The course gives you a basic introduction to the genres and writings of the Bible, and the origin, structure, and contents of the different books. Furthermore, you will be given a basic overview of Israel’s history and related issues in the Old Testament, and the history of New Testament times. You will also be introduced to the textual history and the development of the canon of the Old and the New Testament. In addition, issues related to Bible translation, and differing views on the Bible will be introduced and discussed.
Teaching amounts to 48 hours of classroom instruction (24 hours in the Old Testament and 24 hours in the New Testament) and is mainly given through lectures and/or seminars. The classroom experience aims to stimulate you to independent reflection.
Attendance and Absence
To be eligible for final assessment you must:
- Attend a minimum of 70 % of the lectures (cf. chap. 5.5)
* Students who don’t complete the attendance requirement, must retake the course the next time it is offered.
* See the document “Attendance Regulations for Fjellhaug International University College” for more details.
Knowledge
The students have:
- knowledge of the basic features of biblical genres and writings and basic issues related to them.
- knowledge of the origin, structure, and contents of different books of the Bible.
- knowledge of Israel’s history from the early days of the monarchy to the times of exile and issues related to this period in the history of Israel.
- knowledge of the history of New Testament times, and cultural and religious issues in the historical context of the New Testament.
- knowledge of the basic features and issues related to the textual and canonical history of the Bible.
Skills
The students can:
- present basic facts of the genres and writings of the Bible.
- present basic facts of the development, contents, and significance of the different books of the Bible.
- use their knowledge and relevant results from the scholarly research on the literary and external history of the Bible and make informed choices.
- find, evaluate, and refer to information and academic material in relevant reference books, synopsis of the Gospels and commentaries, and present it in a manner that sheds light on a text or a Biblical theological issue.
- discuss issues related to the Bible as a grand narrative.
All course requirements and exams are individual and are submitted digitally.
Course Requirements:
To receive final assessment, you must:
- Submit two papers focusing on knowledge of the Bible and basic skills in biblical studies. The required length of each paper is 1000 words. Deadline for submission is given at the start of the semester but notice that the requirements must be fulfilled not later than two weeks before the exam date.
Final Assessment:
| Form of assessment | Duration | Grading scale | Comment |
| Written exam | 5 hours | A–F | Final assessment is based on the written exam. The course and written exam will be graded A–E for pass and F for fail. |
Some readings are available digitally on the school’s learning management system (LMS) and are marked with *.
The Old Testament:
Hill, Andrew E. and John H. Walton (2009): A Survey of the Old Testament. 3rd edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, pp. 21-123, 162-214, 278-306, 356-371, 374-452, 480-531, 743-769.
The New Testament:
Elwell, W. A., & Yarbrough, R. W. (2022): Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey. (4th ed). Baker Academic, pp. 1-379.
