Welcome to Teaching the Bible: October 2009
Welcome to the monthly electronic publication, Teaching the Bible — TB for short. Designed to support teachers of high school Bible electives, it features easy to read and reliable resources that you can use in your classroom. Send your comments to: Moira Bucciarelli.

Ask an Expert
Have you wondered about the different creation accounts in Genesis? Or why the disciples in the gospel of Mark seem so clueless? Now you have the chance to “Ask an Expert.” Send your question(s) about characters, events, and conundrums in the Bible and a Bible scholar will respond. We will publish as many as we can in a regular Q & A column in the next issue.

Teacher to Teacher
Many of you are already experienced with teaching the Bible in your language arts courses, or as part of a world religions course, or in an elective course on the Bible. We want to feature an example of a lesson you teach— send us an example of how you teach the Psalms, the Prophets, or the Pauline Letters (to name a few) and we will feature it here so that your peers can learn from you.

Student Work
If you have a student who has produced exemplary work relating to the academic study of the Bible and its historical, linguistic, or literary contexts, encourage them to send in their project so we can highlight examples of student excellence. Artwork must be scanned and sent in GIF, JPEG or PDF format. Audio files must be mp3 format. Digital photos must be (72 dpi or higher).

About the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL)
The SBL was founded in 1880 and is an international academic membership organization for people who teach, study, or are interested in academic study of the Bible and its related contexts and literatures. The Society’s mission is to foster biblical scholarship and does not hold any denominational or confessional stance, though many of our members are religious leaders.

Feature Essays

Ezekiel and Exile
by Professor John Strong

The Book of Ezekiel was written about a time in history when the population of the southern kingdom of Judah was forcibly removed to live in Babylon (modern-day Iraq.) Despite this difficulty, the Prophet Ezekiel offered a vision of hope. Read more >>

The Synoptic Question
by Isaac M. Alderman

Why are there four gospels in the New Testament, and how do they relate to each other? This question drives much of what scholars call the “synoptic question.” As it turns out, three of the gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—share some striking similarities, and some notable differences. Read more >>

Names of God in the Hebrew Bible
by Robert L. Foster

Why is God sometimes called “God” and other times “LORD” in the Bible? Robert Foster explains. Read more >>

Reading Glasses:
Exploring Critical Reading Methods

Source Criticism
by Jim West
We all use sources when we write a paper, tell a story, or give a speech. But it may come as a surprise that the authors of the Biblical texts also used sources, and some of them we can identify through source criticism. Read more >>

Audio
On Misplaced Faith
by Brent Strawn
Sometimes students struggle with academic study of the Bible because they find it hard to reconcile with their religious views. Professor Brent Strawn, an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, has these helpful comments. (3:19) .
Go to the site to listen >>

Mini-Survey:
Thank you for your responces last month and letting us know what online resources you use. Your input this month will have a direct impact on the design of a future website, “The World of the Bible.” If over 20 people respond, we will draw one name to receive a free copy of the new HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, condensed edition.
Click Here to take the October survey

Web Resources
Ancient Empires
by Christopher Hooker
Read more >>

Active Learning
The Synoptic Question, by Isaac M. Alderman
Ezekiel and Hope, by John Strong