(final contents to be negotiated during first class
sessions)
Spring Semester, 2003; Mondays,
David Frederickson, BH 104d,
x327
David Lose, NW 241, x455
Exercises in Biblical
Theology is a study of the Bible as a
living Word that informs the imaginative framework through which we encounter
the world and engage in Christian ministry. Through lectures, case studies, and
field work, students and instructors engage in doing biblical theology in the
context of the practice of ministry, including such specifics as the care of
souls, moral deliberation and action, community formation and conflict,
evangelism, and mission.
If one believes that the
Bible does, in fact, inform an “imaginative framework through which we
encounter the world,” then one of the primary tasks of the pastoral leader is
to form and nurture a community gathered around the central texts of the faith.
We are called, that is, to kindle in our people a biblical imagination. But how
does one do that? This is the central question of this class, and while we have
no definite answer, we do offer these convictions as a place from which to
start:
If, as we are asserting,
biblical interpretation and theology is a communal endeavor, then it is no
longer sufficient to train individual exegetes to serve as resident experts; rather,
we need to prepare leaders who are committed and competent to draw
congregations into deep engagement with the Bible that itself was formed,
shaped, and transmitted by and from communities of faith.
Course Objectives
The course will revolve
around exploring contemporary issues in biblical interpretation and theology
that arise from an initial group exercise in biblical theology, a mock debate
of slavery. While this exercise will be framed by presentations from the
instructors, the bulk of the course will be devoted to unpacking and exploring
the issues identified by this experience by engaging in exercises in biblical
theology that students fashion and lead.
To that end, the class will
be divided into 5 small groups of 8 students each. Each small group will be
responsible for leading the class in a concrete exercise in biblical theology
(see attached list) that helps us delve into issues of biblical interpretation
more deeply. Students are expected to make use of exegetical, theological, and
pastoral skills in order to explore how scripture informs, intersects with,
inspires, critiques, and undergirds the life and work of the church. In other
words, students will work together to “exercise” biblical theology in ways that
break down the divide between theory and practice.
Two sessions placed in the
midst of the group exercises and intended to sharpen the conversation will be
led by the instructors. The final two sessions will be reserved for returning
to issues identified through these exercises that the class feels deserve
greater attention; the content of those sessions will be negotiated during the course
of the semester.
Brueggemann, Walter. “The Social Nature of the Biblical Text,” in Preaching as a Social Act: Theology and
Practice, ed. Arthur Van Seeters (Nashville: Abingdon, 1988). Pp. 127-165.
The
Constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chapter 2, Confession of Faith (or an equivalent
document from another Christian tradition).
Luther, Martin. “A Brief Instruction on What to Look
for and Expect in the Gospels,” (1521) and “How Christians Should Regard Moses”
(1525), in Timothy Lull’s Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings.
Pp. 104-111 and 135-148, respectively.
(The other essays in this section of Lull’s work – pp. 60-148 – will also be
useful.)
Meeks, Wayne A. “The ‘Haustafeln’ and American
Slavery: A Hermeneutical Challenge,” Theology and Ethics in Paul and His
Interpreters: Essays in Honor of Victor Paul Furnish, ed. Eugene H.
Lovering, Jr., and Jerry L. Sumney.
Swartley, Willard. “Slavery,” in Slavery, Sabbath, War, and Women.
Trible, Phyllis. “The Daughter of Jephthah: An Inhuman
Sacrifice,” in Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist
Lindbeck, George. The Nature of Doctrine.
Lull, Timothy. Martin Luther’s Basic Theological
Writings.
O’Connell Killen, Patricia, and John de Beer. The Art of Theological Reflection.
Swartley, Willard. Slavery,
Sabbath, War, and Women.
Trible, Phyllis. Texts
of Terror: Literary-Feminist
Trible, Phyllis. God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality.
Course Requirements
1. Consistent
attendance and full participation in class.
(More than two absences constitute failure of the course.)
2. Full participation in the small group process
including class presentation of concrete exercise in biblical theology.
3. Active
engagement with the assigned readings and participation in exercises led by
other groups.
4. Final
Exercise – Re-write the “narrative description” of the course
In one to two pages, re-write the “narrative description” of the course listed
above in order to a) tell us what really happened in the class and b) offer a
constructive critique of the pedagogy, content, and process of the course as
you have experienced it.
5. Final Paper
– Theological Reflections of a Missional Pastor
Write a final, 6-8 page essay reflecting on your own theological approach to
Scripture and turn it in on May 8. The paper should consist of three parts. In
the first, offer a succinct description of your understanding of how scripture
functions in Christian communities. In the second, apply that understanding to
some concrete aspect of, or event related to, your public role as a missional pastor;
that is, give a working example of your understanding of the nature, authority,
and function of Scripture. After reflecting on your own approach to Scripture, in
the third section of the paper choose one other possible approach and consider
how it may differ from your own, particularly in relation to the concrete event
you have chosen as a working example.
Class
Schedule
February 7 Introduction
to the Course
Purpose
and Principles of Exercising Biblical Theology and review of syllabus
Description
of and preparation for mock debate in week 3
Initial
presentation on narrative theology and the biblical imagination
Assignment
of Small Groups and initial consultation
February 14 Scripture
as the “Word of God”: Issues of Biblical Authority
Read
ELCA Constitution, Chapter 2 or comparable document from another tradition; Brueggemann, Walter, “The Social
Nature of the Biblical Text.”
February 21 Mock
Debate on Slavery and Reflection on the Uses of Scripture in Moral Deliberation
and Identification of Primary Issues
February 28 Is
there a Center to Scripture? – The Problems and Possibilities of a Unitary
Canon
Read
Luther, “A Brief Instruction,” and “How Christians Should Regard Moses;”
Trible, “The Daughter of Jephthah.”
March 7 Group
1 Presentation
March 14 Group
2 Presentation
March 21 Instructor
Presentation and Discussion
March 28 Easter
break – No Class
April 4 Group
4 Presentation
April 11 Group
5 Presentation
April 18 Instructor
Presentation and Discussion
April 25
May 2
May 9 Concluding
Session and Evaluation
Final
Exercise and Final Paper Due