United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities · Courses
RT
10 courses with the subject RT, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
RT 1001Introduction to Religious Texts3
Planned frequency of offerings: semiannually (twice per year) This course examines the use of religious texts within various religious and spiritual contexts. The purpose of this course is to orient the student towards the tools and methodologies, as well as philosophical underpinnings, of how texts are used and interpreted within religious and spiritual contexts. Besides broad methodological approaches the students will also be challenged to examine their own human situatedness and its impact on the interpretation of texts. Texts from several religious traditions will be used in this course. Due to the integrative and multi-religious nature of this course, previous biblical hermeneutic courses cannot be used to substitute for this course. United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Academic Catalog 2026–2027 7/1/2026 Page 73
Corequisite for this course: RT1001 OR pre-2023–2024 RT1101 Hebrew Bible 1, RT1201 New Testament 1, RT2201 New Testament 2, or TR1001 Religious and Theological Interpretation Planned frequency of offerings: annually This course will introduce students to the contemporary scholarly study of the Hebrew Bible. Its focus will be on the historical context of the various books of the Hebrew Bible and their content both historical and theological. Various interpretive methodologies will be used to understand the books with a major emphasis being placed on genre identification and interpretation within the book’s historical context. A scholarly approach to the books will primarily be used, but an acknowledgement of each person’s human situatedness as it impacts interpretation will also be discussed.
Corequisite for this course: RT1001 OR pre-2023–2024 RT1101 Hebrew Bible 1, RT1201 New Testament 1, RT2201 New Testament 2, or TR1001 Religious and Theological Interpretation This course will introduce students to the contemporary scholarly study of the New Testament. Its focus will be on the historical context of the various books of the New Testament and their content both historical and theological. Various interpretive methodologies will be used to understand the books with a major emphasis being placed on genre identification and interpretation within the book’s historical context. A scholarly approach to the books will primarily be used, but an acknowledgement of each person’s human situatedness as it impacts interpretation will also be discussed.
Previous Course Number: RT4001 Corequisite for this course: RT1001 OR pre-2023–2024 RT1101 Hebrew Bible 1, RT1201 New Testament 1, RT2201 New Testament 2, or TR1001 Religious and Theological Interpretation Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year) This course is an introduction to foundational Buddhist texts through the study of numerous scriptural texts of Buddhist canons. It covers sutras and other texts, as well as traditional commentaries, of various Buddhist traditions. Students in this course gain skills in interpreting Buddhist texts from the perspectives of voices from within the traditions to which they belong, as well as gain an understanding of the presence of these texts in Buddhist life. The course also functions as an introduction to Buddhism, through a textual vantage point specifically.
Previous Course Number: RT4002 3 Credits. Corequisite for this course: RT1001 OR pre-2023–2024 TR1001 Religious and Theological Interpretation Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year) This course introduces students to the history, themes, and message of the Qur’an. We will survey its historical development. This course examines the Qur’an as an expression of religious life and the foundational text of Muslims. A wide range of topics will be explored including the historicity of the Qur’an, methodologies of interpretation, modern questions and problems, themes and literary styles, and art. Special emphasis is placed on the lived experience of Muslims as they interact with the Qur’an culturally, spiritually and religiously.
Previous Course Number: RT3101 Prerequisites for this course: TR1001 and RT2100. Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year) Familiarity with Biblical Hebrew can give a student new access to the text and its interpretation. In this United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Academic Catalog 2026–2027 7/1/2026 Page 74
Previous Course Number: RT3201 Prerequisites for this course: TR1001 and RT2200. Planned offerings: biennially (every other year) A basic knowledge of the original language of the New Testament is a valuable tool for study and interpretation. In addition to acquiring a basic vocabulary and grammar, students will become acquainted with the fundamentals of text criticism and practice using resources for translation and exegesis. Students apply their learnings through exegesis of select New Testament texts.
Prerequisites for this course: RT2100 or RT2200 Planned frequency of offerings: annually This course will introduce the student to the scholarly work of biblical exegesis. Advanced historical critical methodologies and methods as well as other interpretive methodologies will be examined. Emphasis will be placed on developing the tools necessary to interpret a text within its historical context. Some preliminary work on moving from historical interpretation to application for ecclesial contexts will also be done. While knowledge of biblical languages is not necessary for this course, preliminary work with those languages using basic language tools will be discussed. This course will require at least two moderately significant exegetical projects one from the Hebrew Bible and one from the New Testament.
RT 4001The Bible and Palestine-Israel: Land, Promise, and Conquest3
Prerequisite for this course: RT2100 or RT2200; basic knowledge of the Hebrew Bible strongly recommended May be completed in place of RT3001 as a required core degree course Planned frequency of offerings: TBD This course will introduce students to prominent methods of biblical interpretation on topics related to land, promise, and conquest in the Hebrew Bible, and their potential implications in contemporary Palestine-Israel. It will examine a diverse array of hermeneutic approaches to these biblical themes, with special emphasis on the notion of Promised Land derived from Hebrew scriptures. Students will engage and construct exegetical analyses of these texts in the Hebrew Bible, as well as the material-political texts in contemporary Palestine-Israel that are shaped by particular interpretations of these biblical themes and stories. Major additional themes covered in the course will include biblical archaeology, Zionism, contemporary history, settler colonialism, religious tourism, and interfaith peacebuilding.
Planned frequency of offerings: TBD This course invites participants to approach ritual by asking questions: how does a particular ritual function; what is the potential for finding meaning in a given ritual; what is the story that a ritual embodies; how does a ritual shape us; how does a ritual allow us to express ourselves; what are the devotional, initiatory and magical possibilities for a ritual; how do poetry and voice embody the magic of a ritual; what are the linear realities and non-linear possibilities of a given ritual? Engaging ritual through these and other questions deepens self-understanding and develops skills for religious leadership. United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Academic Catalog 2026–2027 7/1/2026 Page 75
