At Ohio Valley University, we seek
to transform lives in a Christ-centered academic community
that integrates higher learning, biblical faith, and service to God and
humanity.
| Class days/times: TTh 9:35am-11:50am Location: East Bible Annex, Room #15 Instructor: Bruce Terry Office: East Bible Annex, Room #201 Phone: (304) 865-6120 (office); (304) 295-6486 (home) E-mail: bruce.terry@ovu.edu; Web site: http://bterry.com |
Office hours: M 2:00-3:00pm T 1:00-2:30pm W 2:00-3:00pm Th 1:00-2:30pm F by appointment |
BIB 305 Galatians and Romans (3 credits) An exegetical study of the text of Galatians and Romans with emphasis upon Paul's concept of law, gospel, grace, and faith. A textual studies course. Offered fall, odd-numbered years.
This course will focus on a study of the text of Galatians and Romans in the New Testament. Special emphasis will be placed on the doctrine of justification by faith. The course will also cover introductory questions such as the dating and original audience of Galatians and the textual unity of Romans. Some attention will be paid to matters of textual criticism.
This course addresses the following objectives of the Bible program:
Romans 10:17 says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (ESV). Consequently, this class will use biblical texts and references to texts to help the student grow in faith. But simply hearing is not enough. Jesus told those who believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32 ESV). So it is necessary to keep doing what we learn. In light of this, this course will also contain references to application of principles learned. One of the objectives is a faith objective. It will not be assessed for a grade, but life is such that it will be assessed, one way or another. My prayer is that you will pass that test of life.
There are no national standards for undergraduate study of the Bible. At OVU, we emphasize the biblical text and its application in our lives.
At the School of Biblical Studies, we seek to transform lives in a Christ-centered academic community by encouraging biblical faith to produce life-long truth-seekers who serve God in His kingdom throughout the world.
Assessment of whether the objectives have been met will be based on the student's performance on homework and tests assigned by the teacher and on the student's ability to do relevant analysis on his or her own in papers described below. Academic abilities assessed include reading with understanding skills as evidenced by a reading reports, homework completion, and classroom discussion; writing skills as evidenced by reading reports and other typed papers; and memory organization and retention as evidenced by major exams.
Your grade for the class will be based on three major exams (including a comprehensive final exam), two introductions to Romans and Galatians of at least two pages each, eight (8) one-page essay reading reports on The Romans Debate, a three-page lesson based on either Romans or Galatians, homework and pop quizzes, and attendance and participation in class. Students who have taken Scripture Interpretation may substitute a three-page exegesis of a verse in either Romans or Galatians of their choice for the lesson. Exam questions can come from the lectures or assigned readings from either the textbook or the New Testament. The final exam will cover material from the whole course.
The eight reading reports over essays in The Romans Debate should be over essays #4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, and 23. Include a brief summary of important things from the essay that you want to remember and any assessment of the author's points that you wish to include. The reports will be graded as completed on-time or not, of proper length or not. They should be at least one full page in length.
The introductions must be at least two full pages each, not counting the cover sheet (required) and bibliography (also required). A minimum of two sources is required. An introduction should include such items as information on the author, the audience, the date of composition, the background to the letter, relevant culture and geographical information, main ideas, and structure of the book. The introduction to Galatians should also include a discussion of different views of when the letter was written and to what part of Galatia it was addressed. The introduction to Romans should also include a discussion of the various possible reasons that the letter was written.
The papers should be typed. The number of pages listed for the typed papers refer to full pages, not counting the cover sheet (required) and bibliography (the introductions, and the exegesis if done, should have at least one bibliographic entry from print sources for each page; internet sources are acceptable only if they are from scholarly or reprint sites). One page is defined as 27 double-spaced typewritten lines (counting the title, but not your name or page numbers; set line spacing to exactly 24 points) with 1" margins. The typed papers should be written using the Turabian style guide.
Class will be excused for students attending the World Missions Workshop. Students will be expected to attend at least a one hour class for each hour missed and turn in a one-page report on the class attended. The reports will count as attendance grades.
Ten points will be given for attendance. One point will be deducted for each class missed, including those missed for illness. The only exception to this will be those who miss on official school business and have an official notice to this effect; up to five such absences will not count against the student's grade if the student has no unexcused absences. Two grace days will be given to all students to allow for absences due to illness and excused absences for official school business. Note well: Grace days will be applied first to excused absences.
Class handouts and homework can be found on the Internet at: "http://bible.ovu.edu/terry/galatians/" and "http://bible.ovu.edu/terry/romans/". Homework may be printed out, done early, and turned in up to a week before the due date if the student knows of an absence that is coming up. Late homework is accepted for only half credit. Homework over three weeks late is accepted for only quarter credit. If you will miss due to a school excused absence, please pick up and turn in the homework early.
Additional readings/quizzes/essays/maps may be assigned.
All work is expected to be turned in on time. If for some reason you cannot make the due date, please ask my permission to turn the work in late. Late reading reports will be accepted for only half credit, since the readings will be discussed in class. Reports which are both late and short will be accepted only for quarter credit. Reading reports that are more than three weeks late will only be accepted for quarter credit. Reading reports that are more than six weeks late will only be accepted for one-tenth credit. The typed introductions and lesson turned in late will dock the paper grade by one-half letter (5%) per class period late.
No paper will be accepted that is more than two weeks late. A paper that is more than one week late may not be rewritten, except in unusual circumstances. A paper must be at least 75% of assigned length in order to be rewritten. The grade on a paper which is rewritten may be increased on content, length, and mechanical errors. Any rewrite should be turned in within two or three weeks of receiving the original graded paper back. All rewrites should be turned in with the original graded paper. No grade will be given to a paper which contains enough mechanical errors to dock the score by a letter grade (i.e., 40 mechanical errors). It will be turned back without a score and the rewrite counted as late. Be sure to proofread and spell check!
Students who are absent on exam days with good reason may schedule a make-up exam within the next week. You must ask to take a make-up exam.
Students who score less than a 70 on a major exam may petition to retake the exam within a week after grades are returned on it. The highest grade on any retake exam will be 70. Once again, you must ask to retake an exam. There will be no retakes on the final exam. Study hard for it.
The US Department of Education and OVU's accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission, have established requirements regarding how much time is required to be spent on a course for each credit hour earned. As a result, all colleges and universities have been required to establish policies that adhere to this definition. In keeping with this requirement, OVU expects you to spend a minimum of two hours outside of class doing course work (reading, doing homework, writing papers, reviewing for tests, etc.) for each hour you spend in the classroom. Because this is a 3-credit hour course, you should expect to spend a minimum of 6 hours each week outside the classroom doing work for it.
The final grade will be based on your work in the following way:
Attendance 10%
Book Introductions 8%
Essay Reading Reports 8%
Homework/Pop Quizzes 15%
Lesson 6%
Major Tests 32%
Final Exam 21%
Extra credit in these areas will not be allowed to exceed these percentages. Your final grade will be A, B, C, D, or F. An A will be given for an average of 100-90, a B for 89-80, a C for 79-70, a D for 69-60, and an F for any average below 60.
Because Ohio Valley University expects students to follow the highest standards of honorable conduct in all areas of life, it is essential that students maintain high standards of academic integrity. Cheating, plagiarizing (whether intentionally misrepresenting another's work as one's own or failing to follow appropriate requirements of documentation), and helping others cheat or plagiarize are all violations of these standards, as is falsifying records such as those kept for field experiences, practica, internships, etc. Students who engage in these behaviors in a course in which they are enrolled will face appropriate consequences, which could include failing the assignment in question, failing the course, being placed on restricted status (i.e., the student will not be allowed to participate in on-campus activities, including intramurals, and may not represent Ohio Valley University in public events, including athletic competitions, performances, and presentations), or being suspended or dismissed from Ohio Valley University.
Students who engage in these behaviors when they are unrelated to a course in which they are enrolled will also face appropriate consequences, which could include being placed on restricted status or being suspended or dismissed from Ohio Valley University. If a student believes he or she has been falsely accused of academic dishonesty, or if the student believes the consequences of an incident of academic dishonesty are unjust, the student may ask that the situation be reviewed. To ask for a review, the student should give to the vice president for academic affairs written notice of the appeal and the reasons for it within three business days of being informed of the consequences of the alleged incident; detailed instructions about the appeal procedure are available in the catalog or from the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's work as your own, whether you mean to or not. Copying or paraphrasing passages from another writer's work without acknowledging that you've done so is plagiarism. Translating passages from another writer's work in another language without acknowledging that you've done so is plagiarism. Copying another writer's work without putting the material in quotation marks is plagiarism, even if credit is given. Allowing another writer to write any part of your essay is plagiarism.
Plagiarism is a serious crime. The maximum penalty at OVU is expulsion from the University.
Plagiarism is easy to avoid. Simply acknowledge the source of any words, phrases, or ideas that you use. If you're not sure how to quote or paraphrase a source or if you need help with the format of endnotes or bibliographies, check with me. While you can (and in fact should) seek the help and advice of friends, classmates, and tutors, be sure that your written work is completely your own.
Students should dress modestly regardless of the type of clothes that they choose, and be aware that first impressions count and are often dictated by clothing choices. Specifically, members of the University community should avoid clothing that is revealing and/or features offensive slogans, language, or advertisements. Examples of revealing clothing include but are not limited to: midriffs or halters, mesh or netted shirts, tube tops, low cut blouses, and short skirts and shorts exposing the upper thigh. Very tight clothing should be avoided. Examples of offensive slogans, language or advertisements include but are not limited to: curse words, sexually suggestive language or gestures, and references to alcohol or drugs.
Please turn cell phones OFF or ON SILENT or ON AIRPLANE MODE before entering class. You may place your cell phone on your desk as a clock; otherwise, keep it put away. The use of cell phones, smartwatches, computers, and tablets for texting, calling, emailing, googling, checking the internet, tweeting, using facebook and snapchat, and/or playing games is not permitted; such is distracting both to the students doing such and the students around them. Please put these electronic devices away. Do not use your device out of sight under the desk. If you should use your device in class without the teacher's permission, you will be asked to put it in the teacher's basket for the duration of the class period. I reserve the right to count you absent should you disregard this. Cell phone, smartwatch, or tablet use for voice, text, or data during a test will result in failure of that test!
Regular class attendance is most important. There is the potential for learning during each class session, and these opportunities are irreplaceable. By attending class, students have a deeper and richer learning experience, and they are often exposed to others' viewpoints. Instructors are responsible for recording attendance in each of their classes.
Students are responsible for knowing the attendance policy for each course and clearing excused absences with the instructor. Although students involved in Ohio Valley University activities may need to be excused from a class session, it is the student's responsibility to request the absence from the instructor and to discuss with the instructor how the absence may affect the student's ability to meet course requirements. While instructors should make reasonable accommodations for students who miss class because of Ohio Valley University-sponsored activities (e.g., academic competitions, performances, and athletic competitions) or other sound reasons (e.g., illness or family emergencies), students should recognize that not every course can accommodate absences and that neither the absence nor the notification of the absence will relieve the student from meeting course requirements.
A student who stops attending class sessions (or participating in an online course) for three consecutive weeks without a justifiable reason will be dropped from the course and given a grade of W (Withdrawal) if dropped before the 12th week of the semester; if the student is dropped after the 12th week of the semester, the grade will be F-IW (Failure-Improper Withdrawal). If the course in question is a course from which a student may not withdraw, the grade will be F-IW regardless of when in the semester the student is dropped.
A student who is dropped from a required Bible course for violating the university's Class Attendance Policy will receive a grade of F-IW. If this is the first time a student has received a final grade of F-IW in a required Bible course, the student will be placed on Bible Course Probation for the next full semester. While on Bible Course Probation, a student will not be allowed to participate in university-sponsored activities, including student organizations and intramurals, and may not hold an elective campus office. In addition, a student on Bible Course Probation will not be allowed to represent Ohio Valley University at various events, including performances (except those required as part of a course), intercollegiate athletics, and other competitions. If this is the second time a student has received a grade of F-IW in a required Bible course, the student will be suspended from the university for one semester. See the catalog section "Bible Class Attendance Policy" for additional details.
Attendance in class is mandatory; it will be part of the basis for the grade given. If you cannot attend for good reason, either notify me beforehand or as soon as possible afterward. This applies even if you have an excused absence. You will be expected to do all work of any classes missed, except for pop quizzes. If you do not intend to attend regularly, kindly withdraw from the class now.
Do NOT miss class simply because you do not have an assignment finished. Do NOT miss class if you can possibly come; save any absences for sickness or death in the family. If you have an extended illness, please contact me to let me know.
Kindly try to be a class on time. If you are consistently tardy for no good reason, I reserve the right to count three tardies as an absence. I do count half absences.
If you have to leave early, please inform me before class. Do not schedule extra work, doctor's appointments, etc. during class time if at all possible. If you are too frequent in leaving early, I reserve the right to count early departures as a partial absence, adversely affecting your grade.
Absences may be excused if you bring me documentation that you were hospitalized, ill with a contagious disease, involved in an accident, on school business (up to five hours), or there was a death in the immediate family. More than five hours of absences which include three hours of unexcused absence will result in your being dropped from the course with either a W or an F at my discretion. You may pay a fine and petition to be reinstated. Additional unexcused absences will result in your being dropped without future reinstatement. No credit will be given for a course in which absences, both excused and unexcused, total more than 30% of the hours of the course (i.e., as many as 15 class hours, counting each class as 1½ hours, equal to 10 class periods). Should you approach this limit, you will be asked to withdraw from the course (if possible). I reserve the right to drop you from the course as a warning at any time once you have at least 5 total absences or 3 unexcused absences. If you are dropped for any reason, reinstatement is not guaranteed and will be granted only if a plan for success is presented. Note well: Absences may adversely affect your grade, as outlined above under the topic Course Requirements. A drop from your only Bible course may affect your ability to enroll in the next semester.
If (and only if) you are unable to complete assigned work for the class because of an extraordinary life-event, you may request a grade of Incomplete. The request must be made through the registrar's office seven calendar days prior to the last day of class, and the vice president for academic affairs reviews these requests. The procedure is defined in the OVU catalog.
If you have a diagnosed disability and need special accommodations, please notify the office of the provost as soon as possible. After your disability has been verified, I will work with you and the provost to insure that you have a fair opportunity to perform in the course.
MAJOR EXAM DATES: Exam 1 -- Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Exam 2 -- Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Final Exam -- Tuesday, December 10, 2019
10:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.
For each of the assigned sections of scripture to read below, also read the discussion of textual problems for the passages found at Terry's Student Guide <bterry.com/tc>.
WEEK ONE:
8/20/19 -- Introduction to the Course and to Discussion in Journals
homework: read Guthrie on Galatians
read Acts 15
read Harvey's Writing with Sources
write a one-page introduction of yourself
(extra credit)
write two-page introduction to Galatians
8/22/19 -- Introduction to Galatians and Acts 15
WEEK TWO:
homework: read Gal. 1
8/27/19 -- Galatians 1
homework: read Gal. 2
8/29/19 -- Galatians 2
WEEK THREE:
homework: read Gal. 3
read Donfried (essay 4 in TRD) and write report
9/ 3/19 -- Galatians 3
homework: read Gal. 4
9/ 5/19 -- Galatians 4
WEEK FOUR:
homework: read Gal. 5
read Karris (essay 6 in TRD) and write report
9/10/19 -- Galatians 5
homework: read Gal. 6
9/12/19 -- Galatians 6
WEEK FIVE:
homework: study for exam
9/17/19 -- Major Exam
9/19/19 -- TBD
WEEK SIX:
homework: read Guthrie on Romans
write two-page introduction to Romans
9/24/19 -- Introduction to Romans
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 1
9/26/19 -- Romans 1
WEEK SEVEN:
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 2
10/ 1/19 -- Romans 2
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 23
read Wiefel (essay 7 in TRD) and write report
10/ 3/19 -- Romans 3
WEEK EIGHT:
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 4
10/ 8/19 -- Romans 4
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 5
read Donfried (essay 8 in TRD) and write report
10/10/19 -- Romans 5
WEEK NINE:
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 6
10/15/19 -- Romans 6
homework: read Bruce (essay 11 in TRD) and write report
10/17/19 -- Catch Up
WEEK TEN:
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 7
10/22/19 -- Romans 7
homework: read Stuhlmacher (essay 23 in TRD) and write report
read text and commentary for Rom. 8
10/24/19 -- Romans 8
WEEK ELEVEN:
homework: study for test
10/29/19 -- Major Exam
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 9
10/31/19 -- Romans 9
WEEK TWELVE:
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 10
11/ 5/19 -- Romans 10
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 11
11/ 7/19 -- Romans 11
11/ 8/19 -- Last Day to Drop a Class with a "W"--Stick with it to the end!
WEEK THIRTEEN:
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 12
11/12/19 -- Romans 12
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 13
11/14/19 -- Romans 13
WEEK FOURTEEN:
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 14
read Watson (essay 13 in TRD) and write report
11/19/19 -- Romans 14
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 15
write 3-page lesson or exegesis based on Romans or Galatians
11/21/19 -- Romans 15
THANKSGIVING BREAK
WEEK FIFTEEN:
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 16
read Lampe (essay 14 in TRD) and write report
12/ 3/19 -- Romans 16
homework: read text and commentary for Rom. 16
12/ 5/19 -- Catch Up and Evaluation
WEEK SIXTEEN: Final Exam Week
homework: study for final exam
12/10/19 -- Final Exam (10:00 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.)
THIS SYLLABUS MAY BE MODIFIED AS THE TEACHER FEELS NECESSARY!
