Religious Studies (REL) |
311 Susan Campbell Hall, 541-346-4971
College of Arts & Sciences
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O - All course content is conducted online. Students are not required to come to campus for orientation, testing, or academic support services.
W - Computer based/online course; requires access to the internet.
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Course Data
| REL 317 Jesus & Gospels >1 |
4.00 cr. |
| Considers early evidence for Jesus, including canonical and noncanonical gospels, in light of critical scholarship and historical reconstructions. |
| Grading Options: |
Optional; see degree guide or catalog for degree requirements
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| Instructor: |
Langford A |
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| Office Hours: |
1300 - 1400 R |
By appt. |
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1700 - 1800 R |
By appt. |
 Course Fees: |
$25.00 per credit |
| Course Materials |
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CRN |
Avail |
Max |
Time |
Day |
Location |
Instructor |
Notes |
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43168 |
14 |
40 |
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6/22-7/19 |
00 WEB |
Langford A |
$WO |
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Academic Deadlines
| Deadline |
Last day to: |
| June 24: |
Add this course |
| June 24: |
Drop this course (100% refund, no W recorded) |
| June 25: |
Last day to change to or from audit |
| June 27: |
Withdraw from this course (75% refund, W recorded) |
| June 29: |
Withdraw from this course (50% refund, W recorded) |
| July 1: |
Withdraw from this course (25% refund, W recorded) |
| July 9: |
Withdraw from this course (0% refund, W recorded) |
| July 9: |
Change grading option for this course |
 | You can't drop your last class using the "Add/Drop" menu in DuckWeb. Go to the “Completely Withdraw from Term/University” link to begin the complete withdrawal process. If you need assistance with a complete drop or a complete withdrawal, please contact the Office of Academic Advising, 101 Oregon Hall, 541-346-3211 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday). If you are attempting to completely withdraw after business hours, and have difficulty, please contact the Office of Academic Advising the next business day. |
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Expanded Course Description
| Did Jesus exist? And if so, how do we know what he said and did? While historians are almost unanimous in answering the first question positively, there is incredible and justifiable debate about the second question. Jesus of Nazareth, a first-century CE Jew who was executed by the Roman provincial governor Pontius Pilate in Judea, wrote nothing and dictated nothing, but still somehow became the central figure in what is now one of the world’s major religions. How did that happen? This course is dedicated to exploring our earliest and best sources for who Jesus was, what he did, and how early Christians literally wrote him into history through creative narratives that were later dubbed “gospels.” But we neither begin nor end with the canonical gospels (i.e., Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that can be found in a copy of the New Testament. We look further to the earliest evidence from the Apostle Paul, ancient historians, archaeological data, and the proliferation of stories about Jesus that were produced for a voracious Christian audience (think J. K. Rowling’s fan base, but for religious literature)—the so-called apocryphal gospels (e.g., Proto-Gospel of James, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Peter, etc.). Through participation in asynchronous online discussions, online lectures, quizzes, short argumentative essays on different depictions of Jesus encountered in class, and a final exam, students will learn how to compare and evaluate data pertinent for the historical investigation of religious icons. Furthermore, students will develop the analytical tools to assess the ancient and modern reconstructions of Jesus traditions in art, film, and scholarship. |
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