12 classes matched your search criteria.

Fall 2024  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible (18448)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Meets With:
CNRC 1201 Section 001
CNRC 3201 Section 001
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/03/2024 - 12/11/2024
Tue, Thu 11:15AM - 12:30PM
UMTC, East Bank
Tate Laboratory of Physics 105
Enrollment Status:
Open (0 of 10 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and other writers of the biblical texts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
Class Description:
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and on the significance of wisdom literature. This course fulfills the Liberal Education Requirement of Literature in that the course examines the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as ancient literature, asking questions about its language and meaning in its social and historical contexts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/18448/1249
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
10 April 2014

Fall 2023  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible (18841)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Meets With:
CNRC 1201 Section 001
CNRC 3201 Section 001
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/05/2023 - 12/13/2023
Tue, Thu 11:15AM - 12:30PM
UMTC, East Bank
Kenneth H Keller Hall 3-230
Enrollment Status:
Closed (6 of 6 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and other writers of the biblical texts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
Class Description:
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and on the significance of wisdom literature. This course fulfills the Liberal Education Requirement of Literature in that the course examines the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as ancient literature, asking questions about its language and meaning in its social and historical contexts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/18841/1239
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
10 April 2014

Fall 2022  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: The Bible: Context and Interpretation, World of the Hebrew Bible (19440)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Meets With:
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
CNRC 1201 Section 001
CNRC 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/06/2022 - 12/14/2022
Tue, Thu 11:15AM - 12:30PM
UMTC, East Bank
Nicholson Hall 155
Enrollment Status:
Open (4 of 5 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and other writers of the biblical texts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
Class Description:

The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament is a literary collection that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East (or the Levant). One purpose of this course is to get to know the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the world where it originated. To this end, this course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). We will attempt to "get behind" the overlay of meanings imposed by modern culture upon the Hebrew Bible and to read it on its own terms. The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts.

We will also spend some time on selected topics, where we will ask: What did the ancient Israelites think about x or y (see below). Further, we will explore some texts from ancient Mesopotamia and read them alongside and in dialogue with texts from ancient Israel, to look for similarities and differences and to discuss the ideas found in them and their literary artistry. We will work with the narratives of the creation of the world, the origin of life, and the great flood. We will deal with questions such as: What is the Bible? Who wrote the Bible? Is the biblical literature any different than the literature from the neighboring cultures? How does the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament portray God? How is creation portrayed in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and in the Mesopotamian myths? Why were humans created according to the different stories? How is history being told in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament? What does the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament say about sex and gender, purity, death and afterlife?

Our main goal is to attempt to understand the biblical texts the way the first readers of these texts might have understood them, but we will also address some re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. In other words, we will take a look at how some biblical texts and motives have been understood and used later, even today.

You will learn how to read texts closely, to think critically about the meaning of a text, and to differentiate between what the texts say and what later times have understood the texts to say.

This course fulfills the Liberal Education Requirement of Literature in that the course examines the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as ancient literature, asking questions about its language and meaning in its social and historical contexts.

Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/19440/1229
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
14 August 2019

Fall 2021  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: Bible:Context & Interpretation (20803)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Meets With:
CNES 1201 Section 001
CNES 3201 Section 001
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/07/2021 - 12/15/2021
Tue, Thu 01:00PM - 02:15PM
UMTC, East Bank
Fraser Hall 102
Enrollment Status:
Open (2 of 10 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Introduction to the modern academic study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the historical context of literature from ancient Mesopotamia. Read Babylonian Epic of Creation, Epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi, Genesis, Exodus, Psalms. Stories of creation, law, epic conflict, and conquest. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
Class Description:
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and on the significance of wisdom literature. This course fulfills the Liberal Education Requirement of Literature in that the course examines the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as ancient literature, asking questions about its language and meaning in its social and historical contexts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/20803/1219
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
10 April 2014

Fall 2020  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: Bible:Context & Interpretation (15476)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
Completely Online
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Online Course
Meets With:
CNES 1201 Section 001
CNES 3201 Section 001
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/08/2020 - 12/16/2020
Off Campus
Virtual Rooms ONLINEONLY
Enrollment Status:
Open (8 of 10 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Introduction to the modern academic study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the historical context of literature from ancient Mesopotamia. Read Babylonian Epic of Creation, Epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi, Genesis, Exodus, Psalms. Stories of creation, law, epic conflict, and conquest. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
Class Notes:
This course is completely online in an asynchronous format. There are no scheduled meeting times.
Class Description:
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and on the significance of wisdom literature. This course fulfills the Liberal Education Requirement of Literature in that the course examines the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as ancient literature, asking questions about its language and meaning in its social and historical contexts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/15476/1209
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
10 April 2014

Fall 2019  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: Bible:Context & Interpretation (18899)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Meets With:
CNES 1201 Section 001
CNES 3201 Section 001
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/03/2019 - 12/11/2019
Tue, Thu 01:00PM - 02:15PM
UMTC, East Bank
Nicholson Hall 275
Enrollment Status:
Open (6 of 10 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Introduction to the modern academic study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the historical context of literature from ancient Mesopotamia. Read Babylonian Epic of Creation, Epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi, Genesis, Exodus, Psalms. Stories of creation, law, epic conflict, and conquest. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?JWST3201+Fall2018
Class Description:

The Hebrew Bible/Old Testament is a literary collection that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East (or the Levant). One purpose of this course is to get to know the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the world where it originated. To this end, this course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). We will attempt to "get behind" the overlay of meanings imposed by modern culture upon the Hebrew Bible and to read it on its own terms. The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts.

We will also spend some time on selected topics, where we will ask: What did the ancient Israelites think about x or y (see below). Further, we will explore some texts from ancient Mesopotamia and read them alongside and in dialogue with texts from ancient Israel, to look for similarities and differences and to discuss the ideas found in them and their literary artistry. We will work with the narratives of the creation of the world, the origin of life, and the great flood. We will deal with questions such as: What is the Bible? Who wrote the Bible? Is the biblical literature any different than the literature from the neighboring cultures? How does the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament portray God? How is creation portrayed in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and in the Mesopotamian myths? Why were humans created according to the different stories? How is history being told in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament? What does the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament say about sex and gender, purity, death and afterlife?

Our main goal is to attempt to understand the biblical texts the way the first readers of these texts might have understood them, but we will also address some re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. In other words, we will take a look at how some biblical texts and motives have been understood and used later, even today.

You will learn how to read texts closely, to think critically about the meaning of a text, and to differentiate between what the texts say and what later times have understood the texts to say.

This course fulfills the Liberal Education Requirement of Literature in that the course examines the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as ancient literature, asking questions about its language and meaning in its social and historical contexts.

Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/18899/1199
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
14 August 2019

Fall 2018  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: Bible:Context & Interpretation (19240)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Meets With:
CNES 1201 Section 001
CNES 3201 Section 001
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/04/2018 - 12/12/2018
Tue, Thu 02:30PM - 03:45PM
UMTC, East Bank
Fraser Hall 101
Enrollment Status:
Open (6 of 7 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Introduction to the modern academic study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the historical context of literature from ancient Mesopotamia. Read Babylonian Epic of Creation, Epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi, Genesis, Exodus, Psalms. Stories of creation, law, epic conflict, and conquest. prereq: Knowledge of Hebrew not required
Class Notes:
http://classinfo.umn.edu/?JWST3201+Fall2018
Class Description:

The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts. In the fall semester of 2018 we will also spend some time on selected topics, where we will ask: What did the ancient Israelites think about x or y (topics to be determines). Our main goal is to attempt to understand the biblical texts the way the first readers of these texts might have understood them, but in the fall of 2018 this course will also address the re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. In other words we will also take a look at how some biblical texts and motives have been understood and used later, even today. You will learn how to read texts closely, to think critically about the meaning of a text, and to differentiate between what the texts say and what later times have understood the texts to say.

This course fulfills the Liberal Education Requirement of Literature in that the course examines the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as ancient literature, asking questions about its language and meaning in its social and historical contexts.

Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/19240/1189
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
10 April 2018

Fall 2017  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: The Bible: Context and Interpretation (16244)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Meets With:
CNES 1201 Section 001
CNES 3201 Section 001
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/05/2017 - 12/13/2017
Tue, Thu 02:30PM - 03:45PM
UMTC, East Bank
Nicholson Hall 275
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Introduction to the modern academic study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the historical context of literature from ancient Mesopotamia. Read Babylonian Epic of Creation, Epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi, Genesis, Exodus, Psalms. Stories of creation, law, epic conflict, and conquest.
Class Description:
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and on the significance of wisdom literature. This course fulfills the Liberal Education Requirement of Literature in that the course examines the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as ancient literature, asking questions about its language and meaning in its social and historical contexts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/16244/1179
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
10 April 2014

Fall 2016  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: The Bible: Context and Interpretation (16635)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Meets With:
CNES 1201 Section 001
CNES 3201 Section 001
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/06/2016 - 12/14/2016
Tue, Thu 02:30PM - 03:45PM
UMTC, East Bank
Nicholson Hall 275
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Introduction to the modern academic study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the historical context of literature from ancient Mesopotamia. Read Babylonian Epic of Creation, Epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi, Genesis, Exodus, Psalms. Stories of creation, law, epic conflict, and conquest.
Class Description:
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and on the significance of wisdom literature. This course fulfills the Liberal Education Requirement of Literature in that the course examines the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as ancient literature, asking questions about its language and meaning in its social and historical contexts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/16635/1169
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
10 April 2014

Fall 2015  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: The Bible: Context and Interpretation (20595)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Meets With:
CNES 1201 Section 001
CNES 3201 Section 001
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/08/2015 - 12/16/2015
Tue, Thu 02:30PM - 03:45PM
UMTC, East Bank
Nicholson Hall 155
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Introduction to the modern academic study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the historical context of literature from ancient Mesopotamia. Read Babylonian Epic of Creation, Epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi, Genesis, Exodus, Psalms. Stories of creation, law, epic conflict, and conquest.
Class Description:
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and on the significance of wisdom literature. This course fulfills the Liberal Education Requirement of Literature in that the course examines the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as ancient literature, asking questions about its language and meaning in its social and historical contexts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/20595/1159
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
10 April 2014

Fall 2014  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: The Bible: Context and Interpretation (21759)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Delivery Medium
Meets With:
CNES 1201 Section 001
CNES 3201 Section 001
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/02/2014 - 12/10/2014
Tue, Thu 02:30PM - 03:45PM
UMTC, East Bank
Nicholson Hall 275
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Introduction to the modern academic study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the historical context of literature from ancient Mesopotamia. Read Babylonian Epic of Creation, Epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi, Genesis, Exodus, Psalms. Stories of creation, law, epic conflict, and conquest.
Class Notes:
Taught by Prof. Patricia Ahearne-Kroll
Class Description:
The Hebrew Bible and Old Testament are literary collections that modern Jewish and Christian traditions maintain as important, but these collections were initially produced by ancient Israelite scribes who composed and/or compiled the biblical texts at particular time periods in the ancient Near East. This course will introduce the academic study of biblical texts, which demands critical analysis of the literature and an openness to reading the literature from the perspective of ancient Israelite writers (who lived in a world far different from today). The course will spend considerable time on the literary (and scribal) composition of biblical prose texts; time will also be spent on the historical circumstances of biblical prophets and on the significance of wisdom literature. This course fulfills the Liberal Education Requirement of Literature in that the course examines the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as ancient literature, asking questions about its language and meaning in its social and historical contexts. This course will only address the ancient setting of the biblical texts and not re-interpretations in Jewish or Christian traditions. Given the scope of the course, modern interpretations of the biblical literature will not be discussed; we will only focus on this literature in its ancient setting.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/21759/1149
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
10 April 2014

Fall 2013  |  JWST 3201 Section 001: The Bible: Context and Interpretation (28107)

Instructor(s)
http://levinson.umn.edu/" target="lookup">Bernard Levinson, PhD
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
Student Option
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
In Person Term Based
Class Attributes:
UMNTC Liberal Education Requirement
Delivery Medium
Meets With:
CNES 1201 Section 001
CNES 3201 Section 001
JWST 1201 Section 001
RELS 1201 Section 001
RELS 3201 Section 001
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
09/03/2013 - 12/11/2013
Tue, Thu 02:30PM - 03:45PM
UMTC, East Bank
Nicholson Hall 155
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
Introduction to the modern academic study of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible in the historical context of literature from ancient Mesopotamia. Read Babylonian Epic of Creation, Epic of Gilgamesh, Hammurabi, Genesis, Exodus, Psalms. Stories of creation, law, epic conflict, and conquest.
Class Description:
The course attempts to get behind the overlay imposed by modern culture upon the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible and to read it on its own terms. In order to do so, students will explore the fascinating literature and religion of the ancient Near East. We will read texts from ancient Mesopotamia, Canaan (Ugarit), and Israel, and discuss both the ideas found in them and their literary artistry. After investigating the literature of Israel's neighbors, we will read biblical literature in dialogue with these stories, intellectually analyzing the narratives of the of creation of the world, the origin of life, the great flood story, the idea of divine revelation, and the significance of law. Specific topics to be dealt with include: God, creation, fate, the point of human life, and the meaning of history. The course teaches students how to read closely and to think critically about the meaning of a text. Students will be asked to read primary sources for specific questions of content and meaning, frequently with the help of assignment sheets, and to learn a methodology for deciding between right and wrong answers. The skills thereby learned will assist students with any other course in the Liberal Arts. The assumptions of the course are academic and secular, as required by the First Amendment. Consequently, the course does not address personal religious belief or matters of faith. All texts and all religious traditions will be examined analytically. Students are expected to understand and master this approach, which includes questioning conventional cultural assumptions about the historical composition and authorship of the Bible. Willingness to ask such questions and openness to new ways of thinking and reading are essential to successful participation in the course. This course meets the Literature LE Requirement.
Grading:
20% Midterm Exam
25% Final Exam
30% Reports/Papers
5% Written Homework
20% Additional Semester Exams Other Grading Information: Regular very short homework assignments are collected; best 10 out of 12 are counted. There will be two mid-term exams each worth 20%.There will be two short papers each worth 15%.
Exam Format:
Each exam is 50% essay and 50% multiple choice.
Class Format:
90% Lecture
10% Discussion
Workload:
35 Pages Reading Per Week
10-12 Pages Writing Per Term
3 Exam(s)
2 Paper(s)
Other Workload: Students do regular, guided homework assignments to prepare for each class. There are two short essays (3-5 pages), each of which is revised after peer review and then resubmitted, so that the improved version is graded.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/28107/1139
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
15 April 2013

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