RELC 1210

I did not know anything about the Bible before entering this class, and i found it extremely interesting! Halvorson-Taylor is an amazing and knowledgeable professor! However, you should really think if you want to take this class if you are not a religion major or have a heavy courseload, because the readings are hefty and numerous and you need to keep up with them to do well. I am premed, so I had a hard time keeping up with the readings during the second half of the class, and that really hurt my final grade.

There are a lot of mixed reviews for this course, so allow me to clarify something- yes, it is a lot of work for a 1000 level class, but trust me, it is worth it. If you are here at UVA to learn and not to just get good grades, take this class.

The Professor is extremely personable, charismatic, and explains biblical theory in an understandable and engaging way. I did not really have much knowledge on the Hebrew Bible before this course, but I found the readings were not hard to comprehend and the four papers were max 2 pages. TAs all grade the same and all have knowledge of the material and how to teach.

The final may seem overwhelming to some (as you can see in other reviews), but it is not if you just go to lecture. Halvorson-Taylor is not out to get you or make it overly hard. She picks terms she thoroughly discussed in class and always gives you options on which you would like to talk about (eg pick 4 of the 8 terms...). I highly recommend going to office hours in this class if you are struggling with a particular concept.

If you want an easy A, do not take this. But if you are interested in what this course offers, odds are you will enjoy and excel in this course.

An incredible lecturer. Class is definitely doable- but, actually do all your readings lol. Also talk to your TA to improve your essays- get feedback

Halvorson-Taylor is a fantastic lecturer. She knows the material inside and out and has a passion for the subject that makes the class engaging, even with almost 200 people. There's quite a bit of reading that can be overwhelming sometimes, but they end up dropping two papers. Mid-terms are pretty straight forward and she gives you a study guide, though with a little too much detail. She gives over 125 terms to know but only asks for 10 on the exam. Overall enjoyed the class and she's very nice if you go talk with her. Nice way to knock out Non-Western and Historical requirements

Big fan of this class. As a Christian, I really enjoyed being able to get the historical context for what is actually going on in the Old Testament. Halvorson-Taylor is very fair about how she approaches the subject and makes it a welcome class for believers and non-believers alike. The tests are basically brute memorization of over a hundred ID terms, but they overlap and as long as you've been doing the readings and take time to study you'll be fine. Rather a lot of work for a 1000 level class, but well worth it if you are interested in this subject. Jon Holste is a great TA.