2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

THEO1350 Introduction to the Bible

10 creditsClass Size: 150

Module manager: Suzanna Millar
Email: s.millar@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

Module replaces

THEO1070 The History & Teachings of Jesus.

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

The Bible continues to shape religious, cultural, social and political worlds. This module introduces you to the biblical texts, and to how they have been read, studied and used.

Objectives

To provide students with an overview of the biblical writings - their form, genre, subject matter, relationships to each other. To introduce key concepts for the study of the Bible, key approaches to biblical criticism, and key issues around the Bible's use and authority (within Judaism and Christianity, and more widely). To equip students to make critical use of various forms of biblical commentary.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the module students will be able to:
- Understand and use key terminology for the study of the Bible
- Give an account of core biblical narratives
- Give an account of the range of genre and subject matter in the biblical writings
- Use commentaries to develop their understanding of biblical passages
- Give an account of some of the controversies (historical or contemporary) around the use, authority and study of the Bible

Syllabus

- Overview: finding your way around the Bible (1 session)
- Survey – Hebrew Bible/Old Testament: literature, history, theology (4 sessions)
- Survey – New Testament: literature, history, theology (2 sessions)
- Who reads the Bible, how and why? (4 sessions)

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Group learning	5	1.00	5.00
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Independent online learning hours			11.00
Private study hours			73.00
Total Contact hours			16.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Private study

Students will be given structured preparation and follow-up tasks for each lecture, including structured questions on short biblical passages (requiring some independent research); online quizzes to check understanding; reflective logs. Completion of these tasks will be monitored and will contribute to the final assessment (see below) - 20 hours in addition to time spent online.
Further private study will relate to the group learning tasks (20 hours) and preparation for the final exam (33 hours).

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Monitoring completion of online tasks.
Office hours for module staff.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Online Assessment	Various online tasks	20.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		20.00

Resit for the module will be 100% exam (2 hours).

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Open Book exam	1 hr 30 mins	80.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		80.00

Open book exam, including a section requiring students to comment (following a standard structure) on 'gobbets' from biblical texts that have been studied in lectures/group exercises. Resits will be 100% exam (2 hours).

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 25/01/2018

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