course

Introduction to the Old Testament

This course introduces you to the Hebrew Scriptures, exploring their structure, authorship, and overarching narrative of salvation history. Through the term, you will develop foundational interpretive skills to read Old Testament texts competently and creatively, examining key questions about the purpose and relevance of these ancient writings. Major sections covered include the Primeval History, the patriarchal narratives, the Torah, the Deuteronomistic History, prophetic literature (Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah), and wisdom writings like Job and Psalms.

Class Sessions

Mondays from 7-9 pm ET / 6-8 pm CT
*See our Academic Calendar for term dates.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. —Deuteronomy 6:5-6
course instructor

Rev. Dr. Niveen Sarras

Rev. Dr. Niveen Sarras serves as pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Neenah, Wisconsin. Born and raised in Bethlehem, Palestine, she is the first Palestinian woman ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), with a love for Scripture rooted in her childhood at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Bethlehem. Passionate about biblical literacy, theological education, and social justice, she has taught feminist, womanist, and mujerista theology through the ELCA East-Central Synod of Wisconsin and offered adult education through the University of Wisconsin Extension. A sought-after speaker and writer, Dr. Sarras contributes regularly to outlets such as The Christian Century, Living Lutheran, and the Journal of Lutheran Ethics, and has presented at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly and the Society of Biblical Literature, often amplifying marginalized voices in Scripture and in today's world. She holds a Ph.D. in Old Testament from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and an M.Div. from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, along with additional graduate degrees in Biblical Studies.