OLD TESTAMENT 1 (OT 2101) August 21-December 15, 2014 Online Class T. Van McClain, Ph. D.

Transcription

1 1 OLD TESTAMENT 1 (OT 2101) August 21-December 15, 2014 Online Class T. Van McClain, Ph. D. Dr. T. Van McClain 2810 Curry Road Schenectady, NY (518) ext. 17 (Office) vmcclain@mabtsne.edu COURSE DESCRIPTION AND RATIONALE Old Testament Survey 1 is a study of general issues pertaining to the Old Testament and the Pentateuchal and Historical books. Matters such as authorship, date, historical background, and critical theories will be discussed for the biblical books, Genesis- Esther, and their contents will be surveyed. COURSE OBJECTIVES 1. To be able to summarize the authorship, recipients, place, date, purposes, and theme of each book of the Old Testament from Genesis to Esther. 2. To understand and explain the theological setting of each book of the Old Testament from Genesis to Esther. 3. To analyze the theological outline, conclusions, and contemporary teachings of the Old Testament from Genesis to Esther. REQUIRED TEXTS

2 2 Arnold, Bill T. and Bryan E. Beyer. Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey. (EOT) Second Edition. Grand Rapids: Baker Copan, Paul. Is God a Moral Monster?: Making Sense of the Old Testament God. Grand Rapids: Baker, Walton, John H. Chronological Charts of the Old Testament. Revised edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1. Exams [Two Major Tests: 25% of the Grade]: Mid-Semester Exam; Final Exam. The exams must be proctored. 2. Reading Assignments and Weekly Examinations [Daily: 50% of the Grade]: Students are responsible to maintain and follow the reading checklist in the syllabus. Completion of the daily reading assignment is necessary before each class. There will be weekly examinations over the reading. 3. Write A Term Paper on a Topic Approved by the Professor (At Least Pages 12.5% of the Grade) 4. Book Reviews of the One Required Text [12.5% of the Grade] The course grade will be adversely affected if the student does not complete homework assignments or is unprepared to participate in online classwork. One instance will be overlooked. GRADING SCALE Grade point averages are determined on a 12- point grading system. The grade point value of each letter grade is:

3 3 A quality points per semester hour A quality points per semester hour B quality points per semester hour B quality points per semester hour B quality points per semester hour C quality points per semester hour C quality points per semester hour C quality points per semester hour D quality points per semester hour D quality points per semester hour D quality points per semester hour F 69 and below 0.0 quality points per semester hour The 12- point grading scale allows a student to graduate possibly with a perfect 4.0 average. A grade point average of 2.0, however, will constitute the lowest passing average to graduate. Anything below 2.0 will be the basis for probation/suspension purposes. For more detailed information, see the MABTS Catalog. CLASS ATTENDANCE Students are expected to attend class. Refer to the MABTS Catalog for policies concerning class attendance, excused absences, and late arrival to class. Students have a maximum of nine absences during the course term. Three tardy marks are equal to one absence. LATE WORK Unless students have a catalog excuse (illness, medical emergency, family emergency, etc.), their grades will be penalized severely for late work (papers, tests, etc.). Arrangements must be made as soon as possible to make up late work. The student is responsible to get late work to his or her instructor. MEETINGS WITH THE PROFESSOR Students are always welcome to meet with the professor at his office. Of course, it is unlikely that most online students will be able to do this. Please contact the professor at vmcclain@mabtsne.edu with any questions. COURSE SCHEDULE Week Date Class Content

4 4 01 Aug. 21 The Introduction to Old Testament Survey 02 Aug. 26- Sept. 1 An Introduction to the Pentateuch 03 Sept. 2-8 The Book of Genesis 04 Sept The Book of Exodus 05 Sept The Books of Leviticus and Numbers 06 Sept The Book of Deuteronomy 07 Sept. 30- Oct. 6 The Book of Joshua 08 Oct Mid Term Examination The Book of Judges 09 Oct The Book of Ruth 10 Oct The Book of 1 Samuel 11 Oct. 28- Nov. 3 The Book of 2 Samuel 12 Nov The Book of 1 Kings 13 Nov The Book of 2 Kings 14 Nov Thanksgiving Holiday 15 Nov. 25- Dec. 1 The Books of 1 & 2 Chronicles and Ezra 16 Dec. 2-8 The Books of Nehemiah and Esther 17 Dec Finals Week The professor reserves the right to adjust this syllabus and /or schedule as he sees fit. BOOK REVIEW WORKSHEET I. Identification/Theological Bio. List the title, author, and facts of publication. In addition, please give a brief bio that focuses on the books written by the author, the achievements of the author and the theological persuasion of the author.

5 5 II. Thesis. In one paragraph, please give a brief statement of the main idea and conclusion. III. Summary. Give a one-page summary of the contents of the book. Keep in mind the author s purpose in writing. IV. Evaluation. About two pages, include the following: A. How successful was the author in achieving his purpose? B. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the book? 1. Literary Form 2. Persuasiveness 3. Comprehensibility 4. Treatment of Scripture 5. Biases C. What is your opinion of the book? D. Write additional comments you wish to make in evaluating the book that add to your report. SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY For a bibliography of individual biblical books, see the textbook. Introductions and Surveys Anderson, Bernhard W. Understanding the Old Testament. Third Edition. Englewood Clifts, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Anderson, Bernhard W. Understanding the Old Testament. Abridged Fourth Edition. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, Anderson, George W. A Critical Introduction to the Old Testament. London: G. Duckworth, Archer, Gleason L., Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Revised Edition. Chicago: Moody Press, 1994.* 1 Arnold, B. and B. Beyer, Encountering the Old Testament. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008.* Bandstra, Barry L. Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. New York: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Bentzen, Aage. Introduction to the Old Testament. 2 Vols. Copenhagen: G. E. C. Gads Forlag, 1948, 1 An asterisk indicates a conservative work. Not all conservative works are marked with an asterisk.

6 1949. Berry, Donald K. An Introduction to Wisdom and Poetry of the Old Testament. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1994.* Bewer, Julius August. The Literature of the Old Testament. Revised Edition. New York: Columbia University Press, Bullock, C. Hassell. An Introduction to the Old Testament Poetic Books. Chicago: Moody Press, 1986.* Cate, Robert L. An Introduction to the Historical Books of the Old Testament. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, Childs, Brevard S. Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, Cornill, C. H. Introduction to the Canonical Books of the Old Testament. Trans. G. H. Box. London: Williams and Norgate, Craigie, Peter C. The Old Testament: Its Background, Growth, and Content. Nashville: Abingdon Press, Dillard, Raymond B. and Tremper Longman III. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.* Drane, John. Introducing the Old Testament. San Francisco: Harper and Row, Publishers, Driver, S.R. An Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament. Revised edition; New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, Eissfeldt, Otto. The Old Testament: An Introduction. Trans. Peter R. Ackroyd. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, Flanders, H., Jr., R. Crapps, D. Smith. People of the Covenant: An Introduction to the Old Testament. 3d Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Fohrer, Georg. Introduction to the Old Testament. Translated by D. Green. Nashville: Abingdon, Francisco, Clyde T. Introducing the Old Testament. Revised edition. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1977.* Geisler, Norman L. A Popular Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977.* Gottwald, Norman Karol. A Light to the Nations: An Introduction to the Old Testament. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, Gray, George Buchanan. A Critical Introduction to the Old Testament. London: G. Duckworth, Harrelson, Walter. Interpreting the Old Testament. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., Harrison, R. K. Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969.* Hayes, John H. An Introduction to Old Testament Study. Nashville: Abingdon, Hill, Andrew E. and John H. Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991.* Hummel, Horace D. The Word Becoming Flesh: An Introduction to the Origin, Purpose, and Meaning of the Old Testament. St. Louis: Concordia, 1979.* Humphreys, W. Lee. Crisis and Story: An Introduction to the Old Testament. 2d ed. Mountain View, Ca.: Mayfield, Jensen, Irving L. Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1978.* Kaiser, O. Introduction to the Old Testament. Trans. J. Sturdy. Minneapolis: Augsburg, Keil, C. F. Introduction to the Old Testament. 2 Vols. Trans. G. Douglas. Reprint. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 1988.* LaSor, W. S., D. Hubbard, F. Bush. Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995 (?). Merrill, E., M. Rooker, and M. Grisanti. The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament, Nashville: B&H, Oesterley, W. O. E. and T.H. Robinson. An Introduction to the Books of the Old Testament. New York: MacMillan, Pfeiffer, Robert H. Introduction to the Old Testament. Reprint. London: A and C Black, The Books of the Old Testament. New York: Harper, Raven, J. H. Old Testament Introduction: General and Special. New York: F. H. Revell, 1906, 1910.* Rowley, H. H. The Growth of the Old Testament. New York: Harper and Row, Schmidt, W. H. Old Testament Introduction. 2d. Trans. M. O Connell with D. Reimer. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, Schultz, S. J. The Old Testament Speaks. 3d Edition. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1980.* Sellin, Ernst. Introduction to the Old Testament. Trans. W. Montgomery. London: Hodder and Stoughton Limited,

7 7 Smith, Gary V. The Prophets as Preachers: An Introduction to the Hebrew Prophets. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1994.* Soggin, J. A. Introduction to the Old Testament. Old Testament Library. Rev. Edition. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, Unger, Merrill F. Introductory Guide to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1951.* Watts, J. Wash. Old Testament Teaching. Nashville: Broadman, 1967.* Weiser, Artur. Introduction to the Old Testament. Trans. Dorothea M. Barton. 4th Edition. London: Darton, Longman and Todd, Westermann, Claus. Handbook to the Old Testament. Trans. Robert H. Boyd. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, Willmington, Harold L. Willmington's Survey of the Old Testament. Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications Inc., 1987.* Young, Edward J. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Revised Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964.* Old Testament Histories Bright, John. A History of Israel. Third edition. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, Cate, Robert L. These Sought A Country. Nashville: Broadman Press, Free, Joseph P. Archaeology and Bible History. Revised by Howard Vos. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.* Harrison, R.K. Old Testament Times. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970.* Kaiser, W. A History of Israel. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1998.* Merrill, Eugene H. Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987.* Miller, J. Maxwell and John H. Hayes. A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, Pfeiffer, Charles F. Old Testament History. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973.* Price, Randall. The Stones Cry Out. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest, 1997.* Soggin, J. Alberto. A History of Ancient Israel. Trans. John Bowden. Philadelphia: Westminster, Wood, Leon. A Survey of Israel's History. Revised by David O'Brien. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986.* Other Helpful Works Archer, Gleason L. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982.* Archer, Gleason L. and G. Chirichigno. Old Testament Quotations in the New Testament: A Complete Survey. Chicago: Moody, 1983.* Armerding, Carl E. The Old Testament and Criticism. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.* Bratcher, R., ed. Old Testament Quotations in the New Testament. 3d Revised Edition. London: United Bible Societies, Brotzman, Ellis R. Old Testament Textual Criticism. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994.* Corley, B., S. Lemke and G. Lovejoy, eds. Biblical Hermeneutics. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1996.* Dockery, D., K. Mathews, and R. Sloan, eds. Foundations for Biblical Interpretation. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1994.* Farris, T. V. Mighty to Save. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1993.* Gaebelein, Frank E., ed. The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Introductory Articles. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979.* Kaiser, Walter C. Toward Rediscovering The Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1987.*. Hard Sayings of the Old Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1988.* Kaiser, Walter C. More Hard Sayings of the Old Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1992.*. The Messiah in the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.* Kitchen, K. A. Ancient Orient and Old Testament. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1966.*

8 . The Bible in Its World: The Bible and Archaeology Today. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity, 1978.* Sandy, D. and R. Giese, eds. Cracking Old Testament Codes: A Guide to Interpreting the Literary Forms of the Old Testament. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1995.* Smith, Marsha A. Ellis. Holman Book of Biblical Charts, Maps, and Reconstructions. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1993.* Thompson, Alden. Who's Afraid of the Old Testament God? Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1989.* VanGemeren, W., ed. New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. 5 Vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997.* Walton, J., V. Matthews, M. Chavalas, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, Walton, John H. Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.* Wood, Leon J. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976.* 8