Category: Religion and Theology

Can religions help address the social, cultural and ecological problems faced in different parts of the world? Do we need to change our outlook towards religion? Do religious organizations need to change anything to remain current and relatable? Make arguments to support your position. Avoid platitudes and anecdotal evidence. (1250words)
Describe one thing that appealed to you from the study of different religions of the world. (150words)

How It Says: Genesis 34 (Pentateuch Unit)
In this Unit, we are working again with narrative. Think: plot, character, narration, point of
view, etc. As always, we begin with “How It Says”: that is, we
examine “the world in the text” (the story-world constructed in the
text itself, without regard to historicity or possibilities for
interpretation).
Preparation:
Read Genesis
34 (only chapter 34), using your Study Bible translation (CEB or NRSV).
Pay attention to story elements: who are the characters? what are they
like, and how do we know? what happens? what is the narrative voice like? Take
notes!
Read Genesis
34 a second time, in the same translation. Continue to pay attention to
story elements. Take notes!
Change
translations. Read Genesis 34 a third time, in your chosen alternative
translation. How do the differences raise questions about the characters,
or the plot, or the narrative voice, or anything else? Take notes!
Read a
fourth time in your first translation.
Writing This Post (about 500 words total). 
Consider the themes and threads that hold the story
together. With that in mind, and finding your answers only in Genesis 34, address
the following questions in a post:
Who/what are
the characters in this chapter? What is revealed about their character
in their speech and actions?
What is the
plot of chapter? What is its structure: its episodes or movements? 
What can you
say, if anything, about the “voice” who tells the story?
What is the
background/environment? Is it vague, or vivid? Does it have “character”?
What about
time? Does the action seem to speed up or slow down at points? How or how
not?
Are their
elements in the narrative that seem to function as symbols or
metaphors? 
What kinds
of things does this text seem to say or suggest about the identity of
Israel? About God?
Any
surprises for you? What are they?

Week 13 Exegesis Activity: How It Might Mean (Genesis 34)
This
week, return for the last time to Genesis 34. This time, we consider what
meanings the text might have for later communities, especially some particular
community of today in some particular circumstances.
Prepare:
Engage
again the resources you visited last week (course materials and discoveries
from “How it Meant”), but this time with an eye on how Genesis 34 might mean
more broadly, beyond its original author(s) and their community/communities in
their ancient context. What kinds of meanings, intended or unintended, might Genesis
34 be able to sustain? What kinds of misreadings or misunderstandings about Genesis
34 are possible?
Post
a total of about 500 words:
Theological
Analysis: In about 250 words, and engaging course materials as appropriate,
address the following directly and thoroughly:
Analyze
Genesis 34 theologically. What are the major theological claims
of the
passage? (e.g., about does it say or assume about God, about the nature of
God’s activity in the world, about people, about human community, about the
so-called “natural world,” etc. How are God, humans and the world
presented in relation to one another?)
Are
these claims appropriate to your own understanding of God’s love
for all persons and God’s demand that everyone embody that love?
Are
these claims credible? By “credible,” we mean: 
1)   
are these claims coherent
to other biblical witness? How or how not? What if they are not?
2)   
are these claims intelligible
in the light of the way the world is understood today? How or how not? What if
they are not?
3)   
are these claims moral? Why
or why not? What if they are not?
Hermeneutical
Analysis: In about 250 words, and engaging course materials as appropriate
address the following:
Based
on your exegetical and theological analysis, can you suggest some hermeneutical
possibilities of the text for the life of the church and the situation of the
world today? (You should, for clarity, have a particular group or situation
in view.) If your theological analysis of the text concludes that its
claims are inappropriate to the gospel or unintelligible to the world today or
immoral, what can you say about the text to the modern church and world?
Avoid
platitudes! First, keep your one, select group or situation clearly in view, as
opposed to “the church” more broadly conceived. Second, your
hermeneutical possibilities should follow recognizably from the fruits of your
“How It Says” and “What It Meant” work, as well as your
theological analysis above.

I need an expert on the topic of the English Reformation. The price is negotiable. The exam will last for 3 hours, and candidates are required to answer at least 3 out of 5 questions. Each question should be answered within a word count range of 800 to 1200 words. This online exam is scheduled for May 14th.

Write a one page explanation of the difference
between O.T (Old Testament) Pentateuch, historical, poetic, & prophetic writing. Be sure to tell which 
Books go into each category. Note:every book fits in one of 
These categories 

Week 12 Exegesis
Activity: What It Meant
This week in our Unit on the Pentateuch (or Torah),
we return to Genesis 34. This time, we are asking ourselves, “What kinds
of meanings would this text have had in its own ancient contexts? How can we
understand the text better by becoming more familiar with those ancient
contexts?” We are NOT (yet) concerned with our personal judgments
about those ancient contexts or meanings, and we are NOT (yet) concerned with
what the text might mean for communities today.
Prepare: 
Rapidly, gain access to the following resources
(find and use EACH OF THESE THREE KINDS):
Any and all course materials that might relate
to an understanding of Genesis 34 in its ancient contexts and as part of
the Book of Genesis; do not forget lectures, such as on Prophecy.
The commentary on Genesis is by Terence E.
Fretheim and is in Volume I of the New Interpreters Bible. This is
available in-person on non-circulating reserve in the Styberg Library, or
online via the Styberg Library: https://www-ministrymatters-com.turing.library.northwestern.edu/library/ Click link and select “Biblical
Commentaries” > “The New Interpreter’s Bible” and
navigate to the desired Volume; you may need to log in with NetID.
Any and all relevant essays or videos you may
find by searching Bible Odyssey: https://www.bibleodyssey.org/ . (Bible Odyssey contains short,
peer-reviewed essays on biblical studies.) Search, browse, and have
fun! Just stay on Genesis 34 (or 32-34), focus as much as possible on its
ancient contexts, and don’t wander!
Explore these resources purposefully, staying on the
matter of Genesis 34 in its ancient contexts and as a part of the Book of Genesis.
(Not, for example, how later communities have read Genesis.) Take notes.
Now:
Post:
Write a total of about 500 words, addressing the
following. Follow these prompts in detail!
Typically, your resources will have broad
agreement about what kinds of things one must know in order to
understand the meaning(s) of Genesis 34 in its ancient contexts.
Regarding Genesis 34, in what ways do these resources agree with each
other about what kinds of things one must know in order to
understand the meaning(s) of Genesis 34 in its ancient contexts?
Often, your resources will have some notable
disagreements with one another (about matters of fact, or perhaps
major differences of emphasis). Regarding Genesis 34, what kinds of
disagreements do you find in your resources?
When you engage the realities of the ancient
world that gave rise to the stories of Genesis, do you find that any
“familiar” aspects of Genesis 34 become unfamiliar? Do you find
that any “strange” aspects of Genesis 34 become less strange?
Overall, how do you see Genesis 34 differently,
now that you have engaged scholarly conversation partners in an
exploration of “what it meant”?

Week 09 Exegesis
Activity: What It Meant
This week in our
Unit on the Former Prophets, we return to Joshua 2 and 6. This time, we are
asking ourselves, “What kinds of meanings would this text have had in its
own ancient contexts? How can we understand the text better by becoming more
familiar with those ancient contexts?” We are NOT (yet) concerned with our
personal judgments about those ancient contexts or meanings, and we are
NOT (yet) concerned with what the text might mean for communities today
Prepare: 
Rapidly, gain
access to the following resources (find and use EACH OF THESE THREE KINDS):
Any and all
course materials that might relate to an understanding of Joshua 2 and 6
in its ancient contexts and as part of the Book of Joshua; do not forget
lectures, such as on Prophecy.
The
commentary on Joshua is by Robert B. Coote and is in Volume II of the New
Interpreters Bible. This is available in-person on non-circulating
reserve in the Styberg Library, or online via the Styberg Library: https://www-ministrymatters-com.turing.library.northwestern.edu/library/
Click link and select “Biblical Commentaries” > “The New
Interpreter’s Bible” and navigate to the desired Volume; you may need
to log in with NetID.
Any and all
relevant essays or videos you may find by searching Bible Odyssey: https://www.bibleodyssey.org/ . (Bible
Odyssey contains short, peer-reviewed essays on biblical studies.) Search,
browse, and have fun! Just stay on Joshua, focus as much as possible on
its ancient contexts, and don’t wander!
Explore these
resources purposefully, staying on the matter of Joshua 2 and 6 in its ancient
contexts and as a part of the Book of Joshua. (Not, for example, how later
communities have read Joshua.) Take notes. Now:
Post:
Write a total of
about 500 words, addressing the following. Follow these prompts in detail!
Typically,
your resources will have broad agreement about what kinds of things one
must know in order to understand the meaning(s) of Joshua 2 and 6 in
its ancient contexts. Regarding Joshua 2 and 6, in what ways do these
resources agree with each other about what kinds of things one
must know in order to understand the meaning(s) of Joshua 2 and 6 in
its ancient contexts?
Often, your
resources will have some notable disagreements with one another
(about matters of fact, or perhaps major differences of emphasis).
Regarding Joshua 2 and 6, what kinds of disagreements do you find in your
resources?
When you
engage the realities of the ancient world that gave rise to the Book of Joshua,
do you find that any “familiar” aspects of Joshua 2 and 6 become
unfamiliar? Do you find that any “strange” aspects of Joshua 2
and 6 become less strange?
Overall, how
do you see Joshua 2 and 6 differently, now that you have engaged scholarly
conversation partners in an exploration of “what it meant”?

Paper should be 4-6 double spaced pages plus a bibliography. Each Impact Paper should answer these two questions from your readings (from class and any outside reading you may want to include) and/or class presentations and discussions, 1) Explain 1-3 things you have learned from three out of the five Sessions/Approaches to OT Theology; and 2) Describe 1-3 things that have surprised you, or impacted you and the implications this/they have for your life or church. Must include references/citations with footnotes using Turabian (8th edition) from at least two reading sources (which can include required texts/essays as sources). Upload into Populi. a. Write this paper on the History of Redemption Approach
Book readings and sources:
Dempster, Stephen G. Dominion and Dynasty: A Theology of the Hebrew Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003. 234 pages; ISBN: 978-0830826155
Routledge, Robin. Old Testament Theology: A Thematic Approach. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2012. 354 pages; ISBN: 978-0830839926
Bible (NKJV)
History of Redemption Approach: The Mission of God through the Old Testament
1. Genesis: Creation through the Patriarchs
2. Exodus-Deuteronomy: Slavery and Exodus through the Wilderness
3. Joshua-Judges: Promised Land through the Judges
4
4. 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings: The Monarchy through the Exiles
5. Major and Minor Prophets: History through the Eyes of the Prophets
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel: God’s Eye View of History Minor Prophets: Echoes and Visions of That Day
6. Psalms and Wisdom Books: Living and Reflecting on the Faith
Psalms: David, Torah, Kingdom
Job: Suffering and Sovereignty Proverbs, Ecclesiastes: Solomon, Wisdom, and Vanity
Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah: Endings and New Beginnings
Chronicles: “Let them go up!”
Make the paper compliment the description of the course listed below:
Course Description
A study of the major themes, issues, and approaches to theology of the Old Testament. Emphasizes the
contributions of various biblical books and genres to the unity of the Old Testament. Relates theology of the Old Testament to the Bible as a whole, and how to understand the New Testament better in light
of the Old Testament. The contextual milieu of the ancient Near East will also be examined for its impact upon the theology and writings of the Old Testament. (3 credit hours)
Course Objectives The student will:
1. Describe the various approaches to Old Testament theology (historical, history of redemption, world-view story, canonical, confessional).
2. Learn the central theological themes and issues.
3. Explain the diversity and the unity of theological themes in the Old Testament, and how they relate to the New Testament.
4. Formulate a working personal position on biblical theology of the Old Testament

Each topic should be answer with a paragraph
College Outside the Classroom?
What do you think of the idea that college courses aren’t the only things important about college? Can we learn and experience valuable things outside the classroom? Do you think the life lessons you learn outside the classroom are more, less, or just as important as the lessons we learn in class?

Is college WAY too hard?
Does learning have to be so painful? Are college courses way too hard? If your coursework were easier, would you still learn as much?

Why you should be HEARD!
People sometimes say that we should respect people’s points of view and opinions. But what if we think their ideas are just plain stupid? We can prioritize respecting PEOPLE rather than opinions. It is the highest good to show compassion and respect to people.
May watch video here 

P

Week 10 Exegesis Activity: How It Might Mean (Joshua 2 and 6)
This week, return for the last time to Joshua 2 and 6. This time, we
consider what meanings the text might have for later communities, especially
some particular community of today in some particular circumstances.
Prepare:
Engage again the resources you visited
last week (course materials and discoveries from “How it Meant”), but this time
with an eye on how Joshua 2 and 6 might mean more broadly, beyond its original
author(s) and their community/communities in their ancient context. What kinds
of meanings, intended or unintended, might Joshua 2 and 6 be able to sustain?
What kinds of misreadings or misunderstandings about Joshua 2 and 6 are
possible?
Post a total of about 500 words:
Theological Analysis: In about 250 words, and engaging course materials
as appropriate, address the following directly and thoroughly:
Analyze Joshua 2 and 6 theologically. What are the major theological claims
of the
passage? (e.g., about does it say or assume about God, about the nature of
God’s activity in the world, about people, about human community, about the
so-called “natural world,” etc. How are God, humans and the world presented in
relation to one another?)
Are these claims appropriate to your own understanding of
God’s love for all persons and  God’s demand that everyone embody that
love?
Are these claims credible? By “credible,” we mean:  1)
are these claims coherent to other biblical witness? How or how not?
What if they are not? 2) are these claims intelligible in the light of
the way the world is understood today? How or how not? What if they are not? 3)
are these claims moral? Why or why not? What if they are not?
Hermeneutical Analysis: In about 250 words, and engaging course
materials as appropriate address the following:
Based on your exegetical and theological analysis, can you suggest some
hermeneutical possibilities of the text for the life of the church and the
situation of the world today? (You should, for clarity, have a particular group
or situation in view.) If your theological analysis of the text concludes that
its claims are inappropriate to the gospel or unintelligible to the world today
or immoral, what can you say about the text to the modern church and world?
Avoid platitudes! First, keep your one, select group or situation clearly in
view, as opposed to “the church” more broadly conceived. Second, your
hermeneutical possibilities should follow recognizably from the fruits of your
“How It Says” and “What It Meant” work, as well as your
theological analysis above.