Topic: Inclusion and Exclusion.

You can talk about Richard B. Hays or David Gushee, Changing Our Mind. Your essays will be assessed according to the following criteria:

1) A persuasive argument with a thesis statement, supporting points, an introduction, and a conclusion.

2) Thoughtful attention to the course readings and accurate characterization of their contents.

3) Coherence and accuracy of style, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

If you need assistance with these elements, you should consider visiting the Fordham Writing Center, located in Walsh Library.

Since this paper is meant to develop your own analysis of the texts, you should not consult any sources apart from the ones on the syllabus, and you should avoid heavy reliance on lecture notes.

Recall that relying on outside sources without citing them constitutes plagiarism. Please see the Student Handbook for additional guidelines regarding plagiarism.

Technical guidelines:

Citing the text: Whether you are quoting the text or paraphrasing it, you must cite the passage to which you are referring. Please use parenthetical documentation when citing the class readings, and please cite the versions of the texts found on Blackboard.

Here is an example: Stephen Prothero suggests that Christianity embraces "soft monotheism" (68). THEO 1000, Fall 2017, Lindsey Mercer For scriptural passages, cite chapter and verse. Here is an example: In the Gospel of Luke, the angel Gabriel appears to Mary (Luke 1:26-38).

Length: Your essays should each be approximately 2-3 pages long, double-spaced, with one- inch margins and a standard font size. This is not a strict length, but in general, essays that are too short probably provide inadequate analysis, while essays that are too long probably include superfluous information or tangents.