OT 5000  Introduction to the Old Testament

Lecturer: Richard Averbeck

Course Description

An introduction to the literature of the Old Testament, the history of Israel, critical issues of Old Testament formation, method in Old Testament study, and the theology of the Old Testament. Designed for Master of Divinity students with inadequate background in the Old Testament and for students in the MA and MAR programs. Not for credit toward the Master of Arts concentrations in Old Testament and New Testament. A general comprehensive examination course. This course may not be audited unless the student (1) does not plan to take the related comprehensive exam, or (2) is auditing the course merely to review the material previously studied in another course. Four hours.

Course Goals

1. To become acquainted with the various kinds (i.e., genres) of literature in the Old Testament, be able to recognize their distinguishing features, and learn to read and interpret them well from a literary point of view.
2. To be able to identify and describe the major persons, places, and things to which the Old Testament refers.
3. To learn the basic content of the Old Testament books, how they relate to one another and the overall content of the Old Testament, and some of the ways ancient Near East literature can legitimately inform our reading of the biblical books.
4. To become familiar with the history that the Old Testament records, its relationship to the surrounding ancient Near Eastern world, and the importance this carries for understanding the historical progression of God's redemptive program.
5. To understand and appreciate the historical, cultural, and literary realities underlying the formation of the Old Testament, and develop a well-informed conservative evangelical posture toward the growth and shaping of the canon in the Old Testament period as well as its final compositional and canonical integrity.
6. To become acquainted with the various kinds of critical methodologies used in the field of Old Testament studies today, be able to recognize them when they appear in scholarly or popular literature about the Bible, and understand the major ways these methodologies are used in the study of particular books and sections of the Old Testament.
7. To learn to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate application of these methods to the study of the Old Testament, and develop a sense of how conservative evangelicals can use them appropriately and with meaningful results in the serious study of God's Word.
8. To develop an understanding of the discipline of Old Testament theology in terms of the major issues that have been raised and the various approaches that have been taken in the study of the Old Testament from a theological point of view.
9. To gain a meaningful and profound hold on the theological content and shape of the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi (book by book and section by section), and see some ways in which this significantly impacts the theology of the New Testament.
10. To understand and appreciate how all of the above can and should inform our ongoing study of the whole canon of scripture, including the New Testament as well as the way we live our Christian lives and pursue our ministries.

Course Materials

All required course materials can be purchased through the TEDS bookstore (800.456.7323 | 847.317.6800).

• William Dyrness. Themes in Old Testament Theology. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1979. Abbrev. D
• Andrew E. Hill and John H. Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. Second edition; Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000. Abbrev. HW
• John Rogerson, et al. Beginning Old Testament Study. Second edition; St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1998. Abbrev. R
• D. Brent Sandy and Ronald L. Giese, Jr., Cracking Old Testament Codes: A Guide to Interpreting the Literary Genres of the Old Testament. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995. Abbrev. SG
• John H. Walton. Chronological and Backgrounds Charts of the Old Testament. Revised and Expanded; Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994. *NOTE: You will not be responsible for reading this as part of your assignments for the course, but we will refer to it in lectures and, on occasion, examine certain parts of it carefully. Always have it with you as you listen to the lectures.

Resources

Download full syllabus