Theology in the Old Testament and Today

Since the Enlightenment, scholars have tended to separate biblical studies from theology and Old Testament theology from New Testament theology. This module seeks to break down these divides by challenging students to hear the Old Testament as more than an extended introduction to the New Testament. With the help of the history of interpretation and in conversation with various models for performing an Old Testament theology, the module seeks to answer two basic questions: How do we read the Old Testament as Christian Scripture? And how does the Old Testament speak to issues facing the church today?

At its worst, the church relativizes the authority and witness of the Old Testament by focusing primarily on the New Testament or by making superficial connections between the Old Testament and the work of God in Christ. In an attempt to preserve the Old Testament's abiding authority and witness, we place biblical studies, historical theology, and doctrine into constructive conversation in order to hear the Old Testament as Christian Scripture, which speaks into the life of the contemporary church."