Founders of Christianity: Humanities 2830.09 ("Foundations" course, 2007-2008)

General Information

Instructor:

Philip Harland, Click here to email me.  Office hours: Wednesdays 2:30-3:30 pm, or by appointment

Teaching Assistant:

Reuben Lee, reuben05@yorku.ca. Office hours: TBA

Classes and tutorials:

Lectures (Harland):             Thursdays 8:30-10:30 in SLH B

Tutorial group 1 (Harland):  Wednesday 4:30-6:20 in MC 109

Tutorial group 2 (Harland):  Thursdays 12:30-2:20 in MC 109

Tutorial group 3 (Lee):        Fridays 12:30-2:20 in MC 212

Course Description and Aims

This course explores the origins of Christianity as reflected in early Christian literature of the first and early second centuries (including the New Testament). We will consider both common denominators and diversity in the worldviews and practices of various Christian communities, looking at the transformations which took place as an obscure Jewish sect from Galilee made its way into the Greco-Roman world. We will be interested in exploring how various early Christians and early Christian authors lived their lives within the broader context of Jewish, Greek, and Roman culture. We begin with the earliest surviving sources, namely Paul's letters, and work our way chronologically (with some exceptions) through other early Christian documents, including the Gospels. The methods of history, the social sciences (sociology and anthropology), and literary and rhetorical analysis will further our understanding of key issues. Throughout, we will place our discussions of early Christianity within framework of the ancient Mediterranean world. Students will gain some control of both the content of early Christian texts and the environment in which Christianity was born, as well as an ability to analyze primary materials from an historical perspective.

As a “Foundations Course”, this course will also devote special attention to the development of students' critical skills, including skills of argumentation, written presentation and verbal presentation. This element will be incorporated as naturally as possible and the tutorial sessions will provide an important framework for this aspect of the course.

Required Textbooks

  • The Harper Collins Study Bible with the Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical Books (NRSV) (or other NRSV, RSV, NEB, or Jerusalem Bible with Apocrypha)
  • Bart D. Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 3rd edition, 2004.
  • Richard A. Horsley and John S. Hanson, Bandits, Prophets and Messiahs: Popular Movements in the Time of Jesus. Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 1999 [1985] (for Winter term).
  • Readings distributed and designated website materials on course website

Useful Online Resources

Course Requirements and Evaluation

  • Assignment 1 (paper: analysis of primary source):  10% (due week 5, Fall term)
  • Assignment 2 (paper: analysis of primary source):  15% (due week 10, Fall term)
  • Assignment 3 (paper: book review of Horsley):  20% (OLD: due week 5; NEW: now due week 6, Winter term)
  • In-class test 1:   20% (week 13, Fall term)
  • In-class test 2:   20% (week 13, Winter term)
  • Class / tutorial participation and presentation:  15%
  • Total: 100%

For further description of assignments, see the end of the course outline.

____________________________________________________

***Important things to know***

Readings and participation: Participation and interaction is an important part of the process of learning. For this reason it is essential that you do the readings (especially the primary sources) before attending classes and tutorials for a particular week, coming prepared for discussion. Opportunities for discussion will be regularly incorporated within class and tutorial times and your regular contributions will be reflected in your participation mark.

Tutorial participation and leading: One of the main purposes of the tutorials is to encourage discussion among students regarding issues raised within the course and to provide a context in which to develop verbal presentation and other critical skills. Beyond your regular participation, each of you will also have an opportunity to present and guide the discussion for part of one of the tutorial sessions (probably in teams of two for 15 minutes). The aim of the discussion leaders should be to share useful information and raise issues that will encourage debate concerning the topic of the week. Presenters should come to me more than one week in advance of presenting to receive appropriate readings for their preparation. This opportunity to lead will also contribute to your tutorial participation mark.

Penalties for lateness: All assignments are due at the beginning of class on Fridays. To avoid giving some an unfair advantage over others, late submissions will be penalized by one full grade (e.g. from a B to a C) and a further grade for each additional day beyond the due date. The only exceptions to this standard will be in cases of serious crisis, which should be discussed with me (the instructor) as soon as possible to determine an appropriate solution together. My aim is fairness both to you and to your fellow students.

Academic honesty and plagiarism policies: Absolutely no form of plagiarism will be tolerated. All cases will be prosecuted to the fullest. Students are responsible for reading the university policies concerning academic honesty at:

http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/legislation/senate/acadhone.htm

There is further information on how to achieve academic integrity at: http://www.yorku.ca/academicintegrity/students.htm.

__________________________________________

Discussion outline

Fall 2006

Week 1 (Sept. 6)

Course introduction: Early Christianity and the academic study of religion

Readings:

Ehrman, chs. 1 and 29

**Sept 13 No class (Rosh Hashanah)**
**Sept 12, 13, 14 No tutorials**

Unit 1: Orientation

Week 2 (Sept 20)

Early Christianity in its context, part 1

Readings:

Ehrman, chs. 2, 15; 2 Maccabees 5-10 (in the Apocrypha of the Bible); “Diversity in Second Temple Judaism: Josephus on the ‘Sects' of Judaism” online at: http://www.philipharland.com/Courses/HUMA2830Readings.htm#Diversity

Tutorial (week of Sept 24, following lecture):

What sorts of relations were there between Jewish and Hellenistic cultures?  How diverse and/or united were Jews of the second temple period?  (Discussion of 2 Maccabees and Josephus passages)

Week 3 (Sept 27)

Early Christianity in its context, part 2

Readings:

Ehrman, chs. 2, 15 (again);

“Early Christians through Greco-Roman eyes - Tacitus, Suetonius, and Pliny the Younger” online at: http://www.philipharland.com/Courses/HUMA2830Readings.htm#Greco-Roman

*Assignment 1 question distributed*

Tutorial (week of Oct 1):

How were Christians viewed by other Greeks and Romans? (Discussion of Suetonius, Tacitus, Pliny [see course website for readings])

Unit 2: The First Generation (30-65 CE) - Paul and some of his contemporaries

Week 4 (Oct 3)

Introduction to Paul - Sources and methods in studying Paul's life and letters

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 18; Galatians 1:13-2:14 and Acts 15

Tutorial (week of Oct 8)

What do the two accounts of a meeting in Jerusalem reveal about sources for the study of Paul (the letters and Acts)? How do we approach using these writings as historical sources? What does the autobiographical material in Galatians reveal about Paul?  (Discussion of Galatians 1:13-2:14 and Acts 15 in the Bible)

Week 5 (Oct. 11)

1 Thessalonians: The early Christian apocalyptic outlook

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 19; 1 Thessalonians; Dead Sea Scrolls handout (Rule of the Community (1QS), Columns III-IV)

Tutorial (week of Oct 15):

What is the apocalyptic worldview of Paul? How does this worldview relate to Paul's Jewishness?  (Discussion of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11 and Dead Sea Scrolls passage)

*Assignment 1 (paper) due week 5 at the beginning of class*

Week 6 (Oct. 18)

1 Corinthians: Rocky relations with a divided community and Paul's ethical instruction

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 20; 1 Corinthians; Acts 18:1-17

Tutorial (week of Oct 22):

What is the situation reflected in 1 Corinthians 9 and 2 Corinthians 10-13? What role did issues of financial support and patronage play in Paul’s relations with some of the Christians at Corinth?
(Discussion of 1 Corinthians 9; 2 Corinthians 10-13, 1-9 in that order)
 

Week 7 (Oct 25)

Galatians: Paul, the Jewish Law, and “Judaizers”

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 20; Galatians; Acts 15:1-35

Tutorial (week of Oct 29):

Who are Paul's opponents, who is listening to them, and what is happening among the Galatian followers of Jesus? What are Paul's views on “works of law” (circumcision) and the Law or Torah?  (Discussion of Galatians 3:1-5:6; also read James 2:14-26)

Week 8 (Nov 1)

Philippians and Philemon: Christianity and societal conventions (patronage, slavery)

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 20; Philippians; Acts 16:11-40; and Philemon

Tutorial (week of Nov 5):

What are Paul's views and other early Christian views on slavery? What was slavery like in the world of the early Christians?  (Discussion of Philemon and 1 Corinthians 7:17-24)

Week 9 (Nov 8)

Romans: Jews, Gentiles and “God's people”

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 21; Romans

Tutorial (week of Nov 12):

Who are the “weak” and the “strong” at Rome? What is going on and what does this tell us about the Christian community there?  (Discussion of Romans 14:1-15:13)

*Assignment 2 (paper) due week 10 at the beginning of class*

Week 10 (Nov 15)

Legacies of Paul: Pastoral Epistles vs. Acts of Paul and Thecla

Readings:

Ehrman, chs. 22-24; 1-2 Timothy, Titus; Ephesians and Colossians;

Acts of Paul and Thecla online at: http://www.philipharland.com/Courses/HUMA2830Readings.htm#Thecla

Tutorial (week of Nov 19):

What role did women play within Christian communities and what debates about women's leadership are reflected in the literature? How was the legacy or figure of Paul used within the debates?  (Discussion of the Acts of Paul and Thecla and the Pastoral epistles, especially 1 Tim 2:11-15; 4:7-8; 5:13-16; 2 Tim 3:4-9)

Week 11 (Nov 22)

Film

Tutorial (week of Nov 28): Review

Week 12 (Nov 29)

*In class test 1, week 13*

(December break)

___________________

Winter 2008

Unit 3: The Second Generation (65-100 CE) - The Gospels and Christian Perceptions of Jesus

Week 1 (Jan 3)

Introduction to the Gospels

Oral traditions, Q and Thomas

Readings:

Ehrman, chs. 4, 6;

Coptic Gospel of Thomas online at: http://www.misericordia.edu/users/davies/thomas/Trans.htm

Also see just those sayings which parallel canonical materials (Q) here:

http://www.misericordia.edu/users/davies/thomas/thq.htm

"The Synoptic Problem Website" (regarding source theories) online at:

http://www.hypotyposeis.org/synoptic-problem/

Week 2 (Jan. 10)

Mark's portrait of Jesus

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 5; Gospel of Mark

Tutorial (week of Jan 14 -- first tutorial of new term):

What does the John the Baptist material reveal about literary relations among the Gospels and processes of redaction? What relevance do these pericopae (passages) have for the study of the historical Jesus and why?  (Discussion of gospel parallels nos.13-17 – handout; also read relevant sections of Horsley)

Week 3 (Jan. 17)

Matthew's portrait of Jesus

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 7; Gospel of Matthew

Tutorial (week of Jan 21):

How is Jesus' inaugural sermon presented by Matthew and Luke (similarities and differences)? What does the material regarding Jesus' inaugural sermon tell us about the transmission and redaction of Jesus' teachings?  (Discussion of gospel parallels, nos. 51-54; Coptic Gospel of Thomas sayings nos. 11, 32, 33, 54, 68-69 online at: http://www.misericordia.edu/users/davies/thomas/Trans.htm )

Week 4 (Jan. 24)

Luke-Acts: Luke's portrait of Jesus

Readings:

Ehrman, chs. 8-9; Luke;

Acts and Ancient History-Writing: Background on the speeches and the preface (Thucydides and Josephus) online at:

http://www.philipharland.com/Courses/HUMA2830Readings.htm#Acts

Tutorial (week of Jan 28):

How does Luke's two volume work, including Acts, relate to ancient historiography? What importance was placed on prefaces and on speeches in ancient histories?  (Discussion of Luke 1; Acts, esp. Acts 1 and 7; passages from Thucydides and Josephus online [see “readings”])

**Feb 1: Last date to drop courses without receiving a grade**

Week 5 (Jan 31)

John's portrait of Jesus

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 10; John

Tutorial (week of Feb 4):

What are the background and significance of the introduction to John's gospel? How should we understand the “Word” in this preface (Jewish and Hellenistic meanings)?  (Discussion John 1; Proverbs 8; Sirach 24 [in the Apocrypha in the Bible])

Week 6 (Feb 7)

The Historical Jesus

Readings:

Ehrman, chs. 13, 16; Passages from Josephus involving messiahs and prophets in Horsley and Hanson, Bandits, Prophets, and Messiahs

Tutorial (week of Feb 11):

Historical Jesus in context: Discussion of Messiahs and Prophets in Josephus

Study the following figures in Horsley / Josephus:

KINGS / MESSIAHS
1) Judas son of Ezekias, c. 4 BCE (Horsley, p. 112)
2) Simon, the servant of Herod, c. 4 BCE (pp. 112-113)
3) Athronges, the shepherd, c. 4 BCE (pp. 113-114)
4) Menahem, son of Judas the Galilean, 60s CE (p. 118)
5) Simon bar Giora, 60s CE (pp. 120-121)

PROPHETS
1) The Samaritan, 30s CE (p. 163)
2) Theudas, 40s CE (p. 164)
3) The Egyptian, 50s CE (p. 168)
4) Jesus, son of Hananiah, 60s CE (pp. 173-174)
5) John the Baptist, 30s CE (pp. 175-177)

NEW: *Assignment 3 (paper) due week 6 at the beginning of class* (used to be week 5)

Feb. 11-15, 2008: Reading week - no classes or tutorials

Unit 4: The Second Generation and beyond

Week 7 (Feb. 21)

Hebrews' portrait of Jesus and Christianity's relation with its Jewish origins at the turn of the second century

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 25; James; Hebrews;

Epistle of Barnabas 2:1-17:2, especially chapters 14-16 online at:

http://www.philipharland.com/Courses/HUMA2830Readings.htm#Barnabas

Tutorial (week of Feb 25):

How should we understand the developing relation between the Jesus movement and its Jewish origins? The term “supersession” (look it up in a dictionary) eventually came to be used to describe the Christian view of Judaism? How adequate is this for describing the attitudes of Hebrews or the Epistle of Barnabas toward aspects of Judaism at the turn of the second century?  (Discussion of Hebrews and the Epistle of Barnabas)

Week 8 (Feb 28)

1 Peter, persecution, and relations between Christians and outsiders

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 26; 1 Peter; Ephesians 5:21-6:9; Colossians 3:18-4:1

Tutorial (week of March 3):

What was the ancient “household” and what was its significance for the development of early Christian social structures, leadership, and ideology?  (Discussion of 1 Peter 2:11-3:7; Ephesians 5:21-6:9; Colossians 3:18-4:1)

Week 9 (March 6)

Film: Apocalypse!

Readings:

Ehrman, ch. 29; Revelation

Tutorial (week of March 10):

What were early Christian views and practices with regard to the Roman imperial power and the emperor?  (Discussion of Rev 13, 17-18; 1 Peter 2:11-17; Romans 13)

Week 10 (March 13)

The Epistles of John: Docetic opponents

Readings:

1-3 John (in the New Testament)

Apocalypse of Peter online at: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/apocalypsepeter-roberts.html

Tutorial (week of March 17):

What are the characteristics of apocalyptic literature? What is an “otherworldly journey” apocalypse? What does the Apocalypse of Peter reveal about developments in Christian notions of the afterlife and hell?  (Discussion of the Apocalypse of Peter)

Week 11 (March 20)

 Epistles of Ignatius: Docetic and "Judaizing" opponents

Readings:

Epistles of Ignatius, especially

To the Smyrnaeans (regarding “docetic” views) online at:

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-smyrnaeans-hoole.html

To the Magnesians (regarding “judaizing”) online at:

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-magnesians-hoole.html

Ehrman, chs. 11 and 27

NEW: NO TUTORIALS WEEK OF MARCH 24 DUE TO IN-CLASS TEST

 

Week 12 (March 27)

*Test 2 in class week 13*

NO TUTORIALS

 

Week 13 (April 3)

CLASS CANCELLED (TEST MOVED TO WEEK 12)

York University cancelled this class due to Family day (providing this date as a make-up day for Monday classes)

 

_____________________________

Assignments

Assignment 1: Analysis of primary source (Pliny the Younger; TBA)

Assignment 2: Analysis of primary source (Economics in Paul's letters; TBA)

Assignment 3: Book Review Paper

Read Horsley and Hanson's, Bandits, Prophets and Messiahs.

Write an academic  review of the book (5 pages double-spaced, no longer), which entails:

  • Outlining the main argument (or point) of the book and how the author builds up this argument in sub-arguments throughout the chapters.
  • Discussing the author's methods (or approach) and use of evidence to support his points.
  • Providing a critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the book. Does the author achieve what he set out to do? Is the argument convincing or not, and in what ways? What theoretical assumptions and/or value judgments influence the author's reconstruction of history? Be sure to provide concrete examples (citing page numbers in parentheses) of the problems or strengths you discuss.

The review paper should have a clear thesis statement (concerning your evaluation of the book) which is supported throughout the paragraphs. The paper should be clearly written and structured with no spelling or grammatical errors. Be succinct and do not exceed the prescribed length.