Winter 2021/Online

OT551

Crouch

OT551: OLD TESTAMENT ETHICS (4 Units: 160 hours). Carly L. Crouch.

DESCRIPTION: The course is an advanced seminar on the content of Old Testament ethics, on method in the study of Old Testament ethics, and on issues raised by setting the Old Testament in the context of Christian faith and vice versa. Topics for study may include migration, poverty, race and ethnicity, war, colonialism, gendered violence, family and reproduction, and the environment.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who pass the course will have demonstrated that they have (1) gained an awareness of the ethical significance of different genres in the Old Testament; (2) attained a familiarity with scholarly approaches to the ethical interpretation of the Old Testament; (3) gained an ability to reason through ethical decisions in keeping with critical methods; (4) become familiar with the work of major scholars writing about ethics and the Old Testament; and (5) reflected on the relationships between the ethics of ancient Israel, Old Testament ethics, and New Testament ethics.

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: 975 total pages required.

NRSV, TNIV, or CEB Bible [200 pp. assigned]

Course reader [775 pp.; includes John Barton, M. Daniel Carroll R., Gregory Cuéllar, Herbert Marbury, Ahida Calderón Pilarski, Carol Reeder, Rodney Sadler, Suzanne Scholz, Richard Smith, Gordon Wenham, etc.]

RECOMMENDED READING:

See course syllabus.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Lectures, audio recordings, and other instructional content curated by the professor (Pass / Fail). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1-5] [20 hours].
2. 975 pages of required reading (Pass / Fail). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5]. [65 hours].
3. Two 1,000 word (written) or 10 minute (oral / recorded) book reviews (25%). [This assignment relates to learning outcomes #1-5]. [20 hours]
4. Participation in weekly forum discussions [approx. 500 words per week] (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1-5] [20 hours].
5. One 4,000-5,000 word /16-20 page research paper on an issue in the study of Old Testament ethics, written in light of the assigned reading and the classes (50%). [This assignment relates to learning outcomes #1-5] [35 hours]

PREREQUISITES: BI500 (or NE502) and OT500.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Counts as a biblical elective for the 120 MDiv, 80 MAT, and 80 MATM Programs (Fall 2015).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.

NOTE: This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. Textbook prices are set by publishers and are subject to change. Copyright 2019 Fuller Theological Seminary.