This is a syllabus for academic study with references to outside reading material. It presumes familiarity with the text of the Bible and a mind ready for baccalaureate level study in cultural backgrounds. The course traces the development of Western intellectual traditions and how they affect reading of Scripture. This is then contrasted with the history and development of the very different outlook of the Hebrew people who gave us the Bible. The course ends with a discussion of some implications of the differences and urges the student to at least understand, if not embrace, the proper biblical perspective.