Fall 2017/Fuller Online

OT500

P. Scalise

OT500: OLD TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION (4 Units: 160 hours). Pamela J. Scalise.

DESCRIPTION: This course orients students to the literature of the Old Testament in its various literary, historical, and theological contexts and to Old Testament interpretation in service of Christian practice. The books of Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel, Job, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel will be the focus of study.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who successfully complete this course will have demonstrated that they: (1) have a basic grasp of the contents of Israel’s Scriptures, history, and geography; (2) can use interpretive approaches that explore both the literary features of the Old Testament and the historical and cultural contexts in which it came into being; (3) can assess hermeneutical issues arising from the diverse contexts of contemporary readers; (4) can relate the Old Testament as Scripture to Christian theology, mission, and discipleship; and (5) have used this knowledge and these abilities to interpret some key Old Testament texts.

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: 1,065 total pages required.

Genesis;Exodus; Deuteronomy; 2 Samuel; Job; Psalms 42-106; Isaiah 1-14, 40-53, 63-66; Jeremiah 1-36; Daniel in the NRSV, TNIV or CEB. [250 pp. assigned]

The Additions to Daniel in the Apocrypha. [10 pp]

Arnold, Bill T. Introduction to the Old Testament. Cambridge University Press, 2014. ISBN: 978-0521705479, Pub. Price $54.99. [400 pp. assigned]

Hays, Christopher B. Hidden Riches: A Sourcebook for the Comparative Study of the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near East.Westminster John Knox, 2014. ISBN: 978-0664237011, Pub. Price $45.00 [80 pp. assigned] (Also available in the Fuller library as an eBook.)

Wright, N. T. The Case for the Psalms: Why They Are Essential. HarperOne, 2013. ISBN: 978-0062230508, Pub. Price $22.99. [170 pp. assigned]

eReserves: [165 pp. total]

Ademiluka, Sola. “The Use of Therapeutic Psalms In Inculturating Christianity in Africa.” African Ecclesiastical Review 37/4 (1995) 221-227 [7 pp.]

Bennett, “Triennial Tithes and the Underdog.” In Yet With a Steady Beat. Ed. R. Bailey. (SBL, 2003) Pp 7-18. [12 pp]

Chan, Michael G. “Isaiah 65-66 and the Genesis of Reorienting Speech” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 72/3 (2010) 445-463. [19 pp.]

Chia, Philip. “On Naming the Subject: Postcolonial Reading of Daniel 1.” In R. S. Sugirtharajah (ed.). The Postcolonial Biblical Reader. Blackwell, 2006. Pp. 171-85. [15 pp.]

Clements, Ronald E. “The Messianic Hope in the Old Testament,” JSOT, 43 (1989): 3-19. [17 pp.]

Ham, T. C. “The Gentle Voice of God in Job 38” JBL 132, #3 (2013) 527-541. [15 pp.]

Levenson, Jon, “Abusing Abraham: Traditions, Religious Histories, and Modern Interpretations.” Judaism 47/3 (1998) 259-277. [19 pp.]

McCarthy, Dennis. “II Samuel 7 and the Structure of the Deuteronomistic History.” Journal of Biblical Literature 84/2 (1965) 131-138. [8 pp.]

O’Connor, Kathleen M. “Teaching Jeremiah” Perspectives in Religious Studies 36/3 (2009) 273-287. [15 pp.]

Reid, Stephen Breck. “Patriotism and Loyalty: The Foundation of a Quest for Black Liberation,” pp. 53-81 in his Experience and Tradition. A Primer in Black Biblical Hermeneutics (Abingdon, 1990). [31 pp.]

Trible, Phyllis. “Depatriarchalizing in Biblical Interpretation.” (1973). Journal of the American Academy of Religion 12 (1973) 30-48. [19 pp.]

RECOMMENDED READING:

Anderson, Bernhard W. with Steven Bishop. Out of the Depths: The Psalms Speak for Us Today. Westminster John Knox, 2000. ISBN: 978-0664258320, Pub. Price $30.00.

Brown, William P. Wisdom’s Wonder: Character, Creation and Crisis. Eerdmans, 2014. ISBN: 978-0802867933, Pub. Price $25.00.

Gowan, Donald E. Theology of the Prophetic Books: The Death and Resurrection of Israel. Westminster John Knox, 1998. ISBN: 978-0664256890, Pub. Price $30.00.

Mann, Thomas. The Book of Torah. 2nd edition. Wipf and Stock, 2013. ISBN: 978-1610978958, Pub. Price $29.00.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. The professor’s lectures and posts in video, audio, PowerPoint or text format. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4, 5.] [8 hours]. Assessed in assignments #3, 4, 6, 7.
2. 1,087 pages of required reading. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4, 5.] [76 hours] Assessed in assignments #3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
3. Weekly reading report (pages read, at least one question or comment on each assigned portion [article or chapter] that demonstrates engagement with the required reading). (15%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4.] [10 hours].
4. Six 300-word initial forum posts and two 150-word replies in each forum (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4, 5] [24 hours].
5. Successful completion of a quiz on the historical and geographic setting of ancient Israel. (10%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1 and 2.] [2 hours].
6. Four 600-word exam essays. (Take-home, open book.) (25%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4, 5.] [16 hours for preparation and writing].
7. An interpretive paper that includes close reading, genre identification, description of literary structure, theological reflection and ministry application of an assigned Psalm. [2000-2250 words] (25%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2, 3, 4, 5.] [24 hours research and writing].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets a core requirement in the 120 MDiv, 80 MAT, 80 MATM, and 80 MAICS Programs (Fall 2015). Meets the OTC requirement in the 144 MDiv. Option to meet requirement in the MAT Program (Winter 2010) and a core requirement for the MATM, MAICS, and MACL Programs (Winter 2010).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.