Sacred Texts Seminar

Catalog description

Taught by GTU. THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD: SACRED TEXTS AND THEIR INTERPRETATION. What makes a text sacred? How does a community form a "canon" from original narratives? This course will explore the diverse ways in which sacred texts are read, understood, interpreted, embodied, and experienced. We will undertake a journey of discovery of the many ways in which sacred texts serve lived religion in the following traditions: Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. After a study of their historical development ecumenically and interreligiously, we will consider their function within the tradition (theological, liturgical, ritual, pastoral, spiritual formation, ethical, performative, etc.) and the hermeneutical principles that guide their interpretation. This seminar is required for doctoral students in Sacred Texts and Their Interpretation and open to doctoral students in other departments.