MOD000782 (M0782) - Practice and Texts (FdA/BA)
Level
6
Credits
30
Introduction to the Module
The aim of the module is to develop skills of critical reflection in relation to the student’s practice of interpreting the Bible creatively and collaboratively within communities of faith in different situation by bringing exegetical tools, hermeneutical insights and an understanding of the inter-relationship of historical and contemporary contexts of Scripture into dialogue with particular situations in Christian life and ministry.
This module will work from critical consideration of the practice of Biblical interpretation in the student’s context (of the student’s involvement in e.g. preaching and worship, use of the Bible in educational settings and pastoral contexts). Students will be encouraged to deepen their understanding of the part that different tools and skills of exegesis shape and are shaped by their practice. This will become the basis for a practical reflection on hermeneutics and the different ways in which meaning is generated by focusing on authors, texts, readers, their respective contexts, and the interaction between them. The module will facilitate the students’ growing understanding of their own role as interpreters of the Bible within communities of faith.
Outline Content:
- Critical exploration of interpretation of the Bible in the student’s context
- Consideration of the interpretation of Scripture in relation to particular aspects of ministry (e.g. preaching; adult education; spirituality; pastoral care)
- Examination of the exegetical and hermeneutical questions raised by the practice of ministry
- Developing a theological hermeneutics of scripture in ministry, which pays attention to the relationship between texts, readers and their respective contexts, and to questions of the place of the Bible within the Church community and the role of those who interpret the text
Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module the student will be able to:
- discuss and evaluate the interaction between critical approaches to exegesis and biblical interpretation in the context of Christian life and ministry
- develop a critical and contextual understanding of the hermeneutical questions identified within their reflection on practice
- show how they have developed their ability to reflect critically on their own and others’ interpretation of the Bible
- articulate their own role as interpreters of the Bible within communities of faith, and the responsibility carried by that role