Fall 2012/Pasadena
OT507
Butler
OT507: OLD TESTAMENT EXEGESIS: BIBLICAL WISDOM LITERATURE. James T. Butler.
DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to provide an opportunity for translation
and careful exegetical examination of representative passages of Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes, and Job, as well as a survey of a sometimes neglected portion of
the biblical canon. Lectures will examine the setting and development of wisdom
traditions within Israelite society, their impact upon the New Testament, and
their contributions to biblical theology.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: The wisdom literature offers us unique
resources for coping with life: for everyday life, practical observations about
cultivating virtues and avoiding the calamities of the "broad way"; and for
life "at the edges," sharp, honest searching about innocent suffering and "the
meaning of it all." The wisdom traditions also offer bridges: from their varied
expressions throughout the Old Testament, we will trace them through the
intertestamental period and into the service of the preaching and teaching of
the church.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students completing this course will have demonstrated (1) a
fundamental knowledge of the literary forms and thematic content of the books
of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes; (2) an acquaintance with a range of issues
pertaining to the historical and social location of the wisdom literature
within Israel and its ancient Middle Eastern context; (3) an ability to trace
the "trajectories" of Old Testament wisdom through selected examples of
intertestamental literature and the New Testament; (4) an ability to reflect
upon and evaluate the unique theological issues raised by this literature and
to discern their implications for Christian faith and practice; (5) an enhanced
competence in basic Hebrew, as well as in exegetical and hermeneutical skills;
(6) an appreciation of how we may learn from historically and culturally
diverse vantage points better to read, use, and obey this portion of
Scripture.
COURSE FORMAT: The course will meet for two hours twice each week; one session
will be devoted primarily to lecture, and the other to translation and
exegetical discussion.
REQUIRED READING:
- Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver & Charles A. Briggs, eds. A
Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford University Press,
1952/Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996. ISBN-13: 978-1565632066. $34.95.
- Elliger, K. & W. Rudolph, eds. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Deutsche
Bibelgesellschaft, 1990. ISBN-13: 978-3438052223. $39.95 [40% discount for
students at http://www.bibles.com/products/ABS_NEW/111604.aspx].
- Murphy, Roland E. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom
Literature. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002. ISBN-13: 978-0802839657.
$28.00.
- Course readings on e-Reserves.
- See the Biblical Division bibliography "Linguistic and Exegetical Books Required in the Master of Divinity Programs" available at http://schedule.fuller.edu/sot/ecds/Ling-Exeg-Biblio.html and in the
Academic Advising office.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Brown, William P. Character in Crisis: A Fresh Approach to the
Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament. Eerdmans, 1996. ISBN-13:
978-0802841353. $22.
- Gutiérrez, Gustavo. On Job: God-Talk and the Suffering of the
Innocent. Orbis, 1987. ISBN-13: 978-0883445525. $24.
- McKenzie, Alyce M. Hear and Be Wise: Becoming a Preacher and Teacher of
Wisdom. Nashville: Abingdon, 2004. ISBN-13: 978-0687053919. $21.
- _________. Preaching Biblical Wisdom in a Self-Help Society.
Nashville: Abingdon, 2002. ISBN-13: 978-0687090501. $25.
- Tamez, Elsa. When the Horizons Close: Rereading Ecclesiastes. Orbis,
2000. ISBN-13: 978-1597528559. $21.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: (1) Weekly preparation for translation and
exegetical discussions (40%); (2) the writing of an exegetical paper (approx.
12 pp.) based upon the Hebrew text (30%); and (3) the use of lecture notes and
syllabus readings to develop answers to study questions from which the final
examination will be drawn (30%).
PREREQUISITES: LG502.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Meets MDiv core requirement in Old Testament "C"
(OTCE) and MA program requirements for Old Testament book study (OTBK).
FINAL EXAMINATION: Yes.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (August 2012)