Course Description

For two thousand years, Christians have tried to answer the question posed by Jesus in many different ways.  The gospel writers and their various audiences responded to this question from their faith and from their experiences – all of which was intrinsically bound to their culture.  The question posed by Jesus long ago is posed to us today.  How do we understand the person, the message, and ultimately, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ?  How do we respond to this question in our time, and in our own cultural expressions?  Through study of the gospels and by viewing various films about Jesus, we will try to come to our own understanding of who Jesus of Nazareth is for us, and for our world.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the semester, students will:

•Name main stories of the life of Jesus

•Summarize the social, political, religious, and geographical environment of 1st

                century Palestine

•Explore various images and understandings of Jesus throughout history

•Analyze how one’s culture, politics, religious beliefs shape one’s understanding of

                Jesus

•Articulate the central message of Jesus and its relevance to our world today

Core Tasks

By the end of the semester, students will:

•Interpret and comment on various Scripture passages using research/exegetical

                methods

•Compare various images and understanding of Jesus found in Scripture, creeds, film

                and various art forms

•Describe the role and significance of Jesus in the life of another person

•Use multimedia tools to create and portray a comprehensive image of Jesus based

                on material studied during the semester

1. •       Read texts for comprehension
   

2. •       Write an exegetical/research paper
   

Grading categories and weights

1. (15%)        Information – you can recall facts and information.
   

2.                 (reading quizzes, homework from the texts, worksheets)     
   

3. (20%)        Analysis – you can show relationships between the facts and information.
   

4.                 (short answer quizzes, small projects)
   

5. (30%)        Comprehension – you can interpret and summarize the ideas in your own words.
   

6.                 (essays, large projects, chapter exams)   
   

7. (20%)        Presentation – you can effectively communicate your understanding of the facts and
   

8.                     ideas to others.   (essays, large projects, group projects, exams)
   

9. (15%)        Synthesis – you can put it all together.  (Semester Project & Examination)