In the final book of the New Testament, the seer John is instructed to eat a scroll that proves bitter to him. Yet he is subsequently called to continue prophesying. To ensure that students do not experience the study of the Bible in a similarly unsettling way, they need guidance and feedback as they embark on their own path toward understanding the Book of Books. Accompanying these individual learning journeys—understood in the sense of a comprehensive formation of one’s intellectual and personal biography—constitutes my vision of good teaching in the field of biblical studies.
The example of the seer makes clear that exegetical work can neither be delegated nor remain purely receptive. For this reason, it is important to me to introduce students to an engagement with the Bible that unfolds within the triad of biblical hermeneutics, exegetical methodology, and the cultivation of encyclopaedic knowledge. Through sustained engagement with these focal areas, future multipliers develop their own exegetical toolkit, which forms the foundation for their work on and with the Bible and can be critically reassessed and expanded in subsequent phases of education and professional development.
This foundational equipment is of particular importance. Through my teaching, I aim to enable students to engage with the Bible independently and responsibly and to accompany them in acquiring the competencies required to do so. For me, learning is relational and not confined to the classroom itself. On the contrary, preparing and applying acquired knowledge and skills in other contexts requires not only cognition but also reflection. Accordingly, cognitive and metacognitive learning objectives go hand in hand in my courses. While the learning process ultimately lies in the responsibility of each individual, it is also supported and enriched by the collective learning process of the group. Perhaps the little scroll might have sat more easily with the seer had it been consumed within a fitting table fellowship.
