HERMENEUTICS

TH221 – SYLLABUS

Distance Learner

D

uring the next few weeks, we will be looking for answers to questions like:

Are we wrong in training and maintaining a standing army because of Jesus’ remark (Matthew 26:52) "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.”?

Do I take their eye, tooth, and life, or give them my cheek, cloak and hiking boots (Deuteronomy 19:21 & Matthew 5:39-41)?

If I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13), how come I can’t fix this ______(Choose one: computer, car, bank statement, relationship, omelet)?

Why is feeding and refreshing my enemy like heaping burning coals on his head (Proverbs 25:21-22)? (That can’t be good, can it?)

Was Jeremiah prophesying about Christmas trees (10:3-4)?

Is it immoral for a minister to receive money for preaching, based on 1 Timothy 3:3?

Was Jesus in danger of hell-fire when he called the Pharisees fools? Compare Matthew 5:22 and Matthew 23:17-19.

C

an we honestly say we can correctly answer these questions, or does it all really boil down to one person’s opinion or another’s?


Hermeneutics is the study of the science and art of Bible interpretation. It is designed to establish the principles, methods, and rules by which the true and exact meaning of the Bible is determined. Special attention will be given to the literary styles in Holy Scripture.

K

nowledge and skills we should acquire or reinforce through the completion of this course:

  1. Recognize literary structural elements in the text.
  2. Apply principles of detailed observation to a verse, a paragraph, and to longer units of text.
  3. Determine word meanings within texts, and demonstrate the proper use of concordances.
  4. Discuss the issue of whether or not the Bible has different levels of meaning.
  5. Explain the role of the Holy Spirit in Biblical interpretation.
  6. Describe the history of our English Bible and explain the differences in modern translations.
  7. Discuss the issue of "reader response" versus "authorial intent" approaches to biblical interpretation.
  8. Discuss the role of context and historical\cultural background in determining meaning.
  9. Research and write an exegetical paper.
  10. Interpret and apply texts from the various genre categories found in the Bible.

T

extbooks

The Holy Bible

Grasping God’s Word, 2nd edition by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays

Online Coursepack


C

ourse requirements:

Spend 30 minutes alone 4 times with one passage from the Holy Bible, and live to tell the world about it (more on this later)

Carefully read Grasping God’s Word and Hermeneutics Coursepack

Complete the homework assessments

Dialogue with Professor Ullman six times, via Skype

Endure my midterm examination

Survive a dreaded final

M

ethods of learning

The best way to understand what someone is saying is to listen to him, really listen. Hard. We have a God who has been speaking to us, over the centuries, through shepherds, and farmers, and tentmakers, and fishermen, and politicians, and hermits, and even an IRS employee. He is able to make his meaning known. We need to be talking about our mental and emotional listening skills a lot. (Serious Bible scholars call this exegesis and interpretation.)

I will talk some, and you will listen, and you will talk some and I will listen.

We will be doing a lot of reflecting and pondering, scratching our heads, sipping our Starbuck’s, and whispering to the ceiling.

A

ssessments

Dialogues: (NOTE: All six must be completed to pass this course) / 60 points
Meditations / 60 points
Homework / 300 points
Projects / 200 points
Midterm exam / 75points
Final exam / 75 points
Total for the course: / 770 points

Grading

A

/

90-100%

B

/

80-89%

C / 70-79%
D / 60-69%
F / 0-59%

O

h, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

H

ow sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

(Psalm 119:97 & 103)

Professor Christopher Ullman, Professor– Christian Life College -- Email: -- Phone: 847-259-1840 ext. 109

HERMENEUTICS_DL

Assignments and Assessments

MODULE / READINGS and PRESENTATIONS
  • GGW = Grasping God’s Word, 2nd ed.
  • Coursepack and Online Presentations are posted at
/ ASSESSMENT / POINTS POSSIBLE / POINTS EARNED
  1. Getting Started
/ GGW
  • Chapter 1: The Interpretive Journey
  • Chapter 2: How to Read the Book – Sentences
  • Chapter 3: How to Read the Book – Paragraphs
  • Chapter 4: How to Read the Book – Discourses
Online Presentation
  • Chapters 1-4
/
  • GGW 1-1, 1-2 & 1-3
  • GGW 2-1, and your choice of one of the following: 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5
  • GGW 3-1, and your choice of one of the following: 3-2, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5
  • GGW 4-2 & 4-3
/ 15
10
10
10
  1. Truth, Scripture & Meditating for fun and profit
/

Coursepack

  • A Postmodernist’s Creed
  • Biblical Inerrancy Statements
  • Lectio Divina (Holy Reading)
  • Hermeneutics and the Meditative Use of Scripture by Glen Scorgie
/
  • Meditation #1
  • Scorgie Study Guide
/ 15
10
  1. Bibliology
/ Coursepack
  • The Bible: Why This Book?
  • Why So Many Translations?
GGW
  • Appendix 1: Inspiration and Canon
  • Chapter 9: Bible Translations
Online Presentation
  • Translations
/
  • Assessment: Inerrancy, Bibliology, Translations
  • GGW 9-1
/ 20
10
  1. Contexts
/ GGW
  • Chapter 5: What Do We Bring to the Text?
  • Chapter 6: The Historical-Cultural Context
  • Chapter 7: The Literary Context
  • Chapter 8: Word Studies
Online Presentation
  • Chapters 5-7: Contexts
/
  • Meditation #2
  • GGW 6-5, and your choice of one of the following: 6-1, 6-2 or 6-4
  • GGW 7-1
  • GGW 8-1 & 8-3, and your choice of 8-4 or 8-5
/ 15
20
5
20
  1. Meaning, Illumination & Application
/ GGW
  • Chapter 10: Who Controls the Meaning?
  • Chapter 11: Levels of Meaning
  • Chapter 12: The Role of the Holy Spirit
  • Chapter 13: Application
Coursepack
  • “The Holy Spirit and Hermeneutics”
Online Presentation
  • Chapters 10-13: Meaning, Illumination & Application
/
  • GGW 10-1, 10-2 and 10-3
  • GGW 11-1 and 11-2
  • GGW 12-1
  • GGW 13-1, 13-2 and 13-3
/ 10
10
10
20
  • Midterm Examination
/ 75
  1. New Testament
/ GGW
  • Chapter 14: New Testament – Letters
  • Chapter 15: New Testament – Gospels
  • Chapter 16: New Testament – Acts
  • Chapter 17: New Testament -- Revelation
Online Presentation
  • Chapters 14-17: The New Testament
/
  • GGW 15-1
  • Project 1
  • Parable Assignment
  • GGW 16-1
  • GGW 17-3
  • Meditation 3
/ 5
100
15
10
15
15
  1. Old Tetament
/ GGW
  • Chapter 18: Old Testament – Narrative
  • Chapter 19: Old Testament -- Law
  • Chapter 20: Old Testament -- Poetry
  • Chapter 21: Old Testament -- Prophets
  • Chapter 22: Old Testament – Wisdom
Online Presentations
  • Biblical Narratives
  • Chapters 18-222: The Old Testament
/
  • GGW 18-1 or 18-2
  • GGW 19-1, 10-2, 19-3, 19-4 or 19-5
  • GGW 20-1 & 20-2
  • GGW 21-1, 21-2 or 21-3
  • GGW 22-1 & 22-2
  • Meditation 4
/ 15
15
15
15
15
15
  • Project Two
  • Final Exam
  • Dialogues (10 points each)
/ 100
75
60
TOTAL POINTS / 770

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