Introduction to Sacred Scripture

To enroll in this course, please join the Academy by paying monthly here or you can save one month off tuition by paying annually here. This course is available to all Scholars and Fellows.

This course is intended to prepare the student for subsequent study of the Bible by introducing the Bible through a presentation of its various literary forms and categories, its basic themes, its overall narrative thrust, and its overarching concern and message. Viewed from the perspective of faith, approaches Scripture as a whole, unified work, at a supernatural level, while remaining faithful to issues regarding human authorship, specifics of historical and cultural context throughout the Bible, and variations in the textual tradition of Scripture as received by the Catholic Church. Students in this course will be equipped to:

give a brief historical account of the development of the concept of a biblical canon regarded is a textual revelation from God that includes the books of the New Testament;
identify the broad classes of text in the Bible and explain how those classes of texts are distinguished or defined;
describe the overall narrative thrust of the Bible from Creation to the Eschaton,
identify and describe the major themes of the Bible, in particular, as they appear represented in the various classes of text as they are presented in this course;
explain what is meant by terms such as Torah, prophesy, psalm, and gospel, not only as classes of text but as theological concepts.