COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides students with a basic introduction to the Old Testament, focusing on its content, historical background/context, theology, and significance for the life of faith. Even though the Old Testament makes up most of our Bible, many Christians avoid it due to lack of understanding or distaste for its content. This course is designed to illuminate the great story of God's redeeming love that is told through the Old Testament, and to empower the students to share the story of the Old Testament with others through preaching and teaching.
REQUIRED TEXTS
- Holy Bible. Acceptable Translations: CEB (Common English Bible), NRSV, NIV.
- Schlimm, Matthew R. This Strange and Sacred Scripture: Wrestling with the Old Testament and its Oddities. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2014.
- Davis, Ellen F. Getting Involved with God: Rediscovering the Old Testament. Cambridge: Cowley Publications, 2001. ISBN: 1561011975.
- Fretheim, Terence E. About the Bible: Short Answers to Big Questions. Revised and Expanded Edition. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 2009. ISBN: 9780806657677
- Teacher: Stephanie Schlimm