RELS 255 The Bible and Its Interpreters

The course begins with an introduction to the canonization process for the Jewish and Christian scriptures and a study of ancient views about the sacred and inspired nature of these texts.  Next, students will survey the range of methods used by both religious people and by scholars to interpret the Jewish and Christian scriptures, paying attention to how interpretations of the bible have been mobilized in support of a range of social movements, political projects, and academic interests.  Finally, students will compare interpretations of a set of particularly "challenging" biblical rules and stories.