Modules for Postgraduate Students in The Department of Biblical Studies
2012/2013
What do I need to bear in mind when reading these listings?
Modules are listed by semester and we’ve shown you which modules are compulsory or ‘core’ (the rest are optional). We’ve also indicated the form assessment usually takes.
These are modules for our MA programmes based in Sheffield. For more information on modules offered to our postgraduate distance learning students, please visit our Distance Learning modules page.
Please note: we cannot guarantee that all of these modules will be available each year. This listing is subject to change and is designed to give you an idea of the range of modules we offer.
We have two semesters each year. The first is from September to January – this is the Autumn semester. The second is from February to June - this is the Spring semester. You will have to take 180 credits worth of modules each year.
Who will be teaching me?
All of our academic staff teach on our MA programmes.
Professor David Chalcraft is the Head of The Department of Biblical Studies. He is a graduate of this department and went onto study sociology at Oxford University. David’s research interests lay at the intersection between sociology and biblical studies. His teaching commitments typically include the ‘Max Weber Studies’ module.
Professor James Crossley is particularly interested in the social, economic and ideological role of religion and how this relates to the use, study of and origins of New Testament texts. Among other modules, James usually teaches the ‘Religion in an Age of Terror’ class.
Dr. Mark Finney’s research interests include the relationship between religion and violence, particularly in relation to the conflict in the contemporary Middle East and Early Christian Identity. He is also interested in Paul, representations of Christ in art and the Greco-Roman context of the New Testament. Mark’s teaching includes 'Religion and Violence' and modules in the Distance Learning MA. Mark’s also runs a trip for his students to Italy every two years.
Professor Hugh Pyper has a particular interest in postmodern and postcolonial interpretations of the Bible and has published on everything from The Bible and professional wrestling to Kierkegaard. Among Hugh’s usual teaching commitments are 'Hebrew Texts' and modules on postcolonialism.
Dr. Katie Edwards specialises in the Bible in contemporary and popular culture, including representations of religion in the media and advertising. As well as teaching on modules including 'Sociological Analysis of the Bible in Society and Culture' and 'Issues in Cultural Studies', Katie has been heavily involved in the work the Department does with the general public, schools, colleges and community groups.
We also have a range of seminar tutors and temporary lecturers who will have input into your teaching along the way.
Semester 1
BIB6000: Research Methods (core for MA in Biblical Studies Research and Religion, Conflict and The Media; 30 credits)
This module will equip you with the essential techniques for research in Biblical Studies, including how to define a research topic, the location and effective use of research resources, the internet and research, analytical and critical skills, writing up research.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6007: Research Methods in Archaeology (core for MA in Archaeology, Bible and Ancient Cultures; 15 credits)
This module will equip you with the essential techniques for research in Archaeology, including how to define a research topic, the location and effective use of research resources, the internet and research, analytical and critical skills, writing up research.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6011: Biblical Hebrew (30 credits)
The module will introduce you to the basic vocabulary, grammar, and syntax of Biblical Hebrew. No prior knowledge is expected. Students with limited background in Hebrew from prior formal or informal study are welcome and will benefit from the systematic, thorough coverage of grammar and syntax, preparing them to work with Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.
Assessment: Coursework Exam
BIB6012: New Testament Greek (30 credits)
This intensive language module will introduce you to the language skills necessary for reading and analysing New Testament texts in Greek. It is designed for students with little or no experience of Greek. By the end of the module, you should have acquired a basic understanding of the structure of an ancient inflected language and you will be able to read and work with New Testament texts in Greek.
Assessment: Coursework Exam
BIB6024: The Bible and The Postcolonial World (30 credits)
The Bible is a book which tells of empires and exiles. It has been used by Western colonial powers as a justification of their actions, but is now being read by people from a variety of postcolonial situations. In this unit, the importance of the Bible in contemporary political and religious developments and the contribution biblical readers have made and can make to these is examined. The development of postcolonial theory and its use and relevance in biblical interpretation will be introduced and selected contemporary novels and poems will be used to illustrate the way in which postcolonial literatures have drawn on and subverted biblical models.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6040: Hebrew Texts (30 credits)
If you have reached an appropriate level of competence in Hebrew, in this module will be introduced to readings from the Hebrew bible, which will enable you to enhance your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary so that you can tackle the problems of producing a coherent translation of a biblical text. The choice of text will reflect the research interests of the tutor.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6042: Greek Texts I (30 credits)
If you have reached an appropriate level of competence in Greek, in this module will be introduced to readings from the Greek bible, which will enable you to enhance your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary so that you can tackle the problems of producing a coherent translation of a biblical text. The choice of text will reflect the research interests of the tutor.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6067: Religion in an Age of Terror (core for MA in Religion, Conflict and the Media; 30 credits)
In this module we will analyse the ways in which modern cultural, political and social contexts have influenced biblical scholarship in particular and the ways in which biblical scholarship has made an impact on the modern world. We will cover the past 150 years of New Testament scholarship and contexts will include the following: 19th Century European nationalism; the rise of Marxism; Nazi Germany, Cold War; the Holocaust; the state of Israel; the so-called ‘clash of civilisations’ and ‘the war on terror’.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6091: Social Scientific Approaches to Ancient Biblical Social and Narrative Worlds (core for MA Social Scientific Biblical Studies; 30 credits)
This module will introduce the key theorists in the history of the social sciences, together with their significant methods, concepts, ideas and theories with specific attention paid to the past, current and possible future use of these ideas for the analysis of the social and narrative worlds of the Hebrew Bible, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament (concentration depending on student interest). You will engage with primary and secondary texts in sociology (with some social psychology etc.) and with primary biblical and extra-biblical ancient texts. For example, you will examine selected passages from the sociology of Emile Durkheim and critically consider how they are used to generate interpretations of biblical texts, and how this in turn affects our understanding of Durkheimian sociology. Alternatively you might select an area of sociological significance, such as ethnic identity, and explore the biblical literature in the light of a range of concepts and ideas from the social sciences that are relevant to the topic.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6983: Christian Theology (30 credits)
This module explores central Christian ideas about the nature of God, creation, salvation, Jesus the Christ, humanity, and hope. We will consider a series of methodological questions as well, such as the nature of our knowledge of God, the role of human experience, the use of scripture, the place of tradition, and the importance of contemporary contexts for Christian theology.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB698: Selected New Testament Texts in Context (30 credits)
In this module you will study a designated biblical gospel, book or letter in depth and will write a sustained exegetical paper on it. The paper will demonstrate a command of textual criticism and a range of other relevant critical methods. You will interact with secondary literature and critically evaluate scholarly proposals. The specific text will vary and will be decided annually by the instructor.
Assessment: Coursework
Semester 2
BIB6013: Hebrew Language and Texts (30 credits)
In this module, we will build on the grammar and syntax learned in the module BIB6011 Biblical Hebrew, emphasizing irregular verb patterns and complex sentence structures while continuing to build vocabulary. In addition, you will do short readings in the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, learning to use the critical apparatus and to develop exegetical skills.
Assessment: Examination
BIB6014: New Testament Language and Texts (30 credits)
In this module, we will develop the Greek language skills acquired in the module BIB6012 New Testament Greek, and will combine grammatical work based on the course manual with concerted reading of set texts from the Greek New Testament. Stress will be laid on developing reading fluency based on a thorough grammatical competence and a wide vocabulary. The module will also provide you with a grounding in key exegetical skills such as textual criticism and lexicography.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6015: Issues in Archaeology and the Bible (30 credits)
This module involves the study of a range of issues in the field of archaeology and the Bible. In seminars, you will engage with a range of issues in the fields of ancient Syro-Palestinian archaeology and the history of ancient Israel and Judah through a discussion of a variety of topics and critical perspectives within the field. Precise research topics will reflect the research interests of the members of the Department of Biblical Studies.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6016: Issues in Cultural Studies (30 credits)
We will study of a range of issues in the field of cultural studies and the Bible in this module. Seminars will engage with specific problems through a discussion of a variety of topics and critical perspectives within the field. Precise research topics will reflect the research interests of the members of the Department of Biblical Studies.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6020: Dissertation in Biblical Studies (core for all MA courses except MA Archaeology; Bible and Ancient Cultures; 60 credits)
The dissertation will be an extended piece of independent academic research undertaken in consultation with a supervisor.
Assessment: 12,000 word dissertation
BIB6022: Dissertation in Archaeology, Bible and Ancient Cultures (core for MA Archaeology; Bible and Ancient Cultures; 60 credits)
The dissertation will be an extended piece of independent academic research undertaken in consultation with a supervisor.
Assessment: 12,000 word dissertation
BIB6023: The Bible and The Arts (30 credits)
The module has a dual focus on the way the Bible has influenced Western culture and the way cultural appropriations of biblical materials can influence biblical interpretation. We will assess the impact of the Bible on culture by analysing retellings of familiar biblical stories in selected examples from literature, art, music and film. We will also examine the impact of popular culture on the Bible and the way popular culture appropriates the Bible for its own purposes. You will have the opportunity to develop your collaborative and presentational skills by working together on projects in small groups, the results of which will be presented in class.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6025: Religion and Violence: Judaism, Christianity and Islam in Ancient and Modern Perspectives (30 credits)
This module will look and the origins, growth and development of violence in Abrahamic traditions in order to provide a historic perspective on the roots of contemporary religious violence. Topics to be covered will include: theories of religious violence and tolerance; violence in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Qur'an; religious violence from the Crusades to the aftermath of the Reformation; pogroms and the Holocaust; Orientialism; and the roots of 'fundamentalism'. This interdisciplinary module will also be of interest to students of English, History and Philosophy.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB695: Selected Old Testament Texts in Context (30 credits)
Students who have reached an appropriate level of competence in Hebrew will be introduced to readings from the Hebrew bible, which will enable them to enhance their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary and also to tackle the problems of producing a coherent translation of a biblical text. The choice of text will reflect the research interests of the tutor.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6033: Word into Words (30 credits)
In this module, we will examine the history and practice of biblical translation beginning with the Septuagint, Targumim and Vulgate and continuing through the development of vernacular translations in Europe before and after the Reformation to an examination of the relationships between mission, audience and postcolonial issues in contemporary translations. The reciprocal influence of translation theory and biblical practice will be analysed throughout.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6092: Sociological Analysis of the Bible in Contemporary Society and Culture (core for MA Social Scientific Biblical Studies)
In this module, we consider the social and cultural context of biblical criticism and the biblical scholar in contemporary society and the nature of biblical literacy utilising sociological ideas and theory. You will explore the use of ethnographic research methods to add further knowledge of the role of the bible in contemporary culture and society with reference to the social groups, social interests and institutional settings in which diverse forms of biblical literacy are found so as to better understand the place of the bible and biblical ideas in everyday social and political life. The module builds on the fieldwork techniques learnt in the Qualitative Methods module on the degree and all students engage in field work and write a critical reflection on their experience and findings. Empirical work will explore the use and influence of the bible in contemporary social settings and will give you the opportunity to reflect sociologically on the state of affairs and theorise the situation.
Assessment: Coursework
BIB6093: Max Weber Studies (core for MA Social Scientific Biblical Studies; 15 credits)
We will concentrates on the life, work and legacy of Max Weber with specific reference to his contributions to the method of historical sociology, the sociology of religion, and the analysis of modernity. You will engage with selected Weber texts including The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Politics and Science as a Vocation and other key discussions in Economy and Society. You will become skilled in the exegesis of Weber’s texts and will become familiar with the continuing discussion of his work, including highly critical assessments.
Assessment: Coursework