Exegetical Passage Outline and Background Assignment Instructions
Overview
The Exegetical Paper is important for applying to a specific passage what you have learned about hermeneutics. In this paper you will accomplish the following: pick a particular passage for your exegetical paper; discuss an overview of the exegetical problem for that passage; give an outline of your passage; offer a thesis statement summing up the main point(s) of your passage; provide an overview of the background information of the passage (historical, cultural, literary, and social contexts); and offer a bibliography for your study. This paper will focus primarily on the first step of the Interpretive Journey: Grasping the Text in Their Town (the importance of authors and first readers). This assignment will provide an opportunity for you to lay a good foundation for the final exegetical paper and will provide an opportunity for you to gather information for the final exegetical paper. The passage you pick will remain your focus for the rest of the class, and you will build your final exegetical paper on the material presented here. This firstexegetical paper assignment helps you lay a foundation for critically evaluating your passage.
Instructions
Choose one passage statement of the passage under consideration and the translation you plan to use, an outline of the passage, the thesis statement for the passage, an overview of the background material (historical, cultural, literary, and social contexts), and a conclusion. You should include a bibliography for the sources you use for background information (and be sure to offer footnotes for citation of sources). The sources used should reflect the seven (7) scholarly sources you have selected for this assignment (NOTE: you may use more sources). Textbooks do not count toward the total number of sources. You must use current Turabian format and submit the document as a .doc or .docx file.
Here is the passage:
• Isaiah 6:1-13—Problems: Why is Isaiah in the Temple? Who are the angels? Why does he confess “unclean lips”? What is the meaning of the coal from the altar?
Mechanics for the assignment:
1. Select the passage you will use for the exegetical paper assignments.
2. Give the reference for the passage (you do not have to quote the passage for this assignment, but please mention the translation you intend to use for the paper: e.g., ESV, NASB, etc.).
3. Give an overview of the exegetical problem you intend to address in this passage. You should also sum up the main point(s) of the passage for your reader. (You can include this information in the introduction or offer it as a separate section if you wish).
4. Offer an introduction (complete with a clear and concise thesis statement and an overview of the paper’s contents) regarding the topic of the paper.
5. Give an outline of the passage being considered. The outline does not have to be detailed but should reveal some consideration of the structure and ideas of the passage.
6. Offer a thesis for the passage. This statement should sum up the main principles or ideas of the passage in one of two concise sentences.
7. Analyze the background of your passage by investigating the historical background of the book. This investigation should include consideration of authorship, recipients, date, and provenance of the biblical book in which the passage appears. Further background information includes the cultural and social backgrounds of the people who first read the text (or the city to which the text is addressed). Finally, offer an overview of the literary context of your passage in the overall argument of the biblical book in which it appears. See Duvall and Hays for more information onthese issues.
8. Offer a formal conclusion to the paper.
9. List your bibliography in current Turabian format. Scholarly sources should be used for this assignment. Be sure to use current materials (within the last 7 years). Peer reviewed articles are acceptable as well as scholarly texts.
10. Write a research paper of between 5-10 double spaced pages.
11. Edit for typos, spelling, grammar, and style based on current Turabian formatting.
12. There should be at least 7 scholarly sources.
13. For format questions, see the School of Divinity Writing Guide or contact your instructor.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for
originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
Course Textbooks:
1. Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible – ISBN# 9780310109174
2. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation – ISBN# 978-0-310-52417-5
3. Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible – ISBN# 9780830837823
