Purpose: To practice skills in the close reading of biblical texts. This course is meant to do more than tell you about the New Testament; it is also structured to train you to read the New Testament for yourself

Purpose: To practice skills in the close reading of biblical texts. This course is meant to do more than tell you about the New Testament; it is also structured to train you to read the New Testament for yourself. And good reading begins with careful observation. To prepare for this assignment, you might consider reading chs. 2 and 3 from Grasping God’s Word by Scott Duvall and Daniel Hays Download Grasping God’s Word by Scott Duvall and Daniel Hays ; these chapters outline the basic methods for conducting a close reading, highlighting the kinds of things to look for and providing examples. To complete this assignment, you will need to do the following things: Choose a passage. For this assignment, choose a story (or a closely related pair of stories) from Mark’s gospel that caught your interest this week. For the assignment to work, the passage you select shouldn’t be too long to too short. Aim for a section 10–20 verses long. If you need suggestions, consider the following list of possibilities: Mark 4:21–34Mark 5:1–20Mark 5:21–43 (a little long, but interesting!)Mark 7:24–37Mark 8:14–26Mark 9:14–29Mark 10:35–45Mark 11:12–26 Print a hard copy of your passage. Start by copying and pasting (or typing out) the verses from the New International Version (NIV) translation. (You can find this translation, along with many others, freely available at http://biblegateway.com (Links to an external site.).) Then, remove the verse numbers and triple-space the lines. This will limit distractions and give you space for your annotations. Liberally annotate the passage. See the images of Rom 1:1–2 and Deut 6:1–3 in Grasping God’s Word Download Grasping God’s Word (pp. 62, 80) for an example of what your annotated passage should look like in the end. In particular, make sure to mark the following items:Circle repeated words or phrases. Not every repeated word or phrase needs to be circled; focus on those that seem significant for understanding the meaning of the passage. Underline significant verbs. Once again, you don’t need to underline every verb; focus on those that seem significant. Note the tense (past, present, future) and the subject (e.g., God, the author, the audience). Enumerate lists. If you encounter a list of some kind, number each item in the list in your annotations and consider if there is any significance to the number of items in the list or the way that they are arranged. Does the list build toward the final item in some way? Are items grouped together in some way? Does the list have a logical progression? Identify contrasts. If the author contrasts two ideas, actions, kinds of people, etc., mark that in your annotations. You can write a short description of the contrast in the margin in the space between lines. Something like “wages from sin vs. gift from God” (for Rom 6:23) is sufficient. Identify clauses that indicate cause, effect, purpose, result, or means. Key words will often help you identify these clauses. For example, “so that” or “in order that” often indicates the purpose or result of the previous statement. Prepositions like “by” or “through” often indicate the means by which an action is accomplished. When you notice a clause that address cause, effect, purpose, result, or means in a significant way, put parentheses around it and mark its function. For example, you might write an “M” by those clauses that indicate means. This part of the annotations requires the most careful observation and thought, but it can also be one of the most helpful ways to open up the meaning of a passage. If you need a quick reference guide for the kind of annotations you should make, use the chart below: ACTION ITEM QUESTIONS TO CONSIDERCircle Repeated words or phrases Why does the author repeat this word or phrase? How does that shape the meaning of the passage or provide clues to its structure? Underline Significant verbs What is the tense of the verb (past, present, future)?Who/what is the subject and the object? Enumerate Lists Is there any significance to the number of items in the list? Is the list structured in some way? (For example, do items alternate or build to a crescendo?) Mark Contrasts between ideas, actions, types of people, etc. What contrast is being made? Why is the author making that contrast? Note The function of clauses or sentences: cause, effect, purpose, means, results Does the clause indicate purpose or result (“so that,” “in order that”)?Does the clause indicate means (“by” or “through”)?Does the clause indicate cause or effect (“because,” “therefor”)? Scan or take a picture of your annotated passage and upload it to this assignment. Write a 200 word analysis of your findings. In your analysis, comment on the insights that you have gained from this close reading exercise. You don’t need to comment on each of the items listed above; instead, focus on what you have found to be most significant and enlightening. For example, consider the following kinds of questions: What repeated words or phrases are important to the passage? What contrasts are found and developed in your passage? What are the significant statements of cause, purpose, result, or means found within your passage?Upload your analysis to this assignment. After completing this assignment, you should have uploaded two files: the scan of your annotated passage and the 200 word analysis. Keep in mind that at this point, you are still observing (rather than interpreting the passage or applying it to a present-day situation). Resist the urge to draw conclusions at this early stage of careful reading. Instead, observe details that you might miss with a cursory reading, and keep interpretive options open as you look closely at the passage. Click the “Submit Assignment” link in the upper right corner to upload your assignment.RubricW1 Assignment 1: Passage AnnotationCriteria PtsThis criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Passage Annotation: The passage annotations mark the features included in the table in the assignment description.40 ptsThis criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Annotation Analysis: The analysis discusses 2–3 insights gained through the annotation process and describes the overall emotional tone of the passage (using evidence from the passage or surrounding literary context to support the description).40 ptsThis criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Logistics: The files are uploaded properly. The paper is 200 words.20 ptsTotal Points: 100