COURSE NUMBER: |
THEO 399 |
COURSE TITLE: |
Special Topics in History - 2014/15 Winter - Apocalypse Then and Now |
NAME OF
INSTRUCTOR: |
Dr Stephen Martin |
CREDIT WEIGHT
AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION: |
credits 3(hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 0) |
COURSE
DESCRIPTION: |
A course on a topic of figure of special interest to a
member of the theology faculty and offered on a non-recurring basis.
Prerequisites: THEO 250
2014/15 Winter
With its seven-headed beasts, fiery chariots, and starry-crowned
virgins, apocalyptic is perhaps the strangest literature in the Bible.
This strangeness has made apocalyptic a site of endless speculation
throughout history. For this reason, many Christians concerned about
the meaning of discipleship in the present have given it a wide berth.
And yet this literature has power to unmake and remake Christian
understandings of “the way things are” – if we have ears to hear.
Moreover, popular culture has been rediscovering apocalyptic, providing
new opportunities for Christian cultural engagement. This course
will examine the genre of apocalyptic through the study of ancient
texts and contexts, with special focus on the canonical books of Daniel
and Revelation, as well as the “little apocalypses” of the synoptic
Gospels. The course will conclude by encouraging students to apply a
biblically-informed apocalyptic imagination to contemporary culture.
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REQUIRED TEXTS: |
- A
good, scholarly study Bible: Either The NIV Study Bible; The
HarperCollins Study Bible; or The New Interpreter’s Study Bible. All
three are available in the bookstore. The translation used in the
lectures is the New Revised Standard Version. The books of Daniel and
Revelation, Isaiah 24-27 and Mark 13 will be read during the course.
You are expected also to have read the notes in your study Bible as
preparation for each class.
- Hill, Craig C. In Godʹs Time: The Bible and the Future. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.
- Koester, Craig R. Revelation and the End of All Things. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.
- Rhoades, David, ed. From Every People and Nation: The Book of Revelation in Intercultural Perspective (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005).
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MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT: |
Readings |
10% |
Film Review (1000 words) |
10% |
Film Review Presentation | 5% |
Midterm | 15% |
Revelation book report (1000 words) | 15% |
Essay (2000 words) | 25% | Final Exam | 20% |
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|
|
100% |
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COURSE OBJECTIVES: | Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able:
- To
introduce the category of apocalyptic genetically and generically, so
that students are able to differentiate apocalyptic language from other
literary genres in the Christian canon.
- To foster an appreciation of apocalyptic literature and its unique contributions to the Christian canon.
- To
develop interpretive keys to understanding how this strange, evocative,
and inspired language might empower Christian cultural engagement today.
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COURSE OUTLINE: |
- Defining Apocalyptic Jan 7,
9
- Jewish Apocalyptic I: The
Prophetic Tradition Jan 12, 14,
16
- Ps 89, 2 Sam 7, 1 Kings 22, Joel, Is 6, 14
- Jewish
Apocalyptic II: Crisis and Exile Jan 19, 21,
23
- Jewish
Apocalyptic III: The Book of Daniel Jan 26,
30
- Christian
Apocalyptic I: Apocalyptic in the Gospels Feb 2, 4,
6
- Mark 13, Matt 24, Luke 21
- Film presentations will take place on Feb 6
- Christian
Apocalyptic II: Apocalyptic in Paul Feb 9, 11,
13
- I Thessalonians; Galatians
- The
Book of Revelation I: Revelation and the Church Feb 23, 25,
27
- The Book of Revelation II:
Revelation and the Churches (Rev. 1-3) Mar 2, 4,
6
- The
Book of Revelation III: “The Scroll Unsealed” Mar 9, 11,
13
- The
Book of Revelation IV: “Trumpets of Terror and Hope” Mar 16, 18,
20
- The
Book of Revelation V: “The Beast and the Lamb” Mar 23, 25,
27
- The
Book of Revelation VI: “The Harlot and the Bride” Mar 30, Apr 1,
3
- The
Book of Revelation VII: The Millennium and New Creation Apr 13, 15,
17
- Conclusion:
“The Man Comes Around:” Rehearing Apocalyptic Today Apr
20
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