OT585/885
Andersen
OT585/885: THE OLD TESTAMENT AS THEOLOGICAL LITERATURE. Francis I.
Andersen.
DESCRIPTION:
- The Old Testament Canon is an integral part of the Christian Bible,
the inspired and authoritative word of God. How are we going to do theology
with the Old Testament as Christians, that is, as part of the revelation that
God completed in Jesus Christ? The issues will be addressed via
intensive study of selected representative treatments of this problem, both
contemporary and classical. In particular, literary and canonical approaches
provide new ways of studying the place of the Old Testament in the completed
Bible.
RELEVANCE FOR MINISTRY:
- To make good the continued acceptance of the whole Bible as the
truth that God himself has given us, we need to learn afresh how to use the Old
Testament in a full-orbed Christian theology, and to apply it in
practical ways to contemporary ethical and ideological issues, in worship,
preaching, and pastoral care.
COURSE FORMAT:
- The class will meet for three hours once a week, mostly in seminar
mode. In the latter part of the quarter students will be given opportunity to
present their work to the class. Discussion will contain, but will not be
limited to the following:
- The continuing debate on how to do Old Testament theology.
- Old Testament theology as part of the theology of the whole Bible.
- "Canonical" approaches to the use of the Old Testament for theology.
- The theological potential of contemporary literary studies applied to the
Old Testament.
REQUIRED READING:
- Childs, B.S. Biblical Theology of the Old and New
Testaments. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993.
- Hayes, J.H. and F. Prussner. Old Testament Theology. Atlanta: John
Knox, 1985.
- Ollenburger, B.C., E.A. Martens, and G. F. Hasel, eds. The Flowering of
Old Testament Theology. D.W. Baker, ed. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns,
1992.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Anderson, B.W., ed. The Old Testament and Christian Faith.
New York: Harper & Row, 1963.
- Auerbach, E. Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western
Literature, W.R. Trask, trs. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1968.
- Baker, D.L. Two Testaments: One Bible. Downers Grove: InterVarsity
Press, 1975.
- Fisch, H. Poetry with a Purpose. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University
Press, 1988.
- Hayes, S.R. and S.L. McKenzie, eds. To Each Its Own Meaning: An
Introduction to Biblical Criticisms and Their Application. Louisville:
Westminster/John Knox, 1993.
- Hubbard, R.L., et. al. Studies in Old Testament Theology. Dallas:
Word, 1992
- Jemielity, T. Satire and the Hebrew Prophets. Louisville:
Westminster/John Knox, 1992.
- Lieb, M. The Visionary Mode. Ithaca and London: Cornell University
Press, 1991.
- Ruland, V. Horizons of Criticism. Chicago: American Library
Association, 1975.
- Schwartz, R.M., ed. The Book and the Text. Oxford: Blackwell,
1990.
- Sprinkle, J.M. "Literary Approaches to the Old Testament: A Survey of
Recent Scholarship." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 32
(1989):299-310
- Sternberg, M. The Poetics of Biblical Narrative. Bloomington, IN:
Indiana University Press, 1987.
- Westermann, C. Essays on Old Testament Hermeneutics. J.L. Mays, ed.
Richmond, VA: John Knox Press, 1963.
ASSIGNMENTS:
- 1) Reading set literature. 2) Seminar presentation of a paper in
progress. 3) A paper of about 30 pages.
PREREQUISITES: Permission of instructor.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.
FINAL EXAMINATION: No.