ERIC Number: EJ1101303
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Apr
Pages: 29
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1368-4868
EISSN: N/A
How We Teach Introductory Bible Courses: A Comparative and Historical Sampling
Cornell, Collin; LeMon, Joel M.
Teaching Theology & Religion, v19 n2 p114-142 Apr 2016
This study identifies the dominant modes of biblical interpretation being taught in introductory Bible courses through a qualitative analysis of course syllabi from three institutional contexts: evangelical Christian colleges, private colleges, and public universities. Despite a proliferation of methods and scholarly approaches to the Bible, this study reveals that historical-critical approaches continue to predominate in pedagogical contexts, especially private colleges and public universities. In Christian colleges, theological approaches appear more frequently, usually alongside historical criticism and rarely supplanting it. The study also shows that teachers have been deploying social scientific and ideological approaches with increasing frequency over the past decade. Additionally, the study tracked instruments of student assessment in these courses. Public universities showed a particularly high level of pedagogical conservatism in this regard, while Christian colleges exhibit the greatest diversity with respect to course assignments and evaluations. See also "Response to 'How We Teach Introductory Bible Courses'" by Caryn A. Reeder, Tat-siong Benny Liew, Jane S. Webster, Alicia J. Batten, and Chris Frilingos, published in this issue of the journal. The complete data set is included in an extended Appendix at the end of the article, and is also available electronically on the "Supporting Information" tab of the article's webpage and at the Wabash Center (http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/pdfs/AppendixCornellandLeMon.pdf).
Descriptors: Comparative Analysis, Biblical Literature, Religion Studies, Religious Education, Qualitative Research, Course Evaluation, Teaching Methods, Educational Practices, Traditionalism, Institutional Characteristics, College Programs, Outcome Measures, Intermode Differences, Hermeneutics
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A