BTH 110: God s Love for People: Considering the Old Testament 3 Credit Hours Elmer Chen, M.A. Fall Semester, 2011

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1 Revised September 6, 2011 BTH 110: God s Love for People: Considering the Old Testament 3 Credit Hours Elmer Chen, M.A. Fall Semester, 2011 I. Course Description The Old Testament, or Old Covenant, is the story of God s dealings with his creation and his old covenant people Israel. It is the foundation for a Christian worldview as well as the basis for the message of the gospel and for an adequate understanding of the New Testament. This course provides an overview of the history and literature of the Old Testament, equipping students to receive these sacred scriptures as a rich resource for faith, worship, life, and ministry. II. Learning Outcomes A. Primary Student Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Place the events of the Old Testament in their historical context. 2. Identify the basic geographical areas and prominent locations referred to in the Old Testament. 3. Take an informed approach to reading each part of the Old Testament devotionally. B. Learning Objectives Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Cognitive (knowledge): a. Explain the chronology of Old Testament events as a framework for reading each book in the Old Testament. b. Identify the various genres contained in the Old Testament books and approach them appropriately. c. Understand the overarching theological themes of the Old Testament. 2. Affective (values): a. Embrace Old Testament exemplars of faith as their personal role models. b. Appreciate the Old Testament as God s self-revelation through historical events and literature. c. Identify with the community of faith in spite of contextual differences. 3. Conative (skills/application): a. Interpret narrative, poetic and prophetic portions in historical and literary context. b. Apply Old Testament truth to kingdom living.

2 III. Relationship to Eston College s Mission Statement, Student Learning Goals, and Program Objectives Since the Old Testament is a large portion of God s revelation to people, understanding the content and the implications of God s work in the past will contribute to the student s ability to enter into a deeper relationship with God today. As students meet the people of God from past centuries, they will identity opportunities and obstacles for growing in spiritual maturity. Knowledge of God s character as displayed in his relationship with people and actions in history will contribute to the development of a Christian worldview. IV. Integrative Nature Since the Old Testament is an ancient text, students will become aware of the dynamics of historiography, archaeology and literary criticism as they are introduced to current debates over the value of the text. Support for the authority of the text will provide confidence for students to live faithfully in relationship to the God who has no shifting or shadow of change in his character. V. Procedures A. Written Assignments Students should refer to the Format Guide for proper formatting. Assignments may be handed in early, but must be handed in by 5 pm on the date they are due whether or not you are on campus. Late assignments will be penalized according to the College Catalogue (pp ). Assignments must be printed and submitted to the main office. If you will be away from the college at the time it is due, but unable to complete the assignment before leaving, you may the assignment on the due date and submit a hard copy upon your return. My is: echen@estoncollege.ca. It is your responsibility to read and follow carefully the instructions for each assignment. If you have any questions regarding an assignment, please feel free to ask. B. Return of Assignment The Faculty of Eston College values quality education. To facilitate this we are committed to make every attempt to return corrected assignments to students within two weeks. Please remember this will not always be possible as the nature and size of assignments varies greatly, but whenever possible this will be our goal. C. Academic Integrity Any evidence of cheating or plagiarism results in a zero for the assignment or quiz and jeopardizes passing of the course (See Academic Misconduct Policy in the College Catalogue, 31-32). D. Class Attendance and Participation Class attendance is mandatory and will affect your ability to perform well on your assignments and exam. Students are advised to read the relevant materials in the textbook before class. Please feel free to bring relevant questions and comments on the class material or readings. Making an effort to engage with the content will help you to gain the maximum benefit from this class. 2

3 E. Special Needs If you have a known learning difficulty, you are invited to discuss this with the professor in order to maximize the value of this course. Obviously, this discussion should occur early in the term and an appointment can be made with the professor. VI. Course Evaluation Time Investment and Grade Distribution: In-Class Instruction 36 hours Bible Readings 27 hours 10% His Story Assignment 24 hours 35% Personal Reflection Journal 2 hours 15% Weekly Quizzes (10) 2 hours 10% Final Exam 4 hours 30% Total: 95 hours A. Assignments N.B.: It is your responsibility to read and follow carefully the instructions for each assignment as you work on it and before you hand it in. 1. Bible Readings A Bible reading schedule will be distributed in class. You will be responsible to read according to this schedule in order to prepare yourself for class participation and weekly quizzes. You will submit a statement of your readings three times during the semester (form provided). Please note: the numbers on your statement will not directly correspond to your grade for the assignment. [E.g. Completion: 3/10, Pace: 8/10, Thoroughness: 10/10 does not amount to 21/30 on this assignment.] Due Dates: Oct. 13, Nov. 14, Dec Weekly Quizzes In 10 of the 12 weeks of the semester, there will be a quiz on Wednesday at 1:15 pm based on materials covered since the previous quiz. If you keep up with other components of the course (i.e. readings, reflection, class participation) you should require very little study time to do well on these quizzes. 3. His Story The description for this assignment will be handed out in class. Part I: Beginnings 1000 words October 28 10% Part II: Statehood 1500 words December 2 15% Part III: Exile & Restoration 500 words December 12 10% Option: If you prefer, you may submit this assignment as a one-part assignment covering the entire Old Testament period, divided into three sections. If you wish to do so, you must notify the professor in writing no later than October 14. The assignment would be due on December 12. It is to your advantage to submit this assignment in three parts. You will benefit from the feedback you receive on your earlier submissions. 3

4 4. Personal Reflection Journal As you progress through the Bible readings, keep a journal of the devotional thoughts and insights you gain. Be sure to record the specific verses or passages that stimulate these reflections. I would urge you to pray through these insights. At the end of the semester, compile and submit your journal. As a rough guideline, you should write about 10 well-spaced entries amounting to 3 4 pages. I would recommend writing a paragraph once a week. This journal should evidence your ability to draw personal application from the Old Testament. Due: Friday, December 9. VII. Tentative Schedule Date Topic Evaluation/Assignments September 19 Introduction 21 Introduction to the Pentateuch: Genesis Covenant and Patriarchs: Genesis Movement into Egypt: Genesis October 3 The Deliverance of Yahweh: Exodus The Presence of Yahweh: Exodus Living as a Holy People: Leviticus 13 [No Class] Due: Reading Statement 1 17 Festival of Missions no class 19 In the Wilderness: Numbers 24 Covenant Renewal: Deuteronomy 26 Introduction to Hebrew History/The Conquest of the Land: Joshua 28 [No Class] Due: His Story - Beginnings 31 The Darkness and the Light: Judges and Ruth November 2 The Kingdom Established: 1 Samuel 7-9 Reading Break no class 14 United Monarchy: 2 Samuel, 1 Kings

5 16 ETS Annual Meeting no class Due: Reading Statement 2 21 Division, Decline, and Destruction: 1 Kings 12 2 Kings Restoration: Ezra-Nehemiah, Chronicles [and Esther] 28 Introduction to the Prophets, Pre-Exilic Prophets 30 Exilic and Post-Exilic Prophets December 2 [No Class] Due: His Story Statehood 5 Apocalyptic Literature: Daniel/Zechariah 7 Introduction to Poetry: Psalms 9 [No Class] Due: Reading Statement 3, Reflection Journal 12 Wisdom Literature: Prov, Eccl, Job [and Song] Due: His Story Exile & Restoration 14 Catch-up/Wrap-up VIII. Bibliography Required Textbook: Your Bible a modern version e.g. English Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, etc. Supplementary Bibliography Arnold, Bill T. and Bryan E. Beyer. Encountering the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, Bimson, J.J. The New Bible Atlas. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, Brueggemann, Walter. Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, Dillard, Raymond B. and Tremper Longman III. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapid: Zondervan Publishing House, Freeman, James M. Manners and Customs of the Bible A Complete Guide to the Origin and Significance of Our Time-honored Biblical Tradition. Plainfield, NJ: Logos International,

6 Hauer, Christian E. and William A. Young. An Introduction to the Bible: A Journey into Three Worlds Fourth Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Hill, Andrew E. and John H. Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. 3 rd edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, Lee-Thorp, Karen. The Story of Stories: The Story of God and His People from Creation to Revelation. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, Merrill, Eugene H. An Historical Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, Mears, Henrietta C. What the Bible is All About. Glendale, CA: Regal Books Division, G/L Publications, Miller, Ted. The Story. Wheaton ILL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Packer, J.I. Knowing God. Toronto: Hodder and Stoughton, The World of the Old Testament. Nashville, TE: Thomas Nelson, Inc., Pilch, John J. and Bruce J. Malina, ed. Handbook of Biblical Social Values. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Provan, Iain, V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman III. A Biblical History of Israel. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, Regal Books. The Bible Visual Resource Book. Ventura: Regal Books, Richter, Sandra L. The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, Tate, W. Randolph. Biblical Interpretation: An integrated Approach, Revised Edition. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Tullock, John H. The Old Testament Story. Revised by Mark McEntire. Seventh Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Waltke, Bruce K. with Charles Yu. An Old Testament Theology: an exegetical, canonical, and thematic approach. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, Wilkinson, Bruce and Kenneth Boa. Talk Through the Bible. Nashville, TE: Thomas Nelson Inc., Yancey, Philip. The Bible Jesus Read. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,