BIB 346 Contem. Rel. Doc.       Instructor: Bruce Terry
Section: 01  Room: IAC 313      Office: Stotts (NC), Room 311
Day/Time: TTh 1:00-2:15pm       Telephone: (304) 865-6120/295-6486
Office Hours: MWF 10:30-11:30am; 1:00-2:00pm; MW 3-4pm; TTh 2:30-3:30pm

Texts:

• A Study Bible (such as the Harper's Study Bible or the NIV Study Bible or a reference Bible; please limit yourself to the Revised Standard, the New American Standard, the New International, the New Revised Standard, or the English Standard versions, but the instructor will be using the Revised Standard Version and the English Standard Version)
  
• Redigging the Wells by Monroe Hawley
• Life in the Son by Robert Shank
• Counterfeit Miracles by Benjamin Warfield
• A Cappella Music by Everett Ferguson
• Handbook of Denominations by Mead
• Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (6th ed.)
  
• Harvey, Writing with Sources

Course Description

This course will focus on biblical teaching and departures from those teachings throughout the course of history in the Christian Age. A minor theme will be the association of specific doctrines with specific denominations. An emphasis will be placed on persuading those who hold non-biblical doctrines of the truth of the biblical teaching.

Course Objectives

1. To acquaint the student with the biblical teachings of the early church as found primarily in the New Testament.
2. To develop an understanding of how and why departures from these teachings occurred in the course of history.
3. To encourage the development of persuasive skills that will enable the student to teach and write about these doctrines in a positive manner.
4. To help the student realize the importance of following Jesus, thus providing a faith building experience for the student.

Attendance and Tardies

Attendance in class is mandatory; it will be part of the basis for the grade given. If you cannot attend for good reason, either notify me beforehand or as soon as possible afterward. This applies even if you have an excused absence. You will be expected to do all work of any classes missed, except for pop quizzes and daily homework. If you do not intend to attend regularly, kindly withdraw from the class now.

Do NOT miss class simply because you do not have an assignment finished. Do NOT miss class if you can possibly come; save any absences for sickness or death in the family. If you have an extended illness, please contact me to let me know.

Kindly try to be in class on time. If you are consistently tardy for no good reason, I reserve the right to count three tardies as an absence.

If you have to leave early, please inform me before class. Do not schedule extra work, doctor's appointments, etc. during class time if at all possible. If you are too frequent in leaving early, I reserve the right to count early departures as a partial absence, adversely affecting your grade.

Absences may be excused if you bring me documentation that you were ill, involved in an accident, on school business, or there was a death in the immediate family. More than three hours of unexcused absences will result in your being dropped from the course with either a W or an F at my discretion. You may pay a fine and petition to be reinstated. Additional unexcused absences will result in your being dropped without future reinstatement. No credit will be given for a course in which absences, both excused and unexcused, total more than 25% of the hours of the course (i.e., as many as 8 class periods). Should you approach this limit, you will be asked to withdraw from the course. I reserve the right to drop you from the course as a warning once you have at least 6 total absences. If you are dropped for any reason, reinstatement is not guaranteed and will be granted only if a plan for success is presented. Note well: Absences may adversely affect your grade, as outlined below under the topic Grades. Please turn off cell phones before entering class. If you should have wireless service in the classroom, do not use your messaging service on your laptop or PDA. I reserve the right to count you absent should you disregard this.

Office Hours

I will be in my office ten hours during the week as outlined above. If you have class conflicts with my office hours, you can schedule another time with me. Appointments during office hours will be given precedence over drop-ins, but if you need to see me about something and don't have an appointment, come on up to my office and I will try to squeeze you in. If you need help, please use my office hours. You may also see me both before and after class as time permits. I will be available for extended conferences after class hours if it does not interfere with another class or chapel. No appointment will usually be necessary to see me at this time. If I am not in my office at office hours after a class, check my last classroom to see if a student has detained me there.

Assignments, Assessment, and Grades

Assessment of whether the objectives have been met will be based on the student's performance on homework and tests assigned by the teacher and on the student's ability to do relevant research on his or her own in papers described below.

Your grade for the class will be based on four major exams (including a comprehensive final exam), a five-page persuasive paper on a non-biblical teaching held by some in Christendom, three two-page book reports on the three textbooks, ten one-half page summaries of the beliefs and practices of ten denominations of your choosing, and attendance and participation in class. Exam questions can come from the lectures or assigned readings from either the textbook or the New Testament. The final exam will cover material from the whole course.

The papers should be typed. The number of pages listed for the typed papers refer to full pages, not counting the cover sheet (required) and bibliography (also required for the persuasive paper with at least four entries, most of which are from books). One page is defined as 27 double-spaced typewritten lines (counting the title, but not your name or page numbers) with 1" margins. The typed papers should be written using the Turabian style guide.

Class will be excused for students attending the World Missions Workshop. Students will be expected to attend at least a one hour class for each hour missed and turn in a one-page report on the class attended. The reports will count as attendance grades.

Ten points will be given for attendance. One point will be deducted for each class hour missed (counting each class as 1« hours), including those missed for illness. The only exception to this will be those who miss on official school business and have an official notice to this effect; up to five such absences will not count against the student's grade if the student has no unexcused absences. Two grace hours will be given to all students to allow for absences due to illness and excused absences for official school business. Note well: Grace hours will be applied first to excused absences.

Additional readings/quizzes/essays/maps may be assigned.

The final grade will be based on your work in the following way:

          Attendance                                        10%
          Book Reports                                      9% 
          Summaries                                         6% 
          Major Paper                                       10%
          Major Tests                                       45%
          Final Exam                                        20%

Extra credit in these areas will not be allowed to exceed these percentages. Extra credit in the course will be given for up to two one-page reports on the Inman Forum and one extra page on the Hawley book report on the pages not assigned in class. Your final grade will be A, B, C, D, or F. An A will be given for an average of 100-90, a B for 89-80, a C for 79-70, a D for 69-60, and an F for any average below 60.

All work is expected to be turned in on time. If for some reason you cannot make the due date, please ask my permission to turn the work in late. Late homework is accepted for only half credit, since the answers will often be given in class. The typed papers turned in late will dock the paper grade by one-half letter (5%) per class period late.

No paper will be accepted that is more than two weeks late. A paper that is more than one week late may not be rewritten, except in unusual circumstances. A paper must be at least 75% of assigned length in order to be rewritten. The grade on a paper which is rewritten may be increased on content, length, and up to (but not exceeding) a letter grade on mechanical errors. No grade will be given to a paper which contains enough mechanical errors to dock the score by two letter grades. It will be turned back without a score and the rewrite counted as late. Be sure to proofread and spell check! The English proficiency test sets the minimum standard for college papers.

Students who are absent on exam days with good reason may schedule a make-up exam within the next week. You must ask to take a make-up exam.

Students who score less than a 70 on a major exam may petition to retake the exam within a week after grades are returned on it. The highest grade on any retake exam will be 70. Once again, you must ask to retake an exam. There will be no retakes on the final exam. Study hard for it.

Academic Integrity Policy

Because Ohio Valley College expects students to follow the highest standards of honorable conduct in all areas of life, it is essential that students maintain high standards of academic integrity. Cheating, plagiarizing (whether intentionally misrepresenting another's work as one's own or failing to follow appropriate requirements of documentation), and helping others to cheat or plagiarize are all violations of these standards. Students who engage in these behaviors will face appropriate consequences, which could include failing the assignment in question, failing the course, or being dismissed from the College. A student who believes that he or she is being treated unjustly may file an appeal with the Provost; the student must initiate the appeal within 48 hours after receiving notification of the consequence. Appeal procedures are available in the office of the Provost.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's work as your own, whether you mean to or not. Copying or paraphrasing passages from another writer's work without acknowledging that you've done so is plagiarism. Translating passages from another writer's work in another language without acknowledging that you've done so is plagiarism. Copying another writer's work without putting the material in quotation marks is plagiarism, even if credit is given. Allowing another writer to write any part of your essay is plagiarism.

Plagiarism is a serious crime. The maximum penalty at OVC is expulsion from the college.

Plagiarism is easy to avoid. Simply acknowledge the source of any words, phrases, or ideas that you use. If you're not sure how to quote or paraphrase a source or if you need help with the format of endnotes or bibliographies, check with me. While you can (and in fact should) seek the help and advice of friends, classmates, and tutors, be sure that your written work is completely your own.

Compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

If you have a diagnosed disability and need special accommodations, please notify the Office of the Provost before or immediately after your first scheduled class meeting. After your disability has been verified, notify your instructor, who will work with you and the Office of the Provost to insure that you have a fair opportunity to perform in the course.

MAJOR EXAM DATES:   Exam 1 -- Thursday, September 14, 2004
                    Exam 2 -- Thursday, October 12, 2004
                    Exam 3 -- Thursday, November 9, 2004
                    Final Exam -- Thursday, December 14, 2004
                                   1:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.

Course Plan

WEEK ONE: 
 8/26/04 -- Introduction to the Course
            Use of the Old Testament Laws

WEEK TWO: 
                  homework: read Harvey's Writing with Sources
                        write a one-page introduction of yourself
                                        (extra credit)
                            read Hawley, chaps. 1-6 (extra credit)
 8/31/04 -- The Nature of God
                  homework: read Hawley, chaps. 7-8
 9/ 2/04 -- Denominationalism

WEEK THREE: 
                  homework: read Hawley, chaps. 9-10
 9/ 7/04 -- Denominationalism
                  homework: read Hawley, chaps. 11-12
 9/ 9/04 -- Denominationalism

WEEK FOUR: 
                  homework: study for exam
 9/14/04 -- Major Exam
                  homework: write 2-page book report on Hawley
                        (3-pages for extra credit)
 9/26/04 -- Church Government
Inman Forum

WEEK FIVE: 
                  homework: as assigned in class
 9/21/04 -- Saints, Images, Mother of God
                  homework: as assigned in class
 9/23/04 -- Sacraments

WEEK SIX: 
                  homework: as assigned in class
 9/28/04 -- Baptism, Confirmation
                  homework: read Shank, chaps. 1-8
 9/30/04 -- Grace & Works
World Mission Workshop

WEEK SEVEN: 
                  homework: read Shank, chaps. 9-12
10/ 5/04 -- Grace & Works
                  homework: read Shank, chaps. 13-19
10/ 7/04 -- TULIP/Perseverance of the Saints

WEEK EIGHT: 
                  homework: study for test
10/12/04 -- Major Exam
                  homework: as assigned in class
10/14/04 -- Pre-millenialism/Dispensationalism

WEEK NINE: 
                  homework: read Terry's article on Synoptic Apocalypse
                            write 2-page book report on Shank
10/19/04 -- Synoptic Apocalypse
                  homework: read Terry's article on Luke 17 & A.D. 70
10/21/04 -- Synoptic Apocalypse

WEEK TEN: 
                  homework: as assigned in class
10/26/04 -- Adventism
                  homework: read Warfield, chap. 1-2
10/28/04 -- The Holy Spirit

WEEK ELEVEN: 
                  homework: read Warfield, chap. 3
11/ 2/04 -- Miracles
                  homework: read Warfield, chap. 4-5
                            write 6 one-half-page summaries of various
                            denominations
11/ 4/04 -- Tongue-Speaking/Pentecostalism

WEEK TWELVE: 
                  homework: study for test
11/ 9/04 -- Major Exam
                  homework: read Warfield, chap. 6
11/11/04 -- Christian Science/Mormonism
Last Day to Drop a Class with a "W"--Stick with it to the end!

WEEK THIRTEEN: 
                  homework: read first half of Ferguson
11/16/04 -- Jehovah's Witnesses
                  homework: read last half of Ferguson
                            write 2-page book report on Warfield
11/18/04 -- Instrumental Music

THANKSGIVING BREAK

WEEK FOURTEEN: 
                  homework: write 4-page persuasive paper
11/30/04 -- Role of Women
                  homework: as assigned in class
12/ 2/04 -- Role of Women

WEEK FIFTEEN:
                  homework: as assigned in class
12/ 7/04 -- Unity/Tolerance
12/ 9/04 -- Catch Up and Evaluation

WEEK SIXTEEN: Final Exam Week
                  homework: study for final exam
12/14/04 -- Final Exam (1:00 p.m. - 2:50 p.m.)

N. B.: Homework is listed before the class for which it is due!

THIS SYLLABUS MAY BE MODIFIED AS THE TEACHER FEELS NECESSARY!