E-mail: DTrobisch@bts.edu // Homepage: www.bts.edu/trobisch
For prices, dates, itinerary, please consult the web page: http://www.bts.edu/trobisch/Greece2006/HomeGreece.htm .
At the end of this course participants will be able
1. To write and read the Greek alphabet
2. To conduct some basic conversations in Greek (greet, pay, count etc.)
3. To give an overview of the history of the Greek nation from prehistoric times to today.
4. To have a basic understanding of all of the following topics and a deeper understanding of one of them:
· History of the Byzantine Church and the modern Greek Orthodox Church
· Pre-historic spirituality as documented in archeological sites in Greece
· Classical Greek mythology
· Rise of Alexander the Great and Hellenistic culture
· History and setting of Paul’s letters to: Thessalonica, Philippi, and Corinth
· Early Christian House Churches in relation to Greek Mystery Cults and the synagogue
· Oracle in Antiquity (Delphi) and their relation to Divine revelation in Judeo-Christian tradition
· The historical value of the Book of Acts
Goal 1 will be achieved through self-study, material will be handed out before the trip begins. Informal assessment.
Goal 2 will be assessed informally during the trip.
Goal 3 will be assessed through a written quiz.
Goal 4 will be assessed through oral presentations on site and a written paper after the trip.
Barbara Aland,
Kurt Aland, Greek-English New Testament (Stuttgart: Deutsche
Bibelgesellschaft, 1994).
(It is very important to me that everyone uses this scholarly edition of the
New Testament. It will help reduce confusion in class and I can refer to the
Greek. I require it for every course I teach.)
It is assumed that the participants will take the trip for New Testament elective credits unless negotiated otherwise. This travel course may serve to fulfill cross-cultural program requirement or serve as elective credit; it may not be used to fulfill the distribution requirement of any departmental area.
· 10 minute oral presentation on site (30%).
· Ca. 15 page paper including references and bibliography on a topic related to the trip (30%).
· Journal of the trip (10%) [not graded but a requirement]
· Reflection paper, ca. 5 pages (10%) [not graded but a requirement]
· Quiz (10%)
· Active participation (10%)
Grading:
A = 91-100%, B = 81-90%, C=71-80%, D=61-70%
All written work is due April 30 2006.
1. Travel courses are to be encouraged as one way of addressing the need for our students for cross-cultural experience.
2. Travel courses are to be academically rigorous undertakings.
1. Travel courses are unique: they are not regular semester courses and should reflect the fact that the intended learnings are "tailor-made" for each trip. Thus each travel course will have unique requirements given the purposes and destination of the trip.
2. All participants must register for the course through the BTS registrar, following the standard process for enrolling in BTS courses. Degree program students taking the course for credit will be given enrollment priority, followed by "special students" taking the course for credit, followed by auditors. Such courses typically need between 15-25 students to make them affordable for students and viable for the Seminary. Such courses will not be approved if they might result in a financial loss to the Seminary.
3. Travel courses offer unique opportunities for interdisciplinary work. Such work is encouraged and will be negotiated in accordance with the specific nature of each particular course. Individual students may also negotiate additional credit by doing further work related to the site history, archaeology, religious heritage, etc.
4. Academically significant dialogue with locals should be a key component.
5. Travel courses may serve to fulfill cross-cultural program requirement or serve as elective credit; they may not be used to fulfill the distribution requirement of any departmental area.
Requirements
1. Preparatory work prior to the trip will include:
a. At least two class sessions of all enrolled students.
b. Assigned reading providing cultural and historical background, and suggesting possible research topics.
c. A brief, topical writing assignment.
2. Work During the Trip may include some or all of the following:
a. Brief oral presentations on topics relevant to the trip
b. Social interaction with local people and institutions (see 3c below)
c. Interactive discussion among members of the group
d. Journaling
e. Daily debriefing / reflection
3. Follow-up work after the trip will include:
a. Research reading on a focused topic relating to the course
b. A writing "product" (15-20 pages in length) for purposes of learning as well as evaluation
c. If this is to fulfill the cross-cultural requirement then an academically informed reflection paper on this aspect of the trip would be appropriate.
Course work is due as indicated on individual syllabi of the instructors. The last day an instructor may choose to accept that semester’s course requirements is the final day of the second Reading Week.
Students who have not completed a course’s requirements are responsible for petitioning no later than the day the course work is due to withdraw (W) from the course or to receive an Incomplete (I). Students must obtain in Incomplete Contract or Withdrawal form from the Registrar and submit it to the instructor who will indicate on the form his/her approval before submitting it to the Dean for his/her approval. If the request is deemed not due to an emergency (such as death in the family, serious illness of the student, or severe personal circumstances), the Dean may recommend a grade penalty on any work subsequently submitted within the time permitted by this policy.
Incompletes granted will be indicated by the instructor on the grade report as an “I” and then permanently recorded on the student’s transcript. The due date for the completed work will be negotiated and contracted with the instructor, but no later than October 1st (for the spring semester) and April 15 (for the fall semester). Completed assignments shall be submitted to the Registrar who will stamp on the documents the date of receipt and forward them to the appropriate faculty member. All incomplete work not submitted by the dates specified will automatically receive the grade of F.