JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY RELIGION 240

JESUS AND THE MORAL LIFE
DR. IAIN S. MACLEAN

FALL, 2007
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES AND READINGS

Tuesdays/Thursdays 2-3:15 

Godwin 341

Required Texts:
1] The New Oxford Annotated Bible (New Revised Standard Version with  the Apocrypha), Third Edition (Michael D. Coogan Editor), New York Oxford University Press, 2001. 

2] REL 240 Coursepak

3] Benedict. Saint. The Rule of Benedict. Edited by David W. Cotter. Collegeville, MN: Paulist Press, 2005.

4] Lewis, C. S. The Great Divorce. New York: Macmillan, 1946 (or recent reprint).  

5] Nolan, Albert. Jesus Before Christianity. Revised Edition. Maryknoll,NY: Orbis Books, 2001.

6] Pelikan, Jaroslav Jesus Through the Centuries. His Place in the  History of Culture. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985.

7]   Wright, N. T. The Contemporary Quest for Jesus. Minneapolis: Augsburg/Fortress Press, 2002.

8] Other Readings and Films/Videos as Prescribed

 

 

 

Week 1 August

Introduction

 

Tuesday 28th August

 Introduction –course requirements-sign up etc

Wright, N. T. ”Taking the Text with Her Pleasure,” Theology. Start reading  Lewis, C. S. The Great Divorce. for guest lecture on Thursday 13th September

Thursday 30th August

 What are Gospels? Biography? What are Synoptics?

Gospel of Mark, Wright, N. T. The Contemporary Quest for Jesus, as well as Cullen Murphy, “Who do Men Say that I am?” Nolan, Albert. Jesus Before Christianity chapter 2,

Week 2 September

The Birth Narratives

 

Tuesday 4th September

 The Birth Narratives in the Gospels

   Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2,  Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, Introduction and chapter 2, John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor, 1993) [available via Vatican web site under “Papal Encyclicals”]

Thursday 6th September 

 Do Children have rights? What of exiles and refugees? Birth and Death, Infanticide and Abortion

  Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapter 11; (St Francis-Manger tableau) Tertullian, Apology Chapter 9; John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor, 1993)

Week 3 September

The Baptism &Temptations & Preaching (Kerygma?)

Mark 1:9-13 and Synoptic parallels –see also John 1:29-34. Temptations see further  Matthew 4:1-17 and Luke  4:1-12.  Knowledge and responsibility. , John I; Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapter 6; Dostoyevsky, “The Grand Inquisitor”

Tuesday 11th September

Preaching of Jesus I Kingdom of God - what is this?

 

 

  Exodus3,20, Matthew 5-7; Leviticus 25: 1-34; Isaiah 58: 1-10; Amos 4-5; Luke 4:16-30. Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapters 2, 4, 6. Nolan, Albert. Jesus Before Christianity chapter 6.

Thursday  13th September

 Fictional transformations of Jesus and his story; Guest lecture by Professor Dr. Bruce Johnson, JMU English Department.

 

 Lewis, C. S. The Great Divorce. 

 

 

 

 


Week 4 September 

 Preaching Parables & Sermon on Mount Archbishop TUTU visit

 International Day of Peace Friday 21st September

 

Tuesday 18th September 

Kingdom of God -Parables


 
 
Gospel of Mark Matthew 20:1-15, 12: 25-37 (Good Samaritan)12: 13-21: 14: 15-24; 15: 11-32; 16: 1-13 (Unjust Steward), Nolan, Albert. Jesus Before Christianity, 149-152.

 

Thursday 20th September

 Sermon on the Mount.

Exodus 20, Matthew 5-7, Luke 6:20-49; Matthew 25: 31-46;  Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapters 9 and 11;  Pinchas Lapide, “What Did Jesus ask?” Nolan, Albert. Jesus Before Christianity,  chapter 15.

 

 

 

 

 

Week 5 September

 Sermon on the Mount/ Discipleship

 

 

Tuesday 25th September

 Gandhi and Non-Violence –Issues of Pacifism and/ or Just War

 Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapters 11 & 14, and John Howard Yoder, “ The Possibility of Non-Violent Resistance” in The Politics of Jesus 

 

Thursday 27th September

 Following Jesus’ disciples

Kingdom and Possessions/ money

 Start reading Saint Benedict The Rule and Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapter 9. Nolan, Albert. Jesus Before Christianity,  chapter  7.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 6 October

 Following Jesus

 

Tuesday 2nd October

Kingdom and Family

Saint Benedict The Rule, Nolan, Albert. Jesus Before Christianity,  chapter 9.

Thursday 4th  October

Kingdom and power

Saint Benedict The Rule, Nolan, Albert. Jesus Before Christianity,  chapters 8 & 10.

Week 7 October

 Son of Man & Son of God?

 

Tuesday 9th October

 The Confession and Transfiguration

 Mark 8:22-9:8. Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapters 3, 5 & 15.

Thursday 11th October

MID –TERM EXAM

 All Material

Week 8 October

 Jesus liberator and Savior

 

Tuesday 16th October

Jesus the Liberator from sin and oppression

Luke 4: 16-30 The First Sermon; Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapter 17; Jon Sobrino, “The Epiphany ofthe God of Life in Jesus of Nazareth,” from The Idols of Death and the God of Life. A Theology. Edited by V. Araya et al. (1988), 66-102

Thursday 18th October

 Martin Luther King and the Beloved Community

Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapter 17; Martin Luther King, Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” from Why We Can’t Wait. (1963) 77-100

 

 

Week 8 October

 

 

FRIDAY 19th OCTOBER

Fall one day break

 

 

 

Week 9 October

 Martyrdom & Passion

 

Tuesday 23rd October

 

 Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapter 3

Thursday 25th October

 Passion

 Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapter 5, . Paul W. Newman, “Identifying with Jesus: A Royal Metaphor” in The Christian Century (1999), 115-117.

Week 10 Oct/ November 

 Jesus and other religions

 

Tuesday 30th October

 Judaism and Jesus

Daniel J. Harrington, “The Jewishness of Jesus” from the Bible Review 3/1 (Spring 1987), 33-41. John's Gospel

Thursday 1st November

Islam and Jesus

Addleton, Jonathan, “Images of Jesus in the Literature of Pakistan,” in Muslim World vol. 80/2 (April 1990), 96-106.

 

Week 11  November

The East and Jesus 

 

Tuesday 6th November

Hinduism and Buddhism

 Aloysius Pieris, S.J. “Buddhism as a Challenge for Christians” from Love Meets Wisdom: A Christian Experience of Buddhism. (1988), 63-88.

Thursday 8th November

 Jesus in Music

Guest Lecture by Prof Brian Cockburn, Music Librarian, JMU Music Department

 Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, chapters 8 and 13

Week 12 November

Jesus in Film

 

Tuesday 13th November

FILM

 


 

 

Thursday 15th November

 FILM

 

Week 13 November

 

 

Tuesday 20th November

 FILM

 

Thursday 22nd November

 THANKSGIVING

 

Week 14

 Group Presentations

 

Tuesday 27th November

 

 

Thursday 29th November

 

 

Week 15 December

 Group Presentations

 

Tuesday 4th December

 

 

Thursday 6th December

 

 

Friday 7th December

Last Day of Classes

 

Week 16 Exam Week

 

 

 

Graduation

 

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