Complete a 10-12 page research paper on a specific historical, theological, or cultural difficulty. Front and back matter (such as title page, abstracts, and references list) do not count toward the page limit.
The purpose of this paper is to provide students with valuable background information for use in their own understanding of the Bible and future Bible teaching ministries. This is not a reflection paper, but a research paper filled with citations from at least six (6) high quality academic sources. Citing the Bible itself, study Bible notes, or class notes does not count toward the use of at least six (6) required academic sources, as these are assumed. Public websites should be used cautiously, though journal articles obtained through TIU library online databases are highly encouraged. The paper must demonstrate awareness of the key interpretive issues involved, interaction with current scholarship (course textbooks, Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias, exegetical commentaries, theological journals, etc.), awareness of biblical/theological themes, and the students conclusions about the above items.

Potentially helpful resources for use in selecting a topic and writing the paper include Hard Sayings of the Bible by Walter C. Kaiser, Peter H. Davids, F. F. Bruce, and Manfred Brauch (InterVarsity Press, 1996); Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason Archer (Zondervan, 1982); and When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties by Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe (Victor Books, 1992).

Topic: The Conquest of Canan and how we can apply the topic to everyday Christian Living. Read the Book of Joshua…

In addition to research and interpretive conclusions, your ALP should have at least two pages of application. Ideally, you should make three to five points of application. It is not necessary to wait until the end of the paper to make applications to contemporary milieu. Obviously some topics listed above may be more amenable to application than others; for example, questions about cultural practices, and even theological questions, are more open to discussion than are hard-and-fast historical questions.
Choose wisely, understanding that the university is moving towards more emphasis on application in the ALP than in the past.