By its nature, the Old Testament is difficult to preach and teach in a contemporary twenty-first century Christian context. While filled with exciting stories, profound poems, pithy wisdom, and scintillating prophecies, it is often hard to know how to bridge the horizon from the ancient world to the modern world. But it is especially problematic when it comes to certain difficult topics, such as those that deal with (among other topics) slavery, patriarchy, sexuality, creation/evolution, and divine violence. Through lecture and reading we will address the continuing relevance of the Old Testament for the church in the twenty-first century with a particular focus on these particularly difficult issues.
- Teacher: William Pohl