Debate Paper Instructions
Overview: Students will write one (1) debate paper of 900–1200 words (~3–4pp; double-spaced; 12pt font). This paper will cover CHAPTER 1 Gregory Boyd and Paul Eddy’s Across the Spectrum, “The Inerrancy Debate.”
Materials: I cannot say it firmly enough: DO NOT USE OUTSIDE MATERIALS! I want you to work with the material presented in Across the Spectrum, not on blogs or sermons or other books. Boyd and Eddy are trustworthy guides through the Scripture grounding the various positions for which they argue. Engage these authors and only these authors, even if you disagree with both (or all) of the positions presented in a given chapter.
Components: The Debate Paper has three components:
Summary: Each chapter of the book discusses at least two perspectives on a theological topic. Your review will summarize both (or all) of these positions. Make sure to cite page numbers from the readings to demonstrate the accuracy of your summaries. (~175–250 words per position)
Contentious Biblical Texts: Many of these positions differ because they disagree about how to interpret Scripture. Boyd and Eddy discuss these texts and disagreements in detail. Sometimes disagreements focus on single verses, even single words within single verses, while other times the disagreements concern a slew of biblical texts that cause problems for one position or the other. In this section of the paper, discuss the biblical text or texts that seem to be most important in dividing the opposing sides. This can take the form of “Both X and Y position focus on the meaning of ABC biblical passage, but they differ in how they understand it. X interprets it like this, while Y interprets it like that”; or something like, “X position thinks OT passages like ABC are more important than Y position does.” (~200 words)
Your position: Students will then state which position they find most compelling, or at least which position they find least inadequate. Students should make their judgments in light of some sources of theology—not necessarily every source in the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, but the one(s) most relevant in determining your perspective. For instance, you may think that X position offers an inadequate descriiption of human experience, even though it coheres with Scripture. Or you may think that Y position is both reasonable and unbiblical. Tell me what you think and why you think it. This requires awareness of how you are making your arguments. That is an important skill to have as you think about your faith the rest of your life. (~175–250 words)
Writing Expectations
The Debate Paper is a formal essay. With this in mind, I have the following expectations for your papers.
Writing quality: Theology is one of those disciplines in which writing quality—things like tone, mechanics, organization, and clarity—is important. Part of how I assess your paper is your ability to perform these basic writing tasks. Thus, even papers with excellent ideas will not receive excellent grades if they are full of mechanical errors.
Sources: Good papers make good use of good sources. Again, don’t use sources outside of what I have given you. Moreover, use these sources I’ve given you well: cite, cite, cite! But use your best judgment when choosing whether to paraphrase, make passing reference to, or quote an author. Do not use long and block quotes, and do not string together quotations. These papers are too short for excessive quotation.
Citation format: Use abbreviated parenthetical citations in the body of the text, like this: (Boyd and Eddy, Across the Spectrum, 211). Cite the author, short title, and exact page numbers when referring to anything from these texts. I often follow up on citations that strike me as novel. Do not give me a “Works Cited” page.