JESUS CHRIST
Course
Guide-Undergraduate Level
Theological
Online Study-Instructor: Dr. Miles
Cotham
(615-871-9924) e-mail:
miles.cotham@comcast.net
A course designed to bring
together insights and information relating to the life and mission of Jesus
Christ at an advanced understanding of the multiple aspects of the times and
expectations of Israel and its expected Messiah.
Course Objectives:
A) To acquaint the
student with the historical and pedagogic career of Jesus Christ while
on earth and to set events of his life in chronological perspective.
from the four Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
B) To place the life of
Jesus in its theological setting from His teachings.
C) To examine the claims
for and against His Divinity.
D) To reveal the
consistency of His teachings with the rest of the Old and New Testament and
compare prophecies that foretold his coming.
Requirements:
The student will need to
read each of the following three books over the fourteen weeks of the course and
spend the fifteenth finalizing a paper on the fourth book of required reading:
A Harmony of the Gospels
for Historic Study, by William Arnold Stevens(Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York: copyright
1932), 283 pp.
A Year With the Bible, by
Dr. Joe Hopper, edited by Dr. Miles
Cotham (Hopper Publishing:
Jesus: An Intimate
Portrait of the Man, His Land, and His People,
by Leith Anderson(Bethany House:
Life in the Son,
by Robert Shank (Westcott Publishers: New
York, copyright 1962), 261 pp.
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Week one-Stevens,
preface materials through pp. 18;
Week two-Hopper,
Matthew and Mark
2
Week three-Hopper,
Luke and John; Stevens, pp. 19-41;
Week four-Stevens,
pp. 42-71;
Week
five-Stevens, 71-95;
Week six- Stevens,
pp. 95-118; Anderson, pp. 98-109.
Week seven-Stevens,
pp. 118-139;
Week eight- Stevens,
pp. 139-162; Anderson, pp.
136-157.
Week nine-Stevens,
pp. 162-184;
Week ten-Stevens,
pp. 185-203;
Week eleven-Stevens,
pp. 202-227;
Week twelve-Stevens,
pp. 227-245;
Week thirteen-Read first
1/3 of Shank;
Week fourteen-Finish
Week fifteen-read last
1/3 of Shank-finish paper
Course Methodology and
procedures
In addition to the weekly readings the student is expected to answer
from 15-20 questions per week by e-mail that the instructor will send each
Sunday. It is highly suggested that each set be answered no later than each
Saturday evening by e-mail. The answers with the number of the will suffice as
the instructor will have knowledge of the
questions’ formats. The answers should in sentence form, and it is
recommended that the questions be carefully perused before both the mid-term and
final exams. No credit
3
can be given if the questions are not answered. If the student finds it
necessary to take more than a week,
it should be remembered that all work
MUST be in before the end of the fifteenth week. It is difficult to
catch up if questions pile up unanswered. Answers are, of course to be based
upon the readings for the course, and each weeks’ questions will be based upon
the specific readings for the weeks just finished. As the harmony is actually
scripture placed side by side, this will mean that your Bible should be kept
handy for reference when material is given outside of the four Gospel accounts.
As many as 25- 50 words will generally be sufficient to answer each question,
but there may be some exceptions where a longer answer is required. Often the
questions will be looking for answers based on deductive reasoning from
information in the readings while others are specific in expectations.
The paper on the Shank book should be between four and five pages in
length and is the student’s evaluation of the book(use third person language) as
to content, theme, and the author’s skill in communication. The student will
receive extra credit on the final exam from 3-8 points depending on the job done
on the evaluation of this book.
The student may communicate with the instructor by e-mail or phone as
needed concerning any matters on the course as to understanding, procedures,
content of the readings, or other general matters. It is, of course, necessary
for all fees and tuition to be paid for credit to be given.
Evaluation and grading scale
T.U.A. allows the student to
choose the pass-fail method or A,B,C,D, or F based
on a numeric scale as follows:
93-100 A
85-92
B
77-84
C
70-76
D
Below 70
F
The mid-term and final exams
will each have allowed two hours in length for administration by a proctor
agreed upon mutually by both the student and instructor. The proctor will then
forward the exams back to the instructor for grading. The student will receive
the mid-term back with remarks, but not the final. The average of the two grades
will constitute the final grade with consideration given for the paper from 3-8
points extra. The weekly questions MUST be sent in as well. The mid-term will
come after the seventh week of the course. E-mails will clarify matters
regularly.