Summer 2014/Pasadena

OT500

Goldingay

OT500: OLD TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION (4 Units: 160 hours). John Goldingay.

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 meets face-to-face twice each week for three-hour sessions for a total of 30 contact hours, with 10 hours of specified preparation for each class, posting online, online interaction with other students, and responses to postings in class by the professor.

REQUIRED READING: [950 pages]

Genesis; Exodus; Deuteronomy; 2 Samuel; Job; Psalms 42-106; Isaiah 1-14, 40-53, 63-66; Jeremiah 1-36; Daniel, in both versions (NRSV, TNIV, or CEB); Enuma Elish, Hammurabi’s Law Code, The Babylonian Theodicy, Akkadian Prophecies [400 pp.].

Coogan, Michael D. A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament. 2nd ed. (2008/2009 edition is also fine) OUP, 2013. ISBN: 978-0199830114, Pub. Price $53.33 [400 pp.].

On eReserves [150 pages]:

Chia, Philip.“On Naming the Subject: Postcolonial Reading of Daniel 1.” In R. S. Sugirtharajah (ed.). The Postcolonial Biblical Reader. Blackwell, 2006. ISBN: 978-1405133500, Pub. Price $48.95 [pp. 171-85, Daniel].

Fritz, Volkmar. The City in Ancient Israel. Sheffield Academic Press, 1995. ISBN: 978-1850754770, Pub. Price $22.50 [pp. 176-89, 2 Samuel].

Kepnes, Steven. “Job and Post-Holocaust Theology”. In T. Linafelt (ed.), Strange Fire. New York University Press, 2000. ISBN: 978-0814751664, Pub. Price $25.00 [pp. 252-66, Job].

Murrell, Nathaniel Samuel. “Tuning Hebrew Psalms to Reggae Rhythms.” Cross Currents 50, (2000-1), [pp. 525-40, Psalms].

Reid, Stephen Breck. Experience and Tradition. Abingdon, 1990. ISBN: 978-0687124008, Pub. Price ***OUT OF PRINT [pp. 53-81, Exodus].

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

Stone, Bebb Wheeler. “Second Isaiah: Prophet to Patriarchy.” Journal for the Study of the OT 56, (1992), [pp. 85-99, Isaiah].

Van der Toorn, Karel. “Nine Months among the Peasants.” In W. G. Dever and S. Gitin (ed.), Symbiosis, Symbolism, and the Power of the Past, Eisenbrauns, 2003. ISBN: 978-1575060811, Pub. Price $69.50 [pp. 393-410, Deuteronomy].

Wolff, Hans Walter. “Prophets and Institutions in the Old Testament.”Currents in Theology and Mission 13, (1986) [pp. 5-12, Jeremiah].

RECOMMENDED READING:

Alexander, T. D., and D. W. Baker, eds. Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. InterVarsity Press, 2002. ISBN: 978-0830817818, Pub. Price $60.00.

Arnold, B. T., and H. G. M. Williamson, eds. Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books. InterVarsity Press, 2005. ISBN: 978-0830817825, Pub. Price $60.00.

Boda, Mark J., and J. Gordon McConville, eds. Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets. InterVarsity Press, 2012. ISBN: 978-0830817849, Pub Price $60.00.

Ebeling, Jennie R. Women’s Lives in Biblical Times. Clark, 2010. ISBN: 978-0567196446, Pub. Price $32.95.

King, Philip J. and Lawrence E. Stager. Life in Biblical Israel. Westminster John Knox Press, 2001. ISBN: 978-0664221485, Pub. Price $50.00.

Longman, Tremper, and Peter Enns (ed.). Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings. Downers Grove, InterVarsity Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0830817832, Pub. Price $60.00.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Before each class, preparatory reading of the biblical text and Ancient Near Eastern writings, with postings on Moodle (400 pages; SLOs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 500 words each class; these are graded each time on the ABCF scale but for the purposes of the final grade they are treated as pass-fail) [40 hours].

2. Before each class, preparatory readings of secondary material with postings on Moodle (550 pages; SLOs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; usually 3-5 comments for each piece of reading; pass-fail) [50 hours].

3. Test on the location of the books in the OT, on history, and on geography (SLO 1) (10% of final grade) [5 hours].

4. Midterm paper: study of a particular OT text (SLO 5; 2500-3000 words) (40% of final grade) [20 hours].

5. FINAL paper reflecting on the study over the quarter (SLOs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 2500-3000 words) (50% of final grade) [20 hours].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets the core requirement in the 120 MDiv Program; meets the OTC requirement in the 144 MDiv; option to meet MAT (2010) program requirement; and a core requirement for the MATM, MAICS, and MACL Programs.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.