Reading and Interpreting the Bible in Contemporary Times (BS9019P)

Content

How important is method in our study and interpretation of the Bible? What are the methods or hermeneutical principles one can employ? How can we effectively interpret the Bible so that it might speak to our contemporary times? This unit will survey the many approaches, methods and hermeneutical principles employed by readers and practitioners (Historical-Critical, Literary, Feminist, Queer, Ecological, Liberational, Postcolonial, Postmodern, Psychological, Popular Culture, Disability, etc) of the Bible; explore the questions raised by them and assess both their strengths and weaknesses. The course will instruct how these methods are applied to select texts from the Old Testament as test cases to encourage the students to appreciate not only the variety of methods but also the multiplicity of meaning inherent within the Biblical text.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

Old Testament Foundational Unit

Pedagogy

Lectures, guided reading and seminar discussion

Indicative Bibliography

• Broyles, Craig C. (Ed). Interpreting the Old Testament: A Guide for Exegesis. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2001.
• Brown, William P. A Handbook to Old Testament Exegesis. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox, 2017.
• Davies, Eryl W. Biblical criticism: A Guide for the Perplexed. London: Bloomsbury, T & T Clark, 2013.
• Deppe, Dean B. All Roads Lead to the Text: Eight Methods of Inquiry into the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2011.
• Gillingham, S. E. One Bible: Many Voices: Different Approaches to Biblical Studies London: SPCK, 1998.
• McKenzie, Stephen L. and John Kaltner (Eds). New Meanings for Ancient Texts: Recent approaches to Biblical Criticisms and their Applications. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013. (Recommended for purchase)
• Schüssler- Fiorenza, Elisabeth, (ed.). Searching the Scriptures: A Feminist Introduction, New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 2000.
• Soulen, Richard N and R. Kendall Soulen. Handbook of Biblical Criticism, Fourth Edition Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011.
• Sugirtharajah, R. S. Voices from the Margin: Interpreting the Bible in the Third World. Revised and Expanded Third Edition, Maryknoll, New York: Orbis, 2006.
• Tate, Randolph W. Handbook for Biblical Interpretation: An Essential Guide to Methods, Terms and Concepts. Second Edition. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2012.

Assessment