Theology 201 Essay: Three Major Questions Description: The Old Testament repeatedly addresses crucial questions about life. Three key questions we are focusing on in this course are: Who is God and what is God like? What does it mean to be human? How do God and humans relate? As we read, think, and write about the OT (and ANE texts) in this class, we will constantly keep these questions in view. To help you examine and synthesize your understanding of how the OT asks and answers these questions, you will write an essay that addresses one (1) of these questions. How should you go about doing this? First, select the question you wish to answer. Second, identify texts in each of the four (4) parts of the Christian OT canon—Pentateuch, Historical, Poetic/Wisdom, and Prophetic books—that address this question. Even though each question is broad, you should propose and defend a narrow thesis that partially answers the big question. This means that you should focus on texts that answer the question by means of a single idea or theme (e.g., answering the question of what it means to be human by examining passages that deal with the characteristic of free will). Third, study what each text says in answering the question within the bounds of your thesis. Pay close attention to how the text’s context (i.e., the historical/biblical situation that surrounds or stands behind the text) and genre (i.e., the text’s narrative [e.g., plot and characterization] or poetic elements [e.g., imagery and parallelism]) help you understand the text’s message and, thus, its answer to the question. In this process you should consult peer-reviewed articles or biblical commentaries on your passages and/or question. Fourth, create a formal outline of your essay to clarify your question and thesis, synthesize your ideas, and arrange your material in a way that directly and coherently addresses and answers the essay question with a single, focused argument. Finally, after reviewing and refining your outline, write and edit the final draft. Creation of Eve by Paolo Veronese (1570) http://www.bookishclub.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/08/Creation-of-Eve-byPaolo-Veronese.jpg Rubrics: • The essay will address a narrow thesis concerning one (1) of the three major questions and be 1,800-2,000 words in length (a bibliography or works cited page is not needed). • To answer this question, you must use biblical passages from each of the four (4) parts of the Christian OT canon. • The paper may use relevant secondary sources and document them appropriately. These sources can be books, articles, or essays in journals or magazines that are found in print or full-text online format on the library’s online databases. You may not use lecture notes or websites, unless approved by the professor. • If the paper contains any plagiarism, it will receive zero points. To avoid (un)intentionally stealing another person’s work and passing it off as your own, place quotation marks around any direct quotes and cite the source. Also cite paraphrased material or borrowed ideas/data. • The paper’s format, citations, and bibliography or works cited page must follow The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) or Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines. Books in the Library: • The following sources are a good place to start in your research: Coggins, Richard. Introducing the Old Testament. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Goldingay, John. Key Questions about the Christian Faith: Old Testament Answers. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010. Rogerson, John W.Theory and Practice of Old Testament Ethics. Edinburgh: T & T Clark International, 2004. Rosner, Brian S., ed. New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids: InterVarsity, 2000. Ryken, Leland, ed. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Grand Rapids: InterVarsity, 1998. Digital Resources: • There are several peer reviewed, full-text online resources that you can consult too. Go to http://www.cui.edu/library and search in Academic eBooks or in ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, or Oxford Reference Online, all of which are located under Research Databases. Criteria Organization _____ 8 pts Content _____ 22 pts Conventions _____ 8 pts Sources _____ 4 pts Format _____ 8 pts Exceeds Expectations Theology 201 Major Paper Rubric Meets Expectations Meets Some Expectations Below Expectations The introductory paragraph clearly and succinctly explains the essay question, how the paper will address it, and the paper’s thesis. Body paragraphs are relevant to the overall task, contribute uniquely and meaningfully to it, and are very coherently organized. The concluding paragraph clearly and succinctly sums up the foregoing analysis and highlights the most decisive points. The introductory paragraph adequately explains the essay question, how the paper will address it, and the paper’s thesis. Body paragraphs are mostly relevant to the task and generally well-organized. The concluding paragraph sufficiently sums up the foregoing analysis and highlights its basic points. The introductory paragraph partially or somewhat unclearly explains the essay question, how the paper will address it, and the paper’s thesis. Body paragraphs are sometimes relevant to the task and/or their sequence and flow is somewhat disorganized. The concluding paragraph highlights some important points of the foregoing analysis and/or introduces some new arguments that belong in the body of the paper. The introductory paragraph (nearly) fails to explain the essay question, how the paper will address it, or state a thesis. Body paragraphs are often irrelevant to the task and/or frequently lack logical sequence and flow. The concluding paragraph highlights few or no key points from the foregoing analysis. The paper makes clear, reasoned, and accurate propositions that directly address the essay question. The paper appropriately, insightfully, and substantially draws on all four parts of the Christian OT canon to address the essay question. The paper soundly addresses issues of genre as well as historical/biblical context in analyzing and synthesizing the OT texts to answer the essay question. The paper makes propositions that are mostly clear, logical, accurate, and relevant to the essay question. The paper draws on all four parts of the Christian OT canon and effectively uses relevant texts that address the essay question. The paper shows sensitivity to the texts’ genre and addresses historical/biblical context as it analyzes and synthesizes the OT texts to answer the essay question. The paper makes propositions that are somewhat clear, logical, accurate, and relevant and to the essay question. The paper draws on three parts of the Christian OT canon that are somewhat relevant and effectively used to address the essay question. The paper demonstrates some awareness of genre and of historical/biblical context as it analyzes and synthesizes the OT texts to address the essay question. The paper makes numerous propositions that are unclear, illogical, inaccurate, or irrelevant to the essay question. The paper draws on one or two parts of the Christian OT canon to address the essay question that are irrelevant or inappropriately used to address the essay question. The paper shows little or no sensitivity to genre and frequently overlooks the texts’ historical/biblical context in its treatment of texts to address the essay question. Sentences are very well constructed, clear, and completely free of errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word usage. The paper contains no needless repetition or wordiness, and makes judicious use of quotation. Sentences are well constructed, with very few errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word usage. The paper contains very little repetition or wordiness, and makes appropriate use of quotation. Documentation of sources always follows an appropriate format. Documentation of sources mostly follows an appropriate format. Sentences are sometimes incoherent and poorly constructed, with repeated errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and/or word usage. The paper contains some needless repetition or some wordiness, and sometimes uses inappropriate quotation or relies on quotation too much. Documentation of sources sometimes follows an appropriate format. Sentences are often incoherent and poorly constructed, with frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and/or word usage. The paper contains much needless repetition or is too wordy, and frequently uses inappropriate or excessive quotation. Documentation of sources rarely follows an appropriate format. The paper is 1800-2000 words in length apart from title and bibliography pages (if applicable). The paper fully observes required formatting standards. The paper exceeds or falls short of the expected word length (1800-2000 words) by up to 300 words. The paper adequately observes required formatting standards. The paper exceeds or falls short of the expected word length (1800-2000 words) by 300–600 words. The paper observes some required formatting standards. The paper exceeds or falls short of the expected word length (1800-2000 words) by 600 or more words. The paper observes few to none of the required formatting standards.
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