Course Catalogue

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This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of the book of Genesis, one of the most influential texts in western culture. Using a variety of approaches, students will examine Genesis in terms of its ideologies, forms and genres, history of interpretation, theological impact, and cultural afterlives.

1x2hr seminar per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the Honours options in TRS and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Theology and Religious Studies, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

TRS3026 Genesis Non Honours
TRS4063 Genesis with Hebrew

None

Essay (2,500 words) - 40%

Presentation of 10 minutes - 10%

Set interpretive exercise (750 words) - 10%

Examination (90 minutes duration) - 40%

OR: in place of the exam an additional 2500 word essay on a topic to be agreed with the convener, by an agreed date - 40%.

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ explore a variety of readings of Genesis from the ancient world to the present day;

■ engage critically with a variety of methodologies of biblical interpretation;

■ deepen understanding of biblical narrative;

■ foster awareness of the different forms, genres, theologies and literary devices found in Genesis;

■ investigate creatively the cultural afterlives of some of the narratives found in Genesis.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ offer a rigorous account of the history of the interpretation of the book of Genesis;

■ read and understand key primary and secondary texts and present a clearly argued analysis of the positions taken in these texts;

■ identify key methods and rigorously analyse them in their cultural and historical contexts;

■ offer a critical and in-depth analysis of a variety of interpretive approaches to biblical texts;

■ reflect critically and comparatively about ideologies in biblical texts and in their afterlives;

■ present complex arguments in written and oral form.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.