Fall 2020/Fuller Online

BI502

Lee

BI502: WOMEN, THE BIBLE, AND THE CHURCH (4 Units: 160 hours). Kyong-Jin Lee

DESCRIPTION: This online course will explore the biblical, theological, historical, and cultural perspectives on the role of women in the Church and world. It will examine the ancient Near Eastern socio-cultural contexts in which the biblical depiction of women developed. It will also consider how the biblical texts concerning women have been interpreted and in turn defined the place of women in the Church and society at large. This course will examine the understanding and application of biblical texts in relation to the Christian notion of womanhood, women in Christian leadership, and the impact of feminism and feminist scholarship on biblical texts concerning women.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Having successfully completed this course, students will have demonstrated the ability to (1) engage both critically and constructively with various approaches to interpreting the Bible, i.e. traditional conservative, evangelical egalitarian, feminist, womanist, and mujerista; (2) distinguish between religious ideologies about women and the social and religious activities of women as depicted in the biblical texts; (3) describe the lived experiences of typical women at different social levels in the cultures in which the biblical texts were written; (4) discuss how biblical characterizations of women both resemble and differ from what we see in the surrounding cultures; (5) apply the tools and insights of gender analysis to particular biblical texts, with special attention to the complex dynamics of power and authority; and (6) synthesize historical, literary, and theological modes of interpretation to produce an integrated race-, ethnicity-, and gender-critical reading of a specific passage from the Bible.

RELATIONSHIP TO PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES: Through focused study of a particular biblical book or topic, students acquire deeper mastery of the interpretation of the Bible, taking into account its ancient and contemporary contexts, which is consistent with the SOT PLO “Students will have demonstrated competence in the practice of biblical interpretation for faithful use of Scripture in their own lives and ministries” (MDiv, MAT, MATM).

COURSE FORMAT: This course will be conducted online on a ten-week schedule aligned with Fuller’s academic calendar for a total of 40 instructional hours. Students are required to interact with the material, with each other, and with the instructor regularly through online discussions, reading, and other assignments that promote active learning.

REQUIRED READING: 1200 pages approximately.

Bible (NRSV, TNIV, or CEB).

Blenkinsopp, Joseph, John J. Collins, Carol L. Meyers and Leo G. Perdue, eds. Families in Ancient Israel: Family, Religion, and Culture. Westminster John Knox, 1997. ISBN: 978-0664255671, Pub. Price $35.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [150 pp.]

Day, Linda and Carolyn Pressler, eds. Engaging the Bible in a Gendered World: An Introduction to Feminist Biblical Interpretation. Westminster John Knox, 2006. ISBN: 978-0664229108, Pub. Price $30.00 [150 pp.]

Kraemer, Ross Shepard and Mary Rose D’Angelo, eds. Women and Christian Origins. Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN: 978-0195103960, Pub. Price $44.95. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [200 pp.]

Newsom, Carol A., Sharon H. Ringe, and Jacqueline Lapsley, eds. Women’s Bible Commentary: Twentieth Anniversary Edition. 3rd edition, revised and updated. Westminster John Knox, 2012. ISBN: 978-0664237073, Pub. Price $55.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [100 pp. assigned]

Sloane, Andrew, ed. Tamar’s Tears: Evangelical Engagements with Feminist Old Testament Hermeneutics. Eugene: Pickwick Publications, 2012. ISBN: 978 -1498258630, Pub. Price $74.00. Available as an e-book from the Fuller Library [200 pp. assigned]

Articles on e-reserves by Athalya Brenner, David Gunn, Ada María Isasi-Díaz, Nyasha Junior, Amy-Jill Levine, Carol Meyers, Danna Nolan Fewel, Dora Rudo Mbuwayesango, David M. Scholer, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, R.S. Sugirtharajah, Elsa Tamez, Tan Yak-hwee, Phyllis Trible, Robert W. Wall, et al. [400 pp.]

RECOMMENDED READING: See course syllabus.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

Completion of weekly assigned reading material (approximately 120 pages per week). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4]. [80 hours].
Weekly posting of answers, comments, and reflections on the instructor and other participants’ questions and writings (300-350 words). 30 points * 10 weeks = 300 points (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4]. [20 hours].
Weekly posting of a response paper (250-300 words). 20 points * 10 weeks = 200 points (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4]. [15 hours].
Two book review essays [1500 words each] (10% each). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-4.] [15 hours].
A final interpretive research paper (3000 words) that requires a focused discussion on a specific theme, motif, and/or issue relevant to the Biblical passage of the student’s selection. 300 points (30%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-6 and serves as the Signature Assignment for the course]. [30 hours].

PREREQUISITES: BI500 (or NE502) and NT500 or OT500.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Option to meet the C5 requirement. Counts as a Biblical Studies elective (either NT or OT) in the 120 MDiv, 80 MAT, and 80 MATM Programs (Fall 2015).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.