Judaism and Christianity
The Creation Narratives and their Implications
Prof. Ruth Langer: Office Hours: Mon 10-11, Wed 12:30-1:30 in Carney 412 Phone: 552-8492 E-mail: langerr@bc.edu
TA: Fr. Antonio Lopez E-mail: alopez@sancarlo.org
General Course Description and links: Quest Home Page http://www2.bc.edu/~langerr/quest
Course Requirements:
- Attendance is required. More than two unexcused absences will drop your grade, as will habitual tardiness. If you must miss class, contact Prof. Langer no later than that morning. Illness, family emergencies, and BC pre-authorized sports travel will be excused. You are fully responsible for all work missed.
- Students are expected to prepare for class and to bring to class the relevant texts.
- 20% of grade: quiz grades (curved) plus class participation, listserv participation, and extra credit opportunities. There will be regular announced 5-minute open book quizzes based on the study questions at the beginning of class. There will be no make-ups for these quizzes. Study questions are on the web, linked to the syllabus.
- 45% of grade: three 1000-word essays.
- 35% of grade: scheduled final exam.
If you have a disability that requires special arrangements, you must inform Prof. Langer and provide documentation during the first two weeks of class.
This is the second semester of a two semester course. To receive Theology core credit, or to count this course towards a Theology major or minor, you must first take TH161. Students taking just TH162 (for cultural diversity credit or as an elective) are not given special consideration because they were not part of the first semester's discussions.
Textbooks: Available in the bookstore and on reserve:
I. The Biblical Text and its Interpretation
- Bible: Genesis 1-3; Psalm 104.
Bible: Genesis 1-3- Anthology: The Chumash: The Stone Edition, ed. Nosson Scherman and Meir Zlotowitz (Mesorah Publications, 1995) ISBN 0-89906-014-5, pp. 2-19.
- Anthology: New Interpreter's Bible, commentary on Genesis 1-3, pp. 338-370.
- Anthology: A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, commentary on Genesis 1-3, pp. 182-188.
II. Human Responsibility to Care for the Earth: Ecology
- Anthology: Norman Stillman, "Judaism and the Environment" from Judaism and Ecology, ed. Aubrey Rose (World Wide Fund for Nature, 1992), pp. 19-53.
- Anthology: Michael and Kenneth Himes, "Creation and an Environmental Ethic," from Fullness of Faith: The Public Significance of Theology (Paulist Press, 1993), pp. 104-124.
III. Structuring Time: The Sabbath
- Anthology: Articles from The Sabbath in Jewish and Christian Traditions by Goldenberg, Wurzberger, Harrington, and Baldovin.
IV. Human Nature
- Anthology: Norman L. Geisler, ed., "Evil," in What Augustine Says, 181-200.
- Anthology: Book of Legends: Sefer Ha-Aggadah, 12-22, 537-546.
B. Repentance, Penance, Reconciliation, Atonement...
- Anthology: Book of Legends: Sefer Ha-Aggadah, 556-561.
- Anthology: A Maimonides Reader, "Laws Concerning Repentance," 76-85.
- Anthology: The Yom Kippur Confessional.
- The Rite of Penance, in Catholic Rites Today, pp. 395-428.
- March 12, Jubilee 2000 Day of Pardon: Vatican Liturgy -- focus on the Presentation of the Celebration, the Pope's Homily, and the Universal Prayer.
V. Life Continues After Eden
- Anthology: Michael Kaufman, Love, Marriage, and Family in Jewish Law and Tradition (Jason Aronson, 1992): 3-15, 101-110, 118-134, 171-192.
- Anthology: John Freund, C.M. and JoAnn Heaney Hunter, Mirror of God's Love: Sacramental Marriage and the difference it makes (New York: Pueblo Publishing Co., 1984), 4-27
- Marriage in Catholic Rites Today, pp. 431-444.
Recommended: Articles on Marriage in Hoffman/Bradshaw
B. Be Fruitful and Multiply: Reproductive Ethics
- DECLARATION ON PROCURED ABORTION, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
November 18, 1974, http://www.priestsforlife.org/magisterium/quaestiodeabortu.htm.- Living the Gospel of Life: A Challenge to American Catholics, A Statement by the Catholic Bishops of the United States http://www.nccbuscc.org/prolife/gospel.htm
- Contemporary American Reform Responsa, 16. WHEN IS ABORTION PERMITTED?* http://www.ccarnet.org/cgi-bin/respdisp.pl?file=16&year=carr
- The Preembryo in Halacha, Rabbi Yitzchok Breitowitz, http://www.JLaw.com/articles/preemb.html. I have extracted the key parts of this and translated most technical Hebrew terms into English: http://www2.bc.edu/~langerr/abortion.htm
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, DONUM VITAE, Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation, Replies to Certain Questions of the Day, February 22, 1987, http://www.catholic.org/pfl/magisterium/donumvitae.htm
- The Use of Cryopreserved Sperm and Pre-embryos In Contemporary Jewish Law and Ethics, Richard V. Grazi, MD and Joel B. Wolowelsky, PhD, http://www.JLaw.com/articles/semen.html
- Articles on Birth and Adolescence in Bradshaw/Hoffman
- Baptism and Confirmation in Catholic Rites Today, pp. 138-186 (suggested: 33-137).
- Handout: Circumcision Ceremony
D. Sickness and Death
- Articles in Bradshaw/Hoffman
- Sickness and Death in Catholic Rites Today, pp. 489-590.
- Handout: Jewish funeral service
E. Lifecycle as Theology
- Introductory and Concluding Articles in Bradshaw/Hoffman