Spring 2015/Pasadena

OT567

Goldingay

OT567: OLD TESTAMENT EXEGESIS: ISAIAH (ENGLISH TEXT) (4 Units: 160 Hours). John Goldingay.

DESCRIPTION: The course involves reading Isaiah section-by-section and studying in more detail a chapter or two from each section with the aid of commentaries. It considers major themes and motifs that run through the book, and the nature of the book’s unity.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students who complete the course successfully will have shown (1) that they have gained a grasp of the different parts of the book, (2) that they can analyze and interpret particular texts, (3) that they have reflected on how Isaiah cane be seen as both a book located in history and also as words from God, and (4) that they have considered how Isaiah relates to faith and life.

COURSE FORMAT: The class meets once per week for three hours for a total of 30 hours of classroom instruction plus 10 hours of directed learning activities for a total of 40 instructional hours. The first half of the class is given to section-by-section study of the book, the second half to study of individual passages and thematic study. Students write two papers.

REQUIRED READING: 735 total pp. required*

The New Interpreter’s Bible Volume VI, pp. 1-552, online via the Fuller database “Ministry Matters.”

Items on eReserves (183 pp.):

Brueggemann, Walter. “Unity and Dynamic in the Isaiah Tradition.” Journal for the Study of the OT 29 (1984): 89-107

Clements, R. E. “Beyond Tradition-History.” Journal for the Study of the OT 31 (1985): 95-113

Jacobson, R. A. “Unwelcome Words from the Lord.” Word and World 19 (1999): 125-32

Koonthanam, George. “Yahweh the Defender of the Dalits.” In R. S. Sugirtharajah (ed.), Voices from the Margin (new ed., Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1995), pp. 105-16

Ollenburger, B. C. “Isaiah’s Creation Theology.” Ex Auditu 3 (1987): 54-71

Podhoretz, N. “Learning from Isaiah.” Commentary 109/5 (2000): 32-39.

Sommer, B. D. “The Scroll of Isaiah as Jewish Scripture, Or, Why Jews Don’t Read Books”. In Society of Biblical Literature 1996 Seminar Papers, pp. 225-42. Atlanta: Scholars, 1996.

Stone, Beth Wheeler. “Second Isaiah: Prophet to Patriarchy.” Journal for the Study of the OT 56 (1992): 85-99.

Von Waldow, H. Eberhard. “The Message of Deutero-Isaiah.” Interpretation 22 (1968): 259-87.

Wilcox, P., and D. Paton-Williams. “The Servant Songs in Deutero-Isaiah.” Journal for the Study of the OT 42 (1988): 79-102.

Wolff, Hans Walter. “Swords into Plowshares: Misuse of a Word of Prophecy.” Currents in Theology and Mission 12 (1985): 133-47.

*There are no books of which students need to have their own copies; all required reading is available online.

RECOMMENDED READING:

See course syllabus.

ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT:

1. Approx. 75 pp. of weekly assigned readings in the Old Testament and secondary literature [80 hours] [This assignment relates to learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, and 4].

2. Weekly postings on Moodle with participation in online discussion in connection with the assigned reading [10 hours] [This assignment relates to learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, and 4.]. Pass-fail.

4. 2,500-3000 word study of a chosen text (50%) [20 hours] [This assignment relates to learning outcomes 2, 3, and 4].

5. 2,500-3000 word reflection on studying the book as a whole (50%) [20 hours] [This assignment relates to learning outcomes 1, 3, and 4].

PREREQUISITES: None.

RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Counts as a biblical elective for the 120 MDiv Program and the MATM and MAICS Programs (Winter 2010), and the OTBK requirement for the MAT Program (Winter 2010).

FINAL EXAMINATION: None.