Be5101 Bible Study Methods and Hermeneutics Syllabus: I. Course Description
Be5101 Bible Study Methods and Hermeneutics Syllabus: I. Course Description
Be5101 Bible Study Methods and Hermeneutics Syllabus: I. Course Description
3 hours credit
Dallas Theological Seminary (713) 917-3945 (office)
(817) 676-4589 (cell)
[email protected] (e-mail)
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION
“An introduction to inductive Bible study involving the steps of observation, interpretation (hermeneutics),
correlation, and application. Principles in these steps are applied to several biblical passages and books.
Required prerequisite or co-requisite to all Bible Exposition courses. 3 hours.”
A. Cognitive Objectives: By the end of this class the student should be able to …
2. Effectively function in the hermeneutical world of historical, cultural, rhetorical, and grammatical
interpretation.
3. Understand the need to exegete both the world of the text and the world of the reader for proper
biblical application.
1. Feel more confident in rightly handling all segments of the Word of God.
2. Appreciate the various literary genres chosen by God to communicate His mind to humanity.
Required
Roy B. Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation. Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Publishing, 1991.
Robert A. Traina, Methodical Bible Study, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, reprint 1985.
Leland Ryken, How to Read the Bible as Literature. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984.
Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. 9th rev. ed. Edited
by Wayne C. Booth, et al. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2013.
An unmarked edition of the New American Standard Bible (NASB) OR the English Standard Version
(ESV), without notes, outlines or other prepared study helps, is to be brought to every class unless the
student has it available during class on a laptop.
Suggested
Howard G. Hendricks and William D. Hendricks, Living by the Book. Chicago: Moody Press, 1991.
BE 5101, Bible Study Methods and Hermeneutics 2
Mark Yarbrough, How to Read the Bible Like a Seminary Professor. New York: FaithWords, 2015.
V. COURSE POLICIES
C. Late Assignments
Each weekly assignment is discussed in class on the date it is due, thus late assignments will not be
accepted. In the event of medical or similar emergency students are responsible to contact the
instructor. Alternative arrangements will be at the discretion of the instructor.
D. Absences
Students are expected to attend all class sessions but may miss the equivalent of 5 hours without
penalty or loss of grade. Extreme medical and family emergencies are rare however they do occur. In
such an unlikely case the instructor must be notified of the reason and any variation in policy will be at
his discretion.
“A” represents Excellent work, “B” represents good work but with room for improvement, “C”
represents average but acceptable work, “D” represents work that was incomplete or inadequate in
some part, “F” represents inadequate work that is not acceptable for Master’s level study.
F. Plagiarism: Students must write papers in their own voice. Sources should be interacted with by
means of quotation and citation, not copied as if they were one’s own thoughts. The attempt to make
one’s paper look better than it is by not citing the sources for facts or by consistently borrowing
another’s work or line of thought without citing is considered deceitful and cannot be tolerated in an
academic setting. Students should learn appropriate research, writing and notation procedures. Avoid
the temptation to cut and paste from the Internet or other resources directly into your paper except
for specific, cited points which bolster your paper’s analysis. Plagiarism violations will result in
automatic failure of the project and possibly of the course, and disciplinary procedures in accordance
with the student handbook and student dean’s office.
Class
1 Observation Assignment #1 Robert Traina, Methodical
Introduction to the course 25 Observations of Acts Bible Study, pages 3-49,
(translations, texts, and 1:8 Roy B. Zuck, Basic Bible
tools for Bible Study). Interpretation, pages 9-26
Training the eye to see
what is in and around the
2 text. Assignment #2: Luke Robert Traina, Methodical
History and methods of 15:1-32 Bible Study, pages 49-80,
Bible interpretation. Roy B. Zuck, Basic Bible
Observing structural Interpretation, pages 59-75
progression and literary
The structural laws of laws.
literary composition and
probing a paragraph
3 Assignment #3 Roy B. Zuck, Basic Bible
Interpretation, pages 27-58
Observing the structure
and surveying the book of
Philippians
BE 5101, Bible Study Methods and Hermeneutics 4
and Application