|
Ira Chernus PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER |
EXAM # 1
RLST 3100: JUDAISM Fall
2010
Choose one of the following
questions. Please indicate clearly which
question you are answering:
A. The history of biblical and
rabbinic Judaism was shaped by 4 major turning points: the creation of the monarchy,
the conquest of Judah and destruction of the first Temple by the Babylonians,
the coming of Hellenistic culture, and the battle against the Romans (including
the destruction of the second Temple). In each case, different groups of Jews
responded in different ways to these formative events. There was never a single
unanimous response. Still, there was some common element in all the responses
to all these events — an element that made them all distinctively
"Jewish."
Choose any three (3) of the four major turning points and explain how
different groups of Jews responded in different ways to them. In conclusion,
explain why you agree or disagree with the last sentence in the statement
above: Was there anything that all the responses had in common, or not?
B) There have been multiple
perspectives of Judaism taught in this course through the textbooks and the
lectures. All of the authors discuss the periods of Biblical Judaism, Exile and
Return, Hellenism and Rabbinic Judaism in different ways, highlighting
different aspects of each time period. What is distinctive about the approach
of each book and of the lectures?
Choose two of the three
textbooks (Doorly, Scheindlein, and Neusner)
and compare and contrast the information presented in each book with the
information presented in Dr. Chernus' lectures. What information does each
author (including Dr. Chernus, lecturer) think is most important for you as a
reader to know and understand? What is each author/ lecturer's perspective?
What are their major assumptions, questions, and concerns as they study the
history? How does their perspective explain their interpretations of Jewish
history and culture and why they have each chosen to focus on some aspects of the
material over others?
It would be helpful to reread each of
the introductions to the textbooks and think about the goals of each author and
each book. Also review your notes from the lectures and think about the
viewpoint presented there. You are not expected to cover all of the material in
all of the books and lectures, but pick a few areas where you most notice
comparable or contrasting information, and focus on those. Make sure to cite
specific examples from the textbooks and from the lectures, including your
source material and page numbers for the textbooks, and attributing Dr.
Chernus' lectures to him as appropriate.
This exam covers material studied
through October 8th. It is due in class on Wednesday, October 13th.
Essays should be about six to seven (6-7) typed double-spaced pages. Please observe the length limit.
Please feel free to talk with Prof. Chernus or graduate assistant Danielle Lancellotti for help in preparing your essays.
(OVER)
GUIDELINES FOR ESSAYS:
As in any other academic course, you are being tested on your ability to understand, organize, synthesize, and think logically about the ideas presented in this course. Therefore, in answering the question, you should show that you have read the assigned readings, attended class, and grasped the main ideas presented in readings and class. Please remember that your grade is based on your demonstrated understanding of the course material. Remember, too, that we have examined ideas, religious behaviors, social conditions, cultural change, political factors, etc, and how they interact.. Be sure that your essay includes several different kinds of historical factors. The more course material you include in your essay, presented accurately and logically, the better your grade will be.
A good essay is written clearly, concisely, and precisely. Be sure your essay has a logical flow of ideas within each paragraph and from one paragraph to the next. If your paragraphs could be rearranged in a different order and make just as much sense, your essay is not yet well organized! A good way to avoid this problem is to make an outline before you write your final draft, so that you can see the organization of your essay clearly.
Be sure each paragraph provides evidence to support your conclusion. In your conclusion, you should summarize the evidence and show why you chose to agree or disagree with the last sentence in the statement. The conclusion should flow logically from the evidence presented in the paper. Be sure you are presenting essential points in a concise way. Make every word count, from the very first word; avoid needless introductions and repetitive conclusions. Make every sentence add a new thought or a new way of supporting a main idea.
You should always show that you can express the main ideas of the course in your own words. A good way to do this is to assume that you are writing for someone who knows nothing about the subject; imagine you are writing to a parent, a friend, etc. Do not use lengthy quotations (though you may want to refer to specific pages in the readings in parentheses or footnotes).
THE SAME GUIDELINES WILL APPLY FOR THE FINAL EXAM.
PLEASE SAVE THIS SHEET FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.