Course Summary

Principles for responsible interpretation of the Old Testament

The primary task of the course is to determine how select texts of scripture should be studied in order to understand the author’s original intent. BRS 125 assumes the student has a working knowledge of the nature and content of the Old Testament. The course is organized in five modules. These modules are designed to help the student develop a framework for his/her own investigation of various parts of the Old Testament. The modules are (1) Interpreting Old Testament Literature, (2) Narrative and History, (3) Law, (4) Prophetic Announcements, and (5) Lament, Praise, and Wisdom. 3 semester hours of undergraduate credit. Recommended prerequisites: BRS 121 and 123.

Objectives

• Formulate the mechanics of biblical interpretation.

• Apply rules of interpretation to biblical literature.

• Recognize, evaluate, and use rules of interpretation in various literary genre.

Credit. Credit for the course requires a 70 percent or greater on four multiple choice examinations and an exegetical assignment. Each element is valued at 20 percent of the course grade.  A sample multiple-choice problem is given below.

Given the entire text of a lament, which of the following phrases expresses the ultimate objective of the lament? (A) "I trust in your unfailing love," (B) "Please, O God, avenge my enemies," (C) "You, God, will not allow me to suffer loss," (D) "Why have you forsaken me?"

Resource

A Bible