History of Biblical Interpretation in Modernity

1 credits · Divinity School

A historical investigation into the roots and varieties of modern critical approaches to the Bible. Special attention will be given to the rise of historical criticism and its entanglements with secularism, nationalism, colonialism, racism, antisemitism, and sexism. Course readings will prioritize primary sources ranging from the seventeenth through the twenty-first centuries. The main goal of the course is to illuminate why the Bible is read as it is today, in both academic and non-academic contexts, and how current debates about biblical interpretation have assumed their contemporary framing.