THL481 Scripture, Culture and Context (8)

CSU Discipline Area: Theology (THEOL)

Duration: One session

Abstract:

This subject locates the biblical texts of Judaism and Christianity within their respective cultural contexts. It explores the wide range of methods and approaches to the biblical texts which have been developed in the twentieth century, and leads to an appreciation of the way in which theology is expressed in relation to concrete situations in the life of religious communities of the biblical period.
This subject demonstrates a concern for the "politics of Scripture" by means of a hermeneutic of class, race and location.

+ Subject Availability Modes and Locations

Session 1
Distance	United Theological College

Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: THL481

Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Enrolment restrictions:

Graduate Certificate in Cross Cultural Theologies Graduate Diploma of Cross Cultural Theologies Master of Arts (Cross Cultural Theologies) Graduate Certificate in Public Theology Graduate Diploma of Public Theology Master of Arts (Public Theology)

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:

- be able to discuss the diversity of literary forms in the Bible;
- be able to evaluate critically the influence of historical and cultural contexts on the books of the Bible;
- be able to evaluate and analyse critically the contributions made by the historical-critical methods of biblical interpretation;
- be able to evaluate and analyse critically the contributions made by ideological and sociological approaches to the biblical texts;
- be able to interpret critically selected passages from the Bible using the methods and approaches studied;
- be able to demonstrate a critical appreciation of the relationship between biblical context and contemporary theology.

Syllabus:

The subject will cover the following topics:

1. Establishing the text (text criticism); 2. The literary contexts of the text; 3. The social contexts of the text; 4. The pre-history of the text I (written sources, oral tradition); 5. The pre-history of the text II (redactors and compilers); 6. The transmission of the text (tradition and translation issues); 7. The question of history; 8. Gender factors in reading a text (feminist readings); 9. Race factors in reading a text (black readings); 10. Class factors in reading a text (liberation readings); 11. Location factors in reading a text (Australian, Oceanic, Asian readings); 12. Global factors in reading a text (ecological readings); 13. Hermeneutical issues in contemporary interpretation.

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