HEB 371
Kent
Aaron Reynolds
T/TR 9:30-10:45
kareynolds-AT-wisc.edu
hebrst371-3-s07@lists.wisc.edu
TOPICS IN JEWISH CIVILIZATION: THE CHANGING IDEAS OF TORAH
Course Description
What is Torah? At first glance the question
might seem strange. Most people know that the Torah
is part of the Hebrew Bible. However, at some point
in history "torah" was not "the Torah." The lower case word could refer to a mother's instruction of
her children. During the course of Israelite history
people began to use the word "torah" together with the name of Moses and God,
i.e. "the Torah of Moses." Through this process "torah"
became "Torah" and ultimately "the Torah." Later, in
Genesis Rabbah (circa 400 CE), the Torah is the
blueprint for the universe, and by the time of the early Kabbalists, Torah contained mysteries that enabled the
true Torah student to enter the divine realm.
Thus the conception of Torah evolved, and the goal of
this course is to trace that progression. The question
"What is Torah?" is somewhat vague, but we will pose different forms of the
question that are more precise. What was Torah during the Persian period (539-333
BCE)? What was Torah during the Hellenistic period (333-100
BCE)? What was Torah for early rabbis (70-200 CE)? What was Torah for early
Kabbalists (1100's CE)? The
question can be reformulated for different time periods and for different
sects. Answering these questions requires us to draw on various disciplines
such as history, literary studies, and religious studies.
Objectives
We will focus on
developing the skills of reading and discussing texts.
Students will:
1) know terminology involved in
- the study religion in general and Judaism in particular
- the study of ancient texts
2) be able to correlate
- important texts of Judaism with the proper time period
- important people of Judaism (e.g. specific rabbis) with the proper time period
3) appreciate
- that religious communities are both shaped by tradition and shape their traditions
- that Judaism has a history of development that was not univocal
Required Texts:
The Bible - If you do not own a Bible, please talk to me.
There will be other required reading. It will either be available on the web or distributed in class.
Requirements and Grading:
10
% - Class participation: I will be taking
attendance. You are allowed to miss 3
class periods, but you need to discuss any absences with me. Have the readings complete before you come to
class. I will provide you with questions
to guide your reading, and you need to bring the answers with you to
class
discussion. This will prepare you for
your participation in class, and I will be calling on students to offer
their
views on the assigned materials. I will
be checking to see that you have written answers to the questions.
In addition
to class attendance you need to plan to attend an evening lecture on
Monday,
March 12th at 7:30 PM in the Pyle Center - "Interpreting the
Word: Hope, Hype, and Habit in Fifty Years of Biblical Studies"
by
Leonard J. Greenspoon from Creighton
University. There will be an assignment based on
this lecture
due on March 13th.
25 % - Short assignments: There will be approximately 20 assignments worth 10 to 20 points each. Some will be in-class worksheets. Others will be short (max. 1 page) writing assignments on a particular topic or question. As the semester progresses I will provide instructions on each of the assignments. The writing assignments will need to be submitted online, using the dropbox of the class website. I will demonstrate how to use the dropbox during class, and you need to understand that if something is due by class time, the dropbox will be unavailable after class. (I will explain this in more detail during the demonstration.)
25 % - Mid-term exam: You need to take the midterm on the scheduled day. I will only make rare exceptions, and you will need to provide some documentation, e.g., from a doctor.
10 % - Oral presentation: Your goal in the presentation will be to provide your fellow students with information about your topic. You need to address briefly the literary context. What are the primary texts related to your topic? You also need to address the historical context of the texts. For example, who were the major world powers? Can you describe how the historical context affects the interpretation of the texts? Again, the purpose of this assignment is to summarize and inform; it is not to argue for a thesis. We will discuss the presentations in class on Jan. 25th, and I will help you select your topics. I will also provide you with suggested readings.
30 % - Final
essay: In addition to the requirements specified here,
I will discuss the final essay in class and provide guidance for selecting
your topics. You must submit a topic and research questions
before spring break. If you want me to read your essay
and give comments on how to improve it, then you must submit it by April 24th
at class time. Otherwise, the essay is due by May 8th
at class time. The essay must be typewritten, a minimum
of 10 pages, and submitted using the dropbox.
In addition (not included in the minimum 10 pages), you must include an outline
with your essay.
Students with special needs should contact me as soon as possible, so we can discuss any necessary accommodations. Please do not wait until just before an exam or assignment to request something special.
You are expected to
have an active
e-mail account and check it regularly. I
will communicate various details about the class to the e-mail
distribution
list, including instructions about assignments.
It is your responsibility to make sure you are receiving the
e-mails. I will also be using the "Learn@UW" website, and I will discuss this
further in
class.
If you have trouble accessing this pagec, contact Chris Dargis (cadargis@wisc.edu)
Latest revision date: 1/22/2007 (cad)