COS 111 - The Pastor as Interpreter of the Bible

July 1-10, 2013 : 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Instructor: Dr. Susan Slusher Bell
Contact: sbell@cst.edu

Download class syllabus & pre-class assignments

Course Description

The books of the Bible were written or preserved orally over a period of 2,000 years. Many different writings were considered sacred by various communities until the cannon was established and agreed upon. The development of the texts and ideas within the texts will be considered. The modern means of viewing the Bible by Critical Analysis will be presented. The major findings from three centuries of Biblical Criticism will be discussed (i.e. the Synoptic Problem).

Exegesis and the art of preaching will be presented and discussed, with students given the chance to exercise new skills informed by class information and discussion. The basics of the theology of John Wesley and Christian biblical theology will be presented to guide students in their preaching and teaching.

Course Objectives

  1. To explore the role of the pastor as interpreter of the Bible in the church context.
  2. To understand how the Biblical cannon was formed.
  3. To understand the methods of Biblical criticism.
  4. To develop basic exegetical skills and written preaching techniques.
  5. To survey the main concepts presented in the Bible.
  6. To form a community at CST of students and faculty who live as the disciples of Jesus Christ.

Required Textbooks

What They Don’t Tell You: A Survivor’s Guide to Biblical Studies, Michael Joseph Brown. ISBN: 0-664-22220x

The Bible: The Book that Bridges the Millennia Part 1: Origins & Formation, Maxine Clarke Beach. ISBN: X933523 (This book can be purchased from Amazon.com used for 1¢ plus shipping.)

Reading The New Testament, Second Edition, Pheme Perkins. ISBN: 978-0809129393 (This book can also be purchased from Amazon.com for 1¢ plus shipping.)

Can These Bones Live? Kevass J. Harding. ISBN: 978-0-687-33557-2

Suggested Textbooks

The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha NRSV

God Sense: Reading the Bible for Preaching, Paul Scott Wilson

The Bible Makes Sense, Walter Brueggemann. ISBN: 0-664-22495-4

This class requires homework to be turned in before the class starts:
Download class syllabus & pre-class assignments