Take note!

Oh, the dreadful note!

In this course, don't read the Bible as a devotional text! Doing that puts personal concerns and desires in front of interpretation and tends to obscure aspects of the semiotic process that reveal nuances of the historical-cultural context.

Our course emphasizes reading the Bible as a historical document and literary text. When we deal with modern interpretation, we will analyze the presuppositions and expectations inherent within an interpretive tradition.

Why?

The objective of this course is to understand how the Bible and biblical interpretation affects people--their cultural values, ethics, politics, prejudices, and more--especially along the lines of sexuality and gender identity.

The Bible and biblical interpretation are frequently invoked in social and political discussions in the United States. And sociopolitical policies are established presupposing biblical ideas as objectively binding truths, especially around sex, marriage, and gender.

Make sure to read through the syllabus and familiarize yourself with the layout of Blackboard.

As an online offering, this course is partly self-regulated.

Weekly components were developed with the expectation that they would be completed on a schedule. However, you are able to move ahead at your own pace, though with some limitation: some assignments have concrete deadlines.

Note that you will need to have all weeks preceding a paper deadline completed before you can submit your paper.

Note also that our subject will lead us into difficult or otherwise sensitive topics and discussions. It is important to remain "professional" and respectful in your answers and of others, especially since we will all have different views on the Bible.

If you have any technical questions, let me know ASAP.

But above all, enjoy walking the "upside-down" of the Bible!