Summer 2018/Fuller Online

OT500

Altmann

OT500: OLD TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION (4 Units: 160 hours). Peter Altmann.

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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, 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: 1,030 total number of pages required.

The designated portions of the 9 books of the Old Testament treated in the course (using the NRS, TNIV, or CEB) [Genesis; Exodus; Deuteronomy; 2 Samuel; Job; Psalms 42-106; Isaiah 1-14, 40-53, 63-66; Jeremiah 1-36; Daniel]. [250 pages].

Davis, Ellen. Getting Involved with God: Rediscovering the Old Testament. Rowman & Littlefield, 2001. ISBN: 978-1561011971, Pub. Price: $17.95 [120 pages].

Gertz, Jan C., et al. T&T Clark Handbook of the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Literature, Religion and History of the Old Testament. T&T Clark, 2012. ISBN: 978-0567253682, Pub. Price $55.00 [260 pages].

Goldingay, John.An Introduction to the Old Testament: Exploring Text, Approaches and Issues. IVP Academic, 2015. ISBN: 978-0830840908, Pub. Price $45.00 [200 pages].

From eReserves [200 pages approximately]:

Goldingay, John. “What defines Evangelical Study of the First Testament?“ EvQ 73 (2001): 88–117. [30 pages].

Goldingay, John “The Book of Daniel: Three issues,”Themelios 2 (1977): 45-49. [5 pages].

Hallo, William W., ed. The Context of Scripture. Brill, 2011. [40 pages].

Levenson, Jon D. Sinai & Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible. Harper & Row, 1985. Pp. 111–45 [35 pages].

Miller, Patrick D., Jr. “Constitution or Instruction? The Purpose of Deuteronomy.” Pages 253-268 in The Way of the Lord: Essays in Old Testament Theology. Mohr Siebeck, 2004. Reprint of “Constitution or Instruction? The Purpose of Deuteronomy” in Constituting the Community: Studies on the Polity of Ancient Israel in Honor of S. Dean McBride, Jr. eds. Steven Tuell and John Strong, Eisenbrauns, 2004. [16 pages].

O’Connor, Kathleen M. “Lamenting Back to Life,” Interpretation 62 (2008): 34–47. [14 pages]

Sakenfeld, Katharine D. “Michael, Abigail, and Bathsheba: In the Eye of the Beholder.” Pp. 69-82 in Just Wives? Stories of Power and Survival in the Old Testament and Today. Westminster John Knox, 2004. [13 pages].

Wafawanaka, Robert. “African Perspectives on Poverty in the Hebrew Law Codes.” Pp. 490–97 in The Bible in Africa: Transactions, Trajectories, and Trends. Ed. G. O. West and M. W. Dube. Brill, 2000. [8 pages].

Weems, Renita J. “A Mistress, a Maid, and No Mercy,” in Just a Sister Away. LuraMedia, 1988, Pp. 1–21. [21 pages].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Brueggemann, Walter. The Psalms and the Life of Faith. Ed. P. D. Miller. Fortress, 1995. ISBN: 978-0800627331, Pub. Price $26.00.

Childs, Brevard S.Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture.Reprint ed. Augsburg Fortress, 2011. ISBN: 978-0800698331, Pub. Price $39.00.

Gowan, Donald E. Theology in Exodus: Biblical Theology in the Form of a Commentary. Westminster John Knox, 1994. ISBN: 978-0664229962, Pub. Price $35.00.

Goldingay, John. Models for Scripture. Clements Publishing, 2004. ISBN: 978-1894667418. Pub. Price $45.00.

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.

King, Philip J., and Lawrence E. Stager. Life in Biblical Israel. Westminster John Knox, 2002. ISBN: 978-0664221485. Pub. Price $55.00.

Newsom, Carol. The Book of Job: A Contest of Moral Imaginations. Oxford University Press, 2009. ISBN: 978-0195396287, Pub. Price $28.95.

Trible, Phyllis. Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives. (Overtures to Biblical Theology 13). Fortress, 1984. ISBN: 978-0800615376, Pub. Price $20.00.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Short video lectures. [10 hours].
2. 1,030 pages of required reading [This assignment is related to learning outcome 1-4] [70 hours].
3. Submission of weekly posting of (1) reflection on the readings and (2) comments and answers to other participants’ questions and writings (300-350 words). (30%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes 1-4] [30 hours].
4. Completion of three interpretive-responsive papers on assigned topics (1250–1500 words) that combine engagement with assigned readings and exegesis of specific biblical texts. (55% 15% for each of the first, 25% for the third; for assessment purposes, the third paper will be designated as a 'interpretive assignment') [This assignment is related to learning outcomes # 1-5.] [38 hours preparation and writing].
5. A concluding paper summarizing the student's hermeneutical, historical, and theological theses for reading, studying, and applying the Old Testament to her/his life and church context (1500 words). (15%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes # 2-4.] [12 hours preparation 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.

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.