Theology

Yale Lecture for Extra Credit on Common Myths About the Bible

Special voluntary assignment for extra credit, to make up for your bitter disappointment at having no comprehensive final exam this week. Instead, you are invited to attend a class in a course much like ours, only at Yale University, online, with Professor Christine Hayes; and then write a response to it to turn in.

First read about the course: click on http://oyc.yale.edu/religious-studies/rlst-145 [If it doesn’t open, copy the link into your browser.]

· Then attend her class on "The Parts of the Whole," which is her intro. presentation to the course. Click on "Sessions" (near the top); then on "Lecture 1: The Parts of the Whole."

· Read the "Overview" paragraph, and then click on the format link under transcript, audio, or video (at the bottom) to take in the lecture itself.

· Pay special attention to the section titled “2. Common Myths about the Bible.” In the html transcript version it starts about one-third of the way through with: "So before we proceed, I need to ask you to set aside for the purposes of this course, some of the more common myths about the Bible." (It’s at 00:16:10 in the audio and video versions.)

· Finish the lecture.

· Then return to that section on common myths about the Bible.

Write the following, to submit on Blueline:

· Summarize the 5 myths, two or three sentences or more each.

· Choose one of the 5 and respond to it thoughtfully. That is, give your considered opinion of it, what thoughts you have about it.

· Length: 200-400 words, or more; 200 is basic level to pass, at least 400 of solid content for a top grade.

· Grading: Worth up to 1.0 points toward your final grade, which will function as bonus points of up to 1% beyond the course 100 points for your overall final grade.

· To submit it: click on "Yale Lecture for Extra Credit" in the Unit 5 module.

· Due Tues Dec 10. But it’s open now and you can do it any time you want.

Heads-up on grading. Whatever points you earn for extra credit, simply add them to your currently showing total percent and that will be your real total percent. At end of semester, I will manually adjust your final grade if it is affected. (Blueline does not know how to handle this extra credit assignment, so that is our work-around.)