THL 327WOMEN IN THE BIBLE RESEARCH/SYNTHESIS PAPER

LENGTH: 4-5 pages.

PURPOSE: A synthesis of the course and an evaluation of the goals and learning outcomes.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PAPER:

Title. Be creative with the title which captures some of the thoughts discussed in the paper.

Introduction:  Begin with a general introduction to the topic and a description of the contents of your paper.

Personal Bias: (Identify your position about women in the bible before you began this course. What has happened to your thoughts about your initial perspective?

Biblical Women:Choose one character from each testament. Analyze each woman's story and then compare or contrast the two stories.

Conclusions about women and the bible: Analyze the connection between biblical interpretations about women and modern attitudes or issues about women?

Course Goals and Outcomes:Analyze how you have achieved three of the course goals and/or learning outcomes.

Women's Experience.  From this course experience, how would you say that the perspective of women makes a difference in the study of theology and spirituality?

Conclusion: Give general comments to the experience of writing the paper or taking the course.

Composition, Grammar, Punctuation:

COURSE GOALS:

1. To study the women characters in the Hebrew Bible and the early church.

2. To reflect on the status of women in the socio-political/cultural world of the biblical times.

3. To develop and refine skills of biblical interpretation particularly in regards to texts about women.

4. To reflect on the implication of biblical texts for twenty-first century attitudes regarding women.

5. To introduce the student to the works of biblical scholars, particularly feminist, womanist, mujerista, Asian, and third world scholars.

LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS:

1. Competence and Wisdom:

a. Develop basic skills in critical analysis, particularly in regards to biblical interpretation

b. Exercise some communication skills through participation in class discussions and by leading two seminars

2. Content Knowledge:

a. Come to some awareness that women are not invisible in the biblical narrative by knowing their stories

b. Demonstrate the ability to do research of two biblical women, one from each testament.

3. Spirituality:

a. Have some understanding of the role of the Bible in personal faith

d. Recognize the issues of Racism, Women's Issues, and Non-Violence (three of the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy).

4. Worth and Dignity:

a. Become aware the role of personal biases or upbringing in biblical interpretation

b. Have the ability to do reflection on the self as female by interaction with the stories of the biblical women

d. Develop the ability to critique the portrayal of women in the Bible and the influence of interpretations of biblical passages on the treatment of women, particularly in the arts.

5. Leadership:

a. Recognize that women did exercise some leadership in biblical times.

6. Global and Cultural Competence:

a. Recognize that personal social location (up-bringing, current church affiliations) affects personal perspectives particularly in regards to biblical interpretation.