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.
The teaching is organized with online lessons that usually contain reading guides for the course literature, instructional texts for the online lessons, as well as audio or video lectures.
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.
- knowledge of 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 knowledge of the genres and writings of the Bible.
- present basic knowledge 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.
General Competence
The students can:
- communicate knowledge about the Bible in various settings, both orally and in writing.
Exam and Assessment
All course requirements and exams are individual and are submitted digitally.
Course Requirements:
To receive final assessment, you must:
- Attend the gathering on campus.
- Submit a paper responding to a selection of essay questions and short-answer questions.
- Submit an 8–10-minute recorded presentation on an assigned topic about the Bible.
- Give feedback on a fellow student’s recorded presentation.
Deadline for submission is given at the start of the semester but notice that the requirements must be completed not later than two weeks before the exam date.
Final Assessment:
| Form of assessment | Duration | Grading scale | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral exam | 20 minutes | A-F | Online |
Final assessment is based on the oral exam. The course and the 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.
