+1 862 207 3288 4–5 pages
Write a well argued, defended, and researched paper guided by one of the selections below. This is meant to be a thesis-driven essay with
a clear, well-defended argument. This paper will require outside research. Include a bibliography with the Bible and at least three
academic resources.
Choose one of the two options:
Option #1: Contemporary Lenses
Choose a specific biblical passage/unit and analyze it using a contemporary lens. Be sure to include a thesis statement and make an
argument using the biblical text. The contemporary lenses from which you can choose are: Postcolonial, Feminist, Marxist, or Queer.
• The Postcolonial lens considers the questions of colonization and the power dynamics associated with it.
• The Feminist lens considers how women are portrayed and presented in comparison to men or other figures.
• The Queer lens considers sexuality, power, and marginalized populations; it analyzes what is considered normative in a
culture/viewpoint and who is then marginalized from that normative approach.
• The Marxist lens considers the social institutions that produced the literature as well as economic inequality and class
differences.
Option #2: Contemporary Issues
Choose a contemporary issue and analyze how the biblical text has been used to defend the issue. Be sure to include a thesis statement and
make an argument using the biblical text. If you choose this option, you need to run your idea past me before writing the paper. Some
ideas might include:
• How has the Bible been used in contemporary politics (pick a specific election or specific event, such as a speech or debate)?
• How is the Bible used to explain climate change?
• How has the Bible been used to defend or reject the legitimacy of particular institutions such as gay marriage, sexual assault,
etc.
How to go about writing this paper, step by step:
1. Choose your lens or contemporary issue. Read about the choice using legitimate scholarly sources. The internet is filled with fake
news sites, so be sure to research any internet sites you use. *Note that internet sites may not count toward your academic resources.
2. Find the appropriate your biblical passage(s)/unit(s) of text (do not attempt to analyze an entire book or canon). If you are
working with a lens, you should choose text(s) that are interesting, frustrating, baffling, etc. If you are working on a contemporary
issue, you should choose text(s) that are directly applicable.
3. Read the passage/unit several times until you are very familiar with it. Note features of the passage/unit that are problematic or
baffling.
4. Make notes on how the biblical text(s) connects with the topic or is understood through the lens, and how that differs from the
original meaning. Develop your working thesis now.
5. Outline your evidence and develop your paper. Only now should you begin writing your first draft.
6. As with all papers, avoid general statements that don’t mean much (e.g. “Gay marriage has always been seen as…”). Make sure that
you support every claim or observation you make with specific textual examples from your evidence (biblical and otherwise).
7. Utilize the Writing Center to read over your paper for clarity and/or any issues, especially if you have received feedback from me
about a particular issue (such as thesis statements, comma usage, etc.)
8. Remember, this is not a place to argue for your own opinion, but to look at how the Bible has been used in contemporary issues
and/or how it looks through contemporary lenses.
9. If you have any questions or are having a hard time getting started, please come see me!
Criteria for Grading
Mechanics
• Paper should be 4–5 pages, typed, double spaced, not including bibliography
• Margins should be 1”, 12-point standard font (e.g. Times New Roman, Garamond)
• Include your name on the paper, but no other information is necessary (do not include information like the class name, number,
section, date, etc.)
• Include a creative title. There should be no extra space between the title and the rest of the paper. No title page is necessary
• Check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Cite the biblical passages correctly: biblical book, chapter, and verse, e.g. Gen. 1:3 (no page numbers). You can put your
citations in parentheses in the text.
• Use the Chicago Turabian style for your FOOTNOTES and BIBLIOGRAPHY. See:
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html
Clarity, Conciseness, Organization
• Organize your paper in paragraphs with one idea or point per paragraph.
• Read the assignment out loud to yourself or to someone else and see if anything sounds confusing or vague.
• Is it clear which texts and examples you are discussing? Cite the texts by chapter and verse – e.g. Gen. 1:26 (but do not take up
space quoting long passages unless you have a good reason).
• Make each sentence count. Does anything sound like you’re just filling up space? If you can delete it without making a difference
to your analysis, do so!
Substance & Evidence
• Give specific textual evidence (citations of biblical texts) for every claim you make. Make sure that the texts you cite actually
support the argument you are making.
• Be specific, stick to the text, and get to the point! Do not offer broad or general reflections that aren’t directly related to
the texts or the question.
Analysis/Argument
• To do well on this assignment, do not only summarize the texts you read, but analyze them. Make sure you have a clear thesis that
states your main observation or argument, and that the rest of the paper gives evidence supporting it.
• Consult the introductions and notes in your Study Bible and in your textbook for information that will help you understand the
biblical passages.
