Aims

By the end of this session you should be able to: 

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• demonstrate an initial understanding of the historical and religious issues leading to the return of Jewish exiles to the land

• understand and outline some of the theological issues of the restoration period and its literature, especially Ezra, Nehemiah and Ruth

• understand and describe some of the prophetic material around the rebuilding of the temple

• recognise and describe different theologies of inclusion and exclusion in the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament, especially in the post-exilic period

• understand and describe how these theologies affect ancient and contemporary responses to "others" and how this might affect the development of contemporary mission

• understand and outline how the Hebrew Bible as a whole views "others" and their cultures

• explore the importance of the Hebrew short story as literature and narrative as a means of communication.