TRS 097 - The Bible and Its Interpretation

Lower Division

As this course’s title implies, the objective of this class is twofold. First and foremost, its goal is to facilitate a direct engagement with the Bible, the sacred scriptures for the Jewish and Christian faiths. Through its stories, teachings, practices, and rituals, the Bible plays a critical role in the formation of Jewish and Christian senses of identity and vision while also supplying the normative challenge for how they should live. Second, while introducing students to the most important events, themes, and characters in the Bible, this course aims to give students the opportunity to practice using scholarly tools, methods, and lenses for reading and interpretation. Since the text is inevitably interpreted, even by those who say they are simply letting the text speak for itself, this course will help students learn to identify the interpretive assumptions used by various communities throughout the centuries and today, skills that will serve students well in many areas of study and thought.

Core Curriculum Designation(s)
CF - Christian Foundations

Course credits: 1