Summer 2019/Pasadena

BI500

Hill

BI500: INTERPRETIVE PRACTICES (4 Units: 160 hours). Craig Allen Hill.

---

DESCRIPTION: This course introduces interpretive approaches and practices for students of the Bible. Students will consider the aims and assumptions of biblical interpretation, become familiar with major resources for study of the Bible, interpret a variety of biblical texts in both testaments, and reflect upon the manner in which the varied contexts (e.g., social, cultural, theological) of the biblical world and contemporary readers inform interpretation.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students successfully completing this course will have demonstrated (1) the capacity to engage in close study of a variety of passages in the Bible prior to engaging in conversation with various scholarly resources; (2) judicious use of critical tools and resources for the study of biblical texts; (3) critical reflection on the theory of interpretation; (4) practice with interpreting a variety of biblical texts from both testaments, with consideration of the varied contexts of both the biblical materials and contemporary readers; and (5) skill in developing interpretations that engage contemporary concerns, and that encourage and challenge the church to remain faithful to its mission.

COURSE FORMAT: This class meets twice per week for three hour sessions for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction for lecture and discussion plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours.

REQUIRED READING: c. 890 total number of pages required.

About 20 selected biblical texts [c. 25 pp.].

Green, Joel B., ed. Hearing the New Testament: Strategies for Interpretation. 2nd ed. Eerdmans, 2010. ISBN: 978-0802864208, Pub. Price $30.00 [432 pp.].

Dietrich, Walter, and Ulrich Luz, eds. The Bible in a World Context: An Experiment in Contextual Hermeneutics. Eerdmans, 2002. ISBN: 978-0802849885, Pub. Price $13.50 [83 pp.].

PDF lectures and PPT/Prezi voice-over micro-lectures posted on Canvas [c. 150 pp. assigned].

Various articles on e-reserves [c. 200 pp. assigned].

Students are required to work with at least the CEB, TNIV, or NRSV for each biblical text used in the course agenda; any additional versions are also welcome, including Hebrew and Greek.

RECOMMENDED READING: See list in course syllabus.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Weekly attendance and in-class discussion [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 3] [30 hours].
2. C. 890 pp. of required reading from Scripture, textbooks, and articles as well as various PDF lectures and short voice-over PPT/Prezi “micro-lectures”. Compliance measured in bi-weekly “honor” reading reports (10%). [This assignment is related to learning outcome #1, 3] [60 hours].
3. “Exercises” implementing specific methods, selected biblical texts (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4] [20 hours].
4. One practice interpretive paper (1250-1500 words) on assigned Scripture texts (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 2, 3, 4] [15 hours].
5. Weekly forum discussion of texts and methods; discussion contributions include a 300-word weekly forum post, together with at least two 200-word weekly replies (20%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #1, 3, 4, 5] [20 hours DLA].
6. Interpretive Assignment. A 1,500-word close-reading analysis of a selected text, incorporating interpretive methods from the course. (25%). [This assignment is related to learning outcomes #2, 3, 4, 5] [15 hours].

PREREQUISITES: OT500 or NT500.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets a core requirement in the 120 MDiv and the 80 MAT, 80 MATM, 80 MAICS Programs (Fall 2015). Meets the HERM requirement in the 144 MDiv Program.

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.