STS Department of Missional Theology & History

Educational Level: Upper undergraduate, Bachelor
Credit Hours: 3 Credits
Instructor: Dr. Joel Hamme

Course Description:

An exploration into the world and the message of the Old Testament prophets, analyzing the genre, structure, history, and possible original audiences of the prophets. The centrality of God's mission in the prophetic books will be emphasized, for the major purpose of this course is to emphasize the relevance of the prophetic messages for our contemporary society.

How This Course Benefits Students:

(1)The student will acquire the ability to interpret biblical passages in prophetic books using basic exegetical methods and tools. (2). The student will be able to situate the prophets within their historical age, outlining their political, social and religious concerns. (3). The student will be able to appreciate the artistry and literary devices employed in the transmission of prophetic oracles. (4). The student will recognize the dominant theological themes and theologies within the prophetic books. (5). the student will be able to articulate the relevance of the prophetic message to the modern reader particularly the reoccurring global issues such as ethics, politics, violence, justice, human rights, gender and ecology in the prophetic writings. (6). The student will appreciate the descriptions of Gods mission to the world through the understanding of the prophetic writings from the perspective of mission.

Why This Course Is Important:

The message of the Old Testament prophets is the pinnacle of Old Testament revelation, and thus there is the need to understand the historical background, literary character, artistry, themes and the dominant message of each prophetic book. Similarly, the presence of Messiah prophecies in the prophetic books and their later fulfillment in the New Testament clearly justify the need to study and understand the Old Testament prophets. This exercise on the Hebrew prophets is expected to also reinvigorate the spirituality and missiological commitments of the students to Gods mission.