Understanding the Old Testament is vital for an orthodox and catholic reading and interpretation of the New Testament and Early Church Fathers. This introductory course gives a preliminary overview of the Old Testament, providing an understanding of its organization, literary genres, formation, and theology. In this course the candidate will develop an historical understanding of the origins of the Hebrew people, and their formation into a national geographical and political entity, as well as the movements of God’s plan of salvation, worked out through the correction and trials of His people. This provides essential context for understanding Jesus, the Early Church, and the New Testament. This course also includes some basic elements of Hebrew (the alphabet, how to use Hebrew lexicons and other tools). It is designed for those who have not have two semesters of Biblical Hebrew.
- Teacher: Fr. Norman Flowers
- Teacher: Patrick Fodor
This course will offer an in-depth study of the Psalms, together with the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament, consisting of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach). Major themes and theologies will be examined as well as the importance of the Wisdom Literature to both the Old and New Covenants.
- Teacher: Patrick Fodor