Nov 24, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biblical Literature, BA


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College Ministry
Academic Award Bachelor of Arts
Credits Required 122 semester credits
Faculty Lead David Hymes
CIP Code 39.0201

The Biblical Literature major has at its center the belief that the Bible is the inspired word of God, the sure foundation for Christian faith and practice. The major is therefore designed to lead the student into the proper understanding and exposition of the Bible. The major seeks to do this by giving the student a broad knowledge of the background, content, and meaning of the Bible, and by helping the student develop exegetical skills for continuing study and communication of the Bible.

This major is designed for those preparing for vocational Christian ministry as well as other vocations, enabling them to proclaim the gospel effectively in the church and in the world. It also provides a good foundation for those who are planning to pursue graduate studies. Students may develop their vocational interests by selection of a minor or electives of their choosing.

Graduates with a degree in Biblical Literature will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the Bible.
  2. Interpret the Bible as Christian Scripture using suitable hermeneutical methods.
  3. Discriminate between competing interpretations of Scripture.
  4. Assess distinct viewpoints on theological topics.
  5. Present Christian teaching orally in public settings.

Core Curriculum Requirements: 57


Humanities: 9


6 credits in this area must be from Writing Practice courses* (see Course Descriptions    for applicability)

  • ENGL xxx3 Any Literature course 3 credits
  • HIST   xxx3 Any Course in History 3 credits
  • 3 additional credits selected from the following 3 credits
    • Art (ARTE), Bible (BIBL), Drama (DRAM), English (ENGL), History (HIST), Language (LANG), Music (MUSI), or Theology (THEO)

Social Sciences: 9


6 credits in this area must be from Writing Practice courses* (see Course Descriptions  for applicability)

  • Select a minimum of two disciplines from the following: 9 credits
    • Business Administration (BUSM), Communication (except COMM 1213), Economics, Education (EDUC), Exercise Science (EXSC), Geography (GEOG), Information Technology (INTC), Management (BMGT), Marketing (BMKT), Philosophy (PHIL), Political Science (PSCI), Psychology (PSYC), Sociology/Anthropology (SOCI), or User Experience Design (UXDE)

Science and Mathematics: 7


  • MATH xxxx - College-level Mathematics 3 credits
  • SCIE xxxx - Science course with Lab 4 credits

Formation and Calling: 3


Professional Readiness: 2


Two Core Curriculum elective credits are required to be Career Readiness credits. These credits can be earned by taking a combination of Career Readiness Courses and introductory internship and/or job shadowing experiences. 

  • This two-credit requirement is waived for students who transfer 57 or more credits to NU
  • Students with 44-56 transfer credits are required to take one Career Readiness credit

Core Electives: 6


Select any college-level courses

Major Requirements: 51


Biblical Literature Requirements: 18


(see Course Descriptions  for applicability)

  • BIBL 2xx3/3xx3 level OT courses 3 credits
  • BIBL 2xx3/3xx3 level NT courses 3 credits
  • BIBL 2xx3/3xx3 level Bible courses 3 credits  (BIBL 2233 - The Book of Acts recommended)
  • Book Studies/Special Topics/Bible Seminars 6 credits
    • ​BIBL 46x2 Bible Seminar
    • BIBL 3xx3/4xx3 Bible Electives

Biblical Language Requirements: 9


(Select Biblical Hebrew or New Testament Greek priority)

Supporting Requirements: 6


General Electives: 14


Any college-level courses

Total: 122 Semester Credits


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