Hermeneutics – NBST 610

Course Description

An advanced course in hermeneutics including a study of the history of interpretation, both biblical and extra-biblical, and an examination of the current status of various interpretive approaches to the Scriptures.

Rationale

Believers from all realms of life need the ability to interpret God’s Word correctly. Pastors, associate pastors, and teachers need these abilities to develop expository sermons and lessons. Those in other fields, such as counseling, business, and education, need these abilities in order to integrate biblical truths with the principles and hypotheses of people in their fields. All believers need hermeneutical skills in order to identify and defend against heretical teachings and to grow in their Christian lives. Believers also need to recognize that there may be more than one plausible interpretation of a biblical passage, and be willing to show tolerance and acceptance when others interpret Scriptures differently than they do. It is important that believers hold to their theories tentatively, so that they are willing to change their opinions when new biblical data would warrant doing so.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (6)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must respond to 1 question (unless otherwise instructed) selected from the provided list and include at least 400 words for each question. For each thread, the student must support his or her assertions with at least 3 citations from at least 2 different sources in current Turabian format. Acceptable sources include the Bible, textbooks, video lectures, scholarly articles, and online sources approved by the instructor. In addition to the thread, the student must reply to 2 classmate’s threads for 5 of the discussions. For Discussion: Overview of Class Reading, the student must reply to at least 1 classmate's thread. Each reply must be at least 200 words. For each reply, no sources are needed, but if used, must be cited properly in current Turabian format. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Book Critique Assignment

The student will write a 1,250–2,500-word book critique of Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes. The critique must include a summary of the book and be in current Turabian format. (CLO: A, D)

Exegetical Paper Assignments (3)

The student will choose 1 passage from the list provided in the course and will write an Exegetical Paper on the chosen passage. The paper will be submitted in various iterations throughout the course. The list of the iterations are as follows: 

Exegetical Paper: Passage Outline and Background Assignment

The student will write a research paper of between 5-10 double spaced pages. There should be at least 7 scholarly sources included in this assignment.

Exegetical Paper: Biblical Map and Application Assignment

The student will write a research paper of between 5-10 double spaced pages. There should be at least 7 scholarly sources included in this assignment.

Exegetical Paper: Final Assignment

The final assignment will be a culmination of all the other parts of the assignment. Therefore, it is important that students take the feedback from the instructor of the course and make suggested changes to the paper throughout the course. The paper must be 2,500 – 4,250 words, e.g., 10 to 17 pages and include at least seven (7) scholarly sources. Specific assignment instructions can be found in Canvas. (CLO: B, C, D)