Michaelmas I: Holy Scripture

Tuesday 28 September 2004: What is Scripture?

• Look up definition in OED. Differentiate between "Scripture" and "Holy Scripture".
  
• Holy Scripture is understood differently by different communities. Some ideas about Scripture are described by the following terms:
• Innerrancy
• textual criticism
• “incorruptibility”
• inspired translation (or “KJV-onlyism”)
• the Jesus Seminar

Tuesday 5 October 2004: The "Old Testament"

• also called "Hebrew Scriptures" (a not altogether accurate term) as "Old Testament" is considered pejorative to Judaism.
• Comprises:
• Torah (the Law) also know as Penteteuch (the Five Scrolls):
  
• The Histories (may include deutero-canonical books)
  
• Wisdom literature (may include deutero-canonical books)
• The Major Prophets
• The Minor Prophets
• Authorship

Tuesday 12 October 2004: The New Testament

• Comprises:
• Gospels (3 synoptic, plus John)
  
• Acts
• Epistles (a fancy word for "Letters" -- Paul's to the churches, Paul's "Pastoral" letters, letters of the other Apostles)
• Hebrews (sometimes called a letter)
• Revelation
  

Tuesday 19 October 2004: The Canon of Scripture

• Saint Jerome
• The KJV
• The Council of Trent
• Canon
  
• 39, 45 or 62 books, depending on how they are arranged and which deutero-canonical books are included. Most Protestants recognize only 39 books.
  
• Debatable Books
• deutero-canonical books
• tritio-canonical books
• Hebrews
• Revelation
• Shepherd of Hermas, Didache, Letters of Clement
• Nag-Hammurabi scrolls, gospel of Thomas
  

Tuesday 26 October 2004:Using the Bible

• for Prayer
• for Study
• What is a Concordance
• Dictionaries
• Commentaries
  
• The composition and authorship of the old Testament. The canon of the Old Testament; the Torah, the Septaguint, the deutero- and tritio-canonicals, and “lost” books; Saint Jerome, the history of the KJV, and the council of Trent. The composition and authorship of the new Testament, the “Q” gospel and other theories of the Gospel development. The new testament canon: debates and excluded books, the Syrian canon and the Nag Hammurabi texts. Using the Bible for prayer and study: concordances, dictionaries, commentaries.