Introduction to Biblical Studies

Introduction to Biblical Studies

This course serves as an introduction to the academic discipline of biblical studies. We will explore the differences between devotional(Sunday School) study of the Bible and scholarly study of the Bible. We will look at various issues surrounding the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), the New Testament, non-canonical writings, archaeology, and early Christian and Jewish interpretation of Scripture.

In addition, this course will also introduce a number of tools and skills used in online learning. We will get to know the various tools of Moodle, Bethany's online course management software. We will also be exposed to reading scholarly articles and learn to discuss our thoughts and questions through writing.

The purposes of this course are:

• To gain expose to the academic disciple of biblical studies.
• To gain proficiency with online course tools.
• To reflect and interact on Brethren and other approaches to Scripture.

The goals of this course are:

• To gain or improve the ability to understand scholarly study of biblical texts and academic writing in general.
• To gain or improve the ability to interact through writing in an online setting.
• To foster an interest in engaging the biblical text critically.