Copyright © 2019 by Regent College. Unauthorized reproduction of this material is prohibited by law. REGENT COLLEGE Distance Education BIBL 615: BOOK STUDY: JUDGES / RUTH Summer 2019 Lecturer: Professor Emeritus Bruce K. Waltke Instructor: Drew Lewis, [email protected] 2 or 3 Graduate Credit Hours Course website: https://moodle.regent-college.edu/course/ Your start date: May 13, 2019 Your due date: November 13, 2019 Recommended: BIBL 501 Old Testament Foundations; BIBL 503 Biblical Exegesis and Interpretation; and LANG 500 Perspectives on Biblical Languages or equivalent. 600 level courses are usually more advanced and focused than 500 level courses and generally assume the completion of some theological studies. THIS COURSE IS OFFERED IN A COHORT FORMAT WITH WEEKLY ONLINE DISCUSSIONS COURSE DESCRIPTION In this course the lecturer exposits the books of Judges and Ruth with the aim of showing their meaning to Israel and their relevance to the Church today. These books cover the time when judges ruled the kingdom of God and the kingdom fell into anarchy. Amazingly, the writer of Hebrews celebrates these flawed heroes from Israel’s Dark Ages as exemplary heroes of the faith. The books’ narrator, through brilliant literary techniques, presents this history and through enthralling biographies shapes the people of God. This course aims to analyse their techniques to let their message be inscribed on the student’s heart. COURSE OBJECTIVES to know God personally through the books of Judges and Ruth to know self through remembering salvation history from the time of the judges to know the contents of the books of Judges and Ruth to inscribe the messages of these books on the student’s heart to make the student more proficient in readling biblical narrative and doing biblical theology DE BIBL 615 Summer 2019 Page 1 of 10 Revised on February 6, 2019 Copyright © 2019 by Regent College. Unauthorized reproduction of this material is prohibited by law. COURSE OUTLINE WEEK DATES LECTURE NOTES LECTURE POSTS DUE Introduction to course & Deuteronomic history 1 May 13-17 Reading: An Old Testament Theology, pp. 55-58 A May 16 (discussion is mandatory) Hermeneutics and narrative theology 2 May 20-24 Reading: An Old Testament Theology, pp. 78-125 B May 23 (discussion is mandatory) Introduction to Judges May 27-31 May 30 3 Reading: Judges 1-2 C Othniel, Ehud and Deborah June 3-7 June 6 4 Reading: Judges 3-5 D 5 June 10-14 READING WEEK I (no lectures or discussions) Gideon June 17-21 June 20 6 Reading: Judges 6-9 E “Minor Judges” and Jephtah June 24-28 June 27 7 Reading: Judges 10-12 F Sampson July 1-5 July 4 8 Reading: Judges 13-16 G Priests July 8-12 July 11 9 Reading: Judges 17-21 H 10 July 15-19 READING WEEK II (no lectures or discussions) Ruth July 22-26 July 25 11 Reading: Ruth 1-4 I Ruth July 29 - Aug 2 Aug 1 12 Class Participation J ASSIGNMENTS 1. Online Discussion Students must contribute substantively to the online forums on the Regent College Moodle site. Each week there will be an online discussion based on the lectures for that week. You should contribute to discussions each week; minimally, you are required to make substantial contributions to at least 9 of the 12 weekly discussions; these should involve both responses to the original question from the course Instructor and responses to other students’ comments. While substance is more important than length, think in terms of about 250 words per week as a minimum. The purpose of the online forums is to promote genuine discussion of the issues. Thus, you are encouraged to contribute to the notice boards freely, asking questions, raising issues, consider practical implications, responding to other students, etc. Assessment will be based on how well you demonstrate your understanding of the course material (lectures and readings), of issues that arise from that material, and of your ability to communicate clearly. DUE DATE: Weekly as lectures are completed 2. Readings Prior to listening to each lecture, students are to read the assigned pages in An Old Testament Theology or scripture passage to be covered that lecture. Additionally, students enrolled for 3 credit hours are to read pages 36-104 from Iain Provan, V. Philips Long, Tremper Longman III, A Biblical History of Israel (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003). DE BIBL 615 Summer 2019 Page 2 of 10 Revised on February 6, 2019 Copyright © 2019 by Regent College. Unauthorized reproduction of this material is prohibited by law. 3. Critical Review (3cr only – see appendix I) Students will write a critical review of pages 36-104 of A Biblical History. The review should devote about 300 words to presenting their view of historiography and 300 words each on its strengths and weaknesses (total length: 900-1000 words). DUE DATE: November 13, 2019 4. Exam (see appendix II) Students must restrict themselves to two hours in writing the exam and may use an unmarked Bible, but not the An Old Testament Theology. Below are potential exam questions (this is not an exhaustive list and the exam will include questions not listed here): What is the relationship between illumination and scientific exegesis (Your discussion should include a consideration of the nature of the Bible and of the tools employed in the exegetical task). How will these reflections impact your devotional use of the Bible. How does the lecturer’s resolution of the tensions between the nature and scope of Israel’s conquest of the land under Joshua’s leadership and under the judges impact your life. (Your discussion should include among other things an analysis of the tension, an explanation why Joshua did not annihilate the nations in the Promised Land, and the function of the theology of the land within biblical theology.) How does the lecturer’s explanation of the function of Judges function within the Deuteronomic history impact your relationship to Jesus Christ and his Church? (Your answer should include a discussion of the evidence that Judges is a part of a putative Deuteronomic history, of the Deuteronomist’s evaluative point of view toward the best form of government in Israel, of the narratees and implied audience of this composition, and an exegesis of Judges 8:23.) Discuss how the Deuteronomist’s biographies of Gideon, or Jephthah, or Samson impact your life in relationship to Jesus Christ and his Church. (Your discussion should include an analysis of the narrator’s literary techniques to show the evaluative viewpoints of their lives and a comparison of his viewpoint with that of the writer of Hebrews [11:32].) How does Ruth’s role in salvation history instruct you in your role in establishing the kingdom of God? (Using the techniques of literary criticism, your discussion should include among other things the role of Providence, the development of Ruth’s character in the unfolding of the plot, and her contribution to salvation history.) DUE DATE: November 13, 2019 5. Critical Review of a Commentary on Judges (see appendix I) Students are to choose a commentary on Judges/Ruth from the following. Your critical appraisal should be about 2500 words (approx. 10 pages), divided equally into three parts: an analysis of the book’s content and an appraisal of the book’s strengths and weaknesses. *Block, Daniel. Judges and Ruth (NAC; Broadman & Holman, 1999). *Younger, Lawson. Judges and Ruth (NIVAC; Zondervan, 2002) DUE DATE: November 13, 2019 ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS / TIME INVESTMENT 2 cr WORDS EVALUATION 3 cr WORDS EVALUATION Lectures 20 hrs 20 hrs Online Discussion 15 hrs 15% 15 hrs 15% Reading (Including exam preparation) 23 hrs 43 hrs Critical Review of A Biblical History (3 credits only) 25 hrs 1000 w 15% Critical Review of a Commentary 30 hrs 2500 w 30% 30 hrs 2500 w 25% Final Examination 2 hrs 55% 2 hrs 45% TOTAL 90 hrs 100% 135 hrs 100% Please note: The amount of time taken by students will vary. This information is intended to be used as an approximation for planning purposes. NB: The Course Evaluation Survey is to be done by your due date. DE BIBL 615 Summer 2019 Page 3 of 10 Revised on February 6, 2019 Copyright © 2019 by Regent College. Unauthorized reproduction of this material is prohibited by law. REGISTRAR’S NOTES Note that while every effort is made to ensure that assignments do not go missing, students are strongly advised to keep a copy of all course work in the event that resubmission is required. Late Policy All assignments are due by the final due date unless earlier due dates are indicated on this syllabus. For every week or part thereof that your course requirements are submitted late, there will be a deduction of a third of a letter grade per assignment accordingly. Course Evaluations Course evaluations are an essential way for the College to measure and improve the effectiveness of its courses. Submitting a course evaluation is considered a requirement of this course. Extensions of one week can be requested via the Course Instructor, contact the Registrar’s office for longer extensions. Extensions will be granted only in cases of demonstrated and unforeseen emergency and may be subject to a grade penalty. The deadline for applying for an extension for assignments is the due date of those assignments. Academic Honour Regent College upholds the highest standards of academic responsibility as part of our commitment to Christ in all of life. Students are required to familiarize themselves especially with the discussion of “Academic Integrity” in the College Catalogue. BIBLIOGRAPHY Required Reading: The Biblical text: the books of Judges and Ruth Bruce Waltke with Charles Yu, An Old Testament Theology (Zondervan, 2007), pp.