Humanities

Instructions: Choose one of the primary sources assigned during the first seven units of this course and write an original report on its use and limitations as evidence about the early Christians and their world. Attach an annotated bibliography of at least four scholarly books and/or articles relevant to the source. You might choose a source from a unit of particular interest to you. If you are not sure which source will interest you, consult with your tutor. The assigned reading is probably an excerpt from a longer work so your report should give a general description of the complete source before focusing on the particular value of the assigned excerpt. Your report will, in part, describe the source, but you should also explain the source and argue your opinion about its value and limitations. Some of the information you need to report will be contained in the reading itself while some you will need to research, and some you will have to deduce from what you read. Your final evaluation of the source, however, will be your own, based on your intelligent reading. Tips for Critical Reading: For most of the readings, attempting to address the following questions will help you to evaluate your source: Who wrote this source? When and where did he/she/they live? What kind of document is this source (for example, a letter)? Why did the author write it and for whom was it written? What was the author's perspective on the early Christians? If the text is describing an event, how long after the event took place was the text written? If this is an excerpt from a longer source, how does the passage fit into the source as a whole? Are there any problems with the source (for example, parts that are damaged, debate about the author, etc.)? What aspect of early Christianity (or its neighbouring peoples) does this document/excerpt describe? The document may tell more about the author than it does about the early Christians. If so, what did you learn from it?