This unit incorporates key hermeneutical approaches, concepts, issues, and terms within a brief historical survey of the development of biblical hermeneutics, from early Christian and Jewish interpretation to contemporary critical approaches. Current methodologies of biblical interpretation will be evaluated, and students will explore their own ways of applying methods and elements of interpretation to passages from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, with the aid of dictionaries and commentaries.
Unit code: BS2005L
Unit status: Approved (Assessment revision)
Points: 18.0
Unit level: Undergraduate Level 2
Unit discipline: Biblical Studies
Delivery Mode: Online
Proposing College: Australian Lutheran College
Show when this unit is running| 1. | Identify and explain key elements and goals of several interpretive methods and approaches in biblical studies |
| 2. | Use a range of interpretative approaches that engage the ‘three worlds’ of the biblical text |
| 3. | Examine biblical texts using a range of hermeneutical approaches, including the principles of Lutheran hermeneutics |
| 4. | Discuss contemporary applications of the biblical texts |
Course relationship: A level 2 unit in undergraduate theology and ministry courses.
Prerequisites: 18 points in Field B.
This unit combines asynchronous student engagement with unit materials and weekly one-hour tutorials. Emphasis is placed on student engagement with primary texts using a range of interpretative methods and approaches, so students learn and acquire of basic analytical skills for interpreting the bible.
Appropriate texts will be added at delivery level
| Type | Description | Word count | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation | An investigation of key principles of Lutheran hermeneutics and three contemporary interpretive approaches, with analysis, comparison and evaluation of their relationship. |
900 | 25.0 |
| Source Analysis | Comparative source analysis including a component completed under examination conditions: analysis, comparison and evaluation of interpretive sources, contrasting the views produced when different hermeneutical methods are applied to the same biblical text. |
1600 | 35.0 |
| Oral Presentation | Oral presentation: a peer-taught overview of one lens of biblical interpretation, covering its historical development, its strengths and weaknesses, and its application to a biblical text. |
2000 | 40.0 |
Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Naomi Wolfe on 21 Oct, 2026
Unit record last updated: 2026-10-21 07:30:05 +1100