Content

In this unit, students will undertake an in-depth exegetical and theological study of selected Old Testament and New Testament texts featuring women. Students will engage with the historical, literary and theological contexts for these texts, and integrate perspectives from contemporary feminist approaches. This will raise and encourage evaluation of the core critical questions emerging from feminist biblical discourse. Students will also explore theological and intertextual connections between the Old and New Testaments, especially as they relate to the portrayal and theology of women and feminist issues.

Unit code: BS9779T

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Biblical Studies

Delivery Mode: Online

Proposing College: Trinity College Theological School

Show when this unit is running

Learning outcomes

1.

Critically interpret Old Testament and New Testament texts in conversation with one another

2.

Integrate insights from the historical study of women in the ancient world in exegesis

3.

Critically engage with contemporary feminist approaches to biblical interpretation

4.

Articulate the core hermeneutical issues in interpreting the Bible from a perspective that places women at the centre of biblical discourse.

5.

Evaluate selected biblical texts featuring women in light of contemporary theological discussions and church contexts.

Unit sequence

Introduction to the Old Testament or Introduction to New Testament

Pedagogy

Lectures, guided readings, Socratic dialogue, flipped classroom

Indicative Bibliography

  • Bach, Alice. Women in the Hebrew Bible: A Reader. New York: Routledge, 1999.
  • Bauckham, Richard. Gospel Women. Studies of the Named Women in the Gospels. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.
  • Fuchs, Esther. Sexual Politics in the Biblical Narrative: Reading the Hebrew Bible As a Woman. JSOTSup. 310. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2000.
  • Giles, Kevin. What the Bible Actually Teaches on Women. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2018.
  • Hull, Patricia K. & Jacqueline E. Lapsley (eds). After Exegesis: Feminist Biblical Theology. Essays in Honor of Carol A. Newsom. Edited by Patricia K Tull. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2015.
  • McCabe, Elizabeth A. (ed.) Women in the Biblical World: A Survey of Old and New Testament Perspectives. Lanham: University Press of America, 2009.
  • Meyers, Carol L. Rediscovering Eve: Ancient Israelite Women in Context. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.
  • Newsom, Carol A., Sharon H. Ringe, Jacqueline Lapsley (eds.), Women’s Bible Commentary. 3rd ed.; Louisville: John Knox Press, 2012.
  • Peppiatt, Lucy. Rediscovering Scripture’s Vision for Women: Fresh Perspectives on Disputed Texts. Downers Grove: IVP, 2019.
  • Wray, T.J. Good Girls, Bad Girls of the New Testament: Their Enduring Lessons. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

Essay (3,000 words)

3000 40.0
Exegetical Essay

Exegesis Paper (2,500 words)

2500 35.0
Forum

Forum Discussion (equivalent to 1,500 words)

1500 25.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 30 Sep, 2019

Unit record last updated: 2019-10-10 09:10:56 +1100