APOCALYPSE OF JOHN: REQUIREMENTS
1) Complete the reading assignments according to the schedule, and come to class ready to discuss the material in a careful and critical manner.
2) Each student will spend at least three hours on the internet
exploring sites that use and interpret the book of Revelation. The student may
begin exploring at one of the following sites:
Links to
Revelation, Apocalyptic, and Millennial Websites, by Dr. Felix Just.
Links
to lots of sites across the theological and scholarly spectrum.
Center for Millennial Studies at Boston
University
(Not all these links deal specifically with the Apocalypse, but this is a
wide-ranging
collection of sites that deal with millennial agendas, both pro
and con.)
Prophecy Links
A collection of links to sites dealing with (and promoting) "biblical
prophecy,"
mainly from a fundamentalist / dispensationalist perspective.
A short report (3 - 5 pages double-spaced) will be written concerning the use (& abuse) of Revelation that you found (the best and / or the worst sites). Internet addresses that will allow the instructor to find the same pages discussed must be included. This must be completed by March 29.
3) A final project, chosen from the following options:
a) An exegetical paper dealing with any of the texts from Revelation appearing in the Revised Common Lectionary. The paper must be 12-15 pages long, and include a bibliography of at least 8 titles (at least 3 commentaries and at least 3 journal articles). The paper will also include a homily (single-spaced) based on the text.
b) A 12-15 page paper
dealing with any of the following topics:
-The use of female figures in Revelation
-Holy War imagery in Revelation
- Revelation and ecology
-Revelation and early Christian prophecy
-Anti-Judaism / Anti-semitism and Revelation
-Artistic interpretations of Revelation
-The interpretation of Revelation by 7th Day Aventism or David Koresh
-Revelation in American politics
-The Joys and Pitfalls of Preaching Revelation
-Another topic approved by the instructor
These papers will include a bibliography of at least 8 titles, will carefully address specific texts within Revelation, and will conclude with a description and outline for an adult study of this topic.
c) An original artistic interpretation of Revelation or a specific text (painting, sketching, sculpture, music, dance, etc.). This must be presented to the class before our final meeting, and must be accompanied by a 5-6 page explanation of how this expression relates to your interpretation of the text.
d) I’m open to negotiating other ideas!
A short (1 page) description of your final project, with beginning bibliography if appropriate, is due March 20.