Courses

Instructor: Paul Wendland

Description:
*This is a core course for the Master of Sacred Theology degree.

Begins with a review of good hermeneutics by discussing the basic biblical presuppositions necessary for a faithful interpretation of Scripture. We will come to a deeper appreciation for approaching the text reverently as God’s inspired Word and interpreting the text according to the author’s intent. We will see the centrality of Christ in all the Scriptures while yet being respectful of each writer’s own particular historical and literary context. We will examine and evaluate the impact upon hermeneutical studies of linguistics as well as of other modern forms of investigating the text, including rhetorical, genre, and narratological analysis. We will discuss the postmodern ‘turn to the reader’ as a determiner of meaning as well as its impact on contemporary socio-ideological forms of interpretation. Without discounting what we can learn from all these approaches, the course aims to affirm the enduring value of the historical/ grammatical approach to Scripture study.

During Spring Online 2025, this course runs for 10 weeks beginning on January 20, 2025.

Registration will be available in the Student Information System (SIS) beginning September 8, 2025, and close December 22, 2025. Use the "Login with Office 365 button" once you've received a student account and are logged in to Microsoft 365 with that student account. Need an account? Request one here.

WLS has been granted accreditation with ATS; therefore, the email domain has been changed from firstname.lastname@wisluthsem.org to firstname.lastname@wls.edu. Please use the new email domain to log in to Microsoft 365 and access WLS-related websites (e.g., Library Resources, SIS, SemNet).

Step-by-step instructions are provided here for all parts of the account setup and registration process.

Financial assistance is also available for those taking courses for credit. If your congregation is paying for your tuition, please submit a financial aid request form with that information so you may receive the tuition discount.

Advanced Degree Program(s): STM
Area of Study: New Testament
Language Requirement(s): Greek Required
Tuition: $800
Course Number: NT5060
Course Credits 2