DESCRIPTION: This course covers the first five books of the Bible. It examines the content, form, composition, and theology of this corpus in conjunction with considering methodology and studying the historical background of the material. In addition, this course will look at the Pentateuch in light of the Latino/a realities in this country and its challenges to ministry among them.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of this course students will have demonstrated (1) an overall comprehension of the content of the corpus; (2) a grasp of the tools necessary for reading Hebrew narrative sections and embedded legal genres; (3) a basic understanding of the historical and cultural background for the Pentateuch; (4) an awareness of fundamental issues in the study of the Pentateuch; (5) a sense of the contributions and limitations of various critical methods and of the challenge of reading and application in pre-modern, modern, and post-modern contexts; (6) an ability to engage their own Latino/a settings in dialogue with the biblical texts.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY: The study of the Pentateuch will open the possibility to deal with historical, theological, ethical, social, and political issues within the text itself and the scholar's own study of it. The Pentateuch is a book about origins, which will help us understand crucial background to the New Testament and the church. We will employ different exegetical tools, from different hermeneutical perspectives, to engage all of those issues, as well as to understand our own place in the world and the church today.

COURSE FORMAT: The course will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions for lecture and discussion.

REQUIRED READING:

Douglas, M. Pureza y peligro. Madrid: Siglo XXI, 1991.

García López, F. El Pentateuco. Estella (Navarra): Editorial Verbo Divino, 2003.

Gómez-Acebo, I., ed. Relectura de Génesis. Bilbao: Desclée de Brouwer, 1997.

Matthews, Victor, y Don Benjamin. Paralelos del Antiguo Testamento. Santander: Sal Terrae, 2004.

Pixley, J. Éxodo. Una lectura teológico-popular. San José de Costa Rica: DEI, 1983.

Blenkinsopp, Joseph. El Pentateuco. Estella (Navarra): Editorial Verbo Divino, 1999.

Briend, Jacques. El Pentateuco. Cuadernos bíblicos 13. Estella (Navarra): Editorial Verbo Divino, 1983.

Childs, B. El libro del Éxodo. Estella (Navarra): Editorial Verbo Divino, 2004.

Malbran-Labat, Florence. Gilgamés. Documentos en torno a la Biblia 7. Estella (Navarra): Editorial Verbo Divino, 1983.

Rad, Gerhard von. Teología del Antiguo Testamento, I: Teología de las tradiciones históricas de Israel. Biblioteca de estudios bíblicos 11. Salamanca: Ediciones Sígueme, 1969.

Seux, Marie-Joseph. Leyes del Antiguo Oriente. Documentos en torno a la Biblia 15. Estella (Navarra): Editorial Verbo Divino, 1982.

Seux, Marie-Joseph, et al. La creación del mundo y del hombre. Documentos en torno a la Biblia 6. Estella (Navarra): Editorial Verbo Divino, 1987.

1. Reading the Pentateuch and the other required reading with reading reports (25%).

2. Participation in class discussion (15%).

3. Midterm (30%).

4. One research paper, 15-20 pages (30%).