Encyclopedia Britannica, 15th ed. "Biblical Literature" (An Outline)

        Several Authors.  Encyclopedia Britannica, 15^th ed. “Biblical Literature.”  Chicago: University of Chicago, 1985.

        A lovely outline, good bibliography, and maximum compression into 100 pages.

1.    Influence and significance

    A.  Historical and cultural importance

i.       In Judaism

ii.    In Christianity

B.  Major themes and characteristics

C.  Influences

i.       On Western Civilization

ii.    On the secular modern age

2.    Old Testament canon, texts, and versions

A.  The canon

i.       The Hebrew canon

ii.    The Christian canon

iii. Texts and versions

3.    Old Testament history

A.  Early developments

B.  From the period of the divided monarchy through the restoration

i.       The divided monarchy: from Jeroboam 1 to the Assyrian conquest

ii.    The final period of the kingdom of Judah

iii. The Babylonian Exile

4.    Old Testament Literature

A.  The Torah (Law, Pentateuch, or Five Books of Moses)

i.       Composition and authorship

ii.    Genesis

iii. Exodus

iv. Leviticus

v.    Numbers

vi. Deuteronomy

B.  The Nevi’im (the Prophets)

i.       The canon of the Prophets

ii.    Hebrew prophecy

iii. Joshua

iv. Judges

v.    Samuel

vi. Kings

vii.          Isaiah

viii. Jeremiah

ix. Ezekiel

x.    The Twelve

C.  The Ketuvim

i.       Psalms

ii.    Proverbs

iii. Job

iv. The Megillot (the Scrolls)

v.    Daniel

vi. Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles

5.    Intertestamental Literature

A.  Nature and Significance

i.       Definitions

ii.    Texts and versions

iii. Persian and Hellenistic influences

iv. Apocalypticism

B.  Apocryphal writings

i.       Apocryphal works indicating Persian influence

ii.    Apocryphal works lacking strong indications of influence

iii. Additions to Daniel and Eshter

iv. Greek additions to Esther

v.    1 and 11 Maccabees

vi. Wisdom literature

C.  The pseudepigraphal writings

i.       Works indicating Greek influence

ii.    Apocalyptic and eschatological works

iii. Pseudepigrapha connected with the Dead Sea Scrolls

D.Qumran literature (Dead Sea Scrolls)

6.    New Testament canon, texts, and versions

A.  The New Testament canon

i.       Conditions aiding in the formation of the canon

ii.    The process of canonization

B.  New Testament history

i.       The Jewish and Hellenistic matrix

ii.    Jewish sects and parties

iii. The religious situation in the Greco-Roman world of the 1^st century

iv. Adaptation of the Christian message to the Hellenistic religious situation

v.    The life of Jesus

vi. The chronology of Paul

C.  New Testament literature

i.       Introduction to the Gospels

a.     Meaning of the term Gospel

b.    Form criticism

iii. The Synoptic problem

a.     Early theories about the Synoptic problem

b.    The two- and four-source theory

iv. The Synoptic Gospels

a.     The Gospel according to Mark

b.    The Gospel according to Matthew

c.     The Gospel according to Luke

v.    The Fourth Gospel: The Gospel according to John

vi. The Acts of the Apostles

a.     The purpose and style of Acts

b.    The content of Acts

vii.       The Pauline Letters

a.     Letter of Paul to the Romans

b.    The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians

c.     The Second Letter or Paul to the Corinthians

d.    The Letter of Paul to the Galatians

e.     The Letter of Paul to the Ephesians

f.      The Letter of Paul to the Philippians

g.    The Letter of Paul to the Colossians

h.    The First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

i.       The Second Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

viii.                      The Pastoral Letters: 1 and 11 Timothy and Titus

a.     The Pastoral Letters as a unit

b.    Content and problems

c.     The Letter of Paul to Philemon

ix. The Letter to the Hebrews

x.    The Catholic Letters

a.     The Letter of James

b.    The First Letter of Peter

c.     The Johannine Letters: 1, 11, and 111 John

d.    The Letter of Jude

xi. The Revelation to John

7.    New Testament Apocrypha

A.  Nature and significance

B.  The New Testament apocryphal writings

8.    Biblical literature in liturgy

A.  Biblical literature in liturgy of Judaism

B.  Biblical literature in liturgy of Christianity

i. Eastern Orthodoxy

ii. Roman Catholicism

iii.       Protestantism

9.    The critical study of biblical literature: exegesis

A.  Nature and significance

B.  Biblical criticism

C.  Types of Biblical hermeneutics

D.The development of biblical exegesis and hermeneutics in Judaism

E.  The development of biblical exegesis and hermeneutics in Christianity