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SECTION ONE:
Text and Transmission of the Bible
 Dead Sea Scroll Manuscript (4QpHos[a]; Commentary on the biblical book, Hosea)
Relevant Links:
Biblical Art on the WWW
U.S. Library of Congress Exhibit -- Religion and the Founding of the American Republic
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COURSE OVERVIEW
Why Take a Course in Bible?
Students need to know not only the basic tenets of the major world religions but also the Old and New Testaments in order to participate effectively within western society. Such is the opinion of Stephen Prothero, chair of the religion department at Boston University and author of Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know – and Doesn’t (Harper San Francisco, Calif.: San Francisco, 2007). The Bible and Christianity helped shape western culture, and particularly American culture; we see allusions to the Bible every day, perhaps most notably in American politics.
*Library of Congress Webcast
The Bible in American Public Life 1860-2005
Course Catalogue Description
Religion 201 Bible and Western Culture (1/3 Credit)
Prerequisite: None.
This course introduces the literature of the Bible and examines its influence on the heritage of western civilization. The primary emphasis will be to familiarize students with the Old and New Testaments; however topics such as the formation of the biblical canon, textual criticism, Bible translation and methods of interpretation also will be discussed. Secondary emphasis will include discussion of the biblical worldview and its impact on the history, art, literature, architecture, jurisprudence, and other aspects of western culture.
Method of Approach for Spring 2008
My approaches to the spring course will be historical, literary, and cultural. Students not only will explore the major stories and motifs of the Old and New Testaments but also will examine the reciprocity of influences shared between biblical literature and western society. I will introduce such topics as the formation of the biblical canon, textual criticism, Bible translation, and methods of historical-criticism in addition to walking students through select Bible passages. I also will demonstrate through examination of relevant cultural samples how the Bible has shaped western values on the one hand, and how on the other, cultural developments in the West have influenced the way the biblical story has been told. |
