Religious Studies (RELS) 380

Advanced Studies in the Hebrew Bible (Revision 2)

Delivery mode:

Credits:

Areas of study:

Arts or Humanities

Prerequisites:

RELS 204, an equivalent course at another Canadian university or permission of the course instructor. Also strongly recommended are a senior level English course and a course in Biblical Studies or Old Testament Studies from a secular post-secondary education institution.

Precluded:

None

Challenge:

RELS 380 is not available for challenge.

Faculty:

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Status:

Temporarily closed, effective February 16, 2023

Overview

This an advanced level course designed to introduce students to the historical critical methods used in the secular, academic study of the Hebrew Bible. Students will be introduced to the use of form, textual, source, and rhetorical criticism. They will also be introduced to alternative theories to the Documentary Hypothesis, and a detailed evaluation of works by major Biblical scholars such as Wellhausen, Von Rad, Noth, Gunkel, Mowinckel, and Van Seters.

Outline

Unit 1: Approaches to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Unit 2: The Ancient Worlds of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament
Unit 3: The Torah
Unit 4: Nevi’im I: The Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings)
Unit 5: Nevi’im II: The Latter Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and “The Twelve”)
Unit 6: The Writings I: Wisdom (Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes)
Unit 7: The Writings II: Songs of Israel (Psalms, Lamentations)
Unit 8: The Writings III: (Ruth, Esther, Song of Songs)
Unit 9: The Chronicler and the Deuteronomist
Unit 10: Apocalypticism and Heroism: Daniel and the Apocalyptic Visions of Early Judaism

Evaluation

To receive credit for RELS 380, you must complete both assignments as well as the final examination, and achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

Activity	Weight
Tutor Marked Exercise 1	20%
Tutor Marked Exercise 2	40%
Final Examination	40%
Total	100%

The final examination for this course must be taken online with an AU-approved exam invigilator at an approved invigilation centre. It is your responsibility to ensure your chosen invigilation centre can accommodate online exams. For a list of invigilators who can accommodate online exams, visit the Exam Invigilation Network.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.

Materials

McKenzie, Stephen L., and Graham, M. Patrick. The Hebrew Bible today: An Introduction to Critical Issues. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1998. (Print)

The HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version, with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. Ed. Wayne A. Meeks. New York: HarperCollins, 2006. (Print)

Other Materials

The course materials also include a study guide, reading file and a student manual.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.

Opened in Revision 2, October 1, 2010

Updated February 16, 2023

View previous revision