BS-502 Hermeneutics

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COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is the foundational course for all other Bible & theology courses taught at Kairos University. This course sets forth the basic principles and insights by which we interpret the Bible soundly. There will be initial lectures, plus practice assignments for developing practical skills, and class discussion, along with quizzes and a final exam.

The graduate-level version of this course (BS 502) goes beyond the basic principles and the primary practical skills for reading the Bible soundly. It develops a more carefully considered framework which addresses why some interpretive approaches are more sound than others. It will equip the student to be able to identify approaches that are not sound, to explain why they are not, and to better understand and be able to explain the characteristics which make for a sound interpretive approach. For graduate students, there will be additional reading, two additional assignments, additional handouts, and one or two more additional Zoom sessions.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

The goal of this course is for students to be able read and interpret the Bible soundly, and so to be able to feed themselves and others spiritually.

This course will equip students with fundamental insights concerning how we interpret the Bible, and why. It will stress and illustrate the importance of insights such as the following:

• What is the context of the passage we are reading?

  (This is vital in passages like Romans 2 and Romans 14.)

• Is the language in a passage straight-forward, or is it figurative?

  (For example: Does God sleep? Ps 44:23 sounds like He does… but does He?)

• What do the words mean?

  (Especially terms such as "justification" and "sanctification.")

• What events and earlier books in the Bible set the stage for understanding the passage I am looking at now?

  (This is essential for making sense of the Old Testament.)

• How does a basic knowledge of the culture and customs of the times in which the Bible was written help shed light on the meaning of the text? This includes items such as:

  – The pagan understanding of the cosmos (in contrast to a biblical understanding). – What is a covenant, and how do covenants function? – How Greek culture and Roman government affected the Jews at the time of Jesus. – The Jewish culture into which Jesus spoke.

The course will set forth these insights, will illustrate them from Scripture, and then will give the student practice on multiple passages. Mastering these insights will give students increasing confidence that they can read the Scriptures soundly, which is foundational to everything we do in the Christian faith and life.

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COURSE TEXTBOOK / REQUIRED READING

• Our main textbooks will be the Bible and the extensive class handouts.

• A Reading Schedule / Reading Report will be provided.

• Required Reading:

  • All course handouts.
  • The Reading Report: 200 designated chapters from the Bible.
  • Grad Students: Approx. 200 pages of reading from Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Klein, Blomberg and Hubbard (Zondervan Publishers).

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COURSE PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

Print out the Class Handouts, for Taking Notes:

Students are expected to print out the handouts that are provided for the course. The handouts are designed for you to take notes on them. The video lectures will closely follow the handouts. The questions on the quizzes and exam will come directly from the lectures and the corresponding handouts.

Watch the Recorded Video Lectures:

There are 18 video lectures for this course. Students are required to watch all of the video lectures. Again, the questions on the quizzes and exam will come directly from the lectures.

Participate in the Live Group Online Sessions:

Students are expected to participate in all the live group online sessions (Zoom) unless they are ill, or there is a work conflict, or a family emergency. There will be five such Zoom sessions. Attending the Zoom session when it meets is worth 5 points for each session. The sessions will be recorded and made available to the class. Students who miss a live session are required to watch the recording of that session.

For graduate students there will be one or two additional required Zoom sessions.

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GRADES AND GRADING SCALE

Grades will be based on the following: