Advance Theology Course Module 2: Conquest to Monarchy

Session 1: Tribal Federation (Joshua to Judges)

Read Joshua 1-5, 13:1-7, 23, 24:14-28; Judges 1-2, 10-11. Skim Judges for a couple of minutes, reading a verse or two per chapter and any section descriptions in your Bible. Be sure to read 17:6; 18:1; and 21:25. Then read the notes below in preparation for this session.

• Read thisNotes for 2.1 Tribal Federation (Joshua to Judges)

Supplementary material on the problem of holy war

What do we do with the biblical material in which God commands the total destruction of peoples and cities? We were introduced to this problem in Module 1 (session 7) when Andrew Wilson introduced the three C's - context, covenant and Christ. There, the focus of the session was on slavery; here, Andrew Wilson gives a more detailed response to the problem of holy war. It's a big issue, and one that you may desire to look into further. While you probably won't have time for an additional video lecture in conjunction with session 1, this video by Josh Butler is an excellent place to start (as is his book, Skeletons in God's Closet).

• Watch thisViolence and Genocide with Josh Butler
• Read thisJudgment or Cruelty? Conquering the Promised Land (The Bible Project)

Session 2: United Monarchy (Saul to Solomon)

Read 1 Samuel 8, 10, 15; 2 Samuel 7, 11; Psalm 51, 63; 1 Kings 1-2 and the notes below in preparation for this session

• Read thisNotes for 2.2 United Monarchy (Saul to Solomon)

Session 3: God and Gospel

Read 1 Samuel 2-7; 2 Samuel 6-7; Psalm 2; Ruth 1, 4 and the notes below in preparation for this session. STOP the video at 1 hr 20 mins (we'll come back to the Psalms in a supplementary session).

• Read thisNotes for 2.3 God & Gospel

Session 4: People and Mission

Read Job 1-3; Proverbs 1, 7-8, 12; Ecclesiastes 1, 7; Song of Songs 1 and the notes below in preparation for this session. (Note that we're skipping the sections on the Psalms, which we'll cover in an extra session.)

• Read thisNotes for 2.4 People and Mission

Session 5: Psalms

This is an additional session that we've produced in-house that brings together material from sessions 3 and 4. Read Psalms 2, 45, 69, 110 & 137 plus the accompanying notes before watching the video on the link below.

• Read thisNotes for 2.5 Psalms
• Watch thisVideo for 2.5 Psalms