The Old Testament can be a ‘neglected’ document in the Church and in the lives of individual Christians. However, the Old Testament forms the bulk of Christian Scripture, and it is important that students studying applied theology are able to engage with and handle it responsibly and have the resources to enable others to do the same. This module overviews the Old Testament’s historical, geographical, religious, and cultural contexts and provides students with a foundation for approaching the Old Testament.

This module aims to:

• help students engage the Old Testament in its historical, theological, and canonical settings

• help students appreciate the OT as part of the “big story” of the Christian Scriptures

• introduces students to selected tools and resources for engaging with the issues raised by the Old Testament (authorship, chronology, genre, historical context, etc.) that can be built upon when taking subsequent courses.

• exposes students to a range of Old Testament theological perspectives and encourages them to reflect on their assumptions about and attitudes towards the Old Testament

• help students consider the value of the OT for contemporary Christian life and ministry, and how they can communicate its truths and values to a non-specialist audience.