Writings – OBST 860

Course Description

A study of select portions of the Old Testament Writings, including the Psalter, wisdom literature, Daniel, Lamentations, and the narratives of Ruth, Esther, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles. The course includes a treatment of diverse introductory issues and the hermeneutical principles associated with the Psalter and wisdom literature. The course engages with current evangelical scholarship on critical issues that relate to the study of the Writings. Special emphasis is placed on biblical theological motifs within the diverse books that comprise the Writings, and expositional strategies to integrate standard exegesis with biblical theological awareness.

Prerequisites:

OBST 800

Rationale

The Old Testament collection of books known as the “Writings” represents a broad swatch of Old Testament history, literary substance reflected in diverse genres, and theological motifs that lead to a full biblical theology. Students pursuing the PhD in Bible Exposition must be coversant with issues in the study of the Writings and should demonstrate an ability to integrate these diverse Old Testament books into the ministry of teaching the Scriptures.

Course Assignment

Course Requirements Checklist

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

The student will complete 6 Discussions in this course. The student will post one thread of at least 1000 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Thursday of the assigned Module: Week. The student must then post 3 replies of at least 250 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the assigned Module: Week. For each thread, students must support their assertions with at least 3 scholarly citations in Turabian format. Each reply should also incorporate scholarly citations if appropriate to the context. (CLOs: B, C, D)

Students will submit a title page, abstract, outline, and bibliography for their research paper. Having decided on a topic, students will in this assignment submit a title page, abstract, outline and bibliography that allows faculty feedback prior to the final submission of the research paper. The goal in this submission is twofold: 1) to force progress and spread out the writing process across modules within the term, and 2) to facilitate faculty feedback and direction as needed while the paper is still being composed.

In a single document, students will submit a title page, abstract, outline, and bibliography. The assignment length should be 500 to 1000 words. In the development of the bibliography, as determined by the topic, students should include 10 to 20 academic sources in their research, including but not limited to academic commentaries, journal articles, and monographs. Turabian format is required for this assignment, and is especially relevant to the title page and bibliography. (CLOs: A, E)

In the Ph.D in Bible Exposition, writing and research at the course level is at the core of academic development leading to the point of competency for dissertation writing. The research paper in OBST 860 is an opportunity for students to select a topic of choice within the “Writings,” and thoroughly research that topic to considerable depth. The research paper should include a clear thesis statement that is thoroughly supported by an examination of content and relevant source material.

Choosing a topic that reflects exegetical, theological, historical, or literary interests from within the “Writings,” students will write a 20 to 25 page double spaced research paper following standard Turabian format. Students will choose their topic (with faculty direction), research the topic, and develop and defend a thesis through the course of their writing. The development of this research paper should begin near the start of the 8 week term, with research and writing taking place throughout the class.

Research is an important component in this assignment, and as determined by the topic, students should utilize 10 to 20 academic sources in their research, including but not limited to academic commentaries, journal articles, and monographs. (CLOs: A, E)