Bibliology and Hermeneutics

Students, use this area to ask any question relevant to the course.

Use this to say hi to your fellow classmates and talk about anything you want. Maybe tell about what you did this summer!

Post your case study below in the response area 300-500 words.

This is going to be a “real life” case study. You are to find a person who would be willing to sit down and talk to you for an hour or two. It would be good if this person was a seeker, unbeliever, or a skeptic, but he or she can be a Christian. With notes in hand, the topic of your conversation is going to be explaining why we believe the Scriptures are inspired.

• Ask these questions before you begin:

1. Do you believe that the Scriptures are the inspired word of God? If so, why? If not, why?
2. Do you believe that God expects Christians to simply trust that the Scriptures are inspired, or do you think He want Christians to take a critical approach to the Scriptures?

• Proceed to explain the entire “Proving Inspiration” section in your notes.

• Now ask what evidence they found the most convincing concerning the inspiration of the Scriptures.

• Then ask what evidence they found the least convincing concerning the inspiration of the Scriptures.

• If they are still doubtful concerning the Inspiration of the Scriptures, ask them what evidence short of God shouting from heaven that they would accept to verify that the Scriptures are inspired.

After you are done, write a half page to a page summary of the encounter and hand it in. Online student are to post their summary in their class forum. Grades will be based upon the completion of the assignment, not the effectiveness of the presentation. Everyone who completes this will receive credit for the case study.

Post your case study below in the response area 300-500 words.

This is going to be a “real life” case study. You are to find a person who would be willing to sit down and talk to you for an hour or two. This person should be a Bible believing Christian of any tradition. With notes in hand, the topic of your conversation is going to be explaining the difference between the Roman Catholic dual-source view of authority and the Evangelical (or Protestant) sola Scriptura view.

• Ask these questions before you begin:

1. Where do you go for religious authority?
2. How much authority do you give your denomination or tradition?
3. Do you think that a person should interpret the Bible on their own or do you think that they should seek the guidance of others in authority?

• After this, explain the different views of authority.

• Then go through the arguments for the Dual-source Theory of authority and the Sola Scripture theory of authority.

• Final question to ask. Do you think that the difference between sola Scriptura and dual-source theories was significant enough to be a major cause for the split between Roman Catholics and Protestants in the sixteenth century?

The object of this assignment is to help people understand the issue of authority in the Church and what divides the major traditions today.

After you are done, write a half page to a page summary of the encounter and hand it in. Online student are to post their summary in their class forum. Grades will be based upon the completion of the assignment, not the effectiveness of the presentation. Everyone who completes this will receive credit for the case study.