From Text to Sermon

Instructor: Eric C. Smith, PhD
E-mail: ecsmith@iliff.edu

Course Synopsis

Taking as its material the Gospel of John, this course will cover strategies and methods for exegesis in the task of composing sermons. Students will employ a variety of critical tools and readings to develop sermon ideas and full sermons, providing valuable skills and experience for those interested in entering parish ministry, or those simply interested in biblical exegesis.

Books for the Course

Harper Collins Study Bible (NRSV), Jewish Annotated New Testament (2nd Edition), and/or another good, modern NRSV study Bible (contact your professor if you aren’t certain whether yours qualifies).

Hayes, John H. and Carl R. Holladay. Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner’s Handbook . Westminster John Knox Press, 2007.

McKenzie, Steven L. and Stephen R. Haynes. To Each Its Own Meaning, Revised and Expanded: An Introduction to Biblical Criticisms and Their Application. Westminster John Knox Press, 1999.

Brown, Raymond E. and Francis J. Moloney. An Introduction to the Gospel of John. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

Course Assignments and Evaluation:

Your work in this course will be evaluated in several ways.

1) Weekly posts will account for 5 points per week (except week 5, Gathering Days, which doesn't have posts, and week 10, which will count for 4 points). This is a total of 44 points. Please note that the first three posts each week are graded on a complete/incomplete basis (1 point each), while the Sermon Abstract is worth 2 points and is graded with a rubric.

2) Two papers, one due at the midterm and the other at the end of the course, will count for 28 points each, for a total of 56 points. An evaluation rubric is attached to each of these papers.

3) Attendance at Gathering Days, while not linked to any points, is mandatory, and you cannot pass the course without being present.

Other Matters:

• If you have learning challenges or disabilities that impact your ability to complete assignments as they are designed, please let the instructor know, and I will work with you. In some cases, institutional documentation might be required.
• All Iliff policies on Academic Dishonesty, including plagiarism, will be vigorously enforced in this class. See the Masters Student Handbook for the full policies.
• Your instructor is he/him, and you have the right in this class to be called by whichever pronouns are correct for you. You are also obligated to respect others' choices in their pronouns.
• Students in this course will be preparing for a variety of professional contexts. While the course has been designed with some form of Christian parish ministry in mind, students preparing for other contexts are encouraged to work with the instructor to modify assignments accordingly.

Policies and Services

Incompletes:  Incompletes are granted only in extraordinary circumstances. If an incomplete is allowed in this course, it will be governed by the Master's Student Handbook for Policies and Procedures.

Pass/Fail:  Masters students wishing to take the class pass/fail should discuss this with the instructor by the end of the first week.

Academic Integrity and Community Covenant:  All students are expected to abide by Iliff’s statement on Academic Integrity, as published in the Masters Student Handbook, or the Joint PhD Statement on Academic Honesty, as published in the Joint PhD Student Handbook, as appropriate.  All participants in this class are expected to be familiar with Iliff’s Community Covenant.

Accommodations:  Iliff engages in a collaborative effort with students with disabilities to reasonably accommodate student needs.   Students are encouraged to contact their assigned advisor to initiate the process of requesting accommodations.  The advising center can be contacted at advising@iliff.edu or by phone at 303-765-1146. 

Writing Lab:  Grammar and organization are important for all written assignments.  Additional help is available from the Iliff Writing Lab, which is available for students of any level who need help beginning an assignment, organizing thoughts, or reviewing a final draft. 

Inclusive Language:  It is expected that all course participants will use inclusive language in speaking and writing, and will use terms that do not create barriers to classroom community.