Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Still Debating Whether to Sign up for Hebrews?

I believe we currently have 6 students signed up for the opensource course in Hebrews. I also have confirmed that the powerpoint/vodcasts will be available through IWU's space on Adobe Connect for anyone to check in.

1. Here's the welcome message I recorded yesterday... It's already on the course page, which I'm running from http://www.kenschenck.com/hebrews.html.




2. Cost
Non-Minister: $1020 total for 3 hours credit
Minister: $660 total for 3 hours credit
Wesleyan Minister: $437 total for 3 hours credit
(Can you believe how inexpensive master's religion courses are at Indiana Wesleyan University?)

To sign up for this course just copy the following:
How can I go about signing up for Ken Schenck’s online graduate Hebrews course?
Then paste it into this email: click here to send Karen Clark your email.


3. Syllabus
For those of you (you know who you are) who need to use Greek, I will draft a special syllabus option.

Here's the default syllabus as it stands:

MIN 596
Advanced Theoretical Issues in Ministry: The Book of Hebrews (3 hours)
Dr. Ken Schenck

Course Description
This course is an in depth exploration of the New Testament book of Hebrews from an interpretive, theological, practical, and pastoral perspective.

Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you should be able to
1. Explain the most basic options for the original meaning of Hebrews and the flow of its argument.

2. Defend your own positions on the meaning of Hebrews.

3. Integrate the content of Hebrews with your understanding of Christian theology and practice.

4. Preach and teach effectively and with integrity from the book of Hebrews.

Course Textbooks
Required:
1. Lindars, Barnabas, The Theology of the Letter to the Hebrews (Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1991).

2. Schenck, Kenneth, Understanding the Book of Hebrews (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2003).

Choose Three of the Following:
1. deSilva, David, Perseverance in Gratitude: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on the Epistle “to the Hebrews” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000).

2. Johnson, Luke Timothy, Hebrews: A Commentary (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2006).

3. Koester, Craig, Hebrews (New York: Doubleday, 2001).

4. Lane, William, Hebrews 1-8 and Hebrews 9-13 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991)

5. Witherington, Ben III, Letters and Homilies for Jewish Christians (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2007).

6. Attridge, Harold, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1989).

Course Requirements
1. Watching Video-Lectures
Incorporated into each week of the course is a video-lecture that you will watch. You will be expected to engage with Schenck’s commentary lecture when you compare and evaluate the commentaries on your (public) team commentary blog.

2. (Public) Team Commentary Blogging (400 points)
In addition to Schenck’s video lecture, you will compare three other commentators on Hebrews on the passage of the week, often addressing a specific question. You will make a 500 word post on your team blog and make responses to posts by other members of the class.

3. (Private) Team Application Blogging (200 points)
Crucial to the class is the application of Hebrews’ material both in our theology and practice. Each week you will make a 300 word post on a private team blog on how the passage of the week might relate to our contemporary theology or practice, ending with some thoughts on how you might preach or teach from the passage in question. You will then make responses to posts from other members of the class.

4. Miscellaneous Assignments (200 points)
The course includes three miscellaneous assignments: 1) a survey of Hebrews, following a method presented in the first week (50 points), 2-3) two 5-10 page book review/evaluations, one of Barnabas Lindars’ book, The Theology of the Letter to the Hebrews, and the other of Ken Schenck’s book, Understanding the Book of Hebrews (75 points each)

5. A Final Exam (200 points)
At the end of the course, you will take an open book, timed exam online. It will mainly test a) your knowledge of the content of Hebrews and b) your knowledge of the assigned reading, video lectures, and your team discussions.

Course Evaluation
400 points – Commentary/Lecture Blog
200 points – Application Blog
200 points – Miscellaneous Assignments
200 points – Final Exam

Scale
950-1000 A
900-949 A-
870-899 B+
830-869 B
800-829 B-
770-799 C+
730-769 C
700-729 C-
670-699 D+
600-669 D
599 below F

Course Schedule
Workshop 1 (Jan. 8-14): “The Situation of Hebrews”

Workshop 2 (Jan. 15-21): The Sermon in a Nutshell: Hebrews 1:1-4

Workshop 3 (Jan. 22-28): Announcing God's Solution: Hebrews 1:5-2:18

Workshop 4 (Jan. 29-Feb. 4): Keep Going to the End: Hebrews 3:1-4:13

Workshop 5 (Feb. 5-11): Announcing a New Priest: Hebrews 4:14-5:10

Workshop 6 (Feb. 12-18): Don't Fall Away: Hebrews 5:11-6:20

Workshop 7 (Feb. 19-25): A Change of Law: Hebrews 7:1-28

Workshop 8 (Feb. 26-March 10): A Change of Covenant: Hebrews 8:1-13

Workshop 9 (March 11-17): A Change of Sanctuary: Hebrews 9:1-28

Workshop 10 (March 18-24): An Effective Sacrifice: Hebrews 10:1-18

Workshop 11 (March 25-31): Persist in Faith: Hebrews 10:19-11:40

Workshop 12 (April 1-7): Endure God's Discipline: Hebrews 12:1-29

Workshop 13 (April 8-14): Sending the Sermon: Hebrews 13:1-25

Workshop 14 (April 15-23): Summing Up Hebrews

There's still time! To sign up, email us...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Ken,

I'd like to participate just for pleasure, rather than credit. Do I need to sign up? E.g., for access to your resources such as the Greek syllabus?

All the best, Jonathan

Ken Schenck said...

If I have any students who need to do it in Greek, then I'll add special Greek components. Likely these will show up in which commentaries they are to use and in the nature of what they need to post primarily. I might also give a slightly different final and perhaps change the requirement of a survey to a "detailed observation" assignment that has to analyze a more minute passage.

Most of this will be obvious. We can see if such a student is willing to have their work posted for all to see and/or I can post my own equivalent.

Thanks for asking...

Mike Cline said...

Still working on it. The problem is, Bethel has locked down until January. As far as Greek goes, I'm starting over this quarter, which means, I may not be able to even do the Greek that you would assign. haha

This looks great though. I'll definitely be following along. I just have to find a way to get Kerns to pay for it.