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Undergraduate Module Descriptors 2012/13

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THY301: Deuteronomy and Old Testament Ethics

Module Title	Deuteronomy and Old Testament Ethics
Module Code	THY301
Module Tutor	Pekka Pitkanen
School	Humanities
CAT Points	15
Level of Study	6
Pre-requisites	Before taking this module you must pass THY104
Co-requisites	None
Restrictions	None
Brief Description	This module explores the corpus of Deuteronomy and deuteronomic literature, central to an understanding of the Old Testament and its theology and ethics. This module is part of the Biblical Studies strand.
Indicative Syllabus	The module starts with introductory issues such as the genre of the book, its relationship to extra biblical treaties, its relationship to the preceding and succeeding books of the Old Testament, and the history of criticism and interpretation. It then focuses on the distinctive contribution of Deuteronomy to the theology of the Old Testament, in particular its rhetorical style, its use of history, its concepts of God, land, covenant and other religions. After this, the ethical stance of Deuteronomy on various topics, such as war, justice, punishment, wealth, sex, leadership and the family is examined, together with Deuteronomic models of ethical behaviour. Finally, the module reviews Deuteronomy's stance on the future of Israel and the way it has been used as a source of Christian teaching with special reference to the New Testament.
Learning Outcomes	i. Knowledge and Understanding On successful completion of the module the student should be able to: a) Demonstrate that they can interpret Deuteronomy in its original context b) Demonstrate that they understand different academic approaches to interpreting Deuteronomy and Deuteronomic literature and can critically evaluate their usefulness. c) Demonstrate a critical understanding of Deuteronomy’s ethical stances and how they relate to the rest of the Old Testament and to the New Testament d) Apply critically their understanding of Deuteronomy and its ethical standpoints to present day contexts. ii. Skills On successful completion of the module the student should be able to: a) Demonstrate an ability to critically analyse biblical texts taking into account the original context of the authors. b) Demonstrate an ability to use appropriate critical tools for interpretation, at the same time making appropriate critical judgements as to their value and applicability for this c) Reflect critically on how academic study of Deuteronomy and deuteronomic literature can relate to faith and practice and to their own situation. d) Demonstrate skills in critical analysis, reflection, synthesis and evaluation of selected texts and materials studied on the module. e) Demonstrate applied skills in written argument and expression, problem solving, independent research and collaborative development via e-learning.
Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided study – 33% Private study – 60% (including reading and assignment writing) Online seminar – 7%
Assessment (For further details see the Module Guide)	001: 50% Coursework: Essay or Commentary on primary source: 2000 words or equivalent 002: 50% Coursework: Essay: 2000 words or equivalent
Special Assessment Requirements	None
Indicative Resources	The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.

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