The Biblical World: Texts and Traditions (BS8001C)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

As an introduction to the world and literature of the Bible, this unit offers an overview of the historical, cultural, social, and literary contexts of the literature of the Old and New Testaments. The student will be introduced to topics such as the history of Israel, religion, cult and Temple, the Torah, prophecy and wisdom, Gospel and Church, and the Jewish and Greco-Roman worlds of the New Testament. The unit will also examine thematic and theological links between the Old and New Testaments. Topics will be illustrated by specific texts taken from both Testaments.

Unit code: BS8001C

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Foundational

Unit discipline: Biblical Studies

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Identify the literary structure of the Bible, its narrative story line, key persons and events, and the theological links between the Old and New Testaments.
2.

Describe and examine central concepts, institutions, and types of literature associated with ancient Israel
3.

Differentiate and explain essential religious and literary aspects of the Jewish (Second Temple) and Greco-Roman worlds from which the New Testament literature emerged
4.

Use biblical commentaries and dictionaries to analyse theological concepts, persons, and historical events related to both Testaments
5.

Undertake research concerning the texts and traditions of the biblical world in a critically rigorous, sustained, and self-directed manner.

Pedagogy

Lectures, seminars, interactive class work

Indicative Bibliography

  • Bergant, Dianne. Scripture: History and Interpretation. Engaging Theology: Catholic Perspectives. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2008.
  • Brueggemann, Walter, and Tod Linafelt. An Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination. 2nd ed. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2012.
  • Brueggemann, Walter. Reverberations of Faith: A Theological Handbook of Old Testament Themes. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2002.
  • Collins, John J. Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. 2nd ed. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2014.
  • Holladay, Carl H. A Critical Introduction to the New Testament: Interpreting the Message and Meaning of Jesus Christ. Nashville: Abingdon, 2005.
  • Johnson, Luke T., and Todd C. Penner. The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation. 2nd ed. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1999.
  • Moloney, Francis J. The Living Voice of the Gospel: The Gospels Today. 2nd ed. Melbourne: Collins Dove, 2006.
  • Montague, George T. Understanding the Bible: A Basic Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Revised and expanded ed. New York: Paulist Press, 2007.
  • Neyrey, Jerome H., and Eric C. Stewart, eds. The Social World of the New Testament: Insights and Models. Peabody: Hendrickson, 2008.
  • Pontifical Biblical Commission. The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church. 1993.
  • Vatican Council II. Dei Verbum. Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. 18 November 1965. In Vatican II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents, edited by A. Flannery. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1980.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Seminar or Tutorial

1,500 word seminar paper

 0 30.0
Essay

3,500 word essay

 0 50.0
Essay

1,000 word paper

 0 20.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 19 Oct, 2017

Unit record last updated: 2021-11-07 15:00:00 +1100