Religious Studies Assignment

REQUIRES READING ON “convictions” by marcus borg. Write your paper on one and only one of the three topics, and complete both parts A and B. The paper is to be a minimum of three pages in length (double-spaced, 1-inch margins, and 12-point fount, that is, around 1000 words or more) and contain at least two quotes (with page citations) from Borg. References to postings in the student online discussion are recommended if the topic was one of the class discussions. References to sources that have not been introduced through this course are not necessary but if used, please provide a full citation (any format, APA, MLA, Chicago).

Key Steps for Success
Before writing, carefully reread this assignment and the Writing Rubric below.
After writing, reread the assignment and Writing Rubric, and edit your paper.
After writing and editing your paper, score it according to the rubric, which means assigning points for each of the 11characteristics. Then add up the points to come up with a total score. Put the total score and grade on your paper and label it, “The Grade I Give Myself.” For example, “The Grade I Give Myself, 85, B+.” It is easiest if you cut and paste the last page of this assignment, “Paper Characteristics and Points for Self-Scoring,” into the end of your paper and fill it in.

Topic Choices
Topic 1:
Part A: Borg discusses both the current context of Christianity in the U.S. with its 5 categories of division and the context of his own Christian faith development. Describe one of these, either the current context of U.S. Christianity or the faith development of Borg. This should take about one or two pages.
Part B: State your own views on one of these contexts of faith: U.S. Christianity or Borg’s faith development. Does Borg’s explanation help you navigate current Christianity or your own faith or belief development. Note that you belief development may be away from any faith tradition.
Topic 2:
Part A: Borg discusses two important Christian teachings or rules about how to interpret the Bible. One teaching or rule is that Christians are to interpret the Bible through Jesus’ life and work. The other rule is to interpret the Bible as presenting truths through metaphor—that is, parables and other kinds of stories—knowing that Bible stories may not simply be reporting historical facts. Describe one of these teachings or rules. This should take about one or two pages.
Part B: State your own view on the rule you’ve just described. Comment on how helpful or unhelpful it is to you and to your understanding of Jesus and the Bible. Does this rule help you or hurt you in finding how the Bible or any sacred text might live your life.
Topic 3:
Part A: In chapter 10, Borg discusses how Jesus’ and the early Christian religion could have taken a number of paths in response to Roman oppression—violence, collaboration, resignation, strict adherence to identity, or nonviolent resistance—but it chose nonviolent resistance. Describe this path of nonviolent resistance. This should take about one or two pages.
Part B: Respond to this description of Christian nonviolent resistance. Does Borg seem to be capturing what Jesus and the disciples were teaching, or is he somehow wrong? Does this path of nonviolent resistance seem workable or appealing or not? Why?