Christian & Old Testament Theology

To satisfy the course OT509 The Christian & Old Testament Theology the student is required to give attention to

Learning Activity #1 Lectures

Listen carefully to each of the twenty-four lectures, utilizing the lecture outline as a guide and the note-taking page for recording thoughts. You should find a quiet environment that limits unnecessary distractions. Objective: to accumulate course content through active and careful listening.

Learning Activity #2 Required reading/reports, Annotated Bibliography

All reading will be stipulated and summarized in an annotated bibliography to be turned in upon completion of the course. For each reading, you will list the number of pages and a one-paragraph annotation. Remember, at least one complete book must be read. (See course texts above.) Objective: to acquire a deeper, broader knowledge of course content and to demonstrate that knowledge through brief written assignments.

Learning Activity #3 Study Questions

Answer the study questions provided after each lecture outline. The answers to these questions will be turned into your proctor before the final examination. Participating in these questions will better prepare you for the exam and assignments. Objective: to foster immediate and cognitive interaction with the lecture content and to encourage evaluation of where you stand in relation to that content.

Learning Activity #4 Ministry Research Paper

Write a paper (approximately ten pages) on the significance of the Old Testament for ministry in a particular area of your choice. Choose from one of the subjects below or secure approval from your proctor for an alternative.

Objective:

to apply the principles of Old Testament theology to life and ministry.

Format:

Read the assigned book for the given topic area, and do other reading and research as needed.
Evaluate the required book's contribution in this area.
Formulate your personal contribution to the topic based upon further reading, reflection, etc.
Detail some specific ministry plans in this area as a result of your study.

Potential Subjects:

Worship

• David Peterson, Engaging with God OR
• Andrew Hill, Enter His Courts with Praise

Ethics:

• Christopher Wright, Walking in the Ways of the Lord

Prayer:

• Patrick Miller, They Cried to the Lord OR
• Samuel Balentine, Prayer in the Hebrew Bible

Holiness:

• John Gammie, Holiness in Israel

Election:

• David Novak, The Election of Israel

Justice:

• Moshe Weinfeld, Social Justice in Ancient Israel OR
• Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation and Obedience

Anthropology:

• Hans Walter Wolff, Anthropology in the Old Testament

Theodicy/suffering:

• Walter Brueggemann, The Psalms and the Life of Faith OR
• Robert Davidson, The Courage to Doubt OR
• Terence Fretheim, The Suffering of God

Environmental stewardship:

• Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, Tending the Garden OR
• Fred Van Dyke, Redeeming Creation

General:

• Christopher Wright, Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament

Old Testament Theology is the branch of Biblical Theology that deals with the history, progress, and Christian interpretation of divine revelation in the Old Testament. It explores past and present theological concepts as they pertain to God and God's relationship with creation. It examines what is revealed in the Old Testament narratives and seeks to unravel God's divine plan for mankind. This theology focuses particularly on the relationship between God and the nation of Israel. An important central theme is God's mission for Israel in the world.

This course examines the foundational theology of the Old Testament as applied to the New Testament and the church. It also identifies the focal point for the Old and New Testaments and discusses the continuity and discontinuity between the Testaments concerning saving faith, the people of God, the Law, worship, atonement, the kingdom of God, the Messiah, and the new covenant. Throughout the course, we explore how Old Testament theology is vital to contemporary Christian living.

Click here to download the course outline (PDF)