Special Topics: Biblical Interpretation as Public Theology

Catalog description

This course investigates the intersection of biblical exegesis, interpretation, and public theology, with a deliberate focus on critical biblical interpretations (communal and responsive approaches including, but not limited to, African-American, Womanist, Asian and Asian American, Latinx, Postcolonial, Environmentalist, Childist, Feminist, Queer, Disability Studies, etc.) as a primary lens. Students will explore how to deploy, contest, and reclaim sacred texts in the public square in order to address systemic injustice, state violence, gender marginalization, and ecological crises. By interrogating the hidden biases of dominant, Eurocentric interpretative methods and traditions, the course equips religious leaders, activists, and scholars to articulate a public theology that centers the lived experiences of marginalized communities. Through course readings, cultural analysis, and constructive projects, students will learn to translate rigorous biblical criticism into transformative public discourse.