The Pentateuch
Module Code: 512TP Credits: 10 Contact Hours: 30 Level: 5 Lecturer: Seamus Mulholland OFM
Syllabus
This module will have as its content the first five books of the Bible. It will deal, as far as possible, with actual texts. The Exodus, as the foundation event of the people of Israel, will be treated first, as this colours the whole self-understanding of Israel. The idea of Torah as teaching or instruction rather than simply as Law will be an important element in the study.
The creation narratives in Genesis will be treated in detail, against the background of why they were written, and some ancestral narratives will be examined. Aspects of the Holiness Code in Leviticus will be studied, as will the wilderness wanderings in numbers. The final part of the course will be an examination of the theology of Deuteronomy.
The question of different ‘literary sources’ as laid out in Graf-Wellhausen will be brought out in the course of the study, rather than isolation and this will be critically examined in the light of present research. Some elements of ancient Babylonian and Canaanite myth will be explored so as to situate elements of the Pentateuchal literature in their contemporary sitz im leben. And there will be some study of 2nd millennium BC suzerainty treaties and a treatment of the Code of Hammurabi when dealing with Covenant and Law.
Aims
- to encourage reading of the actual Biblical text, rather than simply books about it
- to give an importance of a knowledge of the Pentateuch
- to encourage an interest in the Pentateuch itself beyond the module
- to acquaint students with extra-biblical literature that helped shaped the Pentateuch
- to re-examine theories of construction in the light of contemporary research
Assessment
This part of the module will be assessed by a 2,000 word essay (+/- 10%)
Evaluation
Student Evaluation Form at end of Module
Teaching Methods
This module is taught through lectures and close exegesis of biblical texts
Knowledge and Understanding
By the end of this module students will have:
- examined the main themes of the Pentateuch
- an understanding of God?s free election of Israel, God?s saving action towards Israel.
- an understanding the complexities of the Covenant and its nature
- an understanding of the Pentateuch as a centrally important Biblical text
Subject Specific Skills
- understanding of key ideas in Pentateuchal literature
- knowledge of the meaning and importance of significant events e.g. Exodus, Covenant, giving of the Law
- ability to interpret, analyse and critically evaluate and comment on important passages of the Pentateuch
Transferable Skills
By the end of this module students will have demonstrated an ability:
- to form independent opinions and demonstrate an ability to use evidence appropriately to support conclusions
- to display an ability to distinguish between fact and opinion on the Pentateuch, and be able to make appropriate choices from primary/secondary sources
- to situate their argument in the light of contemporary scholarship
- to contribute confidently to group/class discussions
- to communicate the module content in a balanced manner to others e.g. members of the student’s religious community
- to select appropriate passages from the Pentateuch for work with liturgical/spiritual with groups.
sending...
