The Bible As Literature

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

The Bible has of course long been recognized as a primary source for ethical and theological teachings, but recent years have seen a renewed appreciation for the Bible as a work of literature. This course will explore the literary artfulness of the Bible, and students will gain the skills needed to appreciate more fully both the poems and the narratives that constitute so much of the biblical canon. The style of biblical literature often differs greatly from that of modern, Western literature; and by learning what is distinctive about biblical literature, we may begin to read the Bible with new eyes and may also come to fresh insights about the theological and ethical dimensions of these texts as well.