DESCRIPTION:

This course is a survey of the third major division of the Hebrew Bible known as the Writings (Ketubim)--Psalm, Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles. Its focus includes the historical, literary, and theological perspectives of selected texts.

This survey of the texts encourages critical engagement with issues of human wisdom, spirituality, and suffering in light of God's involvement in the world. It also seeks to facilitate further reflection on the complexity of the text's perspectives on these and other issues.

The class will meet twice weekly for two-hour sessions of lecture and discussion.

Brown, William P. Character in Crisis: A Fresh Approach to the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.

Matthews, Victor H. and Don C. Benjamin. Old Testament Parallels: Laws and Stories from the Ancient Near East. New York: Paulist Press, 1991.

Murphy, Roland E. The Tree of Life: An Explanation of Biblical Wisdom Literature. Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1996.

Pleins, J. David. The Psalms: Songs of Tragedy, Hope, and Justice. Maryknoll: Orbis, 1993.

Rendtorff, R. The Old Testament: An Introduction. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1991.

Various articles to be selected from a Selected Bibliography.

Camp, Claudia. Wisdom and the Feminine in the Book of Proverbs. Sheffield: Almond, 1985.

Kraus, H-J. Theology of the Psalms. Trans. Hilton C. Oswald. Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1989.

Rad, Gerhard von. Wisdom in Israel. Valley Forge: Trinity Press, 1972.

Reid, Stephen Breck. Listening In: A Multicultural Reading of the Psalms. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997.

Sarna, Nahum M. On the Book of Psalms: Exploring the Prayers of Ancient Israel. New York: Schocken Books, 1993.

1. Preparation before each class session.

2. Two critical analyses, 7-10 pages each.

3. Final exam

None.

Meets M. Div. core requirement in Old Testament "C" (OTC).

Yes.