Bible

Please write a 3-4 page paper on any passage that intrigues you in the Bible. It may be a passage we have discussed in class, but does not have to be. In this paper, you are not required to place the passage in a researched context, although you may use what you have learned about the political and social world of the Israelites. No citations are expected. If you use outside work, though, please cite it.

That does not mean you should avoid context. Instead, what we are looking for is good, solid, meaningful analysis of the language of the text. Your job is to interpret: to tell us how the local details of that language create a larger meaning. Your paper should make a valid and interesting argument about what a passage means in the context of the chapter or book of the Bible, and it should use textual evidence to support that argument.

For most people, one passage of approximately 10-20 lines or verses is plenty. For a few of you, tracing a phrase or image through two or three passages could work, or a comparison between two short passages could work. In general, it’s a good idea to run passages by me or Jean. There is such a thing as a well-chosen passage. If you want to do anything fancy, such as tracing an image or comparison, you *must* run it by me. In general, your passages should come from the Hebrew Bible not the New Testament.

You will upload your paper into Canvas / turnitin.com. Please see the Paper Guidelines for formatting matters, and for further advice about crafting your essay.

Some tips for getting started:

Use the Reading Questions, discussion posts, in-class activities, and your reading journal to remind you of your own ideas. Or to generate more ideas.
You may wish to start with something that bothers or puzzles you, a question you have about the meaning of a particular passage.
Be sure to ask yourself “how” and “why” questions. Analyze more than summarize or describe.
You can also start with something that makes you react argumentatively.
Try directing yourself toward something unexpected: “Although at first glance we may think this passage means x, actually it means y.”
Do not begin with something you feel you already know pretty well; begin with a problem, an anxiety, something uncomfortable.
Talk to me and Jean Little about your ideas!

List of effects to look for (but do not simply look for every effect – different passages do different things, and this list is only to get you thinking!):

prose or poetry?

what genre?

repetition of words, sentences, phrases, scenes; parallelism

dialogue vs. storytelling vs. description

pacing, timing

imagery