Content

This unit will provide an examination of the book of Exodus, in light of various critical methods. Students will be introduced to the book’s historical and socio-political contexts, sources and editing, literary features, and transmission history. Attention will be given to the themes of oppression, exile, migration, wilderness, liberation, conquest, nationhood, holiness, and law. The afterlives of the Exodus tradition will be examined in historical and contemporary theology, ethics and politics.

Unit code: BA9008W

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Old Testament

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Whitley College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Discuss the range of theories relating to the historical contexts, sources and editing of the book;

2.

Explain how the text’s literary features impact interpretation;

3.

Appraise the significance of the text’s literary themes;

4.

Differentiate between the diverse interpretations of the Exodus tradition within Jewish and Christian texts; and

5.

Evaluate the potential of the Exodus traditions for contemporary theology, ethics and politics.

Unit sequence

24 Points in BA - Old Testament

Pedagogy

lectures, discussion, tutorials

Indicative Bibliography

  • Anderson, C.B. Ancient Laws and Contemporary Controversies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
  • Bender, A. Israelites in Erin: Exodus, Revolution and the Irish Revival. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2015.
  • Brenner, A. and G.A. Yee, eds. Exodus and Deuteronomy. Texts@Contexts. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012.
  • Coffey, J. Exodus and Liberation: Deliverance Politics from John Calvin to Martin Luther King Jr. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014.
  • Dozeman, Thomas B. Methods for Exodus. Methods in Biblical Interpretation. Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press, 2010
  • Dozeman, T. B., C.A. Evans, and J.N. Lohr, eds. The Book of Exodus: Composition, Reception and Interpretation. SVT 164. Leiden: Brill, 2014.
  • Glaude, E.S. Exodus! Religion, Race and Nation in Early Nineteenth Century Black America. Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2000.
  • Gorgone, S. and L. Mackowitz, eds. The Pertinence of Exodus: Philosophical Questions on the Contemporary Symbolism of the Biblical Story. Malaga: Vernon Press, 2019.
  • Langston, S. Exodus through the Centuries. Oxford: Blackwell, 2006.
  • Ngwa, K.N. Let my People Live: An Africana Reading of Exodus. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2022.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Exegetical Essay

Exegetical Essay

3500 40.0
Critical Review

Critical Review of Select Readings

2000 20.0
Essay

Thematic Essay

3500 40.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 15 Sep, 2022

Unit record last updated: 2022-09-15 15:28:33 +1000