Religious Studies 30000
Introduction to Apocalyptic Literature
Dr. John C. Reeves
108A Macy
Office Hours: MWF 10:00-11:00; TR 9:30-10:30; or by appointment

Course description: This course provides an introductory survey of the apocalyptic literature produced by religious visionaries during certain periods of Jewish and Christian history. Apocalypticism as a general religious phenomenon will be defined and its distinctive characteristics analyzed and illustrated. While some reference must necessarily be made to the biblical books of Daniel and Revelation, the bulk of the course emphasizes the close study and interpretation of a series of nonbiblical Jewish and Christian apocalypses -- e.g., portions of 1 Enoch, 4 Ezra, 2 Baruch, the Apocalypse of Peter, and the Apocalypse of Paul. Some attention will also be devoted to the continuing vitality of apocalyptic traditions well into the European Middle Ages, as illustrated by figures like Joachim of Fiore. Finally, some consideration may be focused for comparative purposes upon similar passages in Greco-Roman, Iranian, and Muslim literature.

Texts:

M.G. Reddish (ed.), Apocalyptic Literature: A Reader (Abingdon)
B. McGinn (ed.), Apocalyptic Spirituality (Paulist Press)

While these two anthologies are the only required texts, it is strongly recommended that you have access to a Christian Bible (i.e., both "Old" and "New" Testaments). Some supplementary readings will be assigned or distributed by the instructor as needed

Course requirements:

a. Three (3) 1-hour written examinations, each of which will comprise 25% of the final grade. Exam #1 is scheduled for Thursday, October 7; Exam #2 for Thursday, November 4; and Exam #3 for Tuesday, December 7. These exams are subjective in format, and will draw equally upon assigned readings and class presentation for their content. Exams #2 and #3 shall feature literary identification and analysis of assigned texts.

b. One (1) research paper, ten to fifteen pages in length, focusing upon the textual material excerpted in McGinn's Apocalyptic Spirituality from either Lactantius or Joachim of Fiore. Your task in this paper will be to justify thoroughly why these works are considered to be "apocalyptic," based upon the principles and characteristics that will be elaborated throughout the course. The paper must be typed (double-spaced), and is due Tuesday, November 30. The paper accounts for 25% of the final grade.

c. Mastery of the assigned readings and diligent class attendance are necessary prerequisites for the successful completion of this course. Each student is responsible for all lectures, class discussions, assignments, handouts, and announcements, whether or not he/she is present when they occur.

Miscellaneous information:

a. The grading scale used in this course is as follows: 91-100 A; 81-90 B; 71-80 C; 61-70 D; and 0-60 F.

b. One of the requirements of this course is to complete the work of the course on time. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for late work -- an illness or other emergency. "Emergency," however, does not include your social involvements, travel plans, disk and/or printer failures, the state of your love life, your obligations to other courses, or general malaise over the state of the world. The world has been in a mess as long as anyone can remember, and most of the world's work is done by people whose lives are a mass of futility and discontent. If you haven't learned yet, you can't learn any younger to work under the conditions of the world as it is. Therefore:

1) All examinations will take place only upon their announced dates and times. In other words (and please note well!), there will be NO MAKEUP EXAMS scheduled. All missed exams and unwritten papers will be averaged as a 0 in the computation of the final grade. No exceptions will be considered or granted. Students who fail to use "blue-books" in answering the examination questions will have their exam penalized 5 points.

2) The student may elect to "drop" one (1) of the previous exam scores (presumably the lowest). If this option is exercised, the student must sit for a comprehensive final examination at the time and date officially decreed by the administration for the relevant class section. The score of this "final exam" will then replace the earlier exam grade for the purposes of course evaluation. Students who are satisfied with their semester's work are not obligated to sit for this exam.

3) All papers are due on the date(s) scheduled. Late papers will bear the following penalties: one day late/one letter grade; two days late/two letter grades; three or more days late/F. Please note: these are calendar days, not class meeting days. For accounting purposes, the following equivalencies are used: A=95; B=85; C=75; D=65; F=30. An untyped paper automatically receives the grade F, as do papers violating the parameters expressed above under Course Requirements, section b.

c. Assistance and solicitation of criticism is your right as a member of the class. It is not a privilege to be granted or withheld. Do not hesitate to request it nor wait too late in the course for it to be of help.

ROUGH COURSE OUTLINE

(Numbers below refer to the pertinent pages in Reddish)

1. Introduction

2. Characteristics of apocalyptic writings

3. The background of apocalyptic

Jewish apocalypticism

4. The Enochic corpus
A. Book of Watchers 143-162
B. Animal Apocalypse 41-53
C. Apocalypse of Weeks 54-57
D. Similitudes 163-187

5. Testament of Levi & Testament of Moses 188-92; 214-223

6. 4 Ezra 58-96

7. 2 Baruch 97-142

Christian apocalypticism

8. Ascension of Isaiah 277-290

9. Apocalypse of Peter 243-254

10. Apocalypse of Paul 291-325

11. Medieval apocalypticism