OT 501 Reading the Old Testament Missionally
This course will map out God’s mission as it is embodied in the Hebrew scriptures, with attention to each of the biblical writings. Three hours. Auditing prohibited.

OT 510 Biblical Hebrew 1
In the OT God spoke in and through culture by way of the Hebrew language. Studying Biblical Hebrew helps us to understand (and appreciate) God’s unique revelation of himself and his story to and through ancient Israel in its historical situation. . Hebrew 1 and 2 foster that understanding by studying the alphabet, vowel system, sounds, and vocabulary of Biblical Hebrew, as well as the systems of the noun and strong verb. Three hours. Auditing prohibited.

OT 511 Biblical Hebrew 2
Building on Biblical Hebrew 1, this course entails the systems of the weak verbs, vocabulary, and reading (translating) the biblical text, as well as an introduction to textual criticism and basic exegetical principles of biblical narrative. Prerequisite: Biblical Hebrew 1. Three hours. Auditing prohibited.

OT 520 Genesis: The Beginning of God's Mission
The story of God’s mission begins in Genesis. He creates, he provides, he forgives and then he does it all over again. He accomplishes his purposes as he works through, and often in spite of, Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob and Joseph to form a chosen people for himself in order to bless the nations. All the major theological themes of Scripture find their “genesis” in the book (sin, grace, promise, covenant, judgment, sacrifice, idolatry and reconciliation). Three hours.

OT 521 The Covenant Story
The story of God’s covenant with his people focuses on some of the most dramatic events in Scripture: the creation of the cosmos, the deliverance from Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, the establishment of the monarchy, the exile of both kingdoms and finally the re-building of Jerusalem and the temple. Within this course we will examine God’s covenantal relationship with his people through the narrative books of the Old Testament (Genesis through Esther, in English Bibles). We will study and discuss crucial covenant texts (e.g., Genesis 15, Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 6, 2 Samuel 7), looking at familiar stories from a new perspective as well as unfamiliar ones for perhaps the first time. These narrative books will teach us not only about God’s relationship with Israel, but also about his relationship with us. We will then be able to apply these lessons about spirituality, leadership and God’s mission back into our contemporary ministry contexts. . Three hours.

OT 602 Hebrew Poets
The Wisdom Books (Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes) along with love poetry (Song of Songs), musical meditations (Psalms), and the dirge over Jerusalem (Lamentations) are designated as Poetical Books in the Old Testament. You don’t have to be a poet to understand the poets of ancient Israel! In this course you will learn how to analyze and interpret these writings in light of their genre. Since this block of Old Testament literature has special relevance for reaching our postmodern culture, considerable time will be spent wrestling with the application of these books to your ministry and life. Prerequisite: OT 511. Three hours.

OT 603 Hebrew Prophets
As an introduction to the Old Testament prophetical books this course examines the contents of these prophets with a view to set proper foundations for exegetical analysis (in translation) and relevance for application within our pluralistic contemporary context. Particular attention is devoted to the unfolding of God’s mission in the prophets and how it, in turn, impacted the writings of the New Testament. Prerequisite: OT 511. Three hours.

OT 610 Advanced Biblical Hebrew
This course gives students extensive opportunity to read (translate) the biblical text, and introduces exegetical principles of some non-poetic genres. Prerequisite: Biblical Hebrew 2. Three hours.

OT 627 The Book of Judges
An exegetical study of the book of Judges with attention to the literary, historical, and theological issues at stake. Three hours.

OT 629 1 & 2 Samuel: The Lives of Samuel, Saul, & David
The books of 1, 2 Samuel focus on three of the most significant characters in the Bible: Samuel, Saul and David. In the process of establishing the Israelite monarchy, they sought to follow God’s will, but also commited grevious sins. This course will examine their stories. We will study and discuss crucial texts (e.g., 1 Sam. 3, 8, 12, 16; 2 Sam. 7, 11, 12, 15), and draw out leadership (personal and strategic) principles, which we will apply to our contemporary ministry contexts. Three hours.

OT 651 God of the OT: Angry? Racist? Sexist? Correcting Common Distortions
Why does the God of the OT have such a bad reputation? Based on certain texts Christians sometimes conclude that the OT God is angry, violent, legalistic, sexist or racist, and they struggle to reconcile this “mean” image of God with the “nice” image found in the NT. Thus, it appears that a version of the Marcionite heresy (the OT God is harsh while the NT God is loving) has survived in popular forms of Christianity. In order to correct this distorted view of the OT, we will examine texts that address these issues and discuss problematic aspects of the portrayal of God’s character in the OT. While these tensions can never be fully resolved, understanding the broader purposes of God throughout Scripture will help us realize not only that there is in fact only one God, but also that Jesus helps us reconcile these two supposedly contradictory perspectives. We will also gain insight into how to address these problematic issues that the church struggles with today. Three hours.

OT 705x Theology of Selected Biblical Writing
A study of selected biblical writings of the Old Testament from a theological perspective. Prerequisite: Biblical Hebrew 2. Three hours.