Reading Trauma in the Book of Jeremiah (BA3520T)

Undergraduate, 18.0 points

Content

This unit engages with the book of Jeremiah as a response to the crisis of the sixth-century BCE Babylonian incursion of Jerusalem and the associated waves of forced deportation. Students will be introduced to trauma as a lens for interpreting biblical texts and will apply concepts of trauma through the exegesis of selected passages. Themes such as prophecy, divine violence, forced deportation, diaspora and return, communal identity formation and communal memory will be explored.

Unit code: BA3520T

Unit status: Approved (Minor revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: Old Testament

Delivery Mode: Intensive

Proposing College: Trinity College Theological School

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Learning outcomes

1.

Articulate the historical, political and religious contexts that influenced the prophecies of the book of Jeremiah
2.

Critically engage with scholarship at the intersection of biblical studies and trauma studies.
3.

Apply trauma theory and advanced exegetical skills to selected texts from the book of Jeremiah.
4.

Explain ethical and theological issues arising from interpretations of the book of Jeremiah and propose implications for church life and teaching.

Unit sequence

Pre-requisite: At least two units in Biblical studies, including Introduction to the Old Testament or equivalent.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Alexander, Jeffrey C., and Elizabeth Breese. "Introduction." In Narrating Trauma: On the Impact of Collective Suffering, edited by Ron Eyerman, Jeffrey C. Alexander and Elizabeth Breese, xi-xxv. Boulder: Paradigm, 2014.
  • Boase, Elizabeth, and Christopher G. Frechette, eds. Bible Through the Lens of Trauma. Semeia Studies. Atlanta: SBL Press, 2016.
  • Maier, Christl. "Listening to the Trauma of Refugees in Jeremiah 40-44." Lectio Difficilior 1 (2017): 1-13.
  • O’Connor, Kathleen. Jeremiah: Pain and Promise. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2011.
  • Rom-Shiloni, Dalit. Exclusive Inclusivity: Identity Conflicts between the Exiles and the People Who Remained (6th-5th Centuries BCE). New York: T&T Clark, 2013.
  • Smith-Christopher, Daniel. A Biblical Theology of Exile. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002.
  • Stulman, Louis, and Edward Silver, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Jeremiah. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2021.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay - Topical essay 2500 45.0
Exegetical Essay 2000 40.0
Forum 750 15.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 18 Oct, 2024

Unit record last updated: 2024-10-18 16:28:14 +1100