Professor Stacy Davis
Saint Mary's
College
Religious Studies 306
"Biblical Theology"
This course is an introduction to the Hebrew Bible. It will focus on the
story of the Israelites, beginning with the call of Abraham in Genesis 12
and concluding with narratives written after the exilic period (586-539
BCE). Texts from the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible (Torah,
prophets, and writings) will be read in conversation with the methods of
historical, form, source, social science, rhetorical, and feminist
criticism. The course will emphasize both knowledge of historical
information (names, dates, and events) and the development of Israelite
theology in areas such as the nature of God, the concept of divine
retribution, and the role of women and non-Israelites in the life of God's
people.