RELIGIOUS STUDIES 2050
Instructor: Dr. K. I. Parker Office/Tel: AA 5005 / 864-8594
E-mail: kparker@mun.ca Office
Hours: M/T/R, 12:00-1:00
Home
Page: http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~kparker/
Religious Studies 2050 is an introduction to the literature comprising
the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible. This
literature will be studied in light of both the history of Israel and the
development of Israelite religion. A
number of scholarly approaches to the Bible will also be considered.
All students must own and bring to every class a good modern
translation of the Bible (the [New] Revised Standard Version, the New English
Bible, or the Jerusalem Bible). The New
Revised Standard Version is recommended and will be used in course lectures. Also required is Kim Ian Parker’s An Introduction to the Old Testament /
Hebrew Bible (Linus Books,
2014). This book is referred to in the
course outline below, and it is available at the Bookstore.
There will be no major research paper in this course. Instead, students will be required to write
two in-class tests (October 15, and November 19), journal assignments,
and a final examination. The final will
cover the assigned readings for the entire semester. The two tests are worth 25% each (50% of the
final grade), the journals 10%, and the final exam is worth 40%.
The following is the course outline.
Please note that it is subject to change. Week of:
Sept.
07 Introduction
Sept.
14 Scholarly Approaches to the
Hebrew Bible
Readings: Parker, Introduction, Chapter 1
Sept.
21 Scholarly Approaches to the
Hebrew Bible continued
Readings: Parker, Chapter 2
Sept.
28 Israelite Origins: Genesis 1-11
Readings: Genesis 1-11; Parker, Chapter 3
Oct. 05 Israelite
Origins: Genesis 12-50
Readings: Genesis 12-22, 28, 32, 37, 50; Parker, Chapter
4
Oct. 12 Mid-term break. (test #1, October 15)
Oct. 19 The Exodus
and the Wilderness
Readings: Exodus 1-4, 12-14, 19, 24, 32-34;
Numbers 20; Parker, Chapter 5
Oct. 26 The Theological-Political Problem
Readings: Joshua 7, 24;
Judges 1-2, 9, 17-21; I Samuel 7-12; Parker, Chapter 6
Nov.
02 The
United Monarchy: Saul, David, and
Solomon
Readings: I Samuel 28; II
Samuel 6, 7, 11; I Kings 3, 11; Parker, Chapter 7
Nov.
09 The
Divided Monarchy: Israel (922-722)
Readings: I Kings 18-21;
Amos 5, 7; Hosea 1-3; Parker, Chapter 8
Nov. 16 The Divided
Monarchy: Judah (922-687) (test #2,
November 19)
Readings: Isaiah 6-11,
36-39; Parker, Chapter 9
Nov. 23 The Divided Monarchy:
Judah (687-587)
Readings: II Kings 22-23;
Jeremiah 1-3, 7, 8, 26-31; Parker, Chapter 10
Nov. 30 The Exilic Period
Readings: Isaiah 40, 41, 53;
Ezekiel 1-4; 159-171; Parker, Chapter 11