Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Malcolm Choat
Contact via malcolm.choat@mq.edu.au
W6A 504
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
12cp or admission to GCertArts
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit studies the relationship between the Greek, Jewish and Christian traditions from the perspective of the inheritors of the classical tradition, Rome. It examines the ways the Roman state reacted to Jews and Christians from the second to the fourth centuries – from the time when Christianity first came to Rome's attention, through attempts by Rome to remove it (violently or otherwise) from the world, to the 'triumph' of Christianity in the fourth century. It looks at developments in Roman and provincial religion in the period; the Roman responses to Jews and Christians; and the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. We begin and end with Tertullian's question, "What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?".
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
ALL written assignments (tutorial submission, essay) will be submitted via Turnitin.
You are required to present yourself for examination at the time and place designated in the University Examination Timetable. The only exception to sitting an examination at the designated time is because of documented illness or unavoidable disruption. In these circumstances, please consult University Policy for the available procedure.
ALL deadlines are firm unless an extension has been requested in writing one (1) week before the due date. A penalty for lateness will apply unless a doctor's certificate is supplied. No written work will be accepted for assessment after the end of Week 13. 5% of credit will be deducted for the first day assignments are submitted late without an extension and thereafter 2% of credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted late without an extension. If an assessment task is more than two (2) weeks late, students will need the permission of the unit convenor before submitting the task. Tasks more than two (2) weeks late, without extension or convenor permission, will not be marked. Assignments handed in early will not be marked and returned before the due date. Always retain a copy of work you submit in case it is lost in the online system.
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Definitions | 10% | 7/8/15 |
Online tutorial participation | 10% | Weekly |
Essay | 40% | 23/10/15 |
Definitions Reflection | 0% | 6/11/15 |
Exam | 40% | Examination Period |
Due: 7/8/15
Weighting: 10%
In no more than 200 words, give your understanding of the terms ‘religion’, ‘pagan’, ‘Jew’, and ‘Christian’. Tell us how you understood these terms when you started the course, not after you heard the introductory lectures. It is not necessary to provide any references for these assignments, and we do not expect you to do any research for them: we simply wish to find out what you think these terms mean. The mark for this assignment will largely be based on spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, and sentence construction. You will lose .25 of a mark for each error you make in these areas. Thus it is an exercise in proofreading and presentation, as well as an opportunity for you to consider how you understand what we will be studying this semester.
Due: Weekly
Weighting: 10%
Ten percent (10%) of your mark will be based on the your participation in the online discussion forum on the iLearn site. The standard, length, of content of your weekly posts to the site are not assessed: all that is required is your participation, to develop your communication skills and ability to discuss historical problems and issues about the sources with your peers. You will receive one mark for each online tutorial you contribute to. NB This applies only to the Online Tutotials, not the webinar discussions (the latter are optional).
Due: 23/10/15
Weighting: 40%
The major essay must be 2000 words (+/- 10%: essays which exceed 2100 words will attract a 5% penalty for every 100 extra words). It is important to base your essay on ancient sources, and to compile your own list of up-to-date modern discussions of the question. Do not hesitate to approach me for guidance over your essay at any stage.
Essays must be accompanied by a bibliography of the ancient and modern sources used. They must be referenced according to one of the accepted conventions, that is, footnotes, endnotes, or ‘in-text’ referencing. In general, footnotes are the preferred and usual method for such work. The presentation of the essay should follow accepted scholarly practice. A guide to ‘Essay Presentation & Conventions: Style Guide’ is available from the Ancient History Department Website, and this should be followed.
There will be a choice of topics for the essay, which will be provided on the unit iLearn site.
Due: 6/11/15
Weighting: 0%
In no more than 200 words, reflect on how, if at all, your understanding of the terms ‘religion’, ‘pagan’, ‘Jew’, and ‘Christian’ has changed during the course. How do you understand the terms now? If your opinion on what they signify has changed, what factors caused this? Do you think they are useful terms in the study of the Roman Empire?
NB. This assessment has no weighting, but any student that does not submit it cannot pass the unit.
Due: Examination Period
Weighting: 40%
There will be a two (2) hour examination during the exam period at the end of semester. Further guidance on the exam will be provided during the session.
The prescribed textbook for this unit is Ramsay Macmullen and Eugene N. Lane, Paganism And Christianity, 100-425 C.E.: A Sourcebook (Minneapolis : Fortress Press, 1992) available through the Macquarie University Co-Op Bookstore. Weekly readings will be taken from this, as well as being placed on the iLearn site and e-Reserve.
If students wish to have a readable and informative narrative of the historical themes on which this unit focuses, I recommend Robin Lane Fox, Pagans and Christians (London: Penguin, 2006 [new edition]). Students are not required to purchased this book.
Frequent recourse will be made to the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius of Caesarea, the first ever work of ‘Christian History’, written at the close of the period this course deals with. A modern translation of this work is published in Penguin Classics: Eusebius, The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine, trans. G.A. Williamson (London & New York, 1989). Students who wish to purchase this will find it useful, but a perfectly reasonable translation is also available on-line, at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.html.
The unit has an iLearn page which can be accessed at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au. PC and internet access are therefore required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement. Content, readings, and discussions for this unit will be delivered via the unit iLearn page. The lectures for this unit will be recorded and the audio recordings and accompanying slides will be available on the Echo 360 system. The Webinars will also be placed in the Learn page. Readings will be available on e-reserve and iLearn; other digital resources will also be placed on the iLearn site.
There will one one-hour lecture per week, (recorded live, on Tuesdays at 11-12).
There will be a weekly "webinar", in which I will record a short video with accompanying powerpoint. After the webinar there will be a space for online discussion of the issues I have raised: these will be important issues about how and why we study history, and I hope you will all contribute to the discussion of them. Participation in the webinar discussions is optional, but I hope you engage in them.
As well as the webinar discussions, there will be online weekly discussion which focus on the content of the history we are discussing. I will start these discussion with a set of questions about the weekly readings, and hope you all participate in them. You are required to participate in each week's discussion to gain a full mark of 10/10 for the participation component of the assessment. To avoid pressure and people simply rattling off short bullet point answers to the questions, I am not marking the standard or length of posts to the bulletin board, just participation itself. Thus, any participation is fine: the aim is to discuss the ancient sources and how to interpret them. I hope you use these discussions as an opportunity to talk through the issues we're raising and the content we're addressing. Do not simply answer the questions which are asked each week in point form: they should be seen as starting points for discussion, not questions to be answered. I am looking for opinions and analysis, not merely facts. Contributions which make, in prose form, a personal and reasoned response to the topic under discusison that week are much better than reponses which simply provide short "answers" to the questions posted at the start of the week.
Week | Lecture | Webinar | Tutorial Discussion |
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1 | The Historical Context | Assessment, essay writing, and Academic Honesty | Introductions |
2 | Graeco-Roman Religion | The sources: how we do ancient history? | Graeco-Roman Religion |
3 | The Imperial Cult | Terminology: 'pagan', 'Jew', and 'Christian' | Imperial Cult |
4 | Judaism and Rome after the great revolt | Terminology II: ‘Religion’ | Judaism and Rome |
5 | Rome and Christianity from Nero to Severus | Epigraphy and Archaeology | Pliny and Trajan |
6 | Philosophy and Christianity | Text criticism, fragments, and the manuscript tradition | Philosophical objections to Christianity |
7 |
No Lecture |
No Webinar | No Discussion |
Semester Break (2 Weeks) | |||
8 | The Roman state and Christians in the third century | Papyrology I | The Decian persecution |
9 | Christianity in the Papyri | Papyrology II | Religion in papyrus letters |
10 | Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Manichaeism | Definitions and relationships: Magic and religion | Magic and ritual |
11 | The ‘Great Persecution’ | Hagiography: martyrdoms as evidence | The Martyrdom of Phileas |
12 | ‘The Birth of Christianity' | The historiography of Late Antiquity | The Edict of Milan |
12 | The new world: traditional religion and Christianity in the fourth century | Exam discussion, Feedback | No Tutorial |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.
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Since the previous offering in 2013, the structure of the unit, some assessment, and some lecture content have been adjusted.
A general unit bibliography, as well as readings relating to each week's topic, may be found on the unit iLearn page.
A guide to the weekly online discussions may be found on unit iLearn site.
In order to complete the unit satisfactorily students must gain a mark of 50% or more overall and undertake all assessment tasks.
Date | Description |
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12/07/2015 | Corrected several typos and minor errors. |