Course Syllabus
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Timothy Paul Jones C. Edwin Gheens Professor of Christian Family Ministry; Associate Vice President for the Global Campus
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Description and Objectives
A study of the history of the Bible, beginning with the prehistory, development, and history of writing. The history of the Bible is traced from the time of the first written documents until the present time. The general themes include the concept of canon, the development of the Old Testament canon, the development of the New Testament canon, the transmission of the text, early versions of the Bible beginning with the Septuagint, the development of the English Bible from Tyndale to the latest versions, and translation theory, its implications, and applications.
- Students will participate actively in a community of learning.
- Students will grow as scholars by writing a brief article responding to a single, specific claim found in Bart Ehrman’s, Misquoting Jesus.
- Students will develop a foundational reference for future usage in ministry.
- Students will grow as ministers and communicators by receiving constructive critiques and improving their writing on the basis of these critiques.
Texts
Required Books
Ehrman, Bart. Misquoting Jesus
Hixson, Elijah, and Peter Gurry. Myths and Mistakes in New Testament Textual Criticism: Correcting Common Misconceptions about the Text of the New Testament
Jones, Timothy Paul.How We Got the Bible
Wegner, Paul. The Journey from Texts to Translations
Wimbush, Vincent.The Bible and African Americans
Required Articles
Baum, Armin. “Content and Form.” Journal of Biblical Literature 136/2 (2017): 381-403
“Chicago Statement on Inerrancy.” Master’s Seminary Journal 25/1 (Spring 2014): 1–10
Gundry, Robert. “Post Mortem.” Books and Culture (September/October 2006)
Recommended Books
Carson, D.A. The King James Version Debate
Jones, Timothy Paul. Misquoting Truth
Kruger, Michael.The Question of Canon
Assignments
Research Paper Rough Draft
Research Paper Rough Draft: Write a thoroughly-researched response to one very specific claim made in Bart Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus. Your response should cite no fewer than five scholarly sources and should clearly recognize both correct and incorrect aspects of Ehrman’s claim. The rough draft should be no less than 1,000 words and more than 2,000 words in length, not including title page and bibliography. This assignment must conform to the Southern Seminary Style Manual.
Research Paper Final Draft
Improve your research paper rough draft. Your final draft should cite no fewer than ten scholarly sources and should clearly recognize both correct and incorrect aspects of Ehrman’s claim. The final draft should be no less than 1,500 words in length and no more than 2,500 words in length, not including title page and bibliography. This assignment must conform to the Southern Seminary Style Manual.
Reading Review Quizzes
Three times in the semester students will complete Reading Review Quizzes. These quizzes will cover How We Got the Bible and Myths and Mistakes. These quizzes are open book and can be taken three times each. The questions are randomly taken from a question bank, so the second and third attempts will likely reveal some new questions. The final score will be an average of all attempts taken.
Discussion Forums
There will be nine discussion forums through the term. Specific discussion questions are contained in each forum and these instructions must be followed closely. Some discussion forums will require specific reading or research. You must respond to two of your classmates posts. 8 forums 3 points each. 1 forum 1 point.
Extra Credit
Students desiring to receive extra credit must request and receive permission from the professor no later than Week 6. Students permitted to pursue extra credit may add ten points to their final grade by (1) reading Michael Kruger, The Question of Canon (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2013); (2) writing a three-page analysis of The Question of Canon, focused on how Kruger’s arguments help to refute Ehrman’s claims regarding the canon of the New Testament; and, (3) including an explicit affirmation that they have read the book in its entirety. This assignment will be due one week after the final draft of the research paper. Unless every required assignment for the course is completed, no student will receive a passing grade for the course, regardless of whether or not the student completes the extra credit assignment.
Course Schedule
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Week |
Lecture |
Reading |
Assessments |
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1 |
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2 |
The Septuagint and Old Testament Textual Criticism |
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3 |
The New Testament Gospels |
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4 |
The Canon of Scripture |
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5 |
Early Translations of the Bible |
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6 |
The Early History of the Bible |
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7 |
William Tyndale and the King |
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8 |
Translating the Bible Today |
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Course Summary:
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