REL 504: Understanding the Bible

This course offers an alternative approach to the Bible's essential teaching, with respect to its spiritual, literary, and poetic significance. The course will aid the student in understanding how the biblical words were understood by those who first heard them, as well as how we understand them today. The student has the opportunity to put on the sandals of a first-century person, hear the biblical word as it was first announced, and thereby more fully grasp its meaning.

Student Outcomes for This Course

Outcome #1 : Students will be exposed to a quick, overview of the entire Bible; this will lay the foundation for each to choose what to explore with more intention.

Outcome #2: Students discover how the stories, folklore, values and history in the Bible have influenced the Western cultural development.

Outcome #3: Students are able to describe the meaning of several Bible stories, parables, and instruction based on the cultural context in which they originated. And, each student reads each book of the bible understanding how the writing of the book relates to a cultural context alien from his or her own cultural experiences.

Outcome #4: Students are able to use and apply Bible materials relevant to today without doing historical or spiritual damage to the original intent of the authors of the various books.

Outcome #5: Students are able to describe the misuse of the Bible meaning due to a literal instead of metaphysical understanding.

Course Sessions and Topics

Session I	On Mything the Point
Session II	Exodus and the Struggle for Identity
Session III	Biblical History and the Stewardship of the Land
Session IV	Politics, Prophets and Profits: When Insight Is More Human Than Foresight
Session V	Ethics and Ethical-Race Religion and Human Reality
Session VI	Sage and Saint: On Making Room for Diversity & Eccentricity
Session VII	Orality, Memory and Tradition: The Synoptic Gospels and Interpreted History
Session VIII	Paul and the Christ Myth-The Movement and the Man: A New Consciousness
Session IX	John and Revelation: Several Johns, A Gospel and A Revelation
Session X	The Man from Galilee: The Historic Jesus - A Parable Maker

Required Reading

The Bible (See recommended sections for in-depth study next two pages)

Borg, Marcus, Reading The Bible Again for the First Time, Harper, San Francisco , 2001
ISBN# 0060609192

Nelson, Culver, Understanding the Bible Course Reading Material , 1997. Special printed supplement for course audio and video tapes. Available only through the Philosophical Research Society.

Recommended Reading :
A Selective Bibliography for a Survey of The Bible

General Studies :
Asimov, Isaac, Asimov’s Guide to the Bible. Wings Books, 1968-69.
Blair, Edward P., Abingdon Bible Handbook. Abingdon, 1975 rev. 1987.
Coote & Coote, Power Politics and the Making of The Bible. Fortress, 1990.
Josopovichi, Gabriel, The Book of God. Yale Press, 1988.
Link, Mark, These Stones Will Shout. Argus, 1975.

General Reference Works :
Freedman, David, Noel, The Anchor Bible. 6 Volumes, Doubleday, 1992.
Pilch & Malina, Biblical Social Values & Their Meaning. Hendrickson, 1993.
Soulen, Richard N., Handbook of Biblical Criticism. Knox, 1981.

On Mything the Point; Genesis:
Friedman, Richard Elliott, Who Wrote the Bible? Summit Books, 1987.
Mitchell, Steven, Genesis: A New Translation. Harper, 1996.

Wilderness Wanderers; Exodus:
Pixley, George V., On Exodus. Orbis Books, 1983.
Sarna, N., Exploring Exodus - The Heritage of Biblical Israel . Schocken Books, 1986.

General Reference Works :  

Antiquity in Anecdote and Allegory; History as Story-telling:
Coote & Ord, The Bible’s First History . Fortress, 1990
Halpern, Baruch, The First Historians . Harper, 1988.

Politics, Prophets and Profits; the Prophets:
Brueggemann, Walter, The Prophetic Imagination. Fortress, 1978.
Chase, Mary Ellen, The Prophets for The Common Reader. Norton, 1963.
Heschel, Abraham J., The Prophets. Jewish Publ. Society, 1962.
Staach, Hagen, Prophetic Voices of the Bible. World Publ., 1968.

Clan, Coterie and Creed; Period of Ezra-nehemiah:
Freedom, The Anchor Bible. article on Ezra-Nehemiah, Vol. 2.
Freedom, The Anchor Bible. articles on Ruth and Jonah.

Sage, Saint and Sinner; Wisdom Literature:
Fox, Matthew, Original Blessing . Bear & Co., 1983.
Murphy, Roland E., The Treethew. Original Blessing, Bear & Co., 1983.
Perdue, Leo G., Wisdom and Creation. Abingdon, 1994.
Simkins, Ronald A., Creator and Creation, Hendrickson, 1994.

General New Testament Studies:
Davies, Stevan L., New Testament Fundamentals. Polebridge, 1994.
Koester, Helmut, Introduction to the New Testament. Fortress, 1983.
Kummel, Werner Georg, Introduction to the New Testament. Abingdon, 1973.
Mack, Burton L., Who Wrote the New Testament. Harper, 1995.
Perrin & Duling, The New Testament . Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1982.
Spong, John Shelby, Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Harper, 1991

Historical Jesus Studies And Resources :

Historical:
Albert Schweitzer, The Quest for the Historical Jesus: A Critical Study of Its Progress from Remarius to Wrede. Macmillan 1906.
Bultmann, History of the Synoptic Tradition. Harper, 1963.
Bornkamm, Jesus of Nazareth . Harper, 1960.
Wilder, Jesus’ Parables and the War of Myths (Essays on Imagination on the Scriptures), Fortress. 1982.
Bauer, Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity. Fortress, 1971.
Dunn, Unity and Diversity in the New Testament, Westminster . 1977.
Robinson & Koester, Trajectories Through Early Christianity. Fortress, 1971.

Parable Studies:
Funk, Scott, Butts, The Parables of Jesus (A Report of the Jesus Seminar), Polebridge, 1988.
Scott, Hear Then the Parable. Fortress, 1989.
Donahue, The Gospel in Parables. Fortress, 1988.
Funk, Parables and Presence. Fortress, 1982.
Via, The Parables. Fortress, 1967.
Herzog, Parables As Subversive Speech. Westminster , 1994.
Jeremiah, Rediscovering the Parables. Scribners, 1966.
Crossan, In Parables (The Challenge of Historical Jesus). Harper, 1973.

Profiles of Jesus:
Funk, Honest to Jesus. Harper/Polebridge, 1996.
Funk, Jesus as Precursor. Polebridge, 1993.
Crossan, The Historical Jesus (The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant). Harper, 1991.
Sheehan, The First Coming (How the Kingdom of God Became Christianity). Dorset , 1986.
Meier, A Marginal Jew (2 Volumes). Doubleday, 1993.
Borg, Jesus a New Vision. Harper, 1987.
Borg, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time. Harper, 1994.
Mitchell, The Gospel According to Jesus. Harper, 1991.
Downing, Jesus and the Threat of Freedom. SCM, 1987.
Vermes, Jesus and Jew (A Historian’s Reading of the Gospels). Fortress, 1981.
Withergreen III, Ben, The Jesus Quest , IV Press

The Gospels:
Sanders & Davies, Studying the Synoptic Gospels. Trinity, 1989.
Kestrel, Ancient Christian Gospels. Trinity, 1990.

The ‘Q’ Gospel:
Kloppenborg, Meyer, Patterson, Steinhauser, Q Thomas Reader. Polebridge, 1990.
Kloppenborg, The Formation of Q. Fortress, 1987.
Kloppenborg, Q Parallels. Polebridge, 1988.
Jacobson, The First Gospel. Polebridge, 1992.
Mack, The Lost Gospel, Book of Q Christian Origins. Harper, 1993.
Vaage, Galilean Up Starts (Jesus’ First Followers According to Q). Trinity, 1994.  

The Gospel of Thomas:
Patterson, The Gospel of Thomas and Jesus. Polebridge, 1993.

Birth of Jesus :
Brown, The Birth of the Messiah. Doubleday, 1993.
Spong, Born of a Woman (A Bishop Rethinks the Birth of Jesus). Harper, 1992.
Schazberg, The Illegitimacy of Jesus. Harper, 1987.

Resurrection:
Luedemann, The Resurrection of Jesus. Fortress, 1994.
Spong, Resurrection: Myth or Reality? Harper, 1994.

Phone Conferences:
Wednesdays, January 23 and February 20, 2007

From 4:30 to 5:30 P.M., Pacific Coast Time , all students participate in these conferences with Dr. Nelson. The first conference will also give you an opportunity to clarify any questions you may have about the course. Each conference has been designed around lectures and topics. See Conference Calls with Faculty in Table of Contents for call in numbers and procedures.

Topics and Issues for First Conference Call– Tuesday, January 23, 2007

1. Be prepared to discuss myth as truth
2. Be prepared to discuss the exodus: history as interpretation
3. Be prepared to discuss biblical cult and wisdom literature

Topics and Issues for Second Conference Call – Tuesday, February 20, 2007

1. Be prepared to discuss history remembered/prophecy historicized
2. Be prepared to discuss the parables as mirrors of identity
3. Be prepared to discuss Jesus and Christ

Email Discussion Group "thetruth"

Email discussion groups encourage group discussion on the topics, issues and concepts presented in each course. Students are encouraged to use this discussion forum to share their ideas, insights and questions with one another. A single email message reaches all students and the faculty member at one time. This discussion group has also been put in place to help remove some of the geographic isolation which may be felt between students, and add an extra link to the natural and vital bond that develops in any spiritual community. All students with a current email address listed with Holmes Institute are automatically subscribed to the email discussion group for this course. Use this email address:

thetruth@yahoogroups.com

If you desire to respond to an individual in the group, please use his/her personal email address on your class roster or the Faculty Directory for Winter Quarter 2007 in the Table of Contents for contact information.

Course Outline - Weeks 1 through 5

This outline gives a brief description of how to pace your self-study and gauge your progress in the required course activities throughout the academic quarter.

Lesson Objectives :
Student is able to:

1. identify correct responses to key concepts discussed during the lectures and to content related to the concepts exposed to while reading the Hebrew Bible.
2. describe how stories, folklore, values and history in the Bible have influenced the Western cultural development.

Required Reading : Read as extensively as you can the specific readings in the Bible. The desired goal is to have you read the largest portion of the assigned readings (preferably all of the material) early in the term so that your feedback and papers reflect your understanding of the materials and your insights from the lectures. The point is to become acquainted with the biblical materials themselves.

On Mything the Point 1
Consciousness: A Pilgrimage (discovery)
Suggested Reading : Genesis

Wilderness Wanderers 2
Consciousness and Community
Suggested Reading : Exodus (Leviticus, Numbers)

Antiquity in Anecdote and Allegory 3
Consciousness and Choice
Suggested Reading : Joshua, Judges

Politics, Prophets, and Profits 4
Consciousness and Cult
Suggested Reading : Amos, Micah, Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah
Additional: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, (Samuel, Kings, Chronicles)

Clan, Coterie and Creed 5
Consciousness and Boundaries
Suggested Reading : Ezra, Nehemiah, Ruth, Jonah
Additional: Ezra, Nehemiah, Ruth, Jonah (Deuteronomy)

Sage, Saint and Sinner 6
Creation Consciousness and the Cosmic
Suggested Reading : Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Song of Songs
Additional: Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Psalms, (Esther, Lamentations)

Celestial Foreign Aid 7
Consciousness and Closure
Suggested Reading : Ezekiel, Daniel

History Remembered - Prophecy Historicized 8
Chronicling Consciousness
Suggested Reading : Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians
Additional: Matthew, Mark Luke, John, Pauline Letters: Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Philemon

Lecture Tapes: Session I - VI

Assessment Paper #1: Students are to write a one to two page paper giving one or more examples of how stories, folklore, values and history in the Bible influence the Western cultural development. Include your personal responses to the lectures and material covered so far. Your paper must be postmarked on or before February 5, 2007.

Course Outline - Weeks 6 through 10

Lesson Objectives :
The student will:

3. demonstrate the ability to describe in writing the meaning of Bible stories, parables and instructions based on the cultural context in which they were originated. The student is able to compare original meanings of these stories, etc. to the way they may be understood in the student’s culture; as well as incorporate key ideas from the perspectives and view point of Marcus Borg.
4. use and apply the Bible material to the present time without doing historical or spiritual damage to the original intent of the authors of the various books. The student appropriately refers to the perspective and view point by Marcus Borg regarding the often misuse of the Bible by literal instead of metaphysical understanding.

Required Reading :

Borg - Complete reading the entire text
Chronicling Consciousness
Suggested Reading : Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians
Additional: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Pauline Letters: Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Philemon

The Parable Maker 9
The Consciousness of Jesus
Suggested Reading : Matthew, Mark, Luke, Thomas
Additional: Synoptic Gospels & the Gospel of Thomas

The Myth And The Man 10
Our Consciousness of Jesus
Suggested Reading : John, James, Letters of John, Revelation
Additional: John (Hebrews, Timothy, Titus, James, Letter of John, Jude, Revelation)

Lecture Tapes: Session VII - X

Examination #1 : This test is open book. A multiple choice examination will be offered focusing a little on the Hebrew Bible; but mostly on the New Testament material with emphasis on Jesus and the Apostle Paul. Your exam must be postmarked on or before March 12, 2007

Assessment Paper #2: For your final assignment, first choose from among the subject topics listed below:

Myth and Truth	Exodus and Freedom
The Prophetic and the Apocalyptic	Religious Boundaries and Boundary-Making
Cultic Literature and Wisdom Thought	History Remembered and Prophesy Historicized
Parables as Mirrors of Identity	The Historic Jesus and the Christ Experience

If you desire to pursue a different theme than the ones suggested, confirm your choice in advance with Dr. Nelson.

Second, write an essay including the following:

• Explore the subject in light of the issues presented in the lectures.
• Identify specific biblical materials and what they say on the topic
• Select course objective 3 or 4, above. Discuss your topic in light of the issues presented in the objective. Clearly state in the paper upon which objective you are focusing.
• Identify either how all of this related to your personal life as a practicing Religious Scientist; or, discuss the relationship between the topic you selected and your vision of your ministry.

Guidelines for Success

The evidence of "A" quality work by a student in this course will be demonstrated in the following ways: (1) the student's ability to demonstrate in their written assignments they have a good grasp of the assigned biblical sections, (2) the student's ability to demonstrate in their written assignments they know and understand how the Bible must first be read with respect to the intentions of the original authors, (3) the student's participation in the conference calls, (4) the student's written statement that they have read most (preferably all) of the assigned biblical materials, and (5) the student's creative adaptation of the biblical insights to the modern world, and especially how their experience with the course and course materials can "honestly" be made useful in their ministry.

Grading Policy
Email Discussion Group Participation		0%
Phone Conference and overall		0%
Evidence of work		15%
Paper 1		25%
Examination		25%
Paper 2		35%
Total		100%