Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2023-2024 (archived)

Module TMMC2011: Old Testament Studies

Department: Theology, Ministry and Mission

TMMC2011: Old Testament Studies

Type Tied Level 2 Credits 20 Availability Available in 2023/24 Module Cap None. Location Durham

Prerequisites

  • None

Corequisites

  • None

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • L5-20 Biblical Studies

Aims

  • To enable students to understand an Old Testament book or a range of different kinds of Old Testament texts.
  • To enable students to understand modern critical approaches to an Old Testament book or selected Old Testament texts.
  • To enable students to make appropriate use of Old Testament text(s) in a variety of ministerial / vocational settings.

Content

  • Focused study of a specific book or some passages from the Old Testament.
  • Orientation to the genre(s) of material being discussed (e.g. prophecy, narrative, hymn, paraenesis).
  • Different critical approaches to the Old Testament.
  • The responsible use of the Old Testament in Christian theology, preaching and praxis.
  • The text(s) studied in this module must be at least largely different from those studied in other modules taken by the student on this programme.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • Demonstrate detailed investigation and knowledge of an Old Testament book or selected texts of the Old Testament, their genre(s), and modern critical scholarly approaches to them.
Subject-specific Skills:
  • Apply different approaches to reading and interpreting Old Testament texts with a critical awareness of the questions raised by them.
  • Relate Old Testament texts to contemporary situations and practices of discipleship, ministry and mission, and explore questions to which this gives rise.
Key Skills:
  • Identify, gather, analyse and evaluate textual source materials for a range of purposes, and communicate their findings with clarity and fairness.
  • Undertake a critical analysis of information and arguments, communicating these effectively to specialist audiences,
  • Take responsibility for a task that involves independent inquiry; the management of time, resources and use of IT; meeting deadlines, evaluating the task and learning from it.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Teaching methods to be specified by each TEI, selecting from the following:
  • Lectures provide content, a conceptual framework and a survey of approaches within a subject area that enable students to locate their learning in a wider context, to make connections with other disciplines, and to evaluate and apply their learning to different contexts.
  • Seminars offer students an opportunity to present, evaluate and apply their knowledge to specific contexts, and to engage with teaching staff and peers in debate and reflection.
  • Guided reading in conjunction with lectures encourages independent learning and underpins the knowledge and understanding gained in lectures and seminars.
  • Small group learning creates an environment where students learn to articulate their knowledge and understanding effectively and in a way that is relevant to the group and its context.
  • Tutorials enhance learning by offering feedback and encouraging students to reflect on their own response to the knowledge and skills they have acquired.
  • Placements and/or work-based learning ensures that students make habitual connections between knowledge, understanding, skills, professional practice and the reality of a specific context, under the supervision of an experienced practitioner.
  • Programmed online learning materials guide students through knowledge content, its wider framework and different approaches to its application.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
Lectures 16 1.75 hours 28
Personal Study 172
Total 200

Summative Assessment

Component: Essay 1 Component Weighting: 50%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Essay 2,500 words 100%
Component: Essay 2 Component Weighting: 50%
Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
Essay 2,500 words 50%

Formative Assessment:

Students will be expected to demonstrate engagement with the subject matter and the learning outcomes throughout the module by suitable formative assessments that encourage integrative and reflective skills.


Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University