Courses

The book of Joshua is challenging in various ways. It is difficult to bring coherence to apparently contradictory assertions: all the land was conquered yet much land remains to be taken; all the Canaanites are to be destroyed yet Israel lives amongst the Canaanites. Joshua is a challenging book theologically, as the promise of redemption comes about through war and conflict. The goal of this course is to provide a guide in understanding the book of Joshua in its literary intent and its theological message in dealing with the concepts of judgment and redemption. It is to provide guidance for living in a world that is torn by strife.

Knowing…

• Content and structure of the versions of Joshua (Masoretic, Greek, and Qumran)
• Questions of textual history and the process of composition
• Relationship of Joshua to the Pentateuch and the Deuteronomistic History
• Theological concepts of sovereignty, mercy, and judgment

Being…

• Courage and conviction in a society of strife
• Understanding persistence and consequences of human conflict
• Hope of divine promise in formidable circumstances

Doing…

• Engage in confronting violence with a theology of redemption
• Address strife with an understanding of the human condition that perpetuates violence
• Become active in church congregations in teaching a theologically sound anthropology