September 29, 2011
Terms
Be able to define or describe the following terms in a sentence or two and/or highlight two or three key points (such as might be included in a multiple-choice or matching-type question).
| Textual Criticism | Chaoskampf | Endogamy | Mount Sinai | Balaam |
| Source Criticism | Enuma Elish | Primogeniture | Golden Calf | Shema |
| Form Criticism | Gilgamesh Epic | Joseph Novella | Decalogue | Centralization of Cult |
| Redaction Criticism | Habiru | Court Tale | Apodictic | Deuteronomic Historian |
| Canonical Criticism | Binding of Isaac | Hermeneutics | Casuistic | Rewards and Punishments |
| Literary Criticism | Covenant | Hermeneutics of Suspicion | Hittite Treaty Form | |
| Documentary Hypothesis | Circumcision | Androcentric | Code of Hammurabi | |
| JEDP | Birthright | Concubine | Priestly Benediction | |
| Yahweh | Blessing | Sojourn | Korah | |
| Elohim | Naming | Passover | Meribah |
Points to Ponder
Be able to discuss the following issues in a brief essay.
- How do people read the Bible? What is the relationship between the personal, communal, and academic perspectives on the Bible? What are some of the common scholarly methods of approaching the Bible from an academic perspective?
- Be able to describe the Documentary Hypothesis in general terms. What are J, E, D, and P? What phenomena in the text of the Pentateuch have led scholars to embrace the Documentary Hypothesis, and what criticisms have been leveled against it?
- Compare and contrast the biblical accounts of creation and the flood with those found in other ancient near eastern cultures, especially the Enuma Elish (creation) and Gilgamesh Epic (flood). What do these comparisons and contrasts suggest about the faith of ancient Israel?
- Trace the struggle of Abraham and Sarah to have an child. What obstacles did they face? How do the concepts of “covenant” and “promise” figure into this struggle?
- Be able to trace the highlights of the lives of both Jacob and Joseph. How do these characters and their actions advance–or threaten–the promises God made to their ancestors?
- Describe some of the questions or insights that may arise from reading the Bible from a feminine point of view. What is “feminist hermeneutics”? Give some examples from the patriarchal narratives of how one might read the Bible from a feminist perspective.
- How do Israel’s fortunes change from the end of Genesis through the first chapter of Exodus? How do the biblical writers depict the Israelites and their Egyptian overlords? What theological questions are raised by the exodus story?
- Describe the Decalogue. How have various groups organized its contents? How is it like similar texts from Israel’s neighbors, and what are the elements that make it unusual or unique?
- Discuss Israel’s wilderness wanderings as described in the book of Numbers. What theological themes predominate in this portion of Scripture?
- Describe the place of Deuteronomy within the Pentateuch. How does it compare or contrast with other documents of Israelite law? How should it be understood in the historical and theological contexts of Israel’s developing faith?
Format of the Exam
Part I. Thirty-five multiple-choice questions worth four points each, based on the key terms listed above and assigned Scripture readings (140 points).
Part II. One essay question (60 points). You will have a choice between two of the following questions:
- Discuss the Documentary Hypothesis as an answer to the question, “Who wrote the Pentateuch?” What details in the biblical text led scholars to develop this theory? What can be said both for and against this interpretation of the texts?
- Summarize the biblical account of either Abraham, Jacob, or Joseph (choose one). What are the major themes and turning points in his story? What is his role in the unfolding story of God’s relationship with the patriarchal family?
- Discuss feminist perspectives on the interpretation of the Bible. Specifically, what strategies have feminists used in addressing biblical stories that have been used to subjugate women? Use biblical examples of your choosing to illustrate how these strategies might be employed.
- Trace the history of the exodus and wilderness wanderings as narrated in Exodus–Numbers. What are the key events in this story? Who are the important characters? Most importantly, what seems to be the message (or messages) of this narrative for later generations of Israelites?
- Provide a brief introduction to critical issues surrounding the book of Deuteronomy, addressing when scholars believe it was written, under what circumstances, etc. Describe the basic elements of the theology of Deuteronomy and how these elements shaped Israel’s religion and self-understanding as the people of God.
Please bring your own paper on which to write your essay.
