Last modified: 28 Jun 2018 10:27
The book of Jonah is a most unusual biblical book. It tells the story of the reluctant prophet Jonah who refuses to go to Nineveh and instead gets swallowed up by a huge fish. This course will read this book from many angles. It will discuss the purpose of the book: why was it written and for whom? It will look at its theological message. It will also explore its afterlife in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions, as well as its depictions in art, literature, and film.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Old Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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The book of Jonah, merely four chapters long, is an unusual biblical book in many respects. It tells the story of the reluctant prophet Jonah who refuses to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh and instead gets swallowed up by a huge fish. Despite its oddity, or maybe because of it, this book has been read and discussed throughout the last 2500 years. Jonah appears in the New Testament, in Jewish texts, and in Islamic stories, and the story about his mission and his time inside the fish has been depicted in paintings, alluded to in literature, and even performed on stage. In spite of is brevity, the book further touches upon a large number of important theological issues. Can God change his mind? Are there limits to God’s compassion? The book of Jonah has also been used in political and religious polemics. Is God a God of both Jews and Gentiles? Are the god-fearing Gentile sailors more worthy of God’s grace than the exasperating and narrow-mined Jewish prophet? This course will explore these and many more issues.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
1st Attempt
Feedback will be given by the course coordinators in the form of personal conversation with students in seminar, detailed written comments on all submitted written work, and oral feedback on seminar presentations.
The students will be given the chance to discuss their choice of essay topic with the course coordinators.
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