Rules for Papers

I. All papers must be typed in 12 point type, double-spaced, on 8 ½ x 11 inch paper with one inch margins the whole way round. The ink must be black (dark black) and the paper white.  If the paper has more than one page, the pages must be numbered and stapled, and the student's name is to appear on each page. 

II. No title page is necessary or desired.  Rather, the following information is to appear single-spaced  in the top right hand corner of the first page:

First and Last Name

Course number and section (e.g. Th 201.002)

Student email address

Assignment (e.g. Paper #1: here name the topic)

Date due (or, if tardy, date the paper is handed in)

III. No paper is to be submitted electronically without prior permission from the instructor.

IV. Penalties for the failure to conform to I-III above are at the instructor's discretion. 

V. Penalties for tardiness.

A. A paper will be received without penalty within 24 hours of the beginning of the class in which it is due.

B. Any paper which is turned in after the papers have been returned to the class will receive an F (students are reminded that an F is hugely better than a numeric zero, which is the grade given for missed assignments).

C. Papers received more than 24 hours after the assignment is due will lose a full grade for each day tardy.  That is, a B paper due on Monday that reaches me on Wednesday will receive a D; a B paper due on Wednesday that reaches me on Monday is an F.

VI. Papers are to conform to the following grammar and usage guide.  Penalties for nonconformity are given at the end.

A. Assignments are to be completed according to the instructions given.  Usually this will mean that students are to compose a one page paper either 1) out of their own heads without any research at all based on what has been presented in the class readings or presented in class, or 2) completely out of their own heads.  Students who do not conform strictly to the assignment instructions will, at best, receive an F for their failure to do so.  At worst, if they use sources and fail to acknowledged the intellectual property of another, they will be charged with violating the college’s policy on academic integrity.  In the latter case they will receive a numeric zero.  In addition the violation will be reported to the office of the Dean for Academic Affairs who will take further action if he warrants.  The college's Academic Integrity Policy is found on pages 55-58 of the 2007-2008 college catalog.  Students are expected to understand the policy and its ramifications.

B. Do not use the word "feel" in any work you hand in – not in a paper nor on any quiz, test, or exam.  And absolutely never use the verbs "feel," "believe," or "think" when God is the subject.  The word "feel" denotes something subjective and one’s own.  The matters upon which you will be asked to write will not, unless you are advised otherwise, concern your "feelings" – but rather the principles according to which right and wrong are judged and other like matters.  As for God, he does not "feel" or "have an opinion;" rather he knows and has revealed that certain ways are right and good and commanded that we act in accordance.  Similarly, there are no circumstances in which it is right to say that the "Bible," "Scripture," or the "Church" feels.  If you think there is wiggle room on a particular point, use phrases like "some interpret this to mean..., while others...."

C. Do not use contractions in formal writing – for example, write "do not" or "cannot," not "don’t" or "can’t." [Note:  "shalt" is an archaic form of the word "shall" and not a contraction.  The contraction for "shall not" is "shan't" – and, like other contractions, is not to be used in formal writing. 

D. God is a proper noun and must be capitalized.

E. All pronouns require an antecedent to which they must agree in both number and kind.  The pronouns "this," "that," "it," "he," "she" and "they" necessarily refer to the last noun before them that agrees with them grammatically.

1. Examples

OK:  Harold threw the ball, and Jack caught it. ["It" refers to the ball and nothing else because Jack is not an "it"].

OK:  Harold caught the ball and Jack tackled him. [A ball is not a "him;" "him" here is Harold].

NOT OK:  A human being is composed of body and soul. They (we) have reason and free will. [There is no plural noun to which "they" or "we" refers].

NOT OK:  Each student handed in their paper. [CORRECT:  The students handed in their papers.  ALSO CORRECT:  Each student handed in his paper.  ALSO CORRECT:  Each student handed in his or her (not his/her; do not use slashes) paper.  ALSO CORRECT:  Each student handed in her paper – but only if all the students are girls or women.]

2. Specifics:

God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  There is only one God who is Three Divine Persons.  God is never "she" or "it" or "they"; but "he" or "God" or "Father," "Son," or "Holy Spirit." 

[Note:  when referring to one or other of the Divine Persons take care to use the names correctly.  While Christian faith holds that Jesus is God – more precisely, the Son or Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus is the man God became.  God is eternal; the Son is eternal; but Jesus, the God-Man, had a beginning in time.  Thus, the Persons of the Trinity are NOT the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; Jesus (not God) gave the Sermon on the Mount; God (not Jesus) revealed his name to Moses at the Burning Bush and gave him the Ten Commandments.]

Slashes are not to be used.  That is, "he/she" is not acceptable.  "He or she" is.

Use "he or she" to be inclusive whenever you want, but in this course we will be using the words "man" and "he" inclusively – that is, to refer to each instance of human nature, whether male or female, as these words have been used over the course of the centuries in both theology and philosophy. 

OK:  The teacher asked each student to make his or her email address available.

 

Also OK:  The teacher asked each student to make his email address available.  [Inclusive use of "his."]

 

Not OK:  The teacher asked each student to make their email address available [lack of agreement].

 

Not OK:  The teacher asked each student to make his/her email address available [slashes not permitted].

F. Papers which fail to conform to the "Rules for Papers" stipulated here will be penalized two points for every infraction. In addition, no student paper with grammar or spelling errors will receive an A, regardless of the quality of the content.