THE BIBLE in Fall 2026 (CL3089)

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This course intends to help students better understand the Bible's influence on literature and cultural history through a primary and secondary approach: reading the Bible (preferably The King James Version); reading the history of the biblical period (introductions and annotations of the New Oxford Annotated Bible). Readings shall cover the Hebrew Bible, the Apocrypha, and the New Testament. No prerequisites.

Course Master: 
THE BIBLE (CL3089)
Term: 
Fall 2026
Discipline: 
CL (Comparative Literature)
Credits: 
4 credits
Type: 
Regular
Level: 
Undergraduate
Can be taken twice for credit?: 
No
Pre-requisites: 
None
Co-requisites: 
None

Professor(s)

Learning Outcomes

  1. Comparison and Contextualization: Biblical writings are at a crossroads between Eastern and Western societies and cultures, and the world’s three major religions. Students will be able to better compare and contextualize these societies, cultures and religions, having read the Bible within the context of this course.
  2. Critical Reading: Students will critically and objectively read the Bible at once taking note of its inconsistencies and its reappearance in subsequent texts.
  3. Languages and Linguistics: Students will be able to recognize the use of the Bible in specific linguistic registers: pastoral sermons, political discourse, song lyrics, literary renderings, as well as artistic productions that transcend our traditional understanding of language and linguistics.
  4. Writing: A book report (the minutes of a well-appreciated book not on the syllabus), and a final 10/12-page term paper. Written in-class quizzes (3 X ½ hour). A 1h20m essay midterm. A 2h30m essay final exam.

Syllabus

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Schedule

Start Date: 
Monday, August 31, 2026
End Date: 
Wednesday, December 16, 2026
DayStart TimeEnd TimeRoom
Monday
10:35
11:55
G-102
Thursday
10:35
11:55
G-102