The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments After a grounding in the narratives of Genesis and Exodus (and an examination of those books’ understanding of the Law) we will move on to study the two versions of the Commandments—one in Exodus and one in Deuteronomy. We will then proceed to the history of interpretation of the Commandments, both as a unit unto themselves and as part of the general system of biblical law. Special attention will be paid to the differences between Rabbinic Judaism's understanding of the Decalogue (as the commandments are also known) and the various Christian understandings of the Ten Commandments. We will also look at expressions of the Decalogue in Islamic scripture and tradition.
The Ten Commandments After a grounding in the narratives of Genesis and Exodus (and an examination of those books’ understanding of the Law) we will move on to study the two versions of the Commandments—one in Exodus and one in Deuteronomy. We will then proceed to the history of interpretation of the Commandments, both as a unit unto themselves and as part of the general system of biblical law. Special attention will be paid to the differences between Rabbinic Judaism's understanding of the Decalogue (as the commandments are also known) and the various Christian understandings of the Ten Comma …Read more
This is a fairly chill class but definitely a valuable one. As someone seeking to minor in religion, this class stood out as a great baseline to understand the three major monotheistic traditions. In this class, we read the 5 major books of the Old Testament in about 15-20 page sections each week. The readings can be a bit dense but don't take more than an hour or so to complete. The classes are almost entirely discussions and you should always have a question or two if you want to succeed in the class. The exams are super chill and the grading is fair. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an easier class with an interest in religion.
This is a fairly chill class but definitely a valuable one. As someone seeking to minor in religion, this class stood out as a great baseline to understand the three major monotheistic traditions. In this class, we read the 5 major books of the Old Testament in about 15-20 page sections each week. The readings can be a bit dense but …Read more
Huge fan of this course. Definitely an easy one, but Goldman is really nice. The class includes reading about 15 page of the Bible a week and in class discussing them, with Goldman going on a bunch of little religious tangents. He likes to take a lot of student questions, will always enthusiastically exclaim "great question!" then answer for like 10 minutes. If there is not much engagement during a class, he usually ends 15/20 min early. Really good class if you have a base interest in religion or looking for an easy requirement.
Huge fan of this course. Definitely an easy one, but Goldman is really nice. The class includes reading about 15 page of the Bible a week and in class discussing them, with Goldman going on a bunch of little religious tangents. He likes to take a lot of student questions, will always enthusiastically exclaim "great question!" then an …Read more
Very easy course but also interesting. Shalom is the man and is very easy with grading. Most reading is of the actual bible itself and he is very knowledgable in this subject. Slow paced, easy-going, and sometimes fun. Worth it if you are interested in the bible but also if you need an easy schedule filler.
This course is great, especially if you are extremely interested in religion. Making sure you're doing the assigned readings and coming to class with good questions is really important. Otherwise, the course is very chill and the readings are always thought-provoking. Would definitely recommend it!
I really enjoyed this course with Professor Goldman. If you read all the assigned chapters from the Bible you will have no problem following the discussions in class and doing good on the few exams that are given. If you are looking for a chill fun class, this is the one for you.
Professor Goldman is amazing. He cares greatly about his students and just wants everyone to walk away with information. His goal is not to challenge you rather teach you. He is a knowledgable professor who is excited to teach.
I took the Ten Commandment with Goldman and the class was very easy. If you're looking for a filler, I definitely recommend this class. There were 2 exams for this class and they were extremely easy.