Summer 2015/Fuller Online

OT567

Smoak

OT567: PSALMS (ENGLISH BOOK) (4 Units: 160 Hours). Jeremy D. Smoak.

DESCRIPTION: This is an online course on the book of Psalms. The course will familiarize students with the book’s overall structure and literary development as well as the major themes found therein. The course will give specific focus to a study of the different types of Psalms preserved in the book and how those types inform ongoing theological reflection. The course will also give emphasis to the development of exegetical skills though a focus upon the literary characteristics of the Psalms and the application of new approaches (feminist, reception history, post-colonial, etc.) to their interpretation.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course, students will have demonstrated (1) an ability to differentiate between the different literary forms of the Psalms (laments, thanksgiving, royal, etc.), (2) an ability describe the development of the books of the Psalter, (3) an ability to apply exegetical skills to the study of the different literary forms of the Psalms in order to evaluate their significance for Christian faith and practice, and (4), an ability to describe how the theology of the Psalms relates to the wider thematic content of the Hebrew canon.

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, which is outlined below in the assignment and assessment section. 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: 1,000 pages of reading required.

NRSV, TNIV, or CEB Bible [100 pages, including the book of Psalms and selections of other biblical texts].

Brown, William. Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2002. ISBN: 978-0664225025, Pub. Price $30.00 [250 pages].

Brueggemann, Walter. The Psalms and the Life of Faith. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1995. ISBN: 978-0800627331, Pub. Price $26.00. [250 pages].

Reid, Stephen Breck. Listening In: A Multicultural Reading of the Psalms. Minneapolis: Abingdon Press, 1997. ISBN: 978-0687011940, Pub. Price $22.99 [112 pages].

Westermann, Claus. Praise and Lament in the Psalms. Atlanta: Westminster John Knox, 1987. ISBN: 978-0804217927, Pub. Price $35.00 [200 pages].

Selected articles placed on E-Reserves, Gerald Wilson, “The Shape of the Book of Psalms,” Interpretation 46 (1992) 129–142; Jon Berquist, “Psalms, Postcolonialism, and the Construction of the Self” Approaching Yehud, 195-202; Ellen Davis, “Maximal Speech: Preaching the Psalms,” Wondrous Depths, 17–32; Melody Knowles, “Feminist Interpretation of the Psalms,” The Oxford Handbook of the Psalms [20 pages online].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Davis, Ellen. Wondrous Depths: Preaching the Old Testament. Louisville: John Knox, 2005. ISBN:

978-0664228590, Pub. Price $26.00.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. 1,000 pages of required reading. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-4]. [65 hours].

2. Class instruction (PowerPoints, audio clips, etc.) [20 hours].

3. 250-word weekly forum posts (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #] [15 hours].

4. 250-word weekly forum responses (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #] [15 hours].

5. Two 4–5 page, 1,000 word “close reading” assignments on selected Psalms (25%) [This assignment is related to learning outcome 1-4] [15 hours].

6. Exegetical paper of 12–15 pages, 3,000-word (35%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-4] [30 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Counts as a biblical elective for the 120 MDiv Program and the MATM and MAICS Programs (Winter 2010). Meets the OTBK requirement for the MAT Program (Winter 2010).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.