An examination of the various components in the study of religion including myths, rituals, mystical experiences, theologies, ethics and current issues. Examples will be taken from the sacred texts, rituals and the lives of religious personalities in traditions around the world. A study of selected texts from the books of Genesis-Malachi that will examine their literary, historical and theological dimensions from the perspective of their ancient Israelite and Judahite contexts. Introduction to the Literature and Religion of the New Testament. A study of the faith of the New Testament community as reflected in its literature including the Gospels, Acts and Letters of Paul.
Attention is given to the development of tradition and problems of interpretation.
Intermediate Biblical Hebrew. 3 credits each semester. An intensive reading course. Selections from the Massoretic text of the Bible. An introduction to the critical apparatus used within the Massoretic text and the variant reading apparatus printed in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.