Senior English Readings...

So, each year we have a required reading sheet that is what we must read over the Summer, and do something over during the next year.

I'm going to be a senior next year, and guess what I saw on the sheet this year?

For an extra credit, we can find literary techniques (imagery, diction, etc.) in the Bible. On the sheet it says to find literary techniques in the "Hebrew and Greek literature" of Genesis, Exodus, and Matthew.


The way that they are getting around this is by making it extra credit and using literary techniques.

So, what do you all think? I'll be emailing the Texas Board of Education soon. :P So much for separation of Church and State. Damn Texas for lying right in the Bible Belt of the South. :(

You can always fuck over their assignment by using exaggeration, hyperbole, and personification(like god is not supposed to be human but he's jealous and angry etc.) and stuff like that.

I think it's fine to analyze the Bible as any other work of literature so long as it is made very clear that it is a work of fiction. It has its place in

- History and Sociology
- Hebrew/Greek/Mythology
- Art/Literature.

The bible is a part of the history of our culture so it is appropriate to be studied in an academic setting. Often you will need some sort of biblical knowledge if you plan to five deeper into many aspects of history, art and literature. I support standard analysis of the bible in the aforementioned classes.

But again, the teacher MUST explicitly state that it is mostly a work of fiction and only some of the events could be considered to be fairly accurate in historical terms.


But I fail to see how the bible is a good choice for linguistic analysis in an English class... Just imagine that in a non-English speaking country. Studying the bible to gain insight into English? Stupid.
Especially if you don't have a choice either...

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Originally Posted by Grod

You can always fuck over their assignment by using exaggeration, hyperbole, and personification(like god is not supposed to be human but he's jealous and angry etc.) and stuff like that.

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I definitely would, and it would be great... I'm taking college English from my school over a live feed from a close college, though. :P

Forgot to mention that. I'm not angry about having to do it, I'm just angry at the principle of it.

Well, you can treat it as a literary work and just do the assignment, but if you object to it on religious grounds, request a different selection.

(If they aren't making you do the assignment with the original Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic language, it's not fair... :P)

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Originally Posted by Korittke

I think it's fine to analyze the Bible as any other work of literature so long as it is made very clear that it is a work of fiction. It has its place in

- History and Sociology
- Hebrew/Greek/Mythology
- Art/Literature.

The bible is a part of the history of our culture so it is appropriate to be studied in an academic setting. Often you will need some sort of biblical knowledge if you plan to five deeper into many aspects of history, art and literature. I support standard analysis of the bible in the aforementioned classes.

But again, the teacher MUST explicitly state that it is mostly a work of fiction and only some of the events could be considered to be fairly accurate in historical terms.


But I fail to see how the bible is a good choice for linguistic analysis in an English class... Just imagine that in a non-English speaking country. Studying the bible to gain insight into English? Stupid.
Especially if you don't have a choice either...

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I completely agree with that. Of course it is a major contributor to many centuries of culture.

I myself have read a lot of the Bible (some from back when I was Christian, then some from looking things up).

There is no such statement, however. Also, it being a required English class is why it is stupid. If they wanted us to only analyze Greek and Hebrew literature, there is secular literature that we could use instead.

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Originally Posted by Amethyst Star

Well, you can treat it as a literary work and just do the assignment, but if you object to it on religious grounds, request a different selection.

(If they aren't making you do the assignment with the original Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic language, it's not fair... :P)

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It shouldn't be regarded as a valid selection if it is simply for a literary assignment while there are other secular Greek and Hebrew works.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by StephenT

There is no such statement, however. Also, it being a required English class is why it is stupid. If they wanted us to only analyze Greek and Hebrew literature, there is secular literature that we could use instead.

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Actually, a lot of secular literature in English has allusions to the Bible. You don't have to believe in the Bible religiously but it helps to know of the references.

I think they figure it's implied that the reading of those texts is for literary purposes.