The Bible and Public Policy (IS 625/825)

Prerequesites

Successful completion of a competency exercise and 60% of the IS 500-level work.

Date

Tuesday, January 14th – Thursday, January 16th

Credit

2.0

Block

2

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Course Description

This course will discuss what we find in the Bible about the relationship between our faith and political institutions and discourse. We will look at the ways the Bible addresses social, economic, and political issues in the contexts in which the people lived and the texts were written. We will also look at the ways the Bible has been used, particularly in the U.S. to address this kinds of issues. The purpose of this study is to enable you to engage the church in these matters so that it works to move the world closer to what God would have it be.

Professor

Jerry Sumney
Professor of Biblical Studies
Education
B.A., David Lipscomb University, 1978
M.A., Harding University,1982
Ph.D., Southern Methodist University, 1987
Bio
Joined faculty in 1997.  Prior to that time he taught in the religion department at Ferrum College from 1986-1997.

Dr. Sumney is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and is past president for the Southeastern Region of the Society. At the national level, he also served as the chair of the steering committee for the Theology of the Disputed Paulines Group from 1996-2001 and as the chair of the steering committee for the Disputed Paulines Section from 2004-2012. He also chaired the Pauline Epistles and Literature Section of the International Meeting of the SBL 2003-2008.  He was elected to membership in the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (SNTS) in 2005.

Sumney has presented papers at regional, national, and international academic conferences.  He has also led numerous workshops for elders and deacons, and Bible study workshops and series, including in the Lay School of Theology at LTS and in the school for licensed ministers sponsored by the Kentucky region of the Christian Church.  He is the regular teacher of an adult Sunday School Class in his home church.

Books Authored
He has written seven books: Paul: Apostle and Fellow Traveler (2014); The Bible: An Introduction (2010; 2nd edition, 2014); Colossians; A Commentary, New Testament Library Series (2008); Philippians, A Handbook for Second-Year Greek Students (2007); Servants of Satan, False Brothers, and Other Pauline Opponents (1999); Preaching Apocalyptic Texts (co-authored with Larry Paul Jones; 1999) and Identifying Paul’s Opponents (1990). He is editor of Reading Paul’s Letter to Romans (2012); The Order of the Ministry; Equipping the Saints (2002) and co-editor of Theology and Ethics in Paul and His Interpreters (1996) and Paul and Pathos (2001). He also has written over 30 articles in journals and books. He also contributed entries to the New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible and the Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments, and the Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics. In addition, was a contributor to the The College Study Bible and the CEB Study Bible.  He is currently working on a book on Paul’s use of tradition, a commentary on 1 Corinthians, and the Bible study section of an issue of the New International Sunday School Lesson Annual.

Course Information

Course Goals & Learning Outcomes
  1. Intellectual:Students will gain knowledge of the content and context of biblical texts that engage questions of social, economic, and political issues.
  2. Intellectual: Students will learn to identify the theological bases of what the biblical texts say about these issues.
  3. Practical:Students will gain skills in the art of exegesis and appropriation of Biblical texts that are needed to effectively lead the church engage these issues.
  4. Spiritual:Students will gain skills in the art of incorporating the Biblical messages into their lives and their ministries.
Required Textbooks

  1. Frances Flannery and Rodney A. Werline, The Bible in Political Debate: What Does It Really Say? New York: Bloomsbury T. & T. Clark, 2016.

  2. Jerry L. Sumney, The Politics of Faith: The Bible, Government, and Public Policy.  Minneapolis: Fortress, 2020.

Is there pre-course work?
Yes. Before you arrive on campus for your time in class, you must complete the pre-class assignments consisting of reading, writing, and lectures. The written assignments must be submitted prior to our first class meeting so that we may discuss them.
What technology is required?
Students should bring with them their laptops, tablets, or device with which they use to access the course materials and complete assignments.
What will I need to bring to class?
Laptop, notebook, pens/pencils, jacket or blanket, water bottle, assistive devices, etc. Any assignments or other needed materials will be listed in the course syllabus via Canvas.
Should I bring snacks?
You are welcome to bring snacks or drinks. LTS is equipped with a water filter for refilling water bottles and will have coffee and tea available, as well as an assortment of snacks. If you have a food allergy or sensitivity, please reach out to the Dean’s Office prior to your arrival.
What do I do if I can't join physically?
LTS does offer hybrid intensives options at the discretion of the Dean and course professor. Please contact the Dean’s Office prior to registering for courses to make your hybrid course request.

Other Intensives Course Offerings

Exegesis for the Church (IS 560)
Reimagining Religion and Mission (LM 679/879)
Building Cultural Frameworks for the Contemporary Contexts (DM 812)
Holy Spirit: Beyond Santa and Star Wars (IF 675/875)
Sermon Preparation (LW 554)
LC Block: Creating a Congregational Culture of Care (LC 550) and Diagnosis and Referral (LC 552) and The Art of Visitation (LC 554)
Building Congregational/Ministerial Frameworks for the Contemporary Contexts (DM 813)
IF Block: Who Do We Say That I Am: Christology (IF 556) & God Save Us: Soteriology (IF 558)

Questions about registering?

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