Course Syllabus

Course Description

Does the Bible have anything useful to teach us about the injustices that plague our modern world?  To be sure, the Holy Book contains laws, wisdom teachings, and cautionary tales that address some perennial issues (e.g. poverty), but does it constitute a resource for improving human flourishing as we understand it in our Twenty-First Century American context?  What does the Bible really say about human rights, sexuality, abortion, slavery, capital punishment, poverty, freedom, and more? In this course, we will discuss the ways in which the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament have been used to support movements of liberation and social justice as well as justify slavery, torture, income disparity, sexism, homophobia, racism, environmental destruction, and more. 

Learning Goals and Objectives

This course is meant to enable students to think critically about the linkage between Bible and Social Justice in general, especially in a religiously pluralistic world, as well as particular injustices to which individuals devote their attention, whether in the context of professional ministry, volunteer service. community organizing or social activism.

The instructors' intent is to equip students with the tools necessary to engage in the work of biblical interpretation that is deliberative, thoughtful, and attuned to the ethical consequences of how the Bible is deployed in the service of justice, and to critically analyze and address others’ who deploy the Bible in the service of different ends that they consider just.

Students will learn how Jewish and Christian interpreters have sometimes been inspired to act for (or against) social change from their deep engagement with the Bible, while at other times, faced with social and moral crises that are complicated and controversial, religious, political, and intellectual leaders have looked to the Bible to gain insight about how they should act. Exploring the history of how Jewish and Christian sacred texts have been deployed on both sides of social justice issues and delving into the literary, cultural, and historical contexts of the texts used to support and counter oppression offers students the ability to critically employ modes of reading and communicating that are sensitive to an array of justice commitments. 

Students should expect to read, watch, or listen to materials that represent different—sometimes very different—perspectives.  Such perspectives do not necessarily reflect those of your instructors.  In all cases, however, we have chosen high quality readings and resources; in so doing we hope to avoid making superficial or casually dismissive judgments. Students should challenge others with whom they disagree whenever it is warranted, but the same students must also be open to be challenged, whether by assigned readings and resources or through dialogue with other class members.

Readings

There are no required books for this course.  All readings will be provided by the instructors or are available electronically through Iliff's library.

Additional Readings

Course Structure and Rhythm

Weeks 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, & 9 follow the same structure:

The week begins on Sunday and concludes on Saturday.  Begin the week by reading/listening/watching the materials assigned by the instructors and watching (or listening) to a video recorded by Drs Eisenbaum and Erickson.

By Monday, the discussion prompt for the week will be posted. 

By Thursday at noon you must make your first post.  Be sure to follow the online discussion guidelines provided, because your online participation requires you follow a prescribed format, and each week you will be evaluated according to the criteria enumerated in the guidelines.  You will not be able to see your peers’ posts until you post.

By Saturday at noon, respond thoughtfully to at least one of your peer’s posts.

Drs Eisenbaum and Erickson will alternate participating in your group and grading your posts. 

Weeks 1, 5, 6, & 10 do not require posting according to the format outlined above.  There is, however, a discussion forum set up for each of these weeks that will specific readings and other assignments.

Overview of Assignments

• Participation in online discussion - 30%
• Gathering Days participation - 10%
• Exegesis Exercise - 10%
• Final Paper - 50%

Learning Outcomes

Students in this class will...

• Learn how biblical texts reflect differing ideals of justice;
• Possess a deeper understanding of how our contemporary assumptions about justice have emerged and diverged from the biblical world.
• Understand how biblical texts have been interpreted to just and unjust ends;
• Develop strategies for reading biblical texts toward just purposes for a variety of contexts;
• Imagine readings of biblical texts that produce just outcomes and human flourishing

Evaluation