This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of the book of Genesis, one of the most influential texts in western culture. Using a variety of approaches, students will examine Genesis in terms of its ideologies, forms and genres, history of interpretation, theological impact, and cultural afterlives.

1x2hr seminar per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the Honours options in TRS and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

TRS3026 Genesis Non Honours
TRS4063 Genesis with Hebrew

None

The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Essay (2000 words) - 50% 

■ Essay (1500 words) - 40% 

■ Presentation of 5 minutes - 10% 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the essays, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

■ A recording of presentation as an alternative to presentation.

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ explore a variety of readings of Genesis from the ancient world to the present day;

■ engage critically with a variety of methodologies of biblical interpretation;

■ deepen understanding of biblical narrative;

■ foster awareness of the different forms, genres, theologies and literary devices found in Genesis;

■ investigate creatively the cultural afterlives of some of the narratives found in Genesis.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ offer a rigorous account of the history of the interpretation of the book of Genesis;

■ read and understand key primary and secondary texts and present a clearly argued analysis of the positions taken in these texts;

■ identify key methods and rigorously analyse them in their cultural and historical contexts;

■ offer a critical and in-depth analysis of a variety of interpretive approaches to biblical texts;

■ reflect critically and comparatively about ideologies in biblical texts and in their afterlives;

■ present complex arguments in written and oral form.