Write a 4–5 page (double-spaced) paper on a passage from one of the texts that we have discussed in the course. You may also choose a biblical text that we have not discussed yet. You should include issues of race, class, gender, ability, and so on, but the important thing is to describe how the passage works as a literary creation, that is, how does the passage affect you.
You should choose a passage within a larger text, usually about a half chapter, but note:
–If you feel you do not have enough material, you can expand the passage or draw in comparisons (for instance, two different passages in Genesis).
–If you feel that you have too much material, you can narrow your focus (for instance, a single figure or short passage).
–What this means is that you don’t have to choose your section precisely until you are close to finishing your paper.
Many writers (including myself) find it easier to draft too much material and then edit it down to the required size. This allows you to experiment with ideas, combine ideas, and then adapt it to what you want. But don’t go over 5 pages for the paper you turn in.
Art images are welcome, but you should end up with 4–5 pages of text. Give a basic identification of any images you use (for instance, name of artist if known, or source if it is anonymous).
If you are not sure how to insert art images in your document, you can name the art object (for example, Rembrandt, Esther) and I can Google it to see it.
To write this paper, you should begin by describing (briefly!) the place of this passage in the larger text, and then analyze it in terms of literary aspects. Note that this can include theology (for instance, what does the passage say about God) but that is not required.
You should find scholarly resources to help you in understanding the passage. The readings in the syllabus are a good place to start, as are the notes that are in the Study Bible. You should also use the library databases to find articles: JSTOR is the best, but also ATLA Catholic Periodical and Literature Index. You can enter a Bible passage (for example, Genesis 16:1–6) or words in the title, but note that the search may retrieve modern authors named Mark or passages other than 6:1-6. It requires some experimentation. The library also has libguides that may be helpful.
You may have to check out a number of possible articles to find two that are helpful. But the “hunt” is important. The articles should be scholarly, historical articles and not from websites that are simply religion discussion sites hosted by non-scholars. Reviews of books are also helpful because they provide both the views of the book’s author and the views of the reviewer. Provide brief references when you make use of scholarly resources (either classic footnote style or author/date style is fine).
Also, note that you can easily find books in the library on the biblical book that you are studying. There are commentary series that have a book on each book of the Bible, and you can turn to your passage. These are at about BS 100–400 in the library. Individual books on each book in the Bible begin at about BS 1200, and are arranged in the order of the books in the Christian Bible, with Apocrypha between Old and New Testament. So you can start with Genesis at about BS 1200 and walk down the aisle until you reach Ruth, Job, and so on, then Judith and Tobit in Apocrypha, then Mark and 1 Corinthians in New Testament, etc.
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|