BIBL - Bible

This course develops the two-fold skills of 1) reading the Bible in context and 2) reading it with the eyes of a Christian. The classic tools of inductive Bible study are presented alongside strategies for appropriating the Bible today.

This course overviews those aspects of Old Testament Hebrew that most impact the meaning of the Old Testament texts. It relies on the numerous biblical language tools available today in order to by-pass extensive memorization of forms and vocabulary and instead focus on nuances of key parts of speech, Hebrew syntax, as well as on doing word studies with integrity.

This class will examine the discipline of archaeology and its relationship with the interpretation of Scripture. The art, architecture, and artifacts uncovered in the lands of the Bible will be considered. The cultural remains at key archaeological sites in Israel will be examined, with specific attention given to the city of Jerusalem. The student's knowledge of the biblical culture may be developed through one or all of the following learning methods: student participation in archaeological field work, visiting museum collections, and classroom instruction. Travel expenses and all applicable fees required. (Biblical)

This course provides an overview of those aspects of New Testament Greek that most impact the meaning of the New Testament texts. It relies on the numerous Greek tools available today in order to by-pass extensive memorization of forms and vocabulary and instead focus on nuances of cases and tenses, key conjunctions and clauses, as well as on doing word studies with integrity.

This course follows the central theological themes of Scripture as they move through the biblical canon, including the character and mission of God, creation and the redemption of Christ, the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, as well as God's walk with humanity and the people of God. Various approaches to the unity and diversity of Scripture will be presented.

This Bible Storytelling course explores various methodologies designed to prepare persons to perform Scripture publicly. The course uses performance criticism and other methodologies and exposes students to concepts from oral interpretation of literature. Special attention is given to the skills needed to perform Bible passages orally without visual aids and teach others to do likewise.

This course offers an investigation of life in the biblical world of the first century Palestine. It will focus on worship and architecture, art and literature, occupations, and daily life of people living in the Middle East at the time of Christ. Special attention will be placed on topics and the Old Testament texts that bring understanding to the interpretation of the Gospel narratives. Prerequisite: BIBL-500

This course explores the historical, geographical, cultural, and religious contexts of both the Old and New Testament biblical narratives.

This course develops the two-fold skills of 1) reading the Bible in context and 2) reading it with the eyes of a Christian. The classic tools of inductive Bible study are presented alongside strategies for appropriating the Bible today.

This course overviews those aspects of Old Testament Hebrew that most impact the meaning of the Old Testament texts. It relies on the numerous biblical language tools available today in order to by-pass extensive memorization of forms and vocabulary and instead focus on nuances of key parts of speech, Hebrew syntax, as well as on doing word studies with integrity.

This course provides an overview of those aspects of New Testament Greek that most impact the meaning of the New Testament texts. It relies on the numerous Greek tools available today in order to by-pass extensive memorization of forms and vocabulary and instead focus on nuances of cases and tenses, key conjunctions and clauses, as well as on doing word studies with integrity.

This course involves a critical examination of Torah texts that address components of worship. The method of inquiry involves, firstly, literary engagement with key phrases and concepts in the Torah texts; secondly, historical engagement with exegetical analysis; thirdly, engagement theologically with pertinent biblical texts outside the Torah; and finally, cultural engagement with the development of a preaching or teaching series. Prerequisite: BIBL-500

This course involves a close reading of the Gospel of Mark. It addresses issues of textual, historical, cultural, literary, theological concerns. Students will examine Mark's overall structure, its emerging themes, and its application for the church today.

This course examines the ministry of the apostle Paul and his practical theology as a unity that responds to the ministerial demands of his context. Students will study the gospel of Jesus proclaimed by Paul, within the multicultural setting in which the message was announced. Emphasis will be made, not only on the mind of the apostle, but also on the practices he himself embodied over time as part of his approach to Christian living and mission. Pre-requisite BIBL-500

This course focuses on the close reading of the biblical books of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and pseudopigraphal books of Wisdom of Ben Sira and Wisdom of Solomon designed to refine methods of interpreting the genre of Wisdom Literature as a whole and these books in particular. In the process, attention is given to the genre of Wisdom Literature in the culture of the Ancient Near East and its parallels in the Wisdom Literature of Israel. This course also embraces the studies of the relationship between human character and life circumstances as presented in the Wisdom Corpus themes of life, death, work, etc. The final emphasis is given to the interpretation of Jesus' teaching as those of a wisdom teacher. Prerequisite: BIBL-500

This course involves critical examination of prophetic texts that address preaching as purification of worship. The method of inquiry involves, firstly, exegesis of the prophetic texts to receive the prophetic word; secondly, examination of corresponding historical and literary contexts to determine rhetorical significance; thirdly, exegesis of congregational preaching as worship to establish correlations; and finally, deployment of the appropriate word in a rhetorically creative medium. Prerequisite: BIBL-500

A critical study of the books of Revelation and Daniel as well as other apocalyptic writings from the Intertestamental and early Christian periods. Prerequisite: BIBL-500