Spring 2017/Pasadena
OT500
Kelle
OT500: OLD TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION (4 units: 160 hours). Brad Kelle.
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: The course meets for four Saturdays for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction plus an additional 10 hours of instruction through directed learning activities including weekly online engagement using Moodle, for a total of 40 instructional hours. The format will include a combination of lecture, discussion, small group/collaborative and online work to extend the course’s work beyond the regular class times.
REQUIRED READING: 981 pages required
Genesis; Exodus; Deuteronomy; 2 Samuel; Job; Psalms 42-106; Isaiah 1-14, 40-53, 63-66; Jeremiah 1-36; Daniel (NRSV, TNIV, or CEB) [400 pp. assigned].
Hays, Christopher B. Hidden Riches: A Sourcebook for the Comparative Study of the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East. Westminster John Knox, 2014. ISBN: 978-0664237011, Pub. Price $45.00[150 pp. assigned]
Goldingay, John. An Introduction to the Old Testament: Exploring Text, Approaches and Issues. IVP Academic, 2015. ISBN: 978-0830840908, Pub. Price $45.00 [250 pp. assigned].
Newsom, Carol A., Sharon H. Ringe, and Jacqueline E. Lapsley, eds. Women’s Bible Commentary. 3rd ed. Westminster John Knox, 2012. ISBN: 978-0664237073, Pub. Price $50.00 [120 pp. assigned] (students must use 3rd edition).
On eReserves [61 pages]:
Chia, Philip.“On Naming the Subject: Postcolonial Reading of Daniel 1.” In R. S. Sugirtharajah (ed.). The Postcolonial Biblical Reader. Wiley-Blackwell, 2006. ISBN: 978-1405133500, Pub. Price $52.95 [pp. 171-85, Daniel].
Kelle, Brad E. “An Interdisciplinary Approach to the Exile.” In Interpreting Exile: Displacement and Deportation in Biblical and Modern Contexts. Edited by Brad E. Kelle, Frank Ritchel Ames, and Jacob L. Wright. Society of Biblical Literature Ancient Israel and Its Literature 10. Society of Biblical Literature Press, 2011. ISBN: 9781589836044, Pub. Price $57.95 [pp. 5-38]
Kepnes, Steven. “Job and Post-Holocaust Theology”. In T. Linafelt (ed.), Strange Fire. New York University Press, 2000. ISBN: 978-0814751664, Pub. Price $27.00 [pp. 252-66, Job].
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.
Longman, Tremper, and Peter Enns (ed.). Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings. InterVarsity Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0830817832, Pub. Price $60.00.
Moore, Megan Bishop and Brad E. Kelle. Biblical History and Israel’s Past: The Changing Study of the Bible and History. Eerdmans, 2011. ISBN: 978-0802862600, Pub. Price $46.00.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:
Attendance, Class Preparation, and Reading: 981 pages of preparatory reading of required materials. [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1-5] [96 hours= 30 hours class + 66 hours for reading].
Weekly Moodle “Reading Notebook” Postings: In order to assess the student’s engagement with the basic content discussed in the biblical and textbook readings and to extend the course’s engagement beyond the weekend meetings, each student will use Moodle to respond to a set of 2 questions each week (after the first meeting of the class). The questions are provided in the syllabus and each student should post a 125 words-in-length response to each of the week’s 2 questions by each Friday at 5:00pm (250 words total for the week). The “Reading Notebook” questions contain brief responses to specific inquiries dealing with basic content covered in the readings. (40%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, and 3] [12 hours].
Two Response Essays to Assigned Articles from e-Reserves. Students will write two 3-5 page essays responding to the e-Reserve articles by Chia and Kepnis, respectively (instructions will be provided in class). (10% each; 20% total) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #3 and 4] [18 hours]
Final Interpretive Paper on a Selected Biblical Passage [this is the “interpretive assignment” that serves as the signature assignment for the course]: ca. 12 pages; instructions provided in class. (40%) [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2, 3, 4, and 5]. [34 hours].
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