RE 500 HGST Theological Bibliography and Research
Spring 2008 Dr. Barbara Worden
Office Hours: M, W 9-1 AM, , Tu 9-4, Th 12-5 AM bsworden@hgst.edu
Fri By appointment only
I. Course Description. An introduction to the research methods and writing skills necessary to producing scholarly papers or a Master’s thesis, including the acquisition and use of bibliographic resources in religion, theology, and counseling. This is a required course for all Master-level programs. Three hours.
II. Text
HGST Thesis Manual
Mann, Thomas. The Oxford Guide to Library Research. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Abbreviated as OG
Vylmeister, Nancy. Quality Research Papers. Zondervan, 2001, abbreviated as QRP
Turabian, Kate. A Manual for the Writers of Term Papers Theses, and Dissertations. Abbreviated as MW
III. Objectives. By the completion of the course, the student will:
A. Demonstrate an ability to choose, define, research and develop an idea to create a scholarly work.
B. Learn basic writing and research techniques necessary for successful completion of both graduate research papers and the master's thesis.
C. Master style and format issues necessary to proper presentation of research papers and other scholarly work.
D. Demonstrate an ability to use standard research tools along with databases and the Internet.
IV. Learning Activities and Grading Standards
This class will be focused on enhancing a student's basic skills in writing and research and raising them to the degree necessary for graduate work in theology. Completion of the individual student's own research either in the form of 30 pages of the thesis or of one research paper for courses will form part of the basis for credit. For students choosing the paper option, the paper may be a past paper written at HGST suitably revised for accuracy in form and style or one paper being done simultaneously for another course. In the case of the past revised paper,
both the revision and the original must be submitted together so that instructor can check the amount and quality of the revisions.
The second part of the grade will be based on the research notebook which will be submitted at the end of the course. Students must include not only the actual answer itself, but a print out of the title page of the book or the computer path by which the answer was discovered. Problems are drawn from all the major fields of seminary study: Biblical Studies, Old and New Testament, Research and Writing Skills, Counseling and Pastoral care, Church History, and Liturgy Preaching and Practical Theology. In this part of the grade, the student can determine his own grade by completing 30-36 of 36 problems for an A, 24-30 for a B, 18-24 for a C. Classes will deal with information of a general and technical nature regarding bibliography, structuring research, and the writing of a polished and well documented work. Students will regularly be required to read portions of their completed work for critique by the class and the instructor.
Students will also be required to complete a critical review of a book related to the subject of the thesis or paper. This review should be from 3-5 pages long and follow the standards in QRP, pages 154-9. Students planning to graduate in May 2008will need to be responsible for the separate set of deadlines for graduates.
Grading Standards
A= 470-500 B= 440-469 C= 410-439 D= 375-409 F 374 and below
Research Paper or thesis portion 100
Critical Review 100
Class exercises and attendance 150
Research Notebook 150
Total 500
Attendance Policy
Since the class meets once a week for three and a half hours, the student may miss two class meetings without having it affect the final grade. Students however, are obliged to make up missed assignments such as quizzes or homework within two weeks of the missed period. Under normal circumstances, students must notify the instructor by e-mail or telephone voice mail, before noon on the day of the class. Extraordinary circumstances include automobile accidents, sudden illnesses and family difficulties. Under ordinary circumstances, absences above the two mentioned above and work handed in after the deadline will result in grades reduced by one half, approximately five points
Grades and the HGST Policy on Incompletes
Any student who requests an extension for this course must complete a "Request for Extension/Grade Change" form, which can be obtained from the Registrar. The form must be signed by both the student and the instructor and returned to the Registrar's Office along with a fee of $25.00 before the deadline for extensions Feb. 2008). Extensions are granted only for extenuating circumstances and may not exceed thirty calendar days from the end of the semester (Dec. 2007). All extensions are subject to review by the Dean of the Faculty.
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is presenting the work of another person as your own without giving proper credit for the use of the information. Students must not quote books, articles, essays, or Internet sites without giving proper credit to the author(s) of the work. Any student who is found guilty of plagiarism is subject to a range of consequences including failure of this course work and dismissal from HGST.
V. Class Schedule.
January 24 Introduction, syllabus QRP1-16, OG 3-59 Introduction to library research and ethics.OG 132-82
January 31 Use of standard references and research tools, electronic databases and on line research. Evaluating on line sources. OG 245-57
February 7 Review of basic grammar and sentence structure . The 20 most common errors MW 109-19, QRP 01-101
http://www.1issu.edu/faculty/lrivers/faqs/common_mistakes.htm
http://www.american.edu.bgriff/h481web/20%20Common%20Writing%20Problems.htm
February 14 Structuring the paragraph, biblical research and exegetical papers. QRP 117-125. Avoiding plagiarism. http://www.nutsandboltsguide.com/plagiarism.html
February 21 Preresenting sources and making them your own. Summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting. MW 36-48, 71-82 . Summarize the following for homework
http//Wesley.nnu.edu/Wesleyan_theology/theojrnl/16-20/18-18.
http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/History/RUSA
February 28 Integrating sources with each other and with your own ideas.
http://facon.arts.cornell.edu/prj3/257/classmats/papertip.html
March 6 Research in bibliography. Annotated bibliographies and bibliographic essays andWriting the critical review, QRP 32-42, 152-60.
www.://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/droyal/bib_essay.htm
www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/choice/biblioessays/essayguidelines/essay/guidelines.h
www.campbell.edu/faculty/wakefield/CriticalBookReviewInstructions.html
www.unc,edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/review.html
http://hilltop.ic.edu/~dean/review.html
March 13 Outlining and structuring the topic, Critical Review due March 13 MW 12-24, 48-62
March 27 Topic development from outline to paragraph. Good introductions and conclusions. QRP 1-22, MW 98-122
April 3 Formatting issues and revision QRP102-117, 181-91; Writing readably and coherently. HGST Thesis Manual and Turabian will also be used. April 26 research notebook due.
April 10 Documentation, footnotes and Bibliography, see Turabian, preparing the final manuscript, in QRP, 62-81. MW 133-60 Rough draft of three chapters, around 30 pages of thesis, due by Dec. 16. 30 pages due to get credit for course, approximately 2-3 chapters including first chapter or a research paper as indicated in grading standards or research paper of 10 or more pages.
April 17 Reading portions of papers and class criticism. Revision and polising.
April 24 Specialized topics in research Case Study, Alternative forms MW 122-9, QRP 192-201
May 1 Revision and individual issues
Research Problems for Research Notebook
Please put the solutions to the following problems in a research notebook to be handed in at the end of the semester. Students must include either the title page of the book where the answer was found or the computer path followed. On the print out, please highlight in yellow or pink answers to the questions.
1.Find an online copy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Women's Bible and indicate the date of its first publication.
2.Find on line the famous limerick, "the tree in the quad" and the response to it by a Roman Catholic Theologian. Indicate who wrote the limerick and when and where it first appeared as well as the author of the response
3.Find an exact online copy of the first Church of England Book of Common Prayer and give its publication information.
4.Find out where else in the Bible, the Hebrew word ezer often translated helper or helpmeet in Gen. 2.18 appears, the context and the meaning.
5. Find out the meaning of the theological term "imputed righteousness."
6. What does the Greek word perichoresis mean as a term of Christian spiritual theology?
7. What does JEDP stand for, and why is it important?
8. How did Hermann Gunkel impact the study of the Book of Psalms?
9. What does the term Heilsgeschichte mean, and why is it important to the study of the Old Testament?
10. What are the two primary dates normally proposed for the exodus from Egypt, as described in the Old Testament? Why is there disagreement?
11. To what do the terms Deutero-Isaiah and Trito-Isaiah refer, and why are they important?
12. How do the Hebrew canon of the Old Testament and the Christian canon of the Old Testament differ?
13.How many copies of the Gutenburg Bible exist today. Where can you find where they are? Where is the copy closest to Houston located?
14. Identify the following and describe their role in the New Testament:
a.Claudius Lysias
b.The Ananias who appears in Acts 22:12
c.Anna the daughter of Phanuel
15.How is it explained that Herod the Great, who died in March of 4 B.C., was alive when Jesus was born?
16.Explain the term "the western text" of the Book of Acts and describe its significance in studies of Acts.
17.Define the terms "prefect" and "procurator" and give examples of each from the New Testament.
18.Who was Phrynicus (2nd c. A.D.) and what was his contribution to the study of the New Testament?
19.What factors caused the plurality of expressions of Christianity in the United States?
20.Why was Martin Luther a successful reformer when many others, such as Jan Huss and Savonarola failed?
21.What was the issue between St. Augustine and the Pelagians and the Donatists? What documents or treatises did he produce to respond to each group?
22.What reasons caused the Eastern and Western churches to separate in the eleventh century?
23.When was the Council of Nicaea? Who called it? How many people attended it? What was actually decided there? Find a set of the documents produced on line.
24. Delineate the differences between orthodoxy and heresy.
25. Did Christ die for all people?
26. What is the church and what is its purpose and tasks?
27. What is theology?
28. Who is God?
29.Find the name, date, and original denomination of the first woman ordained in a major American Protestant denomination. Quakers and Shakers don't count.
30.Find an online version of the Meyers-Briggs Personality Test. Hint, it may have a different name.
31.What are the symptoms of Maniac Depression and how does this bipolar disorder differ from clinical depression.
32.Find the Texas Mandatory Reporting Law for cases of sexual abuse and list what religious professionals it covers.
33. and 34. Find the following information about Prozac.
a. Who makes it and under what alternative names does it appear?
b. What are the possible side effects and which are serious and which are not?
c. What are the recommended dosages?
35. and 36. Identify at least three sites in Houston and give their addresses and phone numbers. Focus on sites where general counseling is given on a sliding scale depending on income or free to low income people. Please do not include specialized sites dealing mainly with abortion or birth control or drug abuse.