Some items relating to the
general format of the paper include the following:
(1) The first line of each paragraph should be indented 5 to 8 spaces.
This guideline represents approximately 8 spaces indentation for each paragraph.
(2) The margins on the left, right, and bottom sides of each page of
the paper are to be one inch. On the first page of each of the three major
sections [Introduction; body of paper; Conclusion], the top margin must
be two inches from the top. All other pages in each section must have a
one inch top margin.
(3) The text of the paper must be double-spaced in each paragraph with
the exception of long quotes over three or more lines. These block quotations
must be singled-spaced lines and the left margin indented the same amount
as the regular paragraph indentation (5-8 spaces), with additional paragraph
indentation in them when the quote begins a paragraph in the original source.
(4) Page numbering of the text should begin with the number Arabic
one printed centered, one line below the one inch margin on the bottom
of each new section page. Numbers of all other pages must be in the upper
right-hand margin one line above the top one inch margin. If your computer
word processor doesn't have the capability of automatically setting this
up, then use running headers and footers to achieve this. A blank header
at the top of each new section page and a blank one on the subsequent page
will block out page numbers at both top and bottom all through the paper.
(5) Regarding font style and size, the requirement is Times or Times-Roman
(= Times New-Roman) in a twelve point size, which is what you are presently
reading. This font is available on every existing word processing software
working with Windows or Macintosh True Type fonts or with Adobe Postscript
Types 1-3 fonts.
(6) There should not be right-margin justification, either in the text
or in the footnotes of the paper. Turn off 'justification' in your word
processor when setting up the page format. Set it to 'left.' But do use
word hyphenation; make sure this is turned on.
Other general style
items include:
(1) Paragraph length. Keep your paragraphs to no more than 10 to 15
double-spaced lines.
(2) Work on sentence structure. Keep your sentences relatively short.
Avoid passive voice verbs.
(3) Make sure the paragraphs discussing the "then" meaning of the text
are past time oriented, while the paragraphs dealing with the "now" meaning
of the text are present time oriented.
(4) The footnote references should be superscripted
numbers both in the text and at the beginning of the footnote. Use the
same spacing for indenting footnotes as with the text of the paper. Also,
single-space footnotes and leave a blank line in between each footnote.
If you can't set your computer software to do this automatically, then
hit the carriage return before closing out each footnote. By all means,
use the footnote creation feature of your word processing software.
(5) Place a single space after each period etc. between sentences,
rather than two spaces.
(6) One other very important matter: formal papers are to be written
using the third person; never, ever the first person. Refer to yourself
-- when absolutely necessary -- as this writer, but not with the personal
pronoun "I."
The instructions, beginning with the INTRODUCTION page, not only provide
detailed guidelines on how to write your paper, but they also attempt to
illustrate the format required, which is basically coming from the Turabian
Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations in
the sixth edition. The above instructions are carried out on these pages
so you can see what is required.
The following items constitute new sections (begin with a new page)
and are to be included:
1. Title Page
2. Introduction using the
heading, INTRODUCTION
3. The body of the paper,
using the initial heading summarizing the central idea of your scripture
text
4. Conclusion using the
heading, CONCLUSION
5. Bibliography using the
heading, SOURCES CITED
One very important note: Exact adherence to the format detailed in
these guidelines constitutes a significant part of the paper grade. Failure
to follow these will result in severe penalty to the paper grade.
One very important
additional note: when turning in your paper, merely staple the pages together
in the upper-left hand corner. Please, no plastic binders, etc.!!!
In preparing to write the paper you
should use the following steps.
Once the specific passage has been assigned during the first week of
classes, begin reading
your passage from at least four modern translations. Use a wide
range from the more literal New American Standard to the more paraphrased
Good News for Modern Man. Make copies of your passage in these, if you
don't already have them in your personal library. Be sure also to copy
the title page and the publishing information page after it for bibliographic
reference. Compare the wording of each sentence in each translation of
the text. Ignore the verse divisions; these are not a part of the original
text and serve only as reference markers. Concentrate on the sentences.
Observe -- and make notes on -- words, phrases etc. that seem to differ
noticeably in meaning between the translations. Probably, these differences
uncover significant interpretative issues existing in the text. The differences
can then be checked out in commentaries on your scripture passage. Note
whether any of the translations contain alternative translations of portions
of the scripture text in marginal readings. This will signal variant readings
in the underlying Greek/Hebrew text that must be discussed in your paper.
The better commentaries will provide explanations of the details.
Also during your comparative
readings of the different translations, observe where each translation
inserts new paragraphs within
the boundaries of your scripture text. Compare these as a basis for your
determination of the subdivisions of thought -- the internal literary structure
-- of the passage. These subdivisions will become the foundation for the
outline of the text that you will develop and use for the divisions of
the body of your paper! The subdivisions you conclude from the comparison
of the translations will need to be double-checked by looking at the discussion
of the divisions of the scripture text found in the commentaries.
Once you have noted possible interpretative issues within the scripture
text as well as divisions of thought, go next to
the commentaries listed in the bibliography to study the interpretation
of this text by those better trained in interpretative procedures.
Use the one-volume commentaries first for the more summary discussions
of the scripture text. Then, turn to the more serious commentaries with
detailed discussion of your scripture text. Glean from these sources insights
from the scholars to supplement and correct your insights gained from the
comparative readings of the different translations. Additional sources
of help can be found in the Bible concordances and dictionaries listed
in the bibliography. Make detailed notes of your findings as you go along!
Make a tentative
outline at one level of division in your scripture text. This
should be based on your perceived divisions within the scripture text from
the study of translation paragraphing and the discussion in commentaries
etc. Be sure to list the verses that go with each heading of your outline.
Once the tentative outline is complete, then write a general heading summarizing
the entire passage. Use short 5 to 10 word complete-sentences, instead
of phrases or key words. The general heading will be used as the title
for the second section (body) of the paper. The outline headings will then
follow as the subdivisions for the body of the paper in this second section.
Using the study Bibles, dictionaries and both types of commentaries,
begin exploring the historical and literary settings
of your scripture passage. These items will be placed in the
Introduction section of the paper. Check the INTRODUCTION section below
for more details of what needs to be included. Once this analysis is complete,
you're ready to begin writing the paper.