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This module, recognising that the Bible is both a sacred text and a classic of Western culture, aims to explore biblical interpretation in both ancient and contemporary contexts.  It will examine notions of canon in both Jewish and Christian contexts and will highlight a range of methods of interpretation.

The module will begin by outlining methods of biblical interpretation that privilege authors, texts and readers respectively.  Some of these methods will then be examined in detail including source and redaction criticism, social-scientific criticism, narrative criticism, rhetorical criticism, canonical criticism and reader-response methods. As the Bible has been interpreted through the centuries in various cultural contexts, the module will examine both its reception history and a range of theological interpretations focusing especially on liberationist, feminist and postcolonial readings.

A student passing this module should be able to:

1. demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of the history of biblical interpretation;
2. critically assess the relationship between the Old and New Testament in Christian biblical interpretation;
3. critically evaluate the appropriateness of various methods of interpretation in the context of specific biblical texts;
4. demonstrate the ability to read a biblical text closely and articulate key interpretative issues arising from that text;
5. engage with empathy and integrity with competing interpretations of texts;
6. possess a range of ICT skills in order to gather, evaluate and synthesise different types of information.

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.