Don't miss today, because:We'll spend the whole class today helping you prep for the next big assignment!
(besides, no class WEDNESDAY!)
You'll want to bring your quiz (We will NOT take it as a quiz, but use it for discussion)and notes from Fri to class today.
NOTE: No class Wed, so you may want to spend that time on your assignment.
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This paper is intended to demonstrate the skills you have gained in working with a passage of scripture, including analyzing, interpreting and communicating. It is a research paper that should show interaction with contemporary scholarship that can be found in journal articles, commentaries, Bible dictionaries, and monographs. No web sources are allowed. At least 6 correctly cited sources must be used with 3 or more published after 1970. Consistent use of any citation format is acceptable, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago. See the Academic Support Center for additional guidance. The paper should provide the following using the categories as section headers:
§ a clear statement of what you think is the meaning and impact of the parable
§ summary and assessment of scholarly interpretations of the parable
§ analysis and supporting reasons for your interpretation of the parable
§ statement of where the theme of the parable is found elsewhere in Matthew’s gospel
§ brief statement of the importance of the parable’s theme for the Christian community
2) Conduct your own analysis of the parable
The aim is to be able to state in a sentence the quality of the kingdom that Jesus is trying to get across in the parable. You should be able to state as the thesis of your paper “In the parable of xxx the characteristic of the kingdom is …” The characteristic should be stated as whether the kingdom is small, large, violent, peaceful, future, present, inclusive, exclusive, or whatever it is that you decide. Do not restate the analogy, e.g. do not say it is like “a mustard seed”. That is the analogy, but not the characteristic. Each analogy develops a particular characteristic. Jesus is trying to teach them about something they cannot see and must use things that they know to help them understand. It is likely that he is contrasting it to kingdoms as his audience would know them, so think about what he might be challenging.
3) Support your thesis
Support your thesis by features of the text. If the parable has action, then determine how the characters and actions provide support. If it is a more simple comparison, then discuss the quality that links the item to the kingdom. In a way, these are “simple” analogies: “this is like that”, though not everyone agrees on what is being compared. A second way to support your thesis is to demonstrate how that quality is found or discussed elsewhere in the gospel. Matthew tends to use repetition of key themes so this is a useful check. Consider the historical background and what Jesus’ audience might know about other kingdoms and how his notion of a kingdom might support or challenge those kingdoms.
4) Check what others think
People have written much about the parables and have offered a range of interpretations for each. Use at least six different scholarly sources to see what others have thought about your parable. You need not agree with them (in some cases you definitely should not), but they may offer insights that you have not considered. The sources can be from commentaries, monographs or journals in the library. A few key commentaries on Matthew have been placed on reserve. You will need to ask for them at the main desk. Write a short statement clarifying what the author thinks the message of the parable is and a few key supporting points. Think about whether the position agrees or disagrees with your own and why it might be different. Some things to watch for are whether the position addresses the nature of the kingdom or whether it made the parable to be about the church, an individual life, or something else not directly related to a kingdom. Sometimes the answer sounds good and personally beneficial, but may not be about a kingdom. Remember to ask yourself about what a kingdom would look like with that characteristic or quality.
5) Write your paper
Please use the following format. You are asked to use the headings exactly as printed below.
I. Introduction with Thesis (10)
II. Options from Scholarship (20)
III. Support(s) from Parable Analysis (20)
IV. Support(s) from Recurring Themes in Matthew (15)
V. Conclusion (10)
VI. Bibliography (5)
6) Proofread
I find that reading a paper aloud is a very helpful way to catch errors or poorly worded sentences. Try reading your paper to someone else or have them read it to you. Spell check is very helpful, but watch out for when a word is spelled correctly, but it is the wrong word. Another simple rule is to make sentences shorter and less complex. Paragraphs should deal with single ideas that are stated at the beginning of the paragraph.
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++See Friday;s post about library research if you missed class Fri.
++You'll want to look at the tab at top of this website called
How to study a text via Three Worlds
++Good place ro start is with Matthew's place in the overall structure of Matthew:
-Note, it's in the "with you" inclusio...so that metatheme will show up
-Note: it's one of the 5 teaching blocks, so it will have something to do with Jesus as New Moses
(Compare what Matthew says after this chapter (26:1-2) with what is said about the First Moses (Deuteronomy 32:45). Note parallelisms between first teaching block and the last (Both about kingdom: both on mountain; one about this age, one about the next, etc
-Note it's in the 2nd division of the gospel, so it's about Subversion of Empire
++It's helpful to watch/listen to your parable, and note what happens before and after:
++Here's some help on parables in general:
++Don't forget our 13 Pointers on Parables
see 10/31 ..Look for the "loud fart," etc.
Here
--Some commentaries especially helpful
- Michael Green, Matthew for Today
- Robert Farrar Capon, Parables of Judgement
- Bible Background Commentary- NT
But they are, and since he didn't show you where to find them, they are included in the general search page; also some of them from our library are online as PDFs (so these would be the only online sources allowed), find them at fresno.edu>Services>Hiebert Library>Electronic Databases (then search "Matthew 25" or your parable.
++Here's an expert on the historical background of parables:
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