-66—2 Key Quotes; Chapter 11 B&IInf; Group 2 – SSW folders due on April 12
11	T., April 10 Th., April 12	Isaiah: the Messianic Prophet; SSW ASSIGNMENT: Jeremiah 1-15 and Ezekiel 1-10, 20 Guest Lecture or Video lecture on the Book of Job, Dr. Ralph Williams, the University of Michigan ASSIGNMENT: Proverbs 1-8 and Psalms 1-10, 19, 23,42, 51, 89, 90, 120-130, 139, 150; Song of Songs-- 2 Key Quotes; Chapters 13-15 B&IF; Group 1 – SSW folders due on April 19
12	T., April 17 Th., April 19	Wisdom Literature and the Book of Job, SSW ASSIGNMENT: Specific Chapter of the Gospel of Mark for Oral Reading; Chapters 19 & 21 B&IInf, The Drama--The Gospel According to Mark; ASSIGNMENT: selections from the Gospel According to John--Ch. 1 and 13-21— 2 Key Quotes; Chapters 22-24 B&IInf; Group 2 – SSW folders due on April 26
13	T., April 24 Th., April 26	The Poetic Gospel; Introduction to Acts, SSW ASSIGNMENT: Acts of the Apostles; Chapters 25-27 B&IInf; Paper 2 due May 8 or 10 Acts of the Apostles; The Ancient Form of the Letter ASSIGNMENT: Romans 1-11; I Corinthians 1-5, 7, 11-13, 15; Galatians 4— 2 Key Quotes; Chapters 28-30 B&IInf; Paper 2 due May 8 or 10
14	T., May 1 Th., May 3	The Letters; SSW ASSIGNMENT: Chapters 34-36 B&IInf; SSW folders for Final Check due May 10; Paper 2 if not in; Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature &The Book of Revelation, ASSIGNMENT: Revelation 1-22; Final set of Key Quotes; Paper 2 due May 8 or 10
15	T., May 8 Th., May 10	The Book of Revelation, Begin Oral Presentations of Paper 2; SSW ASSIGNMENT: SSW folders for All Oral presentations of papers; ASSIGNMENT: Prepare for the Final Exam
16	T. May 15	Review for the Final Exam; Course wrap-up ASSIGNMENT: Prepare for Final Exam
Final Exam	T., May 22	12:15-2:30