RELG 475-1 (Introduction to Judaism) - (Spring 2008) (p. 1)
Syllabus revised by Dr. Lois E. Olena 11/26/07
EVANGEL UNIVERSITY
RELG 475-1: INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM
T/TH 6:00-8:30 PM, Room: AB2-211
Dr. Lois E. Olena
(h) 887-0332
[email protected]
http://www.olena.com/edu/evangel/
COURSE SYLLABUS, Spring 2008
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
This course overviews the fundamental theology/beliefs/worldview/thought and orthopractics of
traditional Judaism in the context of an examination of the various forces that shaped the historical
development of Judaism from its beginnings to the present day. Jewish rites of passage, religious
calendar and festivals, synagogue and religious home, methods of prayer and study, Jewish
mystical influences, Torah devotion, and traditional wisdom compiled in the writings of the
Jewish sages such as the Talmud are viewed in context. Focusing primarily on American Judaism,
the distinctives of the major Jewish denominations are considered. Participation in annual Jewish
religious events is included.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. To help students understand the Bible from a Jewish perspective and gain an appreciation for
the Jewish roots of Christianity.
2. To give students an understanding of how biblical Judaism evolved into its modern expression,
particularly the various movements within American Judaism.
3. To assist students in understanding the nature of Messianic Judaism in the present day and its
place in the overall context of Judaism and Christianity.
4. To expose students to Jewish faith and practice and engender a genuine appreciation for
Jewish people, their culture, and ethics, thus providing a forum for discussing Jewish-Christian
relations.
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. List relevant biblical passages that provide the basis for Jewish belief and practice
2. Describe the Jewish festivals, their purpose and the nature of their practice
3. Identify the various movements with Judaism in America, their differences and similarities
4. State the theological and social function of various life-cycle events
5. Relate meaningfully to Jewish people
6. Compare and contrast Jewish and Christian teaching
7. Discuss the nature of Jewish-Christian relations today and historically
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
• Bank, Richard D. The Everything Judaism Book. Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation,
2002.
• Kendall, R. T. and David Rosen. The Christian and the Pharisee. New York: Faith Words,
2006.
• Young, Brad. Meet the Rabbis: Rabbinic Thought and the Teachings of Jesus. Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2007.
• The Bible in a Modern Translation
• Selected readings
RELG 475-1 (Introduction to Judaism) - (Spring 2008) (p. 2)
Syllabus revised by Dr. Lois E. Olena 11/26/07
METHODOLOGY
Class Lectures
Student Presentations
Synagogue Visit
Class Discussion and Interaction
Multimedia
Guest Speakers
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Class Attendance. You are allowed three absences this term. You will be dropped from the class
on the fourth absence. Three tardies (coming in within the first ten minutes of class) are the
equivalent of one absence. Note that there are no “excused absences” at Evangel. If you have only
one absence (or none at all) at the end of the term you will be given a bonus of 30 points.
Assignments
Due Date
% of Course
Grade
5%
• 2-page “Forgiveness” reflection paper
(in conjunction with Evangel’s “Forgiveness Week”)
January 31
5%
• 3-page “reflection” paper on Kendall and Rosen
April 3
10%
January 24
February 28
March 20
10%
15%
10%
20%
• Class participation
Vital to course success. Each student will be expected to verbally
contribute in class sessions.
The reflection paper is a demonstration of your personal interaction
with the author’s writings. Neither a book report nor review, this
paper is to celebrate the author’s valuable insights and protest
notable blind spots. No footnoting or title page is necessary.
• Unit Exam 1
• Unit Exam 2 (at Mid-term)
• Unit Exam 3
• Research Paper and Class Presentation
Each student is to select a Jewish holiday, write a 7-pg. research
paper on that holiday, and make a ten-minute presentation to the
class.
• Final Exam
Presentations will be
made in class on April
10 and 17. Paper is due
at time of presentation.
April 29
25%
Comprehensive essay question (take home and e-mail to me at:
[email protected]).
Please note: Evangel University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in making
appropriate provisions for students with documented disabilities. Please speak with the instructor
within the first week of the term if you think that you qualify under this Act.
COURSE SCHEDULE: The following is simply a guide, and as such is susceptible to some variation. It is the
sole responsibility of the student to know when these changes have been made. Additional readings and handouts may
be distributed in class.
RELG 475-1 (Introduction to Judaism) - (Spring 2008) (p. 3)
Syllabus revised by Dr. Lois E. Olena 11/26/07
Jan 10
Jan 17
Class Topic
Class begins – Course Intro. and Overview
Biblical/Ancient Judaism
Biblical/Ancient Judaism
Exilic (Diaspora) Judaism
Judaism of Jesus’ Day (post-exilic to pre-rabbinic)
Readings and Assignments
Bank chapter 1: What is Judaism?
Bank chapter 4: The Languages of Judaism
Bank chapter 5: Judaism’s Holy Texts
Young Part 1: Introduction to Rabbinic Thought (1-5)
[Tu B’Shevat is January 22!]
Jan 24
January 21-25 Themed Week: Faces of Forgiveness
Forgiveness
(Chapel speaker today: Dr. Everett Worthington)
6:00-7:00 Unit Exam 1
7:00-7:30 Discuss Faces of Forgiveness
7:30-8:30 (no class time); Instead, you will be required to
have attended at least one daytime session (1 hr.) of “Faces
of Forgiveness”
Jan 31
Rabbinic Judaism
“Forgiveness” reflection paper due
Feb 7
Rabbinic Judaism
Young Part 2: Introduction to Rabbinic Literature (6-8, 10)
Bank chapter 7: The Place of Prayer in Judaism
Bank chapter 6: Living in Accordance with the Law
Young Part 3: Introduction to the Rabbis (11, 12)
Feb 14
Feb 21
Medieval Judaism
Medieval Judaism
Bank chapter 3: Spirituality in Judaism
Young Part 2: Introduction to Rabbinic Literature (9)
Feb 28
Mar 6
Mar 13
(Dr. O.
@ SPS)
Mar 20
Mar 27
Unit Exam 2 (mid-term)
Spring Break
Modern Judaism – Rise of (18th/19th cent.)
Modern Judaism – Zionism and the Jewish State
Modern Judaism – The Shoah
Modern Judaism – Branches
[Purim is March 21!]
Modern Judaism – People/Culture/Life Cycle
GUEST 6:00-6:30
6:30-8:30: “The Long Way Home” film
6:00-7:10 (70-min.): “Survivors of the Holocaust”
7:15-7:30
Bank chapter 2: The Branches of Judaism
7:30-8:30
Unit Exam 3
[GUEST]
Bank chapter 16: A New Life
Bank chapter 17: Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah, Confirmation
Bank chapter 18: Marriage and Divorce
Bank chapter 19: Death, Mourning, and the Afterlife
Bank chapter 20: The Jewish Culture
Apr 3
Modern Judaism – Beliefs/Practices/Liturgy
Modern Judaism – Shabbat
[GUEST]
Bank chapter 8: Judaica: Religious Objects and Attire
Bank chapter 9: The Sabbath
Kendall and Rosen (Reflection Paper Due)
Apr 10
Modern Judaism – Holidays
Apr 17
Modern Judaism – Holidays
Student Research Papers & Presentations (on the holidays)
Bank chapter 10: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
Bank chapter 11: Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah
Student Research Papers & Presentations (on the holidays)
Bank chapter 12: Chanukah: The Festival of Lights
Bank chapter 13: Celebrating Purim
Bank chapter 14: Passover: A Story of Liberation
Bank chapter 15: Shavuot, Tisha B’av, and Tu B’Shevat
[Pesach begins the evening of April 19!]
[Yom Ha Shoah is May 2!]
Apr 24
Modern Judaism – Trends and Concerns
•Assimilation, Intermarriage, Conversion, Messianic Judaism
•Anti-Semitism, Holocaust Education, Security of Israel
•Interfaith Relationships
Due
Apr 29
(Take Home) Final Exam
RELG 475-1 (Introduction to Judaism) - (Spring 2008) (p. 4)
Syllabus revised by Dr. Lois E. Olena 11/26/07
CONTRACT BETWEEN PROFESSOR AND STUDENT
REGARDING LATE PAPERS AND TESTS
Department of Theology
1.
If a detailed term paper is assigned, the professor must give it not less than five weeks prior to the
due date. In this way, the student may begin to write the paper early so that it will not be late
because of unforeseeable circumstances which may arise immediately prior to the due date.
2.
All late papers will be lowered one letter grade for every calendar day after the due date (except
Saturdays and Sundays) unless:
A.
The student has been ill for more than three days immediately prior to due date.
B.
There has been a death in the immediate family within a week prior to the due date of the
assignment.
3.
Communication: Notice must be given to the instructor in person, by e-mail, or by voice-mail prior
to the test or due date of the paper for permission to be considered.
4.
This policy means that there will be no incomplete grades in the Department of Theology except for
the two reasons stated.
5.
In case a student must take a test late or early or hand in a late paper for one of the reasons listed
in 2 (A) or (B), s/he then must do so not later than the first Thursday following the date of the exam
or due date of the paper. For a test to be taken earlier or later than the scheduled time, the student
needs to pick up a permission slip from the department office, have it signed by the professor and
leave it with the department office manager at least 24 hours before the exam is to be taken.
6.
A fee of three dollars ($3) will be assessed by the Department for each exam taken early or late.
No such exam will be graded until this fee is paid. Furthermore, students may take early/late exams
only on Thursday between the hours of 3 and 5 pm. Please report to the office manager to pay
your fee and receive the exam. Quizzes are fifty cents ($.50), if allowed. You must make an
appointment with the department office manager no later than Wednesday evening in order to take
the test on Thursday.
RATIONALE:
Students who allow their papers to become overdue find themselves overwhelmed and depressed at final
examination time. We believe the above policy will encourage self-discipline which will lead to selfsatisfaction and growth.
Revised 9/05