Last revised: 8/18/03

The student demonstrates understanding of the person, work, and message of Jesus Christ as presented in the Synoptic Gospels.

Religion 311 is the study of the person, work, and message of Jesus Christ as presented in the Synoptic Gospels. As such emphasis will be placed on both developing and demonstrating interpretative skills with Matthew, Mark and Luke using insights from contemporary critical study of these documents. The demonstration of this understanding will be evidenced by tests over class lectures and discussion, as well as over presentations on assigned topics.

•  Bible Reference Academic: Cokesbury Online Resources. Online data base from Cokesbury Press powered by iPreach. Subscription card can be purchased in the GWU Campus Shop at the beginning of the semester. Note: although similar, the Bible Reference Academic contains different material from the regular iPreach materials.

• Attendance:

Students are expected to attend all class periods. University policy will allow no more than 25% absences from this course. This means a maximum of 11absences for classes meeting three times each week; 7 absences for one meeting twice; and 4 evenings (or 9 class sessions) for one meeting once weekly.For the summer term with two class periods each for five days each week, a total of 11 absences from the 48 total class periods is the limit. Note also: absences due to officially sponsored activities, such as athletic contest will count toward the maximum allowable number of absences but will not be factored into the grade adjustment. Each student is responsible to notify the professor of the reason for each absence to determine whether it is an excused absence; until the online Request for an Excused Absence form is filled out and approved for each class absence, every absence will be considered an unexcused absence, thus substracting 5 points from the Class Participation Grade. The Class Participation grade (up to 10% of semester grade) is predicated on unexcused absences(- 5 pts), excused absences (- 1 pt), tardies (-3 pts), leaving class early (-2 pts), sleeping in class (-3 pts), participation in group assignments (+ 2 pts), answering oral questions in class (+2 pts), etc. Points ranging from 1 to 5 are deducted for every negative activity defined in the preceding sentence! See Semester Grade below for explanation and chart. For Religion Majors, each attendance at the C.M.A. meetings during the semester erases one absence per C.M.A. meeting.
 
• Exams:

Three major exams shall be given in the duration of the semester. All of these are 'take-home' exams that will be turned in at the specified time in the exam instructions page. Click on the hyperlinks for specific instructions regarding Exam 1, Exam 2, and Exam 3. See Schedule page for exact dates. The grading of the major exams will be completed over a two week period after the test date.
 
• Quizzes:

In addition, weekly quizzes shall be due on the day of the first class period of the week covering the past week’s material.  See Schedule page for exact due dates.  These shall be given a majority of the weeks during the semester. No quiz grades will be dropped and no pop tests will be given!

Turning in the quiz late will be subject to the following penalties:

• up to one week late, a maximum of ten points deducted from the grade;
• from one to two weeks late, a maximum of twenty points deducted from the grade;
• quizzes more than two weeks late receive an automatic grade of zero.
• The late clock begins ticking at 12:00 midnight on the due date for each quiz.


Quizzes can be turned in one of three ways: (1) print copy at my office in Lindsey 232; (2) fax copy sent to 704-434-0472; (3) email attachment sent to GWU@cranfordville.com. The electronic copy should be in Microsoft Word .doc format, the Microsoft .rtf format, or the Word Perfect .wpd format.

Each of the quizzes will be a take-home type test. Specific instructions are provided for each quiz, and can be accessed through the Schedule page. Be sure to check the class Bulletin Board for more specific instructions on the upcoming weekly quiz. In general, the quizzes will focus on some aspect of the topics covered in the previous week of class study, and are designed to re-enforce the skill development treated in these topics.

Grading of Weekly Quizzes and Exams:  Failure to correctly fill out the header information in the Quiz Instructions is minus 10 points.

• Presentations:
• Presentation Guidelines

A formal presentation on an assigned topic will be a part of the course requirement. The student will submit an online request for an assigned topic from the provided list of topics by the beginning of the semester. The precise listing of possible topics is contained in the online Presentation Request form. The presentation will consist of the following requirements:
• (1) 20 minute summation of the subject to the class;
• (2) 15 minute class discussion of the subject;
• (3) a minimum three page printed outline/summation of the subject presented to each member of the class one class period in advance of the presentation along with a bibliography of the subject.
• Two Types of Presentations:
• Theology Oriented Presentation
• These topics are the highest priority assignment, although they will come at the very end of the semester.
• They cover Unit 4, A Theology of Jesus, in the List of Topics.
• The guidelines for preparing and presenting these are identical to the presentation assignments in Religion 314. Click here for a detailed listing of these guidelines: 
• The possible topics for these presentations are based on the List of Topics and are as follows:
• 4.1 Key Themes in Mark
• 4.2 Key Themes in Matthew
• 4.3 Key Themes in Luke
• 4.4 The Synoptic Gospels in Summary
• Check the Schedule page for exact dates of presentations.
• Click here to make an online Request for Presentation assignment: 
• Research Guidelines for preparing your theology oriented presentation.
• Read the synoptic gospel in several translations in order to gain a feel for the thought flow.
• Note apparent key theological words and themes surfacing in the NT document.
• Use an online Bible concordance to double check word occurances.
• Identify possible discussions of key themes that do not necessarily use key words.
• Check available primary and secondary sources, beginning with the relevant section in New Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Exploring the Unity & Diversity of Scripture.
• Pay close attention to the bibliography in the relevant section.
• Check these sources as the next step.
• Continue checking additional secondary sources as available, first noting those listed in the Bibliography.
• Define the parameters of the topic. This includes:
• Identification of Key Themes in the topic.
• Identification of significant scholarly research and writing on the topic.
• Possible insights into developing a theology of the entire New Testament.
• Develop conclusions from research as basis of presentation.
• Follow the above guidelines in putting conclusion together.
• Exegesis Oriented Presentation
• These topics cover Unit 3, Studying the Life of Jesus in the List of Topics.
• The possible topics for these presentations are as follows:
• Range of possible topics: 3.1 - 3.6.2.9
• See the Request for Presentation Assignment page for detailed listing and instructions.
• Check the Schedule page for exact dates of presentations.
• Click here to make an online Request for Presentation assignment: 
• Research Guidelines for preparing your exegesis oriented presentation.
• Follow exactly the established guidelines for exegeting a pericope established in topic 2.2.1
• Choose one of the synoptic gospel passages as your controlling passage, assuming either Marcan or Matthean priority Source Critical perspectives.
• This passage should be the major focus of analysis. The other one or two passages (double or triple tradition) should be intensively brought into the discussion as a part of the interpretation of your primary passage.
• Identify both the historical and literary aspects involved in your pericope.
• Read the assigned gospel pericope in several translations in order to gain a feel for the thought flow.
• If possible, analyze the assigned gospel texts from the Greek.
• Check available commentaries using a variety of commentaries following the guidelines studied in Topic 1.1
• Pay close attention to the bibliography in the relevant section.
• Check these sources as the next step.
• Continue checking additional secondary sources as available, first noting those listed in the Bibliography.
• Develop a rhetorical understanding of the thought flow for each of the gospel texts. This includes:
• Identification of significant scholarly research and writing on the topic.
• Possible insights into how thi gospel pericope contribute to better understanding of Jesus.
• Develop conclusions from research as basis of presentation.
• Follow the above guidelines in putting conclusion together.

The semester grade will be determined from an average of the following sources: major exam 1, major exam 2, Final Exam, average of weekly quizzes, and the presentation, counting a 90 per of the semester grade. Additionally, class attendance, participation, and attitude will count for 10 percent of the semester grade.

The adjusted average of the above numerical grade will then be converted into a letter grade according to the following curve: A = 90-100; B= 80-89; C = 70-79; D = 60-69; F = below 60. The numerical grades are not rounded off; see example below.

Note the following illustration of the above:

 

Grade Sources:	R311:
Exam 1	18%
Exam 2	18%
Final Exam	18%
Quiz Avg	18%
Presentation	18%
Class Participation:	10%
Sem Avg:	100%
Semester Grade:	.

After each major exam, at mid-term, and before the final exam, each student will receive an individualized Grade Report listing his/her grades and the semester average to that point in the course, as well as the class averages. Information about the semester grade or final exam will be available from the professor's office soon after the final exam in the form of Grade Report Five.

The GWU Student Handbook defines these actions as follows on pages 50-51. Read them carefully, because they will be enforced to the limit in this class.
"Definition of Academic Dishonesty:
Academic Dishonesty is the deliberate and knowing misrepresentation of one's academic work. A student is dishonest when two circumstances occur: (1) The student could reasonably be expected to know that his/her professor would disapprove of some aspect or circumstance of the student's academic work; and (2) the students submits work to the instructor for evaluation while hiding that particular aspect or circumstance from the instructor. To do so is clearly dishonest because the instructor will evaluate the work as what he/she understands it to be. The student has deceived the instructor by misrepresenting the work, and the evaluation has not been rightly earned. From another perspective, academic dishonesty may be viewed as the use of unauthorized assistance in any work which is to be evaluated--"unauthorized" meaning that the professor would not approve of the form of assistance received and is unaware of its use. The student is being dishonest if he/she deliberately hides this assistance from the instructor while knowing the instructor would not approve of this assistance. If the instructor is unaware of the assistance that has been received he/she will evaluate the work as being entirely the student's own. Thus, the evaluation has not been fairly earned by the student. Furthermore, any student who knowingly gives unauthorized assistance is also guilty of academic dishonesty. On tests and examinations academic dishonesty occurs when a student receives any assistance that the professor has not expressly permitted. It may take the form of looking on another student's test paper or bringing into the test site any information or materials not expressly permitted by the professor. Both of the above definitions of academic dishonesty apply: The student has misrepresented the test as being entirely his/her own work. Furthermore, the student has received unauthorized assistance.
     On research papers, reports and other written assignments a form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism, which is the use of someone else's information or exact words without properly "documenting" or identifying that source. Whenever someone else's exact words are used those words must be properly punctuated as a quotation and the source fully identified. Also, any information or ideas which have been taken from a source other than the student's own personal knowledge – book, article, interview, etc. – must be properly documented, even though the student may be rephrasing the information in his/her own words. A student should not hesitate to consult the professor about any question or uncertainty regarding proper documentation of research information. A professor may often allow and even encourage students to work together on assignments or receive assistance from other students, other faculty members, other university staff members, friends, family or others. However, if the professor has not expressly allowed such assistance and expects the assignment to be done entirely by the student, to do otherwise would be dishonest. The student should consult the professor if there is any doubt about outside assistance being allowable....
     "The examples above are not intended to be a full list of cases of academic dishonesty, but they illustrate the definition. Ultimately, academic dishonesty amounts to deliberately hiding something from the professor. So the best advice is this: Whenever in any doubt, consult the professor."

     In addition to the bringing of charges against the student for academic dishonesty and plagiarism as outlined in the paragraphs following the above quote in the Student Handbook, the university authorizes each professor to set additional policies not less strengent, but more strengent than the above stated policy. In this class, the following policy will be strictly enforced:

The minimum penalty for cheating or plagiarism will be a zero for the work submitted.  Violations of an egregious or repeated nature may, upon investigation, result in the offender's receiving an F grade for the entire course.

Please remember that the purpose of an honor system is not to seek out cheaters, but to ensure the integrity of the hard work that each of you will be contributing to this course.  Good, honest students deserve to have their hard work and preparation protected against the rare individual who hopes to slide by on someone else's efforts.

Special Needs. If you require accommodations for a special need, please contact the professor. Your request will then be processed through the NOEL Program for the Disabled.

Career Opportunities. The Career Services Office has marvelous services available to GWU students and alumni for job assistance. You need to get your resume posted with them and take advantage of the services Holly Sweat and her assistants provide. Career Servies is proud to announce that the majority of their resources can now be accessed via their website: www.careers.gardner-webb.edu.  Upcoming events, career fairs, campus employer recruitment and the Jobs Bulleting are just a few of the resources available on the site.  Be sure to take advantage of all Career Services has to offerContact the office at 704 406-4562, their web site at http://www.careers.gardner-webb.edu, or go by their office at Suite 204 in the Dover Campus Center.

Class Cancelation Notices.When classes are canceled due to bad weather, you can find this information posted on GWU's web site or call 1- 877-GWU-SNOW. Additionally, area radio -- especially the university's radio station WGWG at 88.3 FM -- and TV stations will be notified of the closing. Very rarely will classes on the Boiling Springs campus be closed for bad weather.