EXEGETICAL METHODS (BS 1502)

Portland/Bangor Spring 2008
Tuesday 1:00-3:50 PM
Video Conferenced
Homepage: www.bts.edu/trobisch 
 (one week from Bangor, one week from Portland)

Syllabus

Class Homepage: Follow the link at www.bts.edu/trobisch 

Course Description

The course will be taught using the video conferencing equipment. I will take turns teaching from each location. Once during the semester we will meet for one whole Saturday. Please make sure that you can attend on those days before signing up for the course. See the outline at the end of this document.

This course will introduce students to the widely accepted methods of interpretation which form the basis of modern New and Old Testament scholarship: text-, source-, form-, and redaction-criticism, structural analysis, semantics, canonical approach, etc. The objective of this course is to help students develop skills that will enable them to take a scholarly approach to the Christian Bible in its original languages.

Knowledge of Greek and Hebrew is very helpful but not a prerequisite. Students will have a chance to practice and refine their knowledge of the Biblical languages.

You can take this course for either New Testament or Old Testament credit.

The course is open for beginners and advanced students. Students will have a chance to acquire the necessary background information through reading assignments as they prepare for each session. Beginners and advanced students will sometimes have different exercises to perform in class.

Learning Goals

At the end of the semester the successful student will be able (assessment tools are noted in parenthesis):

1. to decipher the apparatus of the Novum Testamentum Graece (short paper)
2. to structure a Biblical book in more than one way following scholarly standards (short paper)
3. to compare passages from the Synoptic gospels with similar passages in other gospels on the background of the Two-Source-Theory (short paper)
4. to identify and discuss recent scholarly articles on an exegetical problem (short paper)
5. to reproduce background knowledge discussed in class (quiz)

Attention will be given to the various styles of exegesis for various purposes, including scholarly papers, Bible studies, public presentations, and preaching, but no sermons will be developed and the course will not fulfill a distribution requirement in Preaching and Worship.

Class Work

Every student is expected to write one book review (1-2 pages) and several short papers (1-2 pages) during the semester applying methods discussed in preparation for the class discussion. These written assignments will be collected in a portfolio. At the end students will present their revised portfolio to be graded. It will demonstrate that the methods were understood and that you know how to apply them. 

I will begin each class by presenting several questions about the preceding session. We will discuss the answers together. The answers will be posted on the class website. These questions and answers will help prepare for one written quiz.

Reading assignments will be given to ensure the necessary background information for every session. However, most of the "hard" work will be done in class: in discussion groups, workshops, and experimental exercises.

You will need at least three hours of preparation for each session. After several sessions you will be given an opportunity for feedback. We will discuss what you like about this course and how it may be improved. Your suggestions are important to me.You may use the anonymous feedback form at any time.

Attendance

If you are not able to attend a session, I expect you to tell me or leave a message at my voice mail beforehand. If this is not possible, please inform me about the circumstances the next time we meet.

Text Books

A = 100-95%; B = 94-90%; C = 89-85%; D = 84-75%.

Class Outline

Back