READING THE BIBLE IN REAL LIFE (BSRS-4700)
(01/30/2023-05/19/2023)
Course Memo
Reading the Bible in Real Life: How Contexts Matter is an introduction to the study of lived biblical interpretation. The discipline of Biblical Studies has increasingly come to affirm that all interpretation is contextual. This course widens the conversation even further by engaging biblical interpretation beyond the academy. Students will observe biblical interpretation in pulpits, pews, Bible study groups, or other settings, and gain tools to analyze those observations. These social-scientific tools illuminate how context and culture dynamically interact. Students will choose a context for observation that is cross-cultural for them. Most sessions will follow a seminar format, with students leading and presenting in the second half of the semester. Evaluation is based on seminar participation and leadership, one book review, and the iterative stages of a semester-long research project. This course is open to masters and doctoral students (with an additional assignment). [At a minimum, Intro to NT or Intro to OT/HB; 20 max enrollment]