See the syllabus and paper rubric on Blackboard. The prompts below provide several possibilities. However, you should regard the prompts as prompts—some ideas to get you started thinking about what you might like to write about. You can modify existing prompts of devise paper topics of your own. Note that the prompts envision you writing (or speaking) to a specific audience for a specific purpose. However, your paper might (like most academic papers) have no specific audience and purpose. The prompts are constructed this way because many students find it easier to write well if they have a specific audience and purpose, so feel free to use your imagination and creativity to develop a paper (or other project) for this course. I encourage you to think broadly about possible paper topics and need not limit yourself strictly to the Old Testament, since the wider issue of violence in the media is part of the course. Try to find something of lasting interest and significance to you. CENSORING PSALMS: LITURGY OF THE HOURS Following the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), the Church revised the Liturgy of the Hour (aka Divine Office). In this ancient tradition, Christian monks have prayed all of the psalms on a regular basis. In the modern revision, certain psalms and parts of psalms were omitted from the Liturgy of the Hours so that monks no longer pray all of the psalms. Specifically, three psalms are entirely omitted: Psalm 58; 83; 109. Parts of nineteen other psalms (one verse or several verses) are also omitted: 5:10; 21:8-12; 28:4-5; 31:17-18; 35:3a, 4-8, 20-21, 24-26; 40:14-15; 56:6b-7; 54:5; 55:15; 59:5-8, 11-15; 63:9-11; 69:22-28; 79:6-7, 12; 110:6; 137:7-9; 139:19-22; 140:9-11; 141:10. Note that these verse numbers are according to the NRSV. In the NAB, the verse numbers will often be off by one verse (-1, that is, because NRSV does not number psalm headings as verses, but NAB does). Another church council has been called and the subject of Scripture is being discussed again. Like Vatican II, Vatican III involves Catholic bishops and representatives from non-Catholic traditions. Some bishops want to retain or even expand the censorship of Psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours, while others want to return to the older tradition of praying all the Psalms without any censorship. You have the opportunity to address your bishop on this issue. You have ten minutes (about 5 pages) to state your case for or against censoring Psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours. CENSORING SCRIPTURE: THE LECTIONARY At the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), the bishops of the Catholic Church decided that the riches of Scripture should be made more fully available to laypersons through a revision of the lectionary. Since Vatican II, many more biblical passages from both Testaments appear in the lectionary and are read in church. However, the Old Testament material is still limited and unsystematic (OT passages are selected to ‘fit’ with the gospel readings, so the OT is highly fragmented in the lectionary). Passages that are ‘problematic’ for various reasons are omitted for that reason. Another church council has been called and the subject of Scripture is being discussed again. Like Vatican II, Vatican III involves Catholic bishops and representatives from non-Catholic traditions. Some bishops want to retain or even expand the omissions of OT passages in the lectionary. For example, the Easter Vigil includes Genesis 22 and Exodus 14, and some would like to remove them. Other ‘problematic’ passages are not included in the lectionary (most of the flood story, almost all of Joshua, Ezekiel 16; 23, etc.). You have the opportunity to address your bishop (or the committee revising the lectionary) about the proposed exclusion of a specific passage (e.g., Genesis 22; Exodus 14) or the inclusion of a specific ‘problematic’ passage (e.g., Ezekiel 16). You may choose the passage and whether you are arguing for excluding something presently in the lectionary or including something currently missing from it. BOOK BANNING A group of concerned and pious parents has moved to ban several books from the library at the high school (or elementary school) that your child attends (or that you attend) for their unedifying content. You may imagine something more specific based on actual cases. For example, Huckleberry Finn is often banned in the US (for use of “the n-word” among other things), The Catcher and the Rye (Holden Caulfield is a corrupting influence on teenagers), various plays of Shakespeare (for violence, sex, and in Merchant of Venice, unflattering depiction of Shylock the Jew), the Harry Potter series (occult/Satanic and anti-family themes), Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (explicit rape and sexual abuse). Some of the parents want to add the Bible to the list because of its sexual and violent themes and unedifying depictions of God and heroes. This proposal has fractured the parents. Some want to ban the other books, but not the Bible. Some want to ban the Bible but not the other books. And still others want to ban both the Bible and the other books. You have 10 minutes to address a school board on this topic. It would be helpful to focus your remarks on a specific topic and to narrow the scope to the scenario accordingly. For example, you may be addressing the question of whether the Bible should be removed from the school library. Or you might focus on whether some other book should be removed (your choice of book, but select one that has actually been banned), but not address the Bible at all. You can find many lists of banned books online. For example: http://www.banned-books.com/bblista-i.html http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/nation/082297nation-list.html http://www.abffe.com/bbw-booklist-detailed.htm http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/index.cfm (links to left include lists of books and ‘statistics’ with info about most common reasons for challenging a book, who challenges a book, etc.) Note also this news editorial about a bowdlerized version of Huckleberry Finn that replaces every instance of “the n-word” with “slave”: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/07/books/07huck.html Is bowlderization a reasonable solution to censorship? BOOK BANNING: CATHOLIC INDEX Between the Council of Trent and Vatican II (from 1559 to 1966), the Catholic Church periodically published the “Index of Prohibited Books” (Index Librorum Prohibitorum), often referred to simply as “the Index.” It included several now classic works of fiction and non-fiction. Although the Index was abolished, it survives in the modern Catholic tradition of some books being published with a “Nihil Obstat” or “Imprimatur.” These designations mean that a Church censor has found nothing damaging to faith or morals in the work (nihil obstat=nothing stands in the way) or that it may be publish (imprimatur=let it be ppublished). These indications are not an endorsement of the book, only an indication of what is NOT in the book. At a new Church council (Vatican III), some bishops are proposing that the Index be revived and the Church seek to prohibit Catholics from reading certain books (or movies, etc—a contemporary version would likely consider all media). You have the opportunity to address your bishop about whether the Index is a good or bad idea, or whether some other proposal might be better than the Index. NOTE: The USCCB has online reviews of movies and television with a view specifically to their moral content: http://www.usccb.org/movies/ Not an Index, but something sort of similar. You might write a paper offering a more detailed review (agreeing or disagreeing with the one online) or evaluate the criteria and rating system that the reviewers use (e.g., propose emendations): http://www.usccb.org/movies/criteria.shtml CHILDREN’S BIBLE: COMPOSING A small publisher is compiling a children’s Bible and has asked you if you would be interested in contributing to the volume. You have agreed to retell a biblical story for the money that the publisher is offering, but the publisher specifically asks you to select a biblical passage that is “problematic” due to its violent or sexual content. To collect your paycheck, you must deliver two things to the publisher: (1) your retelling of a “problematic” story and (2) a short explanation of why you told the story in the way that you did so that the editor can explain the rationale to the editorial board overseeing the project. CHILDREN’S BIBLE: CRITIQUING A friend of yours wants a children’s Bible appropriate for his/her child (in late elementary or junior high school). This friend has asked you to examine several children’s Bibles to recommend one that strikes a balance between accurately representing Scripture, but not reproducing the mature content of Scripture (sex and violence, problematic images of God). Write an email detailing the results of your research (what Bibles you looked at and how you evaluated them) and your recommendation (and rationale for your recommendation). GENESIS 22 Your son (or daughter) has come home upset after hearing Genesis 21 read in church (or school). [Or he may be old enough to have read it on his own.] What do you tell your child about this disturbing story and what it says about God and Godfearing and faithful parents (like yourself). JUDGES 11 Your daughter (or son) has come home upset after hearing Judges 11:29-40 read in church (or school). [Or she may be old enough to have read it on her own.] What do you tell your child about this disturbing story and what it says about God and Godfearing and faithful parents (like yourself). INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE Among your circle of friends, there has been an incident of intimate partner violence. You are friends with a couple named Romeo and Juliet, and you met both of them at the same time as a couple. In the course of an argument, Romeo hit Juliet. She is shocked and he is apologetic. It has never happened before and Romeo insists that it will never happen again. In this situation what do you say to either of your friends, or how do you navigate the dual friendship (or do you drop one of them)? Consider this variant: you have been friends with Romeo since you were kids; you’ve only known Juliet for the few months they were dating. Or, you are related to one of them. Variant: Juliet hit Romeo, or they have both hit each other. You might compose the journal of your experience of being connected to this relationship, or write if from the perspective of Romeo or Juliet. Or: how might you construct a campus campaign to raise awareness during Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (February)? Or: you are a consultant for CUA. You have been hired to provide an expert opinion about how the university could create a model program for prevention of dating violence. Based on the evidence, what would you recommend? RAPE One of your friends (Juliet) has accused another of your friends (Romeo) of rape. You have known them both for as long as you have been in college, and you are all in the same circle of friends. They have never been an “item,” just friends. In this situation what do you say to either of your friends, or how do you navigate the dual friendship (or do you drop one of them)? Consider this variant: you have been friends with Romeo since you were kids; you’ve only know Juliet since coming to college. Or, you are related to one of them. You might compose the journal of your experience of being connected to these two people, or write if from the perspective of Romeo or Juliet. Or: how might you construct a campus campaign to raise awareness during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April)? Or: you are a consultant for CUA. You have been hired to provide an expert opinion about how the university could create a model program for prevention of sexual assault. Based on the evidence, what would you recommend? ATHEIST MORAL CRITIQUE OF BIBLE Several atheist (and deists) have cited the violence in the Old Testament as proof that the OT is not inspired by God, but merely a human document. This argument is used to argue either for atheism or at least against traditional Christianity (and Judaism). Find an example of such an argument (a recent famous one is Richard Dawkin’s The God Delusion (2006, see chap. 7). How would you respond to Dawkin’s argument? Note that you might critique his position and defend Scripture or elaborate and reinforce his argument. Alternative: Take the side of the atheist to argue against St. Augustine or others who uphold the Bible as edifying and sacred literature. WAR Imagine you are a recruiting officer for a branch of the US military. How would you motivate young people to enlist? You might imagine the challenges of specific populations (students at a religious university that may see military service as contrary to religious teachings about peace and forgiveness). Or you might imagine constructing a wider advertizing campaign. What would that campaign look like? Or what would you say given the chance to address the students at the religious university? How might you handle a conversation with a potential recruit with ethical misgivings about becoming a soldier who may have to kill other people. Alternative: write from the perspective of the potential recruit or (concerned) friend of the recruit. MEDIA ANALYSIS For any of the above topics (among many other possibilities), you could examine how the media presents a given form of violence. You will need a definition of the violence (homicide, rape, etc) and a defined corpus of media to analyze. The study could combine both quantitative (counting incidents) and qualitative (analysis of details) aspects in light of other similar studies and information on the effects of media. Or you could examine two samples of media (from different time periods, for example) for comparison. Or compare biblical violence to how it is represented in movies made of the biblical story.