Religion, Exegesis: Gospels: Home

Exegesis Research

Project ----PowerPoint & Teaching

An exegesis is the critical/analytical interpretation of the Biblical texts. In this project, you will research and give an exegetical report (written paper and PowerPoint teaching presentation) on an assigned passage from the Gospels. The purpose of this project is to develop research and exegetical skills, exercise your presentation skills, and engage in a deeper study of a Gospel text. Listening to your classmates’ presentations on passages from all our units will also give you a head-start in reviewing for our final exam.

(1)  Research – I have selected resource texts for you and saved them on our class portal. You don’t need to use ALL of the texts I have saved there for you, but you do need to use at least two of them, in addition to at least one source from the Oxford Biblical Studies Online database. Use all of these to research the information outlined below in (2). Your bibliography will therefore include:

• At least two sources (“print texts”) from the documents saved for you on our class portal
• At least one article from the Oxford Biblical Studies Online database (accessed through the Underwood Library on the EHS website)
• The Holy Bible

Use Noodle Tools to create an accurate and correct bibliography. This component will be graded by my observation of your work and by your bibliography that must be printed and turned in with your paper. Correct form is expected!

(2)  Paper – Cover the following subjects, one or two paragraphs each, in a two-page printed paper. Your paper should include the following information:

1. An introductory paragraph that describes the events or teachings in your assigned passage in your own words
2. A paragraph about the textual setting of the passage:
   1. Where does this passage fit in context of the Gospel it comes from?
   2. Why did the Gospel writer (evangelist) put the story there, as opposed to elsewhere? How does the context for the passage impact its interpretation?
3. A paragraph or two about important teachings in the passage:
   1. What are they?
   2. How would they have been received in Jesus’ day and/or by the evangelist’s intended readers?
   3. In what ways does the passage have meaning today?
4. A paragraph or two about the historical setting for the passage:
   1. Information about the author of the Gospel it comes from, focusing on what we know of that evangelist’s intended readers, major themes, or life situation that may affect the way the story is told.
   2. Information about Jesus’ own historical setting: where can you see evidence of the life-situation of people in Jesus’ time?
5. A paragraph or two, analyzing the passage from the perspective of our “Theological Themes:”
   1. Which of our Theological Themes do you find in the passage, and where do you see them?
   2. What does the story teach us about God?
6. A statement about what the passage says to you, personally – what does it have to do with your own life?

Your paper should be well-written and use correct grammar and spelling. Use Noodle Tools to give appropriate credit to your information.

• When scholars have differing opinions about some of the information
• When giving a direct quotation from the source – although I prefer for you to use your own words (i.e. use direct quotations of your scholarly research sparingly!)

When referencing the Bible, include the chapter and verse reference in parentheses following the quotation:

“The just shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4)

This component will be graded, based on those things as well as the completeness of your information. It should be printed and turned in to me on the due date with your bibliography.

(3)  PowerPoint – Create a PowerPoint, which should include slides for:

• The Biblical text for your passage (probably over several slides, so that it’s readable)
• At least two images related to the story -- use museum-quality pictures, and see the information below about how to cite them
  • Look first at museum websites like the Metropolitan Museum of Art (www.metmuseum.org) and the National Gallery of Art (www.nga.gov). You may also find some images at the EHS library’s Grove Art Online database.
• Four slides with the following headings and your own bullet-point notes on the topics:
  • Textual context
  • Important teachings
  • Historical setting
  • Theological Themes
• The final slide should be your citations for the images only:
  • Use Noodle Tools to enter all of your information. For these art images, you will need information like: the artist's name, title of the image (usually underlined), the institution or individual who owns the work, and the city. Also include the work's date, if available.
  • Do NOT simply say that they came from Google, and do NOT just list the URL!

This component will be graded, based on the completeness of your slides, per the above directions. Note that the class will all have a printed copy of your text, on which to take notes.

(4)  Oral (Teaching) Presentation –

You will use your PowerPoint as visual support for your oral presentation, but you will be expanding upon the text as you show it, teaching us the exegetical information you learned in writing your papers. Do not stand there and read your papers! You may use a bare outline on note cards, to help you remember general topics, but your oral presentation should be communicated more freely than read. Know your information backwards and forwards. Rehearse. Be confident and enthusiastic. End on a strong note. The presentation should last no more than 5 minutes.

Grades will be based on the quality of your presentation, as described in the preceding paragraph. 

(5)  Listening Skills – Listen and take good notes on the provided pages when your classmates present their prophets.

THE NATIVITY (UNIT 2):

• An angel tells shepherds about the birth of the Messiah (Luke 2:8-14)
• Wise men from the East come to pay homage to the king of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-12)
• The prologue to John’s Gospel (John 1:1-14)

JESUS’ MINISTRY (UNIT 3):

• Jesus’ baptism by John (Mark 1:1-11)
• Healing of the Paralytic (Mark 2:1-12)
• Feeding the 5000 (John 6:1-14)
• Stilling the Storm (Mark 4:35-41)
• Zacchaeus the tax collector (Luke 19:1-10)

TEACHINGS ABOUT THE KINGDOM (UNIT 4):

• The parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-9)
• Sent out in pairs (Luke 10:1-12)

TEACHINGS ABOUT DISCIPLESHIP (UNIT 5):

• Teachings on the Law (Matthew 5:17-24)
• Teachings about piety (Matthew 6:1-8)
• The parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
• The Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18)
• The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32)

THE CRUCIFIXION (UNIT 6):

• The Last Supper (Mark 14:17-31)
• The Religious Trial (Mark 14:53-65)
• The Crucifixion (Mark 15:25-39)

THE RESURRECTION (UNIT 7):

• Jesus is risen (Matthew 28:1-10)

Gospels Exegesis Paper:

Gospels Exegesis Paper:  Mr. Mosley’s Grading Rubric

Research Effort

Paper

PowerPoint Presentation

Teaching Presentation

Attention to Classmates

Final Grade

Paper:

1. Summary
2. Textual Setting—Content of its Gospel?  Why there?  Interpretation?
3. Important Teachings—What are they? How received in history? Meaning today?
4. Historical Setting—Evangelist’s readers, themes, situations.  Glimpses of Jesus’s time.
5. Theological Themes—Which ones and where?  What does it teach about God?
6. Personal Connection
7. Spelling and Grammar
8. Bibliography

PowerPoint:

1.  1^st slide: story name, Bible citation and your name
2.  Text slide:  explain the story
3. 2 pics:  point out details that are in the story
4. Textual context slide with bullet points
5. Theological themes slide with bullet points
6. Citation slide
7. Other?

NoodleTools Template: Choose Database  --> Religious Work. 

Name of the database: Oxford Biblical Studies Online 

URL - SKIP

Most recent date of access: click "today" 

Section: Religion Work 

Role: SKIP

Title of religious work or multivolume work: Example:  Commentary on Amos 9:11-15

Click on: "Citing a Bible" 

Bible Version: Choose "NRSV" 

Title of Volume: SKIP

Volume: SKIP

Total # of volumes: SKIP 

Publisher: Oxford UP

Year 2009

FINAL Citation:

Commentary on Amos 9:11-15. New Revised Standard Version, Oxford UP, 2009. The
     New Oxford Annotated Bible. Oxford Biblical Studies Online. Accessed 28
     Nov. 2018.

You can EXPORT the citation from a Gale database into NoodleTools

1. Click “Citation Tools” 
2. Choose “NoodleTools” Click “Export” 
3. Choose your project and click “Import References”
4. Refresh your NoodleTools tab to access the new citation. 
5. Check the template to edit errors. (below: bold or strikethrough show errors) 

Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) and Gale Biography in Context

"Hatshepsut." Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale, 1998. Biography In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631002894/BIC?u=tlc041322570&sid=BIC&xid=e52c73c2. Accessed 15 Nov. 2018.

Final version with corrections.

"The Philosophy of Greek Medicine." Science and Its Times, edited by Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer, vol. 1, Gale, 2001. Biography In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CV2643450071/BIC?u=tlc041322570&sid=BIC&xid=40c18ee3. Accessed 15 Nov. 2018.

Final version with corrections. 

"On the Imitation of Man." American Decades Primary Sources, edited by Cynthia Rose, vol. 2: 1910-1919, Gale, 2004, pp. 345-347. Biography In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3490200325/BIC?u=tlc041322570&sid=BIC&xid=b76c5b50. Accessed 15 Nov. 2018.

Final version with corrections. 

"On the Imitation of Man." American Decades Primary Sources: 1910-1919, edited by Cynthia Rose, vol. 2, Detroit, Gale, 2004, pp. 345-47. Biography In Context. Accessed 15 Nov. 2018

Citing your PRINT source:

Use the NoodleTools Template: Choose PRINT –> Anthology/Collection

First Section: Story, Essay… All about the article. 

Contributor to the specific work: Author name(s) 

Title of specific work: Title of the article

Year specific work was originally authored or published: SKIP

Second Section: Anthology/Collection, All about the book. 

Pages of the work in the anthology: page numbers for your article

Contributors to the anthology as a whole: Editor, if identified. 

Title of Anthology: The title of the book the article is in. ex: Encyclopedia of Ancient Literature. 

Title of volume: SKIP

Volume: the number of the volume, if identified. 

Total number of volumes: SKIP

Publisher: Yes. ex: Facts on File. 

Year: publication year. 

Publication city: SKIP

Edition: 1st, 2nd, rev. 

Series Name: If identified. ex: Great Events in History

NOODLETOOLS TEMPLATE: CHOOSE: DATABASE ---> REFERENCE SOURCE (The ONLY time you use this template) 

FIRST SECTION: Database

Choose: E-publication (born digital) 

Database Publisher/Vendor: Encyclopedia Britannica

Date of publication: MM/DD/YY (Look at the “Cite” button) --It is a check mark in a square symbol. 

URL - SKIP

Most recent date of access – click “Today”

SECOND SECTION: Article/Entry

Authors of Article/Entry: Look at the bottom of your article: Some articles have the authors listed. Type in ALL author names. 

Article/entry title: What is the title of your article?

THIRD SECTION:  Reference Source: 

Contributors: SKIP

Type of reference source:  Encyclopedia

Title of encyclopedia: Britannica School

Edition: SKIP

Examples – Final Citation for Britannica School

Ames, Roger T. Confucius. Britannica School. Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 May 2009. Accessed 16 Nov. 2018.

"Elizabeth II." Britannica School, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 July 2018. Accessed 16 Nov. 2018.