ECD for OT525

OT525: BIBLICAL WISDOM LITERATURE. Deborah Hannay Sunoo

DESCRIPTION:
This course will provide an overview of three Old Testament Wisdom books: Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. After an orientation to the Israelite wisdom tradition as a whole, we will survey each of the three books in turn, examining common themes among them as well as the unique style, content, and theological perspective of each. These more general discussions will then serve as a backdrop against which we will translate and exegete representative passages from the Hebrew text.

RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY:
This often neglected portion of the Scriptures offers practical advice for living faithfully under God in every season and any circumstance–not only when all is well, but also in times of great suffering and profound questioning. The alternative theological perspectives represented in the Wisdom tradition and the wealth of practical suggestions offered in each book make Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes invaluable resources for preaching, teaching, and pastoral care.

COURSE FORMAT:
The course will meet for three hours once each week. Each session will include lecture, translation and exegesis of a representative passage, and class discussion. Schedule: Tuesdays, 9 am-12 noon. March 27-May 29.

REQUIRED READING:

Brown, Francis, S.R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs, eds. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. (Oxford University Press, 1952 / Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996).
Crenshaw, James L. Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1981).
Elliger, K. and W. Rudolph, eds. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1990).
Gesenius, W., E. Kautzsch, and A. E. Cowley. Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar. 2nd English Edition. Oxford: Clarendon, 1910.
Hayes, John H. and Carl R. Holladay. Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner's Handbook (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1987).
O’Connor, Kathleen M. The Wisdom Literature (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1988).
Selected articles (reserve).