critical review
5-7 Page Critical Review: Each student will write a critical review of a scholarly article on some topic in the study of the Christian Scriptures (chosen by the student and submitted October 12 by email and agreed upon by the instructor). The critical review is to have this structure: 1) the author’s thesis, 2) the author’s purpose, 3) the author’s arguments in promotion of the thesis, 4) a critical appraisal of the author’s arguments in light of research into the author’s thesis and arguments concluding with a judgment as to the cogency and rational persuasiveness of the author’s thesis, and 5) a personal response to the article. Nos. 3) and 4) are the center of the critical review. No paper that focuses primarily on the student’s emotional response to the article will be acceptable. A superior review will be well written, have all the elements enumerated above, and will demonstrate by research (using a number of sources) the student’s judgment as to the force of the author’s position.
