Tips for Competency 1:
“Develop a basic conviction on the importance of handling the Word accurately, paying careful attention to the author's intended meaning as expressed in the text as the determinant of meaning rather than one’s own preconceptions.”
You may use any evidence you have to demonstrate competency.
Most students use something associated with their work on Project 1 for Unit 1/Issue 1, namely the short motivational paper on the importance of proper handling of God’s Word. However, this project is usually just the beginning. The basic convictions of most students is deepened and enhanced throughout the course, but particularly in the rest of Unit 1, such as the role of the author’s intended meaning (Unit 1/Issue 2) and the dangers of not using proper interpretative principles (Unit 1/Issue 3). An exemplary demonstration of competence will usually revise Project 1 of Unit 1/Issue 1 appropriately.
Tips for Competency 2:
“Gain a basic grasp of the discipline of hermeneutics (the art of interpretation), thus equipping the student with foundational principles essential in interpreting and validating the author's intended meaning expressed in the text, as well as translating its relevancy to the twenty-first century.”
You may use any evidence you have to demonstrate competency.
No project or Socratic discussion question specifically makes reference to “the discipline of hermeneutics,” but Units 1 and 2 are all about hermeneutics. Most of the readings in Units 1 and 2 provide lots of insight about hermeneutics. This competency is about big ideas related to interpretation, such as the crucial role of the author, the difference between meaning and significance, the importance of thinking about biblical books as whole documents, and keeping canonical section in mind.
It is generally a good idea to pause at the end of Unit 2 to capture your thoughts about the discipline of hermeneutics. Because you are likely to be relying heavily on the course readings, you should be in good position to meet the criteria on interaction with course resources.
Tips for Competency 3:
“Gain a basic grasp of the discipline of exegesis (basic procedures for studying and interpreting the Scriptures) as well as a basic proficiency level in accurately drawing out the author's intended meaning from the text and relating it to the twenty-first century.”
You may use any evidence you have to demonstrate competency.
Again, no project or Socratic discussion question specifically makes reference to “the discipline of exegesis,” but Units 3 and 4 are all about exegesis. And most of the readings in Units 1 and 2 provide lots of insight about exegesis. This competency is about the procedures for studying the Bible in a manner that finds accurate interpretation and makes appropriate application, paying special attention to special issues related to particular genres of biblical literature.
Tips for Competency 4:
“Gain an understanding of and proficiency in many of the recent literary contributions, which are very significant in the process of interpreting the Word, paying special attention to cross cultural interpretation and application.”
You may use any evidence you have to demonstrate competency.
Once again, no project or Socratic discussion questions specifically makes reference to “recent literary contributions,” but the entire course engages you in the process of dealing with recent literary contributions. An exemplary project will draw insight from each Unit.
You should pause at the end of each Unit to identify the recent literary contributions that have been most beneficial to you, so that you have a complete collection by the end of the course.
Also, this is one of the places in BILD courses where you are likely to be drawing on other resources to supplement the Theological Reader for the course because of your need and/or interest in knowing more about particular genres of biblical literature.