OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT EXEGESIS
cod. 1007462

Academic year 2023/24
1° year of course - First semester
Professor
- Gualtiero ROTA
Academic discipline
Letteratura cristiana antica (L-FIL-LET/06)
Field
Ambito aggregato per crediti di sede
Type of training activity
30 hours
of face-to-face activities
6 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in ITALIAN

Integrated course unit module: ANCIENT CHRISTIAN LITERATURE (INTEGR.)

Learning objectives

The course of Biblical Exegesis contributes to the acquisition of advanced methodological skills in linguistic-philological studies, aimed at the translation, analysis, and critical understanding of exegetical texts in Greek and Latin languages. In order to achieve the educational objectives, direct reading and in-depth interpretation of the texts covered in the monographic course will be conducted during lectures, supported by other assisted teaching activities to initiate individual research paths. Students will apply their disciplinary knowledge in independently developing a short research project on a chosen topic, translating and analyzing texts using appropriate bibliographic resources and methodologies.

Upon completion of the course, students should have attained the ability to confidently tackle the translation of even complex texts, as well as effectively communicate the results of their study and research with clarity and precision of language.

- Knowledge and understanding:
The course of Biblical Exegesis will enable students to acquire knowledge that will be achieved and supported through targeted didactic interventions such as lectures, seminars, and exercises.

- Applying knowledge and understanding:
The study of the Jewish-Hellenistic historical context and the synoptic analysis of the most distinctive aspects of early Christian literary expressions will result in an understanding of the fundamental developments of biblical exegesis in Greek and Latin languages, as well as the content of the examined literary texts. This knowledge will provide students with an expanded literary horizon of reference and the ability to better contextualize critical-textual aspects that serve as a driving force for a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary theological and literary dynamics.

- Judgement autonomy:
By the end of the course, based on both theoretical and linguistic-literary analytical knowledge, students should have developed the ability to gather data and critically interpret ancient Christian texts, as well as formulate independent and well-founded judgments about them and the socio-cultural context in which they are situated.

- Communication skills:
Upon completion of the course, students should have acquired the ability to accurately communicate both literary and extra-literary content, as well as develop clear historical-literary pathways.

- Learning skills:
The theoretical and disciplinary engagement should provide students with a certain mastery of methodologies and learning skills that are valuable for future professions related to teaching and communication.

Prerequisites

None

Course unit content

The course will focus on the doctrinal disputes between allegorical and literal exegesis.

Full programme

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Bibliography

1) J. SCHRIJNEN, I caratteri del latino cristiano antico; con un’appendice di Christine Mohrmann: dopo quarant’anni, ed. it. Pàtron, Bologna 2002.

2) Selection of papers (assigned during class).


*Students of Classics will be assigned specific bibliography according to their particular cultural desiderata.

N.B. Non-attending students must get in contact the the teacher for information on bibliography

Teaching methods

The teaching consists of face-to-face lectures supported by weekly tutoring sessions and the provision of short video recordings or supplementary materials.

During the lectures, passages from works by Christian authors in Greek and Latin will be read, translated, and commented upon. Connections between the proposed texts will be highlighted, primarily by emphasizing verbal expressions, arguments, images, and metaphors. The critical bibliography necessary for analyzing the proposed texts will be provided. In this way, an approach to the text will be presented to the students, which will be useful for their individual in-depth studies. Students will apply the same analytical methodologies in a short research project on a chosen topic. This individual path will be initiated with the support of assisted teaching activities tailored to the specific needs of the students taking the course.

Assessment methods and criteria

For evaluation purposes, an oral examination on different parts of the program (including a short individual research project) is scheduled to assess:

The correct critical understanding of the formal, substantial, and literary aspects of the main themes of Biblical Exegesis.
The understanding of the fundamental developments of Biblical Exegesis in Greek and Latin languages, as well as the content of the examined literary texts.
The ability to gather data and critically interpret exegetical texts, as well as to formulate independent and well-founded judgments on them and their socio-cultural context.
The ability to develop clear cross-historical and literary pathways.
Evaluation criteria:

Clarity in presentation, language proficiency, ability to rework the content, interdisciplinary connections, use of specialized vocabulary, relevance of responses to the questions asked.
A passing grade will be achieved with correct answers to 60% of the questions, while adhering to the aforementioned criteria.

In case the course of Biblical Exegesis is part of an integrated examination module, the final score will be the average of the two module scores.

Other information

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