2009 - 2010 Academic Catalog - Westminster Theological Seminary

{Course Descriptions}
The course codes for all courses are to be interpreted as follows:
The letters indicate the department, division within the department,
or major: Old Testament, New Testament, Church History,
Systematic Theology, Apologetics, Practical Theology. (Courses indicated
PTC are primarily counseling courses; PTE are primarily evangelism
courses; and PTM are primarily Urban Mission courses.)
First digit indicates the level of the course:
0, non-credit course
1-6, M.A., M.A.R., or M.Div. courses
7-9, Th.M. and Ph.D. courses
The letter “p” following a course number indicates that the
course is graded on a pass-fail basis.
The Seminary reserves the right to add, withdraw, or change
courses without prior notice.
Old Testament
It must be apparent to anyone who reads the Gospels carefully
that Jesus Christ, in the days of his flesh, looked upon that body
of writings which is known as the Old Testament as constituting an
organic whole. To him the Scriptures were a harmonious unit which
bore a unique message and witness.
– E. J. Young
• To acquire a knowledge of the content of the Old Testament
• To grapple with the challenges of biblical interpretation
• To evaluate the ways in which the Old Testament
has been interpreted in the past
• To perceive the unity of the Old and New Testaments
and the hermeneutical significance of their unity
• To understand and value the historical context in which
God gave his redemptive revelation, how it began in the
Old Testament period and then culminated in the glorious
and extraordinary climax to that history in Christ and his
work in Christ as interpreted in the New Testament
Nothing is more foundational to Christian ministry than a full-orbed
knowledge and embrace of the gospel. The Old Testament department
is committed to teaching the first thirty-nine books of the
Bible, with all the aspects entailed, as the anticipation of the glorious
climactic fulfillment of redemption in Jesus Christ.
To this end, the Old Testament curriculum enables students:
• To acquire a reading knowledge of biblical Hebrew
2009–2010
95