Exegetical Paper : The Long One
Your major writing assignment for the semester is to prepare a 6-8 page exegetical paper. You will be writing three short 1-2 page exegetical works to give you practice in writing and thinking exegetically in preparation for completing this longer assignment. The paper is due in class on Tuesday May 6.
What is an exegetical paper? Exegesis is the art of "drawing out" the meaning of a particular text. It is a word used especially by biblical scholars who are attempting to understand ancient religious texts on their own historical and theological terms, rather than on the terms of the present-day reader. (In fact, the antonym of exegesis is "eisigesis," which means "reading into" a text, or seeing things in the text that may not really be there.) So in this assignment I would like you to read a passage from the NT of your own choosing that allows you to draw out the meaning, or meanings, of the passage. If you need suggestions for selecting a text, or have questions about the text you have selected, please see me.
This type of paper, more commonly called a commentary, is sort of an "industry standard" for biblical scholars. Frequently exegesis is conducted within a small community of researchers who know the biblical languages (Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, etc., etc.) and tend to talk to each other about each other's work. Your paper, on the other hand, should be written for a lay audience: one which may or may not be familiar with the passage, but which has access to a Bible and can read the passage in its entirety in order to follow along with your argument.
Steps in the process
1. Select a text from the NT that is long enough to be interesting, but short enough to be manageable. (The Gospel of Mark would be too long. "Jesus wept," would be too short.) I would suggest either a parable, a miracle, a passage from one of Paul's letters (on love, on the church, on resurrection, etc.), or a passage which has always intrigued or bothered you. Due date for selecting passage and turning in one-paragraph statement: Tuesday March 18 (Points = 2/2)
2. Read at least five commentaries on this passage. These commentaries could be contained in books in the Reference Section of the library; or, as part of longer commentaries on a particular book in the Bible (ex. a commentary on the letter of James, for example, would include discussion of a particular passage); or, as part of a meditation or sermon on a particular passage or book of the Bible (ex. Norman Perrin's commentary on Jesus' parables). Due date for submitting bibliography of commentaries: Tuesday April 15 (points = 3/3). Also on this date I would like you to turn in a folder containing your notes, photocopies of articles, or any other evidence of the research process.
3. I am happy to read initial drafts of your commentaries. Since you will be writing short exegetical papers you will be getting regular feedback on your thinking, writing, and organization. But if you would like me to read a first draft of your longer exegetical paper, then the due date for submitting draft papers (optional, not required) is: Tuesday April 22. I especially like to sit down with students to go over their papers line by line so that you (the student) can see what I (the teacher) am looking for.
4. Due date for the final paper is Tuesday May 6 (Points = 15/15).
Suggestions for writing your paper
1. If you choose a gospel text, check your Gospel Synopsis book or your Bible footnotes for parallels to your text. Comparison with parallels from other gospels is important. How does the account you have chosen compare with what appears in other gospels?
2. For any NT text it is important to check your footnotes for any Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) backgrounds. It is vital to consider the background for Christianity in Jewish scripture.
3. Your first paragraph should include a statement about 1) what the probable historical context of your text is and 2) what the probable intended theological meaning of your text is.
4. Your paper should analyze and describe how the story (from a gospel) or the argument (from a letter or sermon) develops this theological meaning and addresses this historical situation.
5. Your paper should conclude with a section which describes what the text you have chosen means to you and how this meaning-to-you has been influenced by your work on the text and by the course in general.
6. You need to include a "Works Cited" section or "Bibliography." You can use any style you want (MLA, AP, Chicago) but you must be consistent in how you apply it.
Grading Criteria
1. Thesis statement: do you have a clear thesis statement (the argument your paper is making) which you then document by providing evidence in support?
2. Organization: does your paper hang together? does it flow logically from one concept to the next?
3. Synthesis: have you integrated the insights you've learned from reading other sources in a way which a) gives credit to your sources and b) which does not plagiarize (copy, steal) from them? have you integrated material you've learned from the course, such as from Malina or the workbook?
4. Mechanics: is your paper spelled correctly, written in proper English style, following rules of grammar and diction? PLEASE use Spell-Check on your computer, and then READ your paper by eye to catch what Spell-Check doesn't catch. If English isn't your first or best language, try having a native speaker read for grammatical or idiomatic errors. I am also happy to read a draft of your paper before you submit it.