 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
|
|||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||
|
Fields
of Study
New Testament and Early Christianity
Guidelines for Qualifying Exams in New
Testament
by Daniel Patte
1. MINOR: Choice of Minor is most important; (a) for teaching, (b) but,
in the spirit of the GDR, should be a secondary field contributing to
your research (which then become multi-disciplinary). How to fulfill requirements:
In consultation with your "Minor Adviser," can be (a) preparation
of a course (to be completed before taking the QE's): (b) A significant
research project (ideally, related to/supporting your dissertation research),
including a history of research on this topic (to be completed before
taking the QEs); (c) an 4-6 hour examination during the QEs (in which
case, you need to prepare a proposal, as below).
2. SPECIAL AREA: Purpose: Doing the basic research for your dissertation,
so that after exams you might be ready to proceed to writing it. The expected
outcome is a "dissertation proposal" which should be ready in
first draft form at the time of the written QE's. EXAM Proposal should
include:
(A) A delimitation of the "area " in which you expect to develop
your dissertation? At the stage of QE proposal, I expect the definition
of a "topic" specifying the NT text(s), the theme(s), your interests/concerns
about those, and why the field of NT Studies needs a new scholarly contribution
on this topic. A tentative "thesis" might already be formulated,
but at this stage I do not expect a full-fledged thesis. It would be appropriate
to have alternate formulations of a thesis. (The preparation of exams
is precisely the time to test out alternative theses, and to formulate
your thesis)
(B) History of the Interpretations of this text arid this theme.
It is essential to consider a far ranging history of interpretations of
your text and theme which in my view should include both the history of
scholarly interpretations and history of the receptions in various cultural
settings (through the centuries and today). If you limit your study to
the interpretations which are like yours (same methodological approach,
same conceptualization of the theme, same interests and concerns), you
cannot hope to have a truly critical perspective (i.e., a perception of
the distinctive interpretive choices involved in your proposed interpretation),
indeed, you cannot hope to explain/justify the need for a new study on
this topic, to formulate your thesis and to define your methodology. Yet
encyclopedic knowledge of the history of interpretations is not expected.
The scope of your study of this history of interpretations should be limited
by selecting interpretations which represent a plurality of distinct types
of interpretations.
(C) Methodology to be used for this research.
History of this method(ology); its relationship with other methodologies;
the theoretical basis for it. Defining the kind of evidence which will
appropriately warrant your conclusions. The procedures to ascertain this
evidence. etc. At stake here: When will you knew you have finished? What
are appropriate warrants for the argument demonstrating your thesis?
3. THEOLOGY AND HERMENEUTICS. Purpose: Demonstrating competence in NT
scholarship beyond the special area. As you delimit the scope of your
T&H QE keep in mind its essential role in job hunting. If your resume
and our letters of recommendation can point to a broad range of competence
in NT studies, the scope of your teaching competence increase. . . Proposal:
This QE can be defined in very different ways. The idea is to probe the
history of interpretations (as defined above) of NT texts and themes other
than those of the special area. (If the dissertation is focused e.g.,
on a synoptic Gospel, then minimally the T&H QE should deal both with
the Johannine and the Pauline corpora.), In order to make this exam manageable,
you are expected to focus your review of the history of interpretations
on a theme (often theological) or on a hermeneutical issue particularly
significant (for you) of these corpora. Note: This examination is often
the place to emphasize the relation of the NT texts with its environment
(Jewish, Hellenistic, early church history and patristics).
4. EXEGESIS: Purpose: Demonstrating your readiness to write your dissertation,
by using a similar approach for the study of a different text (chosen
by the faculty, because it raises similar issue that the text you plan
to focus upon) with the use of the library for a full week. Preparation:
No special preparation. No proposal.
Exam Proposals--including in each case the formulations of a series of
issues and/or set of questions and corresponding bibliographies must be
accepted by the student's committee one semester prior to taking the QEs
(in November for QE's in April, or in April for QE's in November). Individual
faculty members (or the committee as a whole) might make suggestions for
improvements, raise questions and/or require adjustments of these proposals
before accepting them (so: do not wait until the last minute).
Revised exam proposals (showing refinements in the formulations of the
questions/issues as well as adjustment/annotation of the bibliographies
resulting from the preparation) are usually given to the faculty one month
before QE's.
5. ORALS (normally 2-3 weeks after written QE's): Purpose: Discussion
of any issues arising from the written exams; but primarily, discussion/defense
of a first drain of the Dissertation Proposal. Proposal: Dissertation
proposal, ideally given to the committee at the time of written exams,
or soon thereafter (see 2. above).
NOTE: This description of requirements supplements The Bulletin of Vanderbilt
University Graduate School and "The Guidelines of the Graduate Department
of Religion." Students are expected to meet all of the common requirements
of the graduate program as described in those publications.
Text only version of this site
Vanderbilt
University, 2201 West End Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee 37235 Phone: (615)
322-7311
Copyright ©2005 Vanderbilt University. For more information, please
contact University
Web Communications.
Photos by Neil Brake and Daniel Dubois. "Vanderbilt" and the
Vanderbilt logo are registered trademarks
and service marks of Vanderbilt University.