Response to “How We Teach Introductory Bible Courses” Caryn A. Reeder Westmont College Tat-siong Benny Liew College of the Holy Cross Jane S. Webster Barton College Alicia J. Batten Conrad Grebel University College Chris Frilingos Michigan State University Abstract. The essays collected in this manuscript respond to “How We Teach Introduc- tory Bible Courses: A Comparative and Historical Sampling” by Collin Cornell and Joel M. LeMon, published in this issue of the journal. Response: Introducing the Bible When Students Do Not Know the Bible Caryn A. Reeder At Westmont College, a CCCU institution, the general education requirements include “Introduction to Old Testament,”“Introduction to New Testament,” and “Christian Doctrine.” The majority of students enroll in these courses during their first two years. Classes generally offer a broad representation of Westmont ’s student body in terms of religious background: mostly evangelical Protestants, followed by Catholics, and a small number of Orthodox Chris- tians, Muslims, Jews, and students who do not identify with any faith tradition. The three reli- gious studies classes share an institutional learning outcome: Students will “demonstrate literacy in Christian scripture and Christian doctrine.” This outcome allows great flexibility for in- structors in setting focus topics, readings, and assignments. The institution does not require any specific approach, though it is expected that classes will reflect Westmont’s evangelical identity. During fall semester 2015, I taught “Introduction to Old Testament” for a colleague on sabbatical. It was a new course for me, but it reflected the approach I would take in “In- troduction to New Testament.” In support of the institutional learning outcome, the course learning outcomes included demonstrating knowledge of the content, formation, and con- texts of the Old Testament and developing facility with the tools and methods of biblical interpretation. Assessment occurred through class discussions, quizzes, short written as- signments, a research project, and exams. Some assignments had creative components to encourage students to engage with the material more substantively. 1 Students were 1 For the major project, students researched a psalm and presented their interpretation in an artistic creation; written assignments asked students to compare the themes and ideas of certain books with contemporary culture or experiences, to rewrite a particular biblical story from the perspective of a female character, and so forth. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Teaching Theology & Religion, Volume 19, Issue 2, April 2016 143 ARTICLES