A
SEMINAR ON THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS
Fall,
2001
Prof. Frederick J. Murphy
Smith 422
Tel.: Office, 793-3467; Home, 854-1004
E-mail: fmurphy@holycross.edu
Office Hours: Mondays and Fridays, 10:00-11:00;
Wednesdays, 11:00-12:00.
Other
times by appointment
NOTE:
Please read this syllabus thoroughly.
You are responsible for all the information here, as well as all
information conveyed in class.
Goals of the
Course
Students are expected to acquire an in-depth
familiarity with and understanding of each of the synoptic gospels (Matthew,
Mark, Luke). Focus will be on the
gospels as literary creations and expressions of faith, as artifacts of
Christian communities living in the Roman Empire, and on their major themes and
images, rhetoric, styles, theologies, christologies, ecclesiologies, communal
and historical contexts, relationships to one another, and so on. Implications for current understandings of
church, Jesus, theology, doctrine, and so on will be discussed as they
arise. The course will not give final
and definitive answers to the questions asked of the texts. More important is the development of an
inquiring attitude toward the text, an awareness of how and why one can
formulate meaningful questions, and some idea of methodological tools available
for answering those questions. As the
term progresses, your engagement with the text should become greater and you
should be able to develop and defend interpretations of your own. At the end of the course we will read the
Gospel of John so as to compare it to the synoptics.
Method
We will examine each gospel in detail. Each week, secondary readings (modern
analyses of the gospels) will be assigned to the class as a whole. Those readings will employ a variety of
methodologies, including source criticism, form criticism, redaction criticism,
literary and narrative criticism, feminist criticism, social-scientific
criticism, theological analysis, and so on.
Every member of the class must have studied all
of the readings, but each group in the class (described below) will take
special responsibility to prepare to lead the class in discussion of one
section of the assigned readings.
Groups should keep in mind that the discussion should be specific, that
is, focused on particular passages, and that it should also be concerned with
larger questions of interpretation.
Groups should have ready a selection of what they consider to be the
most important passages within their section, and they should be ready to lead
an in-depth discussion of those passages.
Always relevant are such questions as the meaning of a given passage,
the problems of interpretation it raises, how it fits into its immediate
context, how it relates to the gospel as a whole, how it relates to gospel
traditions more generally, what historical and social realities it reflects and
responds to, and so on. The readings
will help you with all this, but I am also looking for your own critical sense
and creativity.
Constant and careful attention to the gospels
themselves is essential. This is the
heart of the course. Read the secondary
material with a copy of the gospels open beside you. ALWAYS refer to the text when the article cites it. Make it a habit to check the author’s points
against the text of the gospels.
Spend time with the gospels even apart from
reading of the secondary material.
Every week, read the gospel we are studying from beginning to end in one
sitting. Only by doing this will you
attain an overview of the gospel as a unit, and only thus will you be able to
form any ideas of your own and be critical of our secondary literature.
Since the gospels are a major source of early
Christian beliefs about Jesus and the church, questions will emerge along the
way about the implications of our study for faith. Bring such issues to discussions so that we can investigate them
together and learn from each other’s reactions to the texts. The seminar aims at open and free
discussion, and is open to any and all views.
However, given the nature of the course, such discussion should be based
on careful analysis of the gospel texts and of critical studies of the gospels.
Format of the
Sessions
I will divide the class into groups or teams of
around four persons, as numbers permit.
The readings for each week will be divided up and assigned to the
various groups. Each team is to meet
before each class meeting for a discussion of that portion of the week’s
readings for which it is to lead the discussion. Meetings after everyone has had the chance to do the readings and
to make their own notes on them. The
purpose of the meetings is to strategize on how you will lead the discussion
and to “prime” class discussion by giving you a chance to interact with each
other beforehand. Each group, and each
member of each group, should be ready when called upon or at its (or his or
her) own initiative to share with the class the results of its discussion.
Each and every member of the seminar is expected
to participate in class discussion.
Participation consists of engaging in informed conversation about the gospels and the secondary
literature. Such a conversation
requires everyone to do all the reading and think about them before class. As you do the readings you should take
notes, underline, highlight, or use whatever technique works for you to come to
grips with them. You are to analyze
them, trying to understand their arguments, evidence, and viewpoints. The assignment is not done adequately if you
simply start at the first page of the readings and proceed to the last without
really engaging them.
The aim of all this is to stimulate
discussion. Concentrate on criticism of
points in the reading, examination of primary sources (the gospels) in class,
evaluation of arguments, pointing out what needs clarification, discussion of
assumptions, and so on. Have a clear
idea of what you found helpful (and why) and what was not helpful (and why not)
in the week’s readings. A successful
session is not one in which we wearily plowed through summaries of the
readings, but one in which all came having digested the readings, and in which
we spent our time interacting with each other through real discussion about
issues raised by the readings.
Remember that all of our discussion should be
centered on the gospel readings. Any
ideas you have about how the gospels should be interpreted should be rooted in
the text in such a way that you can argue for your positions using the text as
evidence.
Course
Requirements and Evaluation
Attendance at all meetings is REQUIRED. If you must miss a session, let me know why in advance. Unexcused absences will lower your grade. PARTICIPATION in the meetings is also
required. You must show your readiness
for the class by participating in the discussion. Every member of the seminar must read every assignment and come ready to
discuss it.
There are three papers required (12 pages). Each of the papers is worth 25% of the
grade. The specific tasks for each
paper will be made clear in class, in handouts, and over the computer network.
Caution: Plagiarism is a serious offence and will not
be taken lightly. If you are uncertain
about what constitutes plagiarism, see me.
This does not mean that you
cannot discuss your papers with one another and help each other. In fact, I encourage such interaction and
suggest that each of you have another student in the class read and critique
her or his paper before putting it in final form.
The other 25% of the grade is an evaluation of
course participation. This will be an
assessment of how well you have prepared the readings and of the quality of
your contributions to class discussions.
Please be aware that it is possible to do well on papers and not so well
in class, and that the grade for the course depends on both factors.
I require you to visit me in my office at least
once during the term. You should make
an appointment sometime after I return your first paper. This meeting will give you a chance to talk
to me about your paper, about future assignments, about how the class is going
generally, and will allow me to give you some feedback on how you are doing in
class discussions. It is your responsibility to make the
appointment and keep it.
USE
OF THE COLLEGE COMPUTER NETWORK
I use the College computer network a great deal
for communication with students. I post
course material on my web site, and I use e-mail extensively to make
announcements to the whole class, to contact individual students, to distribute
course materials such as handouts, and to respond to your questions. I also maintain a web site that makes
available to you assignments, handouts, the syllabus, and so on. To get to my web site, go to the Holy Cross
home page, then to departments, then to Religious Studies, then to
faculty. You should then bookmark my
page.
It is crucial that you know how to use the network. If you do not, then learn it. I would be
glad to help you do so.
It would also be very helpful to you to learn to
use the electronic resources provided by the library for research
purposes. If you do not know how to use
them, take some time to explore them to see what is available. You should also spend time at the web page
of the Writing Workshop, which is linked to from my page and from that of the
English Department. Note that using internet sources (not the resources
supplied by the library) for papers needs to be done with caution, since it is
often difficult to know their origin and to judge their reliability. If you plan to use such sources, it would be
a good idea to communicate with me about them so that I can take a look at them
myself. There is a limited selection of
good sites listed on my site, and I would appreciate any suggestions you may
have for further additions to it.
Texts on sale in
the bookstore
The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New
Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha. New York: Oxford, 2001.
Throckmorton,
Burton H. Gospel Parallels: A
Comparison of the Synoptic Gospels.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Anderson,
Julie Capel, and Stephen D. Moore. Mark
and Method: New Approaches in Biblical Studies. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1992.
Aune,
David. The Gospel of Matthew in
Current Study. Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 2001.
Bryan,
Christopher. A Preface to Mark:
Notes on the Gospel in Its Literary and Cultural Settings. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.
Cartlidge,
David R., and David L. Dungan. Documents
for the Study of the Gospels.
Minneapolis: Fortress, 1994.
Green,
Joel. The Theology of the Gospel of
Luke. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1995.
Rhoads,
David; Joanna Dewey; Donald Michie. Mark
as Story: An Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1999.
Other readings are on reserve as indicated in
the syllabus. I have asked the library
to place on reserve most of the class readings that are also in the bookstore.
SYLLABUS
NOTE: Syllabus may change somewhat during the
semester. Changes will be announced in
class, and all students are responsible for all changes and announcements made
in class.
September 3, Introduction.
General introduction
to the content and mechanics of the class.
Discussion of the nature of the gospels, the problem of the historical
Jesus and the Christ of faith, historical criticism, source criticism, form
criticism, redaction criticism, literary criticism. Quick overview of the cast of characters in the gospels, their
setting in Palestine, etc.
Apocalypticism.
September 10, Traditional Methods.
Daniel
J. Harrington, Interpreting the New Testament, chapters 5, 6, 7, 8 (on
reserve).
Chapter
5: “Source Criticism.”
Chapter
6: “Form Criticism.”
Chapter
7: “Historical Criticism.”
Chapter
8: “Redaction Criticism.”
September
17, Greco-Roman Literature; Gospel of Mark.
READ: Christopher Bryan, A Preface to Mark,
pp. 1-81 (bookstore).
Prologue
Chapter
1: “The Question of Genre.”
Chapter
2: “Mark’s Milieu.”
Chapter
3: “A Genre for Mark.”
Chapter
4: “How to Show that Mark Is a Hellenistic ‘Life.’”
Chapter
5: “Mark as a Hellenistic ‘Life.’”
Chapter
6: “Orality and Oral Transmission.”
Chapter
7: “Some Characteristics of Oral Transmission.”
September
24, The Gospel of Mark.
Christopher
Bryan, A Preface to Mark, pp. 82-172 (bookstore).
Chapter
8: “Mark and Oral Transmission.”
Chapter
9: “An Analysis of Mark’s Structure.”
Chapter
10: “Oral Characteristics of Mark’s Style.”
Chapter
11: “As It Is Written: Oral Characteristics of Mark’s Appeal to Scripture.”
Chapter
12: “Conclusions: Mark in Its Setting.”
Chapter
13: “Unscientific Postscripts.”
October
1, The Gospel of Mark.
Tannehill, Robert. “The Gospel of Mark as Narrative
Christology.” Semeia 16 (1979): 57-92 (stacks).
Tannehill, Robert. “The Disciples in Mark: The Function of a
Narrative Role.” Journal of Religion 57 (1977): 386-405 (stacks).
Peterson,
Norman. "When is an End Not the End." Interpretation 34
(1980): 151-66 (stacks).
John Donahue, "Jesus as the Parable
of God in the Gospel of Mark," in J. L. Mays, Interpreting the Gospels,
pp. 148-82 (on reserve).
October
8, COLUMBUS DAY HOLIDAY.
October
15, The Gospel of Mark; The Gospel of Matthew.
Anderson,
Janice Capel. “Feminist Criticism: The
Dancing Daugher,” in Anderson, Mark and Method, pp. 103-134 (bookstore
and on reserve).
Rhoads,
David. “Social Criticism: Crossing
Boundaries,” in Anderson, Mark and Method, pp. 135-161 (bookstore and on
reserve).
Fowler,
Robert M. “Reader-Response Criticism:
Figuring Mark’s Reader,” in Anderson, Mark and Method, pp. 50-83
(bookstore and on reserve).
October
22, The Gospel of Matthew.
Overman, J. Andrew. Matthew's Gospel
and Formative Judaism: The Social World of the Matthean Community. Pp.
71-161 (on reserve).
Chapter 3: “The Social Development of the
Matthean Community.”
Scripture, Interpretation, and Tradition
in Matthew
Ordering the Life of the Community
Institutionalization: Roles within the
Community
The Disciples in Matthew
Matthew and Judaism
Chapter 4: “The Nature and World of the
Matthean Community.”
October 29, The Gospel of Matthew.
Johnson, Luke T. "The New Testament's Anti-Jewish
Slander and the Conventions of Ancient Polemic." Journal of Biblical
Literature 108 (1989): 436-41 (stacks).
Saldarini, Anthony J. “Reading Matthew without
Anti-Semitism.” In Aune, The Gospel of Matthew in Current Study, pp.
166-184 (bookstore).
Segal,
Alan. “Matthew’s Jewish Voice.” In
David Balch, Social History of the Matthean Community, pp. 3-37 (on
reserve).
White,
L. Michael. “Crisis Management and
Boundary Maintenance: The Social Location of Matthew’s Community.” In David Balch, Social History of the
Matthean Community, pp. 211-247 (on reserve).
November
5, The Gospel of Matthew.
Levine, Amy Jill.
“Matthew’s Advice to a Divided Readership.” In Aune, The Gospel of
Matthew in Current Study, pp. 22-41 (bookstore).
Wainwright, Elaine.
“The Matthean Jesus and the Healing of Women.” In Aune, The Gospel of
Matthew in Current Study, pp. 74-95 (bookstore).
Cotter,
Wendy. “Greco-Roman Apotheosis
Traditions and the Resurrection Appearances of Matthew.” In Aune, The Gospel of Matthew in Current
Study, pp. 127-53.
Kingsbury, Jack Dean. "The Figure of Peter in Matthew's
Gospel as a Theological Problem." Journal of Biblical Literature 98
(1979): 67-83.
November
12, The Gospel of Luke.
Green,
Joel B. The Theology of the Gospel of Luke, pp. 1-75 (bookstore and on
reserve).
Chapter
1: “‘In the Days of King Herod of Judea’: The World of Luke’s Gospel.”
Chapter
2: “‘God My Savior’: The Purpose of God in Luke’s Gospel.”
Chapter
3: “‘A Savior, Who Is the Messiah, the Lord’: Jesus, John, and the Jewish
People.”
November
19, The Gospel of Luke.
Green,
Joel B. The Theology of the Gospel
of Luke, pp. 76-121 (bookstore and on reserve).
Chapter
4: “‘To Proclaim Good News to the Poor’: Mission and Salvation.’”
Chapter
5: “‘Let Them Take Up the Cross Daily’: The Way of Discipleship.”
Baltzer,
Klaus. "The Meaning of the Temple in the Lucan Writings." Harvard
Theological Review 58 (1965): 263-77 (stacks).
November
26, The Gospel of Luke.
Carroll,
John T. "Luke's Portrayal of the Pharisees." Catholic Biblical
Quarterly 50 (1988): 604-21 (stacks).
Durber,
Susan. "The Female Reader of the Parables of the Lost." Journal
for the Study of the New Testament 45 (1992): 59-78 (stacks).
Carter,
Warren. "Get Martha Out of the Kitchen." Catholic Biblical
Quarterly 58 (1996): 264-80 (stacks).
Tannehill,
Robert A. "Israel in Luke-Acts: A Tragic Story." Journal of
Biblical Literature 104 (1985): 69-85 (stacks).
December
3, A Brief Look at the Gospel of John; Concluding Reflections.