krja | old college final exam essay prompts.

prompted by

kabarett's posting of the prompts stuff, i figured that just because […] i might as well post the list of prompts from my (interesting) exam tonight (unlike the one I skipped). three (for me four yay extended time) hours of essay writing, choose any two or three, write as much as you possibly can, et cetera.

anyway!

trace the changing conceptions of god from genesis through revelation—or from the hebrew testament through the greek.
discuss the use of the if/then rhetorical forms (retributive justice) through the biblical promises. how does this dualism fail in job?
respond to those who argue that the Bible contains no internal contradictions and who believe each passage is inerrant.
ediscuss the importance of authorship in the biblical texts, especially concerning the authorship of either the pentateuch or the pauline letters (paul and deutero-pauline).
contrast the jewish and christian literary interpretations of the servant songs in isaiah.
provide evidence that the holiness code was inserted into the pentateuch after the babylonian exile. why is the dating significant in understanding this section of the pentateuch?
cite textual evidence to demonstrate the oral tradition behind many books of the bible. why is an understanding of (or at least an awareness of) the conventions of oral tradition important for modern interpretations?
compare the popular concept of job with that of the poetry you read in the book of job this semester.
Some casual readers of the bible turn to the psalms for comfort and solace. discuss some possible difficulties of doing this randomly.
discuss the changing concept of sacrifices from the mosaic law through the wisdom literature and the prophets.
discuss the changing concept of sacrifices from the mosaic law through the new testament, especially in jesus' and paul's statements.
discuss the importance of not making graven images.
discuss the importance of allegory as a literary interpretation of hosea.
distinguish between the genres of prophecy and apocalypse. provide examples from your readings.
distinguish between the four gospels in terms of their intended audiences, their literary styles, and their points of emphasis.
discuss what some see as antisemitism in the new testament. based upon the intentions of the authors and their contemporary backgrounds, why might that have been present? demonstrate how a reading without an historical understanding of authorship may be distorted into a stronger and more universal antisemitism.
compare and contrast the birth narratives of jesus found in matthew and luke in terms of their intended audiences. what accounts for the differences?
cite evidence in support of the view that paul was less sexist than most men of his time.
discuss the apparent contradictions in various writers' treatment of women in the early christian church based upon your reading of the gospels, acts, and the letters. as a student of literature, how do you account for these? (note especially some differences between the actions described and the words written (the actual vs. the theoretical).)
martin luther wanted to remove the letter of james from the canon since he saw it in direct conflict with paul's concept of "justification by faith". defend or reject luther's position with evidence from james and paul.
discuss the reinterpretations of paul and the writer of hebrews make of the hebrew scriptures. would most modern scholars make similar reinterpretations? Defend your position.
discuss the differences between the terms letters and epistles. which term better defines the bulk of the greek testament writings? why?
Tthe acts of the apostles has been called a history of the emerging christian church. show evidence that it is a very selective history written for the purpose of the developing faith. what are some of the differences a modern, more objective historian would be likely to include?
discuss the richness of imagery in the revelation to john.
discuss some of the distinctions between the canon and the apocrypha.
discuss parallel passages of your choice from any texts of the bible. point out similarities and differences and comment on possible reasons for these.
why is some understanding of judaism and chrisianity useful to appreciate biblical literature? how might a particular tendentiaon prevent a reader from seeing alternative ways of understanding particular texts?
define "proof-texting". why is it harmful to literary studies?
demonstrate your understanding of the bible as a literary text (shaped by authors and redactors) as opposed to an objective history. provide evidence from your readings that the writers knew they were shaping the texts for their religious purposes.
why might one reach different conclusions in a bible as literature class and a bible study class through a synagogue or church? what are some inherent strengths and weaknesses in each approach?
discuss the importance of viewing comparative translations of the texts in attempting to reach an understanding of their meanings. provide examples to support your positions.
define bibliolatry and show how it hinders literary studies of the text.
Based upon what you have learned about the formation of the canon, why were the four gospels of matthew, mark, muke, and john most likely selected and the numerous others rejected?
based upon your readings this semester, what is the single most dominant motif you are taking away from your study of the bible as literature? defend your selection.
some people are frightened to study the bible as literature, thinking it too holy to question, too sacred to challenge. using textual evidence in your answer, respond to such students.