OT 520 Old Testament Introduction

READING in the literature of OT studies from many perspectives, from “mainstream” (i.e. non- conservative) OT criticism as well as evangelical scholars. Some readings are difficult and not always obviously relevant to, say, sermon preparation or youth ministry. LaSor, W. S., D. A. Hubbard, F. W. Bush, Old Testament Survey: Second Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996. A Book-By-Book overview of the content and interpretation issues of the OT books followed by a section on general issues. Since this course is not organized in a book-by- book fashion, we will be reading this text out of order so pay close attention to the Course Schedule. W. W. Klein, C. L. Blomberg, R. L. Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpreatation. Waco: Word, 1993. Introduces essential issues involved in biblical interpretation and the methods employed with specific types of material. Our assignments skip sections dealing explicitly with the New Testament. Pritchard, James, Ed. HarperCollins Concise Atlas of the Bible. Harper, 1991. Much more than maps, a good atlas (like this one) is a concise guide to the geography, history, culture, and lifestyle of the people it treats. Try to go beyond reading with this book, and spend time enjoying the maps and sheer glory of factual data presented in a fairly small space. Several articles are in electronic form and will be in the Course Conference icon. Full citations and filenames are given in the schedule. All are Adobe Acrobat PDF files. To read these, you use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/3018/thumbnail.jp

BT 605 Old Testament Theology

Sailhammer, John. H., Introduction to Old Testament Theology: A Canonical Approach. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995. Childs, Brevard S. Bibilcal Theology: A Proposal. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002. B. W. Anderson. Contours of Old Testament Theology. Fortress. Von Balthasar, Hans Urs. The Glory of the Lord—A Theological Aesthetics: Vol. VI, Theology: The Old Covenant. San Francisco: Ignatius, 1991, orig. Germ. 1967.https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/3612/thumbnail.jp

BT 605 Old Testament Theology

READING Greer, Rowan and J. Kugel. Early Biblical Interpretation. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986. Miller, P. D. The Religion of Ancient Israel. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 2000. No discussion of the OT theology is adequate without a serious analysis of the actual religious life of ancient Israel. This book is the best current summary of that field. Childs, Brevard S. Old Testament Theology in a Canonical Context. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985. A survey of the theology of the OT that procedes by topics rather than historically or in canonical order. Rendtorff, Rolf. The Canonical Hebrew Bible: A Theology of the Old Testament. Leiden: Deo Publishing, 2005. The most recent work in OT theology by a major player in the discipline. Additional Required readings will be posted on my private website: http://homepage.mac.com/lawsonstone1 Go to the Public Folder pane to the BT605Materials link. Recommended: Bauer, David. Biblical Resources for Ministry Contains excellent listings of other volumes dealing withe OT theology.https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/1934/thumbnail.jp

BT 605 Old Testament Theology

Anderson, Bernhard. Contours of Old Testament Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1999. A very accessible survey of OT theology that tries to blend the historical unfolding Israel\u27s faith with the canonical order of the OT. Childs, Brevard S. Old Testament Theology in a Canonical Context. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985. A survey of the theology of the OT that procedes by topics rather than historically or in canonical order. Childs, Brevard S. Bibilcal Theology: A Proposal. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2002. A brief analysis of the current problems of OT and biblical theology combined with a fresh argument for a canonical approach. Sailhammer, John. H., Introduction to Old Testament Theology: A Canonical Approach. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995. This book reviews the history and achievements of OT Theology, but does so with a thematic and methodological concern that goes beyond a mere bibliographic survey. A significant selection of additional readings will be posted on the Intranethttps://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/3054/thumbnail.jp

OT 520 Old Testament Introduction

conservative) OT criticism as well as evangelical scholars. Some readings are difficult and not always obviously relevant to, say, sermon preparation or youth ministry. Dillard, R. B. and Trempor Longman, An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994. A traditional OT introduction written by two evangelical scholars. An “introduction” to the OT is not a guide to the uninformed, but is a summary of current scholarly opinion about the authorship, date, origins, and composition of each OT book and the issues involved in their interpretation. It follows the book-by-book order of the OT. John Drane. Introducing the Old Testament. Fortress. 2001. Not redundant at all with Dillard-Longman, this book follows the history of Israel chronologically and includes discussions of the material as it fits that pattern. The last chapters are a very nice introduction to the faith of the OT. W. W. Klein, C. L. Blomberg, R. L. Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpreatation. Waco: Word, 1993. Introduces essential issues involved in biblical interpretation and the methods employed with specific types of material. Our assignments skip sections dealing explicitly with the New Testament. Several articles are in electronic form and will be in the Course Conference icon which will appear in your ATS e-mail window during the first 2 days of class. Recommended Bibliographical Resource: Bauer, David. Biblical Resources for Ministry. Wilmore, Revised 2nd Edition, 1995.https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/2797/thumbnail.jp

OT 520 Foundations for Old Testament Study

Aspirations: OT 520 seeks to equip students for ministry by providing selected tools fundamental to responsible interpretation of the OT. The course neither offers a comprehensive approach, nor emphasizes direct textual study, but enhances both by developing a framework within which competent interpretation can take place. Students explore contemporary approaches to the literary character, historical and cultural setting, composition, authorship, and literary unity of these books, their various literary types, settings, and functions, and how these affect Christian reading of the OT. Students who realize these aspirations will be able to : 1. Show how a close reading of the the OT itself provides the stimulus and basis for OT studies; 2. Illustrate how a knowledge of Hebrew and sensitivity to the OT’s literary character enhance OT study; 3. Employ specific knowlege of the the historical and cultural setting of selected OT books, traditions, and personages to illuminate passages of scripture; 4. Apply to selected texts of scripture a grasp of the background, concepts, and procedures and major claims of selected types of OT study: These include archeology, Textual criticism, Source criticism, Form criticism, Redaction criticism, Selected contemporary literary approaches. 5. Identify, clarify, and strengthen essential convictions regarding biblical theology and authority; 6. Discover study as a means of spiritual growth. This involves seeing our work as: a. “Studying (hurry, hasten, be eager, take pains, make every effort) to show yourself approved unto God, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining (cut a path in a straight direction, cut a road across country, guide along the right path) the word of truth;” (2 Tim. 2:15) b. Exploring practically how to love God with all our mind (dianoi‰a) (Matt. 22:37)); 7. Embrace and seek to exemplify certain integrative aspirations distinctive of ATS, including: a. The implications of our commitment to the Bible as “the foundation, controlling center and formative concern of the entire curriculum (Catalogue, p. 15).” b. The centrality in ATS’ history, identity, and destiny of the doctrine and experience of Entire Sanctification. c. The lost art of expository preaching as the norm and standard for pulpit ministry; d. In opening prayers and openness to God’s grace, seeking renewal in learning by the revival spirit which birthed this institution. Far from obstructing the full use of critical reason, revival should rather energize and focus it!https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/1234/thumbnail.jp

Inhabiting the Garden: Bible, Theology and Mission

This essay explores the role of biblical exegesis in the task of Christian theology and in the contemporary global mission of the church from the perspective of an Old Testament scholar. It poses the question what a biblical exegesis would look like that was consistently Christian in its assumptions while, at the same time, honest and competent in dealing with the phenomena of the biblical text. Using the exegesis of the early centuries of the church as a case study, the essay develops insights into the role of serious biblical study in empowering the early church\u27s vibrant expansion through the entire known world, shaping its clarification of the essential tasks and content of Christian theology, by competently integrating both literal and spiritual dimensions of the Bible\u27s meaning into a coherent process of biblical interpretation

BS 820 History of Interpretation

McKim, Donald K. Ed. Dictionary of Major Biblical Interpreters. Downers Grove, IVP, 2007. Greer, Rowan and J. Kugel. Early Biblical Interpretation. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1986. Young, Francis M. Biblical Exegesis and the Formation of Christian Culture. Cambridge, 1997. Repr. Hendrickson, 2002. Saint Augustine. On Christian Teaching. R. P. H. Green, trans. Oxford, 1997. Selected Additional Readinghttps://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/3611/thumbnail.jp

BT 605 Old Testament Theology

(1) Sailhammer, John. H., Introduction to Old Testament Theology: A Canonical Approach. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995. This book reviews the history and achievements of OT Theology, but does so with a thematic and methodological concern that goes beyond a mere bibliographic survey. (2) Eichrodt, Walther, The Theology of the Old Testament, 2 Vols, Westminster, 1961ff.https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/2223/thumbnail.jp

BT 605 Old Testament Theology

Sailhammer, John. H., Introduction to Old Testament Theology: A Canonical Approach. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995. This book reviews the history and achievements of OT Theology, but does so with a thematic and methodological concern that goes beyond a mere bibliographic survey. Eichrodt, Walther, The Theology of the Old Testament, 2 Vols, Westminster, 1961ff.https://place.asburyseminary.edu/syllabi/1556/thumbnail.jp