COS 221- Bible II: Torah, and Israel’s History
taught by Dr. Sam Morris
ASSIGNMENTS:
Prior to the First Class Session:
Read Biblical books of Genesis, Exodus, I and II Kings and Amos. Also, read part 1 in Anderson’s book Contours of the Old Testament. Then read III.9 from Our Father Abraham. As a devotion for the first class, read the book of Jonah in the morning, at noon and at night -- all in one day. Choose any day as long as you do this prior to the first class. Use the Internet to look up Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in the Jewish year. Try to ask yourself as you read about it, “Why do Jews read the book of Jonah three times on this day. Write a brief paragraph describing your findings (this will only be accepted in the first class).
After the first class session:
Write an exegesis (4-6 pages typed, double-spaced) on a passage agreed upon by you and the instructor. You will be using the following three questions: What does the text say (the literal, cultural, historical, linguistic understanding)? What does the text mean (in your life in daily practice)? What is God saying through the text (the theological and the prophetic)? These are three of the five or seven questions of Jewish exegesis – a method that you will learn in class. Through them, you will participate in an ancient Jewish method of exegesis. This method teaches you to be faithful to the passage while proclaiming the word to a contemporary audience. Your personal preparation should demonstrate your ability to use the Bible with appropriate resources to understand the setting of the passage (question one: What does the text say?) In so doing, it is important that you demonstrate your ability to use the Biblical text as a primary source before looking to commentaries, dictionaries, etc. Please footnote all quotes and ideas that originate from someone other than your own thought. This class is designed to help you engage the Hebrew scripture. While your ability to use good resource material in important, it is your engagement of the passages intellectually, emotionally and as part of the group process that will determine your successful completion of the course material. For this reason, please focus your attention on the primary text, which is the Bible, and the three texts recommended in the course outline as secondary sources. If you choose to use other texts, please clear them with the instructor prior to inclusion.
The final class includes a brief exam applying the material in the class lectures.
Following the final class, you will be asked to rewrite the paper assigned after the first class period. You will work on your papers in small groups in class before taking them to put the final touches on the paper. The paper should be typed in 12 point Times Roman, double spaced, and a minimum of 4-6 pages in length.
Course Texts:
Bruce Birch, Walter Brueggemann, Terence Fretheim, David Petersen,
A Theological Introduction to the Old Testament, 2nd Edition
Reference: Oxford Bible Atlas
Marvin R. Wilson, Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of Christianity
Dr. Sam Morris 1768 Plantation Blvd 39211 601 201