- Course code: TEOL2725
- Credits: 10
- Semester: Spring
- Language: English
Study program affiliation:
Methods and Tools for Biblical Interpretation TEOL2725
This course is no longer offered. Students who have the right to take or retake the exam in this course can contact the study counselor.
The focus of this course is on the methods and tools necessary for historical, literary and theological interpretations of the Bible. Part A focuses on the different methods in historical and literary criticism. Part B aims to teach students to use the tools necessary for doing biblical exegesis. Students will learn the basic structure of Biblical Hebrew and Greek and their alphabets, and 25 key words in Hebrew/Greek that will aid them in navigating scholarly literature and biblical commentaries. Students will also learn to apply this knowledge to the study of the Biblical text using resources such as lexica, grammars and most importantly, digital tools.
Prerequisites: TEOL1715
Study requirements
In order to receive a final assessment, the student must:
- Attend 60% of the lectures
- Pass 6 of 10 weekly assignments or quizzes.
- Complete a draft of a biblical word study with a word count of at least 1000 words within the given deadline (see syllabus for details)
- Participate in the in-depth evaluation of the course if such evaluation is stipulated in the relevant term.
- When course requirements are not fulfilled, this will count as one examination attempt, unless the student withdraws before the set deadline (1 May).
Final assessment/Exam
The final assessment for this course is based on the final draft of a Biblical Word Study (1000-1500 words). The first draft of this must be submitted within the given deadline in order to meet the course requirement. The topic for the Biblical Word Study will be chosen by the student from a list available from the instructor at the beginning of the semester. In order to receive a final assessment, the student must fulfill the course requirements within the fixed deadline. The course and final exam will be graded as A-E (Pass) or F (Fail).
Learning outcome
PART A: METHODS IN BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION (3 ECTS)
KNOWLEDGE
The student has:
- a good knowledge of historical critical methods of biblical interpretation of Old and New Testament texts
- a good knowledge of literary methods of interpreting Old and New Testament texts
- knowledge of the history of the interpretation of the Bible
- knowledge of hermeneutical questions related to the reading and interpretation of biblical texts
SKILLS
The student can:
- apply different methods of interpretation with the active use of study aids
- reflect on hermeneutical differences between a plain reading of the text and a historical critical interpretation
PART B: TOOLS FOR BIBLICAL EXEGESIS (7 ECTS)
KNOWLEDGE
The student has:
- a good knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek alphabets
- a good knowledge of 25 biblical key words their original language
- knowledge of the grammatical structures of Biblical Hebrew and Biblical Greek
- knowledge of different tools for biblical exegesis
SKILLS
The student can:
- use exegetical tools such as lexica, grammars, and commentaries
- utilize digital tools in the study of biblical passages
- perform a detailed biblical word study
- interpret the results of a biblical word study within a historical critical framework
Overlapping courses
TEOL2725 overlaps with TEOL2715. Students who have already completed emnekode will receive 0 credit points (ECTS) for TEOL2725 on their transcript of records or diploma.
Reading list
Here you can find the reading list for this course.
Part of the literature will be available digitally, while other parts might only be available in paper format. Some of the literature will be available as compendiums, which you can find via the course room in Canvas.
You will automatically get access to literature that is available digitally when you are sitting at MF, otherwise you can get access by using Oria or by using "External access" in the library's list of databases.
Note that it will take some time before link to the reading list is updated. Please make sure that you are looking at the correct semester's reading list.