IC2631-50 Truth and Meaning:
A Rhetorical Approach
Fall Semester 2004 - Online
Letter Grade Option
Please note that students who wish to receive a letter grade rather than a P or M must notify the instructor in writing (via email) within the first two weeks of the semester (see Luther Seminary Catalog).
Course Description
An exploration of the truth claims the church makes for the Bible, with attention to the use of scripture in evangelical persuasion and the role of confessing in the move from interpretation to mission. The Epistle to the Galatians provides the textual focus.
Truth Seeking and the
Rhetorical
(see the “Criteria for Interpreting Confessing Area of the Curriculum” in Course Documents)
This course and the small group work that comprises its major format and focus are about the task of seeking the truth. This task is grounded in the conviction that truth-seeking is not for its own sake, but always for the sake of the church’s mission in the world. This task is rhetorical in that it takes place through and in interpretive conversation with biblical texts as that conversation is focused and shaped by the three factors of tradition, personal and corporate experience, and the cultural context in which this conversation takes place. Through this enterprise the community engages scripture in the practical exercise of carrying out its mission in particular contexts. The objectives for the course are grounded in and flow out of these convictions.
Objectives for the Course
Introduction: The shape of Theological Education at Luther Seminary
An excerpt from the Catalog reads:
Luther Seminary’s curricular strategy calls for teaching Christian theology in a framework of three interrelated movements:
These three movements are part of every course. Although the first movement is emphasized more in the early courses and the latter two receive more emphasis later, all three phases are part of the whole curriculum. Undergirding all three movements is a fourth concern:
In each part of the curriculum for every program Luther Seminary expects all students to grow in four ways: in attitudes and beliefs, skills, knowledge, and habits, and character. Only in this way, we think, will graduates be able to provide the many aspects of leadership required by communities involved in God’s mission in the world. (accessed at http://www.luthersem.edu/catalog/03_05/theo_education.asp)
In keeping with these overall curricular objectives, we have attempted to frame the objectives for this course in terms of the four areas of learning noted above. We hope that this form of stating the course objectives will be helpful to us in specifying the expectations for learning in the course and to you in assessing your own growth through the work of the course.
Knowledge Base
· Knows the basic outline of the argument of Galatians
· Has acquaintance with several major interpretations of Galatians, including one from the student's own historical tradition
· Knows the "Four Models" of interpretation and their relationship on a continuum from transparency to opacity
· Acquainted with basic theories of truth, including: Correspondence; Coherence; Semantic; Pragmatic.
· Understands the components of Rhetorical Theory and how they relate to biblical interpretation.
Attitudes and Beliefs
· Confesses the Bible as Scripture and Word of God
· Understands the Church as a truth and meaning seeking community in its practice of interpreting and confessing the scriptures.
· Has a working definition of and understands a range of response to issues of Meaning and Truth in the interpretation and use of scripture.
· Holds uses and practices to be as crucial as theory and justification in the understanding and confessing of the biblical witness.
Skills
· Discerns and evaluates conflicting viewpoints so as to delineate issues in a clarifying manner
· Demonstrates collegiality in seeking truth claims, especially in online and small group discussion modalities.
· Integrates biblical interpretation with systematic theology in the fluent and intelligent use of basic hermeneutical vocabulary, categories, and positions in theological discourse.
· Makes use of rhetorical perspectives and practices as an effective approach to interpreting and confessing Galatians and the biblical witness.
Habits/Character
· Exhibits self-understanding as a biblical interpreter as a leader in a missional church.
· Understands and uses the biblical text as a whole without losing the full range of its referentiality in its particular details.
· Attends to one’s own character as an interpreter and confessor in relation to the public character of the biblical text and its various audiences in pastoral practice and in leadership for Christian mission.
· Frames theologically the practice of interpreting and confessing the Bible for the sake of leadership in mission.
Standards (by which successful achievement of the objectives will be measured)
· The student’s growing ability to incorporate the biblical text and its contemporary interpretation within a theological position that undergirds an effective ministry
· The student’s ability to use fluently and intelligently in theological discourse the basic hermeneutical vocabulary, categories, and positions. Secondary works to be read alongside introductory and interpretive material provided in the course are designed to assist the student in achieving this basic fluency
· The student’s ability to discern and evaluate conflicting viewpoints so as to delineate issues in a clarifying manner. Collegiality is a major focus and resource for this course, requiring that all students participate in the course’s objectives by a lively and regular engagement with colleagues in the group discussion process.
Course Requirements
1. Course Participation: (40 percent of course)
· Completion of readings as assigned (see weekly assignments)
Students are strongly encouraged to read one major historical commentary on Galatians drawn from a major figure of their confessional/denominational tradition. Lutheran students are directed to Martin Luther’s Galatians Commentary (LW, vol. 26). As a commentary of first resort students may consider J. L. Martyn Galatians. (Since this commentary is currently out of print, you may not find it available. As a substitute students are recommended to consider Sam K. Williams, Galatians [Abingdon NT Comentaries] or Ben Witherington, Grace in Galatia: A Commentary on Paul's Letter to the Galatians [Eerdmans]; Edgar Krentz, Galatians [Augsburg Commentary on NT] is also a good resource.)
Students are further encouraged to read the entire letter to the Galatians each week, and at least once aloud.
· Regular participation in small group discussion including completion of weekly written leading statements and substantive responses to these statements within your discussion group (a minimum of two written submissions each week; see “Small group discussion”)
2. Papers (30 percent of course)
For more detailed instructions, see "Assignments"
Paper # 1: (Due by the end of week three, Saturday, September 25)
(1200-1500 words, 1500 words maximum!! – 4-5 pages double spaced)
A short essay addressing these two questions and their interrelationship: 1) When we say that the Bible is “true” what do we mean? and 2) What methods of interpretation best appreciate or correspond to that “truthfulness”? (20 percent).
For more detailed instructions see "Assignments"
Paper #2: (Due by the end of week eight, Saturday, October 30)
(700-900 words, 900 words maximum!! – 2-3 pages double spaced)
A short essay describing what is meant by the “Cartesian anxiety” (cf. R. Berstein, pp. 1-50 and N. Murphy, pp. 1-61) and how it has affected and still affects interpretation of scripture in the modern period. (10 percent).
For more detailed instructions see "Assignments"
3. Final Essay (30 percent of course)
For more detailed instructions, see "Assignments"
The final essay for the course is intended to draw together the students work for the course in both individual and group study, reflection and conversation. The final essay will consist of 1) a rewrite of paper #1 in light of the reading and work of the course and the conversation/discussion with colleagues in the small group process, 2) sharing of the essay with members of your small group, and 3) a brief written response to each of the essays of others in your group. The first draft of this rewritten paper should be approximately 2100 - 2400 words (7 - 8 pages double spaced) and should be posted to members of your group by the end of Week 11 (Nov 20). More detailed instructions for the sharing of papers and posting of responses to one another's essays is included in "Assignments" area. The final copy of the essay is to be submitted to the instructors by Tuesday, December 14. The final copy of the essay is to be submitted preferably as a document attached to an email. (Secondary options are to include the paper as text within an email; or as a last resort a file on disk deposited in the professors' PO Boxes in Gullixson Hall if you have access to campus.)
Small Group Discussion
Each student in the course is assigned to a small discussion group of 3-4 persons. In many ways the work of these small groups is central to the purpose and method of the course as a whole. What you learn in this course will depend in great measure on your investment and the quality of your interaction with one another in your discussion group. The overall goal of these groups is to provide the format for entering into profitable and continuing conversation with peers around the issues of biblical interpretation and truth and meaning as guided by the readings and the instructors. Introductory remarks, suggestions for reading, and questions to focus discussion will be provided in the weekly assignments. These suggestions will not be exhaustive nor prescriptive or limiting. They will suggest ways to engage the subject matter and to focus conversation on the subject matter within your group. The purpose is to promote reflection and conversation that enhances each member’s ability and skill as a biblical interpreter.
Each member of the group is responsible each week for the following written submissions to their group’s discussion forum:
1) a written opening statement for the week (300-400 words,) addressing the issues for the week; This opening statement should be posted to your discussion group by the end of the day Wednesday.
2) at least one substantive response (i.e. at least one paragraph, not just “I like it,”“I agree,” or “Nice goin’” to each of the other member’s submissions; These responses should be posted and the discussion for the week closed by the end of the day Saturday.
It is recommended that you start each week with the introductory material and suggested Reading Assignment. Then drawing on that work, formulate your comments for the Online Discussion Group and submit your opening statement by Wednesday. From Wednesday to Saturday respond to each other’s contributions to the Online Discussion and complete your individual work. The discussion should close by the end of Saturday.
'
Course Reading List
Required Texts and
(All required texts for the course have been placed on desk reserve in the Luther Seminary Library. All other required readings may be accessed in digital format either in the Library "E-Reserves" or in the course "Documents" area.
W. Brueggemann Power,
Richard Bernstein Beyond Objectivism and Relativism
J. Louis Martyn Galatians
N. Murphy Beyond Liberalism & Fundamentalism
John D. Zizioulas, "Truth and
Communion" Chapter 2 of Being as communion :
studies in personhood and the church (1985) pp. 67-122 (text posted
in the course "Documents" area)
Journal Issue: Interpretation (July 2000) Vol. 54:3.(all articles
available in digital format)
Journal Issue: Word and World (Summer 2000) Vol.20:3.(all articles available in digital format)
In addition to these works, there will be assigned and recommended readings associated with the weekly assignments. These readings are available in digital format either in the Luther Library E-reserves or within the course "Documents" area. Each week's assignments will indicate where the readings may be accessed.
Recommended
P. Avis Divine Revelation
H.D. Betz Galatians Commentary (Hermeneia Series)
W. Brueggemann Texts Under Negotiation
D. Compier What is Rhetorical Theology
Shaye J. D. Cohen From Maccabees to the Mishnah
N. Dahl Studies in Paul
G. Fackre The Doctrine of Revelation
Francis Fiorenza Foundational Theology
S. Fowl/L.G. Jones Reading in Communion
S. Fowl The Theological Interpretation of Scripture
H.G. Gadamer Truth and Method
H. G. Gadamer Philosophical Hermeneutics
J. Goldingay Models for Interpretation of Scripture
R. Grant & D. Tracy A Short History of the Interpretation of the Bible
R. Hays Galatians
R. Hays Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul
R. Hays The Faith of Jesus Christ
L. Johnson Scripture and Discernment
D. Kelsey Uses of Scripture in Recent Theology
H. Knight III A Future for Truth
F. Kermode Genesis of Secrecy
E. Krentz Galatians (Augsburg NT Commentary)
M. Luther Galatians Commentary (LW v. 26, 27)
F. Morton Galatians
J. Nerey Paul in Other Words
R.J. Neuhaus, ed. Biblical Interpretation in Crisis
P. Ricouer Essays on Biblical Interpretation
P. Ricouer The Rule of Metaphor
A. Segal Paul the Convert
Robert Solomon Introducing Philosophy
R. Thiemann Theology and Revelation
A. Thiselton The Two Horizons
F. Watson Text and Truth
F. Watson Text, Church and World
J. & E. Whitehead Method in Ministry
Charles Wood Formation of Christian Understanding
N. T. Wright Climax of the Covenant
S. Williams Galatians (Abingdon NT Commentary)
Ben Witherington III Grace in Galatia: A Commentary on Paul's Letter to the Galatians (Eerdmans)
N. Woltersdorf Divine Discourse