Matthew, Mark and Luke: The Synoptic Gospels*

Objectives

To help students:

• Gain an in-depth comprehension of the Synoptic Gospels
• Explore the historical and social background from which each Synoptic derives
• Articulate the similarities and differences among the various portraits of Jesus in the Synoptics
• Critically evaluate secondary scholarship (monographs, articles, essays, commentaries, etc.) by asking questions and challenging arguments based on the student’s own biblical analysis
• Discover that “context matters,” and in the process, learn how to read the Synoptics with theological and ethical sensitivity

Required Texts

1. Harold W. Attridge, ed. The Harper Collins Study Bible. New Revised Standard Version (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2006). Other acceptable NRS translations that provide study notes developed for the academic study of the Bible are the Oxford Annotated Study Bible or the New Interpreter’s Study Bible.

2. Mark L. Strauss, Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels (Zondervan, 2007).

3. Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, The Synoptic Gospels Set Free: Preaching Without Anti-Judaism (New York: Paulist Press, 2009).

 

Course Requirements and Grades  

A. Presence, Participation, and Preparation: 10% of Final Grade 

Regular attendance at all class sessions and active participation in discussion groups are expected.  If you are unable to attend a class session, please notify the professor in advance or at the earliest opportunity. Please plan to arrive promptly to class, and stay for its duration. It is also important that students return promptly after class breaks. Your presence is necessary and important for maximal learning for everyone. Missing two sessions will result in an automatic lowering of your final grade by 10%. Missing three or more sessions will result in automatic failure of the course.

Be ready to ask questions and participate in discussions in a positive and constructive way. Rich, critical dialogue occurs when we discuss, debate, and consider the texts and various issues as a collective. Care should be taken when speaking; however, to make sure that everyone (including the less talkative ones) gets an opportunity to engage. 

B. Three (3) Short Papers: 30% of Final Grade

Students will write three short papers, each around 750 words in length (~3 pages). (Papers significantly shorter than 750 words will not be eligible for a high grade.) The topics for the three papers will be as follows: “Mark’s Jesus” (due February 19); “Matthew’s Jesus” (due March 5); and “Luke’s Jesus” (due March 19). Each of these essays should attempt to isolate the distinctive features of the portrait of Jesus being considered. Be especially alert to differences of emphasis among the different portraits. 

These papers will be based on material covered in lecture (so take notes!) as well as the relevant reading assignment(s) from the syllabus. You are, however, expected to consult further scholarly literature in addition. A bibliography of basic works on each of the topics for the papers will be provided, and many of the works in the bibliography will be available on reserve in the main library. Many other relevant works are also available in the library stacks, and journal articles can be found in the online database.

Use footnotes to acknowledge your debts to the scholarly literature that you draw on (avoid plagiarism). Keep direct quotations to a minimum, however. It’s your voice that I want to hear in these essays. (Students are encouraged to view the document, “General Guidelines for a Research Paper” on the Seminary’s homepage. Follow this path: Current Students, Online Forms Center, Student Writing Resources, “Bingo!” You’ve arrived at the document.)

Your essays will need to be informed by scholarly opinion, then, although you are encouraged to stake out your own position in relation to it, thereby personalizing the material for yourself. Creativity is welcomed.

 **Papers are to be emailed to the professor (ssmith@hartsem.edu) on the above mentioned dates prior to the start of class. 

C. Major Presentation and Handout: 40% of Final Grade 

Students will do a 15-20 minute presentation on a topic as outlined on the syllabus. These presentations may be done at the beginning of class as a way of opening up discussion. 

Such topics will include: “Jesus and the Jerusalem Temple; “Women in Luke”; “‘The Jews’ in Matthew’s Gospel”; “Material Possession in Luke”; “The Disciples in Mark”; “The Poor Widow of Mark 12”; “How Jewish is Jesus in Matthew?”; “Jesus – The Teacher in Matthew”; “Prayer in Luke”; and “The Holy Spirit in Luke” (to name a few).

Each class presentation is to be accompanied by a handout. The handout and presentation should facilitate the discussion of the class as a whole; each is worth 50% of the grade for this assignment. The best presentations encourage discussion, and the most helpful handouts offer resources for further study. In other words, an effective presentation does not involve reading a lengthy handout to the class. Be creative with these presentations, and have fun!

A sign-up sheet will be distributed at the start of the semester. 

D. Final Reflection Paper: 20% of Final Grade

Students will write a 1000-1250 word essay (4 to 5 pages) that will consider the following question: 

“Diversity is a given – a fact of life. Thus, how we view it (productive, harmful, difficult to overcome, fecund, etc.) is the question. Generally speaking, and from your own interreligious context, how (can) the study of the Synoptic Gospels, with their presentation of various portraits of Jesus, inform how we do interreligious dialogue? How does it affect how you engage with others of various religious affiliations? Does difference hinder or help dialogue? What are some lessons to be learned in multiplicity?”

Due Date: Monday, May 13, 2013 by 5pm. Students should email their papers (ssmith@hartsem.edu).

VI. Learning Resources and Expectations

Academic Integrity

Plagiarism will not be tolerated in student written work. You are expected to put your ideas in your own words. When the thoughts, ideas, or words of other persons are used, whether written or verbal, credit should be given by using quotations and proper citation. Proper documentation should also be included for sources used but not quoted verbatim. For the policy and guidelines for avoiding plagiarism, see the Academic Policies for Graduate Programs section of the Catalogue or the Student Handbook. 

Lateness Policy

All dues dates are real. Please meet them. If you expect to miss a deadline, please contact the professor before the due date, in order to negotiate a new due date. This new date becomes firm. Any assignments turned in after this new agreed-upon date will be docked 5 points per 24 hour period. 

Language Issues

Good communication is crucial for ministry, scholarship, and collegiality. Students are encouraged to have their writing assignments reviewed by a writing consultant as needed. These services are offered at no additional cost to graduate program students (see Student Handbook for details). Students are also expected to use inclusive language in this course as stipulated by the Hartford Seminary Catalogue. 

 

CLASS SCHEDULE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

** Please note that all readings are subject to change.

Students will be notified in advance.**

Week 1 - Tuesday, January 22  

PART A: Introduction to the Course

PART B: What Is a Gospel? 

Secondary Reading:

 John Barton, “Strategies for Reading Scripture,” in The Harper Collins Study Bible, pp. xxxix-xliii.

 Strauss, Four Portraits, pp. 23-42 “What are the Gospels?”

Week 2 – Tuesday, January 29

PART A: What Was Happening – Historically, Religiously, Socially, and Culturally?

Secondary Reading:

 Strauss, Four Portraits, pp. 93-122, 123-148, 149-167 (Don’t be alarmed! There are lots of charts and pictures!)

PART B: The Gospels and Modern Scholarship (New Testament Criticisms and the Synoptic Problem)

Secondary Reading:

 Strauss, Four Portraits, pp. 43-65 and 67-89.

Week 3 - Tuesday, February 5: The Gospel of Mark I

PART A: Introduction to Text 

Primary Reading:

 Read the entire Gospel of Mark (preferably in one sitting). It’s the shortest gospel! 

As you read, pay special attention to the unfolding relationship between Jesus and his disciples – how it begins, how it develops, how it ends. (You are encouraged to take notes on your findings.)

Secondary Reading:   

 Strauss, Four Portraits, pp. 171-211.

 Harrington, Synoptic Gospels Set Free, pp. 73-82.

PART B: The Disciples in Mark and An Analysis of the Ending(s) of Mark

Student Presentation: “The Disciples in Mark”

Week 4 – Tuesday, February 12: The Gospel of Mark II

PART A: Thinking Historically about Jesus and the Temple

Primary Reading:

 Re-read Mark 1:40-43; 2:23-28; 11:1-12:12; 12:41-44; 13:1-14:2; 14:10-11, 43-50, 53-65; 15:29-32, 38  

(Describe Jesus’ attitude toward the Jerusalem temple and its leadership based upon these passages. Bring a one-page response to class.)

Secondary Reading:   

 Harrington, The Synoptic Gospels, 83-143 (thoroughly skim).

Student Presentation: “Jesus and the Jerusalem Temple” 

PART B: Mark and Empire

Primary Reading:

 Re-read Mark 12

Secondary Reading:   

 Richard A. Horsley, “Submerged Biblical Histories and Imperial Biblical Studies,” in The Postcolonial Bible, ed. R. S. Sugirtharajah (Sheffield Academic Press, 1998), pp. 152-62.

 Musa W. Dube, “Mark’s Healing Stories in an AIDS Context,” in The Global Bible Commentary, pp. 379-384.

 Tat-siong Benny Liew, “The Gospel of Mark,” in The Postcolonial Commentary on the New Testament Writings, eds. Fernando F. Segovia and R. S. Sugirtharajah (New York: T.&T. Clark International, 2007), pp. 105-132.  

Student Presentation: “The Poor Widow of Mark 12”

Week 5 - Tuesday, February 19: The Gospel of Matthew I

Your short papers on “Mark’s Jesus” are due prior to class time today.

PART A: Introduction to Text

Primary Reading: 

 Read the entire Gospel of Matthew (preferably in one sitting)

Secondary Reading: 

 Strauss, Four Portraits, pp. 213-258.

 Harrington, Synoptic Gospels Set Free, pp. 7-13.

Student Presentation: “How Jewish is Jesus in Matthew?”

PART B: “The Jews” in Mathew’s Gospel and An Exercise in the Rhetoric of Social Identification

Secondary Reading: (Students will be assigned one of the two.)

 Anthony J. Saldarini, “Reading Matthew without Anti-Semitism,” in The Gospel of Matthew in Current Study (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman’s, 2001), pp. 166-185.

 Ulrich Luz, “Anti-Judaism in the Gospel of Matthew as a Historical and Theological Problem: An Outline,” in his Studies in Matthew (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2005), pp. 243-261.

Student Presentation: “‘The Jews’ in Matthew’s Gospel”

Week 6 - Tuesday, February 26: The Gospel of Matthew II 

PART A: Jesus and “the Law” 

Primary Reading:  

 Re-read Matthew chapters 5-7:29

Secondary Reading:

 Harrington, Synoptic Gospels Set Free, pp. 14-69 (thoroughly skim).

Student Presentation: “Jesus – the Teacher in Matthew” 

PART B:  Analyses of the Canaanite Woman

Primary Reading:

 Matthew 15

Secondary Reading: (Everyone will read Scott’s article and will be assigned one of the other two.)

 J. Martin C. Scott, “Matthew 15:21-28: A Test-Case for Jesus’ Manners.” Journal for the Study of the New Testament, no. 63 (1996) 21-44.

 Leticia A. Guardiola-Sáenz, “Borderless Women and Borderless Texts: A Cultural Reading of Matthew 15:21-28.” Semeia, no 78 (1997) 69-81.

 Gail R. O’Day, “Surprised by Faith: Jesus and the Canaanite Woman,” in A Feminist Companion to Matthew, ed. Amy-Jill Levine with Marianne Blickenstaff (Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press, 2001), pp. 114-125.

Week 7 - Tuesday, March 5: The Gospel of Luke I

Your short papers on “Matthew’s Jesus” are due prior to class time today.

PART A: Introduction to Text

Primary Reading:

 Read the Gospel of Luke (preferably in one sitting)

Secondary Reading:   

 Strauss, Four Portraits, pp. 259-296.

 Harrington, Synoptic Gospels Set Free, pp. 149-158.

As you read, pay attention to, and jot down references to, the following topics:

 The prominent role played by the Holy Spirit 

 The striking emphasis on prayer

 The radical teaching on wealth and poverty

Student Presentation: “The Holy Spirit in Luke”

Student Presentation: “Prayer in Luke”

PART B: Material Goods in the Gospel of Luke

Secondary Reading: 

 René Krüger, “Luke’s God and Mammon, A Latin American Perspective,” in Global Bible Commentary, ed. Daniel Patte (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2004), pp. 395-400.

Student Presentation: “Material Possession in Luke”

Week 8 - Tuesday, March 12: The Gospel of Luke II

PART A: “The Good Samaritan,” and the Parables of “the Lost and the Found” 

Primary Reading:

 Re-read Luke 10:25-37; chapter 15

Secondary Reading:   

 Harrington, Synoptic Gospels Set Free, pp. 159-222 (thoroughly skim).

Student Presentation: “The Prodigal Son”

PART B: The Gospel of Luke and Women

Primary Reading:

 Re-read all Lukan passages concerning women (esp. Luke 7:36-50 and 10:38-42). Be prepared to discuss which one(s) intrigued you the most and why.

Secondary Reading: 

 Jane D. Schaberg and Sharon H. Ringe, “Luke,” Women’s Bible Commentary, pp. 493-511.

 Teresa J. Hornsby, “The Woman is a Sinner/The Sinner is a Woman,” in A Feminist Companion to Luke, ed. Amy-Jill Levine with Marianne Blickenstaff (Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press, 2001), pp. 121-132.

Student Presentation: “Mary and Martha of Luke 10:38-42”

Week 9 - Tuesday, March 19: Synoptic Analyses I

Your short papers on “Luke’s Jesus” are due prior to class time today.

In these class sessions (“Synoptic Analyses”), students are expected to do a comparative analysis of the texts. Students will write down the similarities and differences between the synoptic passages, and note the significance of their findings. (You may find it helpful to print out the parallel passages and use color pencils to note distinctions.)

Part A: Infancy Narratives and the Miracles of Jesus 

Primary Reading:

 Re-read all the relevant synoptic passages pertaining to the Infancy Narratives (e.g. Matthew 1:1-2:23 and Luke 1:5-2:52) and the Miracles of Jesus.  

Secondary Reading:   

 Strauss, Four Portraits, pp. 411-424, 455-468.

 Harrington, The Synoptic Gospels Set Free, all relevant passages

Student Presentation: “Jesus’ Miracles in the Synoptics”

Part B: The Death of Jesus, Empty Tomb, and Resurrection Narratives

Primary Reading: 

 Re-read all the relevant synoptic passages pertaining to the Death of Jesus, Empty Tomb, and Resurrection Narratives

Secondary Reading:

 Strauss, Four Portraits, pp. 493-509, 511-524.

 Harrington, The Synoptic Gospels Set Free, all relevant passages

Student Presentation: “The Women at the Tomb”

March 26 - Reading Day – No Classes

Week 10 - Tuesday, April 2: Synoptic Analyses II 

Each student will be given the opportunity to present to the class their findings on the similarities, differences, and the significance thereof, between the synoptic passages. As students will not know which passage they will be asked to explicate, they are encouraged to be prepared to discuss them all. 

PART A: Synoptic Passages 

Primary Texts:

 Forgiveness of Sins (Mark 2:1-12 and //s)

 Eating with Sinners (Matthew 9:10-13 and //s)

 Fasting (Luke 5:33-39 and //s)

 Picking Grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:3-28 and //s)

PART B: Synoptic Passages 

Primary Texts:

 Jesus’ Family (Mark 3:20, 31-35 and //s)

 Washing before Eating (Mark 7:1-23 and Matthew 15:1-20)

 Asking for a Sign (Mark 8:11-13 and Matthew 16:1-4)

 Children (Luke 18:15-17 and //s)

Week 11 - Tuesday, April 9: Synoptic Analyses III 

Follow the directions as explained under Week 10.

PART A: Synoptic Passages

Primary Texts:

 Wealth (Luke 18:18-30 and //s)

 Power (Mark 10:35-45 and //s)

 Authority (Matthew 21:23-27 and //s)

 Taxes (Luke 20:20-26 and //s)

PART B: Synoptic Passages

Primary Texts: 

 Divorce (Mark 10:2-12 and Matthew 19:1-12)

 The Great Commandment (Mark 12:28-34 and //s)

 The Son of David (Matthew 22:41-46 and //s)

 The Anointing of Jesus (Luke 7:36-50 and //s)

Week 12 - Tuesday, April 16: Synoptic Analyses IV

PART A/B: Jesus at the Movies!

In today’s class the students will use a different part of their brains to engage the Synoptic Gospels – through film! We will watch (no, no, no….You’ll have to wait and see…) for the first part of class, and then discuss it in the second half of class. This will include exercises such as deconstructing the movie into its various parts and determining from which gospel it originates, and highlighting the ways in which Hollywood “beefs up” certain parts of the gospel for audience appeal.

Week 13 - Tuesday, April 23:  Synoptic Analyses V: 

Students are to note (i.e. jot down) the similarities and differences (and whatever intrigues them) between the following Apocryphal Gospels and the Synoptic Gospels. 

PART A: The Apocryphal Gospels

Primary Reading:

 Gospel of Thomas

 Gospel of Mary

 Gospel of Peter

PART B: Women in the Gospel Stories

Primary Reading: 

 You know what to (re)-read! J (Hint: women, women, women…)

Secondary Reading:   

 Ross S. Kraemer, “Jewish Women and Christian Origins: Some Caveats,” in Women and Christian Origins (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), pp. 35-49.

Week 14 - Tuesday, April 30: The Quest for the Historical Jesus

PART A: Video: “Jesus at 2000: The Conversation Continues” 

Secondary Reading: 

 Strauss, Four Portraits, pp.347-382

PART B: Who’s Jesus?

 Pablo Richard, “Jesus: A Latin-American Perspective,” in Global Bible Commentary, 337-41.

 Nicole Wilkinson Duran, “Jesus: A Western Perspective,” in Global Bible Commentary, 346-49.

 Kwok Pui-lan, “On Color-Coding Jesus: An Interview with Kwok Pui-lan,” in The Postcolonial Bible, ed. R. S. Sugirtharajah (Sheffield Academic Press, 1998), pp. 176-88.

Week 15 - Tuesday, May 7: 

PART A: The Synoptic Gospels: An Overview 

This is a student-led session: Students will prepare (in advance) and share the similarities and differences between the various portraits of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels. (Feel free to bring your short papers!) In this collaborative exercise students will also discuss the major themes of each text. Students should also consider what they would want someone to remember about these texts. For additional information students are encouraged to examine Matera, New Testament Christology, pp. 1-64.

PART B: Concluding Thoughts

Secondary Reading: 

 Dale Martin, “Introduction: The Myth of Textual Agency,” in Sex and the Single Savior: Gender and Sexuality in Biblical Interpretation (Louisville/London: Westminster/John Knox, 2006), pp. 1-16. 

Your final reflection papers are due on Monday, May 13, 2013 by 5pm.