JST 529 - Jewish and Christian Interpretation of the Bible (Gratz College)

Recognizing that the Hebrew Bible is a heritage shared by Jews and Christians in common, this course studies major portions of the Torah, as well as passages from Isaiah and the Psalms, from both the Jewish and Christian points of view, in order to discover where the two traditions are parallel and are different. Topics to be explored include the Jewish and Christian views of Creation; Adam and Eve; Cain and Abel; the significance of Abraham; the Exodus from Egypt and the concept of redemption; ritual sacrifice and its symboilism; mitzvot, the law, and faith; and Moses as a symbol of prophetic leadership. Classical Rabbinic interpretations of the Torah will be compared with early Christian interpretations as well as modern Jewish and Christian understandings of the biblical text.

*Master of Divinity Students without transfer courses from other institutions may take this course.

 

Prerequisites & Notes
None

Course Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to do the following:

• Identity the major historical, social, and religious themes in classical Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity;
• Identify the major texts of classical Rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity;
• Articulate the similarities and differences in Jewish and Christian interpretation of biblical texts studied in class;
• Analyze the similarities and differences in Jewish an dchristian interpretation of a biblical text not studied in class.