English 340 - 01 Term: Fall 2000 Time: 9:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. W Room: Bliss 151

Prof. G. Steinberg Office: Bliss 216 Office Phone: 771-2106 Office Hours: 3:30-5:00 p.m. TF E-mail: gsteinbe@tcnj.edu

TEXTBOOK:
The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books (College ed.; ISBN 0195284119)

COURSE DESCRIPTION.  A non-doctrinal reading and literary study of plot, character, setting, and theme of the dramatic progression of Hebrew history through the Pentateuch, Kings I and II, the prophetic writings, the Book of Job, and the Gospels.

GOALS.  As my goals for this course, I want you

1. to read as much of the Bible as a single semester allows,
2. to increase your appreciation of the beauty of the ancient writings that make up the Bible,
3. to become comfortable reading the Bible on your own,
4. to become conversant in the most influential myths and images from the Scriptures of the Judeo-Christian tradition,
5. to learn how present-day scholars think that the Bible was composed and compiled, and
6. to learn something of the forms and norms of the academic discipline of English.

1. twenty e-mail opportunities (2 points each),
2. a mid-term exam (240 points),
3. two short papers (240 points each), and
4. a comprehensive final exam (240 points).

ATTENDANCE.  Regular attendance is a virtual necessity for successful completion of the exams and papers in this class.  Class discussion constitutes important, useful preparation for the course's graded assignments.  If you miss a class, you will essentially lose out on that day's contribution to your preparation, since it is never really possible to reproduce or recapture the dynamics and flow of discussion for a missed class meeting (even if you get notes from someone).  If you positively must miss a class, however, I will expect you to find out what you missed and to come fully prepared -- without excuses -- to the next class meeting.

OFFICE HOURS.  My office is Bliss 216.  My office hours this semester will be 3:30-5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.  If you cannot see me at this time, please, feel free as needed to call my office (771-2106) or talk to me before or after class to arrange an appointment at another time.  You may also contact me by e-mail (gsteinbe@tcnj.edu), or you may leave a message for me in my box at the English department offices in Bliss 124.  E-mail is generally the fastest way to contact me in an emergency.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES.  An e-mail discussion list has been specially created for this course.  To subscribe, send the message, "subscribe LIT-L your name" from your own personal e-mail account to listproc@list.TCNJ.EDU.  Be sure to send the subscription message from your own personal e-mail address (e.g., "name3@tcnj.edu" or "username@aol.com") -- not from one of the generic e-mail accounts on campus (such as "student@tcnj.edu").  After you have subscribed to the list, you may circulate messages to all members of the list simply by sending what you want to circulate to LIT-L@list.TCNJ.EDU (although, again, you must be sure to send the message from your own personal e-mail address).  NOTE:  You can access your personal TCNJ e-mail account from the web anywhere -- including from the computer labs on campus -- just by going to https://secure-web.tcnj.edu/imp/index.php3.

E-MAIL OPPORTUNITIES. You may want to subscribe to the LIT-L discussion list as soon as possible, because one of your assignments this semester is to e-mail the list with your thoughts on the readings for class.  As often as you like, up to a total of 40 points, you will receive 2 points for each relevant e-mail you send to the list.  The following kinds of e-mails will qualify for these points:

1. an e-mail that consists of at least one question about a particular day's reading assignment (if the question is a good and thought-provoking discussion starter),
2. an e-mail that consists of several questions about a particular day's reading assignment (if the questions are about more basic, factual information, such as questions about the meaning of particular words or phrases in the reading or questions about some aspect or other of history relevant to the reading),
3. an e-mail that consists of a thought-provoking, insightful, or interesting observation about a particular day's reading assignment, or
4. an e-mail that responds substantially to what someone else has posted to the list.

1. your message must be sent before class meets to discuss the reading assignment that you are addressing;
2. your message must actually be posted to the discussion list (not sent to me privately);
3. your message must be original (that is, not repeat what somebody else has already posted to the list); and
4. your message must not repeat material that you submit for any other graded assignment for class (e.g., you may not submit an e-mail that is made up of material from a paper).

COURSE SCHEDULE.  (This schedule is subject to revision at the discretion of the professor.)

Date	Assignment
W Sep 6	Introductions
W Sep 13	Genesis (2-68 OT)
W Sep 20	Exodus (70-124 OT) and Joshua (271-299 OT)
W Sep 27	Judges (301-331 OT), Ruth (333-337 OT), and 1 Samuel (341-383 OT)
W Oct 4	2 Samuel (385-422 OT) and 1 Kings (424-462 OT)
M Oct 9	PAPER 1 DUE by 4:30 p.m. in my box in Bliss 124
W Oct 11	2 Kings (464-502 OT), Judith (21-40 AP), Tobit (2-19 AP), and Esther (41-56 AP)
W Oct 18	Job (626-673 OT), Psalms (675-801 OT), Ecclesiastes (842-852 OT), and Song of Solomon (854-861 OT)
W Oct 25	MID-TERM EXAM; Amos (1171-1182 OT), Hosea (1149-1162 OT), and Jonah (1187-1189 OT)
W Nov 1	Isaiah (867-959 OT)
W Nov 8	Jeremiah (961-1046 OT)
W Nov 15	Ezekiel and Daniel (1058-1147 OT)
W Nov 22	NO CLASS (Happy Thanksgiving!)
W Nov 29	Mark (48-75 NT) and Matthew (2-46 NT)
W Dec 6	John (125-159 NT) and Acts (125-203 NT)
F Dec 8	PAPER 2 DUE by 4:30 p.m. in my box in Bliss 124
W Dec 13	Romans (209-228 NT), 1 Corinthians (230-248 NT), Ephesians (273-278 NT), Philemon (315 NT), Hebrews (317-330 NT), James (332-336 NT), 1 Peter (338-343 NT), 1 John (350-354 NT), and Revelation (365-387 NT)
Finals Week	FINAL EXAM