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RELIGIOUS STUDIES 213
JESUS IN CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE
Professor: Charles DeCelles, Ph.D.
CURRICULAR PURPOSE:
The undergraduate curriculum at Marywood University is
designed to help students live responsibly in an
interdependent world. The University fulfills its mission
when this occurs. The course, Jesus in Contemporary
Perspective, contributes meaningfully to the fulfillment of
this curricular purpose. This can easily be
demonstrated.
Commitment to Christ results in the following of
morality, that is, in living responsibly in the world, which
is interdependent. But a Christology course helps make
commitment to Christ a reasonable, intellectual act, not a
sub-rational or emotional act. Therefore, it helps make
commitment to Christ a realistic possibility for educated
Americans who seek an intellectual basis for a faith
commitment. Hence, the course, Jesus in Contemporary
Perspective, as a substantive Christology course,
contributes to the achievement of Marywood's curricular
purpose.
Commitment to Christ not only results in the following of
ethics, but in the following of the ethics of Jesus, an
ethics that fosters and demands universal love and justice.
It mandates respect for oneself, others, and the whole of
God's creation.
Commitment to Christ, i.e. being a Christian, provides a
person with the motivation to live responsibly, namely, to
attain personal, eternal fulfillment in union with Jesus by
participating in and helping complete the redemptive process
begun by Christ. It also empowers the individual to act
responsibly, for it includes and presupposes incorporation
in the Church through the sacrament of baptism. Such
incorporation grants access to the regular use of the
sacraments, which are efficient avenues by which the saving
grace of Christ reaches people. Without the grace of Christ
people cannot respond to God and others in such wise as to
attain salvation. They cannot selflessly love and therefore
truly live responsibly.
GENERAL GOALS:
This Christology Course aims to achieve the
following:
a) Acquaint the student with the person of Jesus the
Christ, looked at thematically rather
than historically;
b) Make clear that diversity of opinion exists within
Christian thought in general, and Catholic thought in
particular, on the subject of Christ;
c) Acquaint the student with the difference between the
Christ of faith and the Jesus of history;
d) Insure that the student learns Christology through
personal reading and essay writing rather than simply
through the absorption of class notes;
e) Encourage discussion of controversial topics relating
directly or indirectly to Christ so that the student will
learn to crystallize his or her thoughts and verbally
express them more coherently;
GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
In order to achieve these goals, the course adopts the
following means:
a) Explore thematic topics regarding Jesus in the
lectures and require thematic reading on the part of the
students: the content of the lectures will be tested in
examinations, and the reading will serve as a basis for a
paper;
b) Indicate diversity of opinions in lectures and provide
readings that underscore this: provide tests that require
some appreciation of diversity, and expect to find some
recognition of diversity in the term paper;
c) Underscore the "propaganda" nature of the gospels, and
constantly differentiate between what the gospels portray
regarding Jesus and the probable historic reality: use
readings that are atuned to the difference, and expect a
recognition of the difference on the part of the
student;
d) Require a term paper based on select readings;
e) Establish six discussion sessions during the semester
based on designated readings, the contents of which will be
tested for general comprehension prior to the
discussions.
SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Through an in depth focus on the person of the Son of
God, made possible by means of a series of lectures,
assigned readings, discussions, quizzes and tests, and a
required paper, the course aims to provide the students with
the following:
- some understanding of the nature of the gospels and
how they came to be;
- some insight into Jesus' human nature and divine
identity;
- some knowledge of the Essenes and the possible
connection they had with Jesus;
- an introduction into soteriology or the saving work
of Jesus and the human sin that mandated it;
- an appreciation of Jesus' death and preceding
suffering as well as the controversies surrounding his
resurrection;
- an acquaintance with the cosmic Christ of Pierre
Teilhard de Chardin;
- an insight into the Trinity and the position of the
Son of God within it.
SKILLS ADDRESSED
Each course at Marywood must address at least three of
nine officially recognized basic skills. This course, Jesus
in Contemporary Perspective, addresses the following:
a) Critical thinking skills. Precision in the
understanding of philosophical and theological concepts and
scriptural material and opinions is expected in the term
paper and in the various examinations and tests.
b) Writing ability. A term paper is required in the
course. The paper is expected to be well organized with
clearly expressed thoughts, good grammar, accurate spelling,
and correct punctuation, not to mention theologically
correct content.
c) Public speaking. On six occasions throughout the
semester time is set aside for round table discussion. All
the students are encouraged to share their opinions on
specific topics.
d) Understanding of religious, spiritual and
philosophical issues. Concerned with the historicity and
formation of the gospels, Jesus as God, Jesus as man with a
special focus on his human consciousness. Jesus and the
Essenes, Jesus as the redeemer, his death and resurrection,
the cosmic Christ of Teilhard de Chardin, and Christ within
the context of the Trinity, the course addresses this skill
first and foremost.
INFORMATION LITERACY SKILLS
The term paper required in this course, discussed on the
following page of this outline, addresses the issue of how
students access, evaluate, and explain acquired information
in written form. The spelled out specific requirements of
the assigned paper enable the faculty member to control and
properly evaluate the outcome of the students' research and
composition. This diminishes the risk that the students will
study irrelevant and fallacious materials and discourages
plagiarism, a major problem today in colleges and
universities where research papers are required, including
Marywood. Thus an authentic ethical standard is meaningfully
implemented. The encouragement given to students to
paraphrase and summarize pertinent portions of required and
elective readings onto index cards is implemented by some
students. These enjoy a greater sense of control over the
ideas that they intend to articulate in their papers; it
further allows them to experience an increased capacity to
efficiently express themselves. This promotes a sense of
legitimate pride in one's work and a confidence that one's
work is ethical.
READERS:
Five books might be labeled readers for this course:
a) Raymond E. Brown, An Introduction to New Testament
Christology, New York, Paulist Press, 1994.
b) C. Milo Connick, Jesus: The Man, the Mission, and the
Message, 2nd ed., Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Hall, 1974.
c) Donald Senior, Jesus: A Gospel Portrait, revised
edition, New York, Paulist Press, 1992.
d) Gerard Sloyan, Jesus in Focus: A Life in Its Setting,
revised ed., Mystic, Twenty-third Publications, 1994.
e) Anthony Tambasco, In the Days of Jesus, New York,
Paulist Press, 1983.
Three of the books are in print and available in the book
store, the ones by Brown, Senior and Sloyan. Consider
purchasing one or more for convenience sake particularly
Senior and Sloyan. One copy each of Connick, Tambasco and
the original (edition of) Senior (1975) and Sloyan (1983) --
which can still be used -- are available in the library. One
copy each of the new Senior and Sloyan are there as well.
Much of what is covered in Brown closely parallels portions
of lecture material. It is also available in the library.
So, too, is his older book, Jesus God and Man, the principal
source of our lectures on Jesus' knowing.
READINGS AND PAPER:
Below find a list of readings. Everyone is expected to read
all those marked with asterisks or their substitute
readings, and six of the remaining ones, or a total of
fifteen (15) items. The asterisks appear before the specific
pages to be read. Each cluster of pages, e.g., 5-10, is
considered one item, or reading. You will not be tested on
the contents of these readings. Instead you are required to
write a brief paper based on them - one that will
demonstrate that you did the readings. The paper should be
approximately 1,000 words long, exclusive of footnotes, or
roughly four typed pages double-spaced. Do not exceed five
pages. Keep your paper as close to the ideal length of 1,000
words as possible. It is not to your advantage to produce a
longer paper, since you will likely end up with more errors;
more errors means more points lost. The footnotes should
normally be attached to the end of the paper. Other methods
of documentation may also be permitted, however. See the
teacher. There must be at least twenty footnotes altogether,
and one footnote reference to each item read. An item
without at least one footnote reference will not be
considered read: will not be regarded as a source for your
composition. The footnotes should pin-point the pages
referred to. Don't simply record the pages of a given item
as listed in the outline. Specify the exact pages where your
information comes from, making certain to place in your text
a number that corresponds with your footnote. If a book has
two editions, be sure to specify the one used, and to refer
to pages in that edition only. Since the paper is short,
direct quotations are not allowed. Hence, the references are
to ideas paraphrased by you. The lifting of composition from
the authors even as little as six words in succession
without quotation marks is, of course, unacceptable and will
be regarded as plagiarism. Plagiarism will be severely
penalized; non-approved quotations acknowledged with
quotation marks will be less severely penalized. Since you
will be drawing material from numerous, diverse, somewhat
unrelated sources, your essays may well end up general in
nature. This is perfectly acceptable. Essays restricted in
scope are equally fine. You may choose any topic you wish
relating to Jesus. But your composition must emerge from the
fifteen readings. Other sources are permitted but not
encouraged. They do not dispense from the use of the fifteen
items. The following are sample titles: The Life of Jesus,
The Last Days of Jesus, Jesus' Public Ministry, The Story of
Human Salvation, Jesus and Women, Jesus and the Poor, Jesus
in Focus, Jesus in Historical Perspective, The Man Jesus,
The Personality of Jesus, The Times of Jesus, Jesus and the
People Who Surrounded Him, The Death and Resurrection of
Christ. You may select one of these titles or choose one of
your own. Due the week of November 15, the paper may be
turned in earlier. With permission it may be turned in later
without penalty. Ordinarily late submissions are penalized.
The grade awarded for your essay will constitute twenty-five
(25) percent of your total semester grade.
It is recommended that when you do your readings, you
take careful notes using index cards. Remember that what you
are handing in is your paper, not someone else's with
adjustments. Intellectually grasp the ideas pertaining to
your topic that you find in your readings/sources, formulate
them in your own words, put your formulations on index
cards, organize the cards into packets, then with the help
of the cards write out the ideas in unified paragraphs, with
the paragraphs in proper order. Then the composition
produced will be genuinely yours, and you will avoid
plagiarism. This is, however, a research paper, not an
opinion piece.
You are expected to write your paper with care. It should
be well-structured, organized and coherent. Ideas that go
together should be put together. Sentences should be clear
and the ideas in them well-expressed. Correct grammar,
punctuation, and spelling are expected; so are the use of
topic sentences. The paper should have an introduction and a
conclusion, which could consist of a brief summary. Most
importantly, the paper should embody correct and substantive
content. Deficiencies in all these areas including spelling
will result in the loss of points.
ABBREVIATED LISTINGS:
You will note that all the items listed below are repeated
in abbreviated fashion in the course outline, under the
various major headings. The headings under which the
abbreviations appear indicate what part of the course the
readings most closely relate to or parallel. Although
students are tested in the exams on the lecture material
only and not on the content of the readings, the readings
could be helpful to the student, assisting him or her to
better grasp the lectures. Each item listed in bold print in
the outline [which is available upon request] served
as a source for the lectures and could be especially helpful
filling gaps in the lecture notes. Students are, therefore,
encouraged to read them even if they are not all strictly
required. Collectively, they could serve as a kind of text
book.
Barnabas Ahern, "The Charity of Christ," Way IV (April
1964), pp. 100-109.
Jose Comblin, "Jesus as Man," Sign 55 (February 1976),
pp. 5-10.
C. Milo Connick, Jesus: The Man, the Mission and the
Message, 2 ed. (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1974), pp.
42-57; *66-90 (or substitute Senior, Jesus, 7-25 (5-27));
126-135; 136-143; 146-155; 265-284; 285-312; 354-374;
375-397; *398-413 (or Sloyan, Jesus in Focus, 157-174
(145-160)); 414-418.
Raymond Brown, An Introduction to New Testament
Christology (New York, Paulist, 1994), pp. 31-59; 60-70;
*71-102; 171-195.
Raymond Brown, "A Between-the-Lines Look at Jesus," U.S.
Catholic 53 (March
1988), pp. 6-14.
Raymond Brown, The Virginal Conception and Bodily
Resurrection of Jesus
(New York: Paulist Press, 1973), pp. 69-129, especially
78-129.
Charles DeCelles, "Father Forgive Them", National
Catholic Register, (April 15, 1984), p.5.
Charles DeCelles, His Love is Everlasting (How Jesus
Loved) (Ligouri: 1987), 3-23.
Charles DeCelles, "Lent, Jesus and the Sea Scrolls," The
Sunday Times (February 24, 1974), section C, p. 8.
Jean Danielou, The Dead Sea Scrolls and Primitive
Christianity (New York: Mentor Omega Books, 1962), pp.
*13-47 (13-49). (or substitute Tambasco, Days of Jesus,
31-50, or Connick, Jesus, 42-57); 55-85 (53-87).
Peter DeRosa, God Our Savior (Milwaukee: Bruce Publishing
Co., 1967 pp. 7-24; *86-112.
Laurence Elliott, "The Heroism of Father Kolbe," Reader's
Digest (July 1973), pp. 96-100.
Louis Evely, "How Did Jesus Pray?" St. Anthony Messenger
82 (October 1974), p. 12.
Roland Faley, "Understanding New Approaches to the
Gospels," St. Anthony
Messenger 106 (January 1999), pp. 12-17.
Andrew Greeley, The Jesus Myth, (Garden City, N.Y.:
Doubleday, 1971), pp. 79-95.
Michael Guinan, "Psalm 22 'My God, My God, Why Have Your
Forsaken Me?' , " St. Anthony Messenger 111 (April 2004),
30-33.
Robert Imbelli, "Resurrection and Real Presence,"
Commonweal CXVII (April 6, 1990), pp. 210-213.
Lou Jacquet, "Should Parents Speak of the Devil?" U.S.
Catholic 54(March 1989), pp. 31-37.
Joseph Kopp, Teilhard DeChardin: A New Synthesis of
Evolution (Glen Rock: Paulist Press, 1964), pp. 11-61.
Hans Kung, "Friend of Sinners," Sign (September 1976),
pp. 5-8.
John Milhaven, "A New Sense of Sin," The Critic 28
(March-April, 1970), pp. 14-21.
Carol Ann Morrow, "Cracking the Da Vinci Code: Theologian
Elizabeth Johnson on Mary Magdalene," St. Anthony Messenger
112 (July 2004), 12-17.
Gerald O'Collins, Interpreting Jesus (Ramsey: Paulist
Press, 1983) pp. 133-167, esp. 135-160.
W. Principe, "Christ's Human Psychology and the Christian
Life," Catholic Mind LXVI (June, 1968), pp. 14-21.
Herbert Schutzeichel, "The Meaning of Christ's
Resurrection," Theology Digest 35 (Fall 1988), pp.
245-249.
Donald Senior, Jesus: A Gospel Portrait, revised edition
(New York: Paulist, 1992), pp. 7-25; 26-46; *47-73; 74-99;
*100-116; (or substitute Connick, Jesus, 265-284, or Sloyan,
Jesus in Focus, 28-60 (27-57)); *117-142 (or Connick,
375-397); (Senior 1975 ed., 5-27; 29-49; 51-82; 83-112;
113-131; 133-157).
Frank Sheed, Theology and Sanity, (New York: Sheed and
Ward, 1946), pp. *64-89; 227-237.
Gerard Sloyan, Jesus in Focus (Mystic, Cn: Twenty-Third
Pub., 1994) pp.9-27; 28-60; 61-84; 85-92 and 175-184;
93-108; 109-122; 123-147; 148-156; 157-174; 185-202;
(Sloyan, 1983 ed., pp. 8-26; 27-57; 58-78; 79-86 and
161-170; 87-100; 101-113; 114-136; 137-144; 145-160;
171-187).
Anthony Tambasco, In The Days of Jesus (New York: Paulist
Press, 1983), pp. 5-27; 31-50; 51-63; 67-95; 99-112.
Ronald Witherup, "An Eagle Soars at Easter: The Gospel of
John," St. Anthony Messenger 111 (April 2004), 13-17.
NOTE: All of these above readings will be found on
reserve at the main desk in the library. They will usually
be found in the original and photostatic copies.
OPTIONAL, KEEPING A JOURNAL:
You are strongly encouraged to keep a journal or log of your
reading reflections. While you are in the process of
reading, meditating on, and digesting the 15 readings
connected to your paper, it would be helpful to you, for
your own growth, to log in your thoughts and reactions. If
you do so in a systematic way in journal form and turn this
journal in to the professor at the end of the semester, you
could improve your semester grade by up to five points. To
receive a bonus on your semester grade, you must date each
entry, type your reflections (or write them very legibly),
and submit them by December 7. To obtain the full five
points, your journal would have to be the equivalent of ten
typed pages, double spaced, or more, that is, 2,500 words.
An individual entry could be very brief, even one sentence.
Journals with entries spread out over the course of the
semester will be looked upon more favorably than those with
entries occurring over a short period of time. The
reflections made in one entry are not expected to relate to
reflections entered before or after. But each individual
entry should be coherent and unified. If you want to log in
an idea that is unrelated to the previous one just
expressed, simply make a new entry, even if the two ideas
occur to you during the same sitting. You could log in
several entries during one day. Ideally, you should record
at least one reflection on each item read. If it is clear
that you are reflecting on a multiplicity of readings, this
will be looked upon more favorably than if your reflections
relate to just a few items. It is important when you offer
your reflections that you tell me which item you are
commenting on (last name of author in most cases would be
sufficient, for example, Tambasco or Kung; I will assume you
are referring to the more recent edition in the cases of
Sloyan or Senior unless told otherwise) and which page or
pages. Cite a few key words that stirred your reflection (no
more than ten). Spelling and grammar errors will be
overlooked when the journals are evaluated, but the entries
should be readable. Keep your reflections close to the
readings; don't go off onto unrelated tangents. Remember,
this is a journal of reflections, not a collection of
background summaries for your term paper. Some summary
material may be included. A collection of summaries is not
acceptable. Don't include in your journal reflections on
discussion readings or other required readings. When you
cite the key words, give me the precise page reference.
DISCUSSIONS:
There are several articles to be read for discussion
purposes. You will not be tested on their contents in the
exams, but a short quiz will be given on them immediately
prior to their being discussed. A missed quiz can be made
up. No more than a general reading knowledge will be
expected on such a quiz. All the quizzes together will carry
a weight of fifteen percent (15%) of your semester grade.
Discussion articles are kept on reserve in the library. For
your convenience generally two (2) copies of each article
are available. Topics and dates for discussion follow
immediately. [Dates change each semester and therefore
are not listed here]
TESTING:
There will be two major exams during the semester, a
mid-term and a final. These will test the lecture material
of their respective quarters, nothing more. The exams will
ordinarily be of the multiple choice type, but will provide
the student with the opportunity to make comments. The final
exam is worth twenty-five percent (25%) of the semester
grade; the mid-term or quarterly, twenty five percent (25%).
A mini-exam sampler will precede the quarterly and test the
two first topics covered in the lectures. It will be a brief
multiple-choice test worth five percent (5%) of your
semester grade.
EXAMINATION OF DOGMAS
The lectures will not cover official Church teachings on
Christ as such. In order that the student might obtain a
sense of these doctrines, each student will be required to
read thirty-seven pages from The Church Teaches: Documents
of the Church in English Translation (St. Louis, B. Herder
Co., 1955). These are pages 165 through 203 which comprise
the section entitled "The Incarnation and Redemption."
Toward the beginning of the semester a true and false test
will be administered on this dogmatic material. It will be
worth five percent (5%) of the semester grade. Prior to the
test date, which is September 14, during, before, or after
the scheduled discussion on Jesus as Feminist, September 7,
students are invited and most welcome to raise questions on
the dogmatic material. The book, along with a photocopy of
the pertinent section, will be on reserve at the library
from the beginning of the semester. You are welcome to
discuss the dogma test privately with the professor.
TYPED LECTURES:
If lack of time prevents the oral presentation on certain
lecture topics intended to be covered in the course as
indicated in the outline, the professor may hand individual
lectures (or lecture topics) or portions thereof to the
class in typed form. In such an event, the students will be
held accountable for them in the final as though they had
been delivered orally in the classroom. As an alternative,
typed lectures may be read in class.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Attendance records will be kept. Students are expected to
attend all classes. Cuts amounting to twice the number of
hours the class meets per week--six altogether, or four
periods--will be deemed excessive. Excessive cuts may be
reported to the appropriate administrator. Cuts, however,
will not normally affect a student's term grade.
Nevertheless, in the event of a borderline grade, an
excellent attendance record could prove advantageous. In the
case of a grade that hovers between passing and failing,
considerable generosity will be extended to the student who
regularly attends classes.
SPECIAL SERVICES:
A student with a disability may request an adjustment in
meeting the requirements of a class. Students are asked to
contact Mr. Christopher Moy, Coordinator of Disability
Services, LAC 201, Ext. 2549 prior to the beginning of the
class. So do so as soon as possible.
OFFICE HOURS TO BE POSTED EACH SEMESTER
For more information contact: leombruni@es.marywood.edu
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