Methods, Perspectives, Challenges
Examine concrete cases of Biblical interpretation in across a spectrum of community contexts, challenging them to reflect on ways of studying them.
The Summer School will be taught by experts of and invited by the Centre for Contextual Biblical Interpretation at the Protestant Theological University and the Faculty of Religion and Theology of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. See more information at: https://www.pthu.nl/ccbi/about-ccbi/.
In addition, exposures to diverse ways of reading the Bible in communities will be part of the program.
The course “Biblical Interpretation in Diverse Communities: Methods, Perspectives, Challenges” focuses on the question “How people in diverse communities use the Bible and how to research this?” Participants will examine concrete cases of Biblical interpretation in across a spectrum of community contexts, challenging them to reflect on ways of studying them.
As attention for the contribution of so-called “intuitive” or “ordinary” Bible readers in Biblical interpretation increases, the need for attentive approaches of understanding the many voices involved in reading the Bible increases too. Researching the Bible by listening to and comprehending its usage extends beyond and challenges traditional forms of Biblical exegesis and hermeneutical framework common to Biblical scholarship.
The classes of the course will address questions such as: How to research the function of the Bible in activities organized by different church traditions? How do people make sense of the Bible? How does the Bible assist them in making sense of their lives? In addressing these questions, the course considers diverse communities, including both traditional churches and groups outside them. Particular attention is given to communities with marginalized identities, such as queer, migrant, or poor. The course challenges participants to reflect on whether and how contextual factors such as age, gender, and socio-economic status require different research methods when examining the role of the Bible within different communities. Additionally, students are asked to reflect on their own positionality and its relationship to researching the Bible in diverse communities of interpretation.
Offered by:
Centre for Contextual Biblical Interpretation at the Protestant Theological University and the Faculty of Religion and Theology of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
You earn 3 ECTS by completing the course and reading the provided material. Additionally, you have the option to earn an additional 2 ECTS by submitting an academic paper of up to 5,000 words, bringing the total ECTS to 5.
The reading material will be distributed on June 1st, providing students with time to prepare themselves with the content before lectures begin.
The maximum number of participants is 30 people. This will be a selective process based on your application. In finalizing the composition of the group the organizers aim at nurturing diversity (such disciplinary, gender, age, institutional belonging). Please include 2-3 points of motivation and what you'd like to achieve from the summer school.
The organizing committee will be able to review the applications by the 14th of May.
MA/PhD students, advanced BA students in theology, religious studies, or related disciplines; professionals (pastors, teachers, Bible translators, etc.), and researchers
After the completion of this summer course, the participants should gain knowledge of orientation on how to research Bible usage in particular communities as well as tools and methods for conducting such research. Particularly, training in contextual biblical interpretation and interdisciplinary approach to research the Bible’s role in particular communities will also be obtained. Furthermore, this course offers opportunities to broaden hermeneutical horizons, deepen theological thinking, critically examine methodological and disciplinary presumptions and boundaries, and reflect upon the researcher's positionality in interactions with participants from all around the world.
3 EC (84 hrs.)
Reading: 28 hrs.
Lectures: 2 hrs. x 10 = 20 hrs.
Preparation self-study: 20 hrs.
Exposures + preparation: 6 hrs.
Final presentation + preparation: 10 hrs.
The course fee is 425 EUR, including course materials. The housing, food, and public transport costs are excluded.
To avail of an exclusive early bird discount, secure your place in our summer school by March 1st and enjoy a €50 reduction, bringing the total cost to €375.
Financially disadvantaged students who are interested in attending this summer school program have the opportunity to apply for scholarships by writing a persuasive letter that explains their desire to participate in this course and the benefits it will have on their future academic endeavors.
A limited number of scholarships are available on request. Please contact the course coordinator for more information.
The housing costs do not include a Utrecht Summer School sleeping bag. This is a separate product on the invoice. If you wish to bring your own bedding, please deselect or remove the sleeping bag from your order.