Wisdom Literature OT Introduction

Wisdom Literature 2 Introducing your textbook A review of William Brown s Character in Crisis: A Fresh Approach to the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament

Wisdom Literature 3 At a time when the chasm between academic scholarship and theological reflection seems to be widening, both the academic guild and the church share in common an uncertainty over how to study and appropriate the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. On the one hand, mainline denominations have for the most part avoided the books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes in their preaching and educational curriculum. Biblical scholars, on the other hand, have laboured hard to identify the theological significance and thematic centre of the wisdom literature, but without much consensus.

Wisdom Literature 4 In Character in Crisis, William P. Brown helps to break the impasse by demonstrating that the aim of the Bible's wisdom literature is the formation of moral character - both for individuals and for the community. Brown traces the theme of moral identity and conduct throughout the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, with a concluding reflection on the Epistle of James in the New Testament, and explores a range of issues that includes literary characterization, moral discourse, worldview, and the theology of the ancient sages.

Wisdom Literature 5 He examines the ways in which central characters such as God, wisdom, and human beings are profiled in the wisdom books and shows how their characterizations impart ethical meaning to the reading community, both ancient and modern.

Wisdom Literature 6 The chapter headings These reveal the development of Brown s discussion: 1 Introduction: The Ethics and Ethos of Biblical Wisdom 2.The Formation of Character in Proverbs; or, Virtue and the Art of Community Maintenance 3 The Deformation of Character: Job The Reformation of Character: Job Character Reconstructed: Ecclesiastes 6. Conclusion: The Journey of Character

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Wisdom Literature 8 Some of our session titles: 1. The Intellectual Tradition: Wisdom in the Ancient Near East 2. Wisdom in Israel: Psalmists, Prophets and Sages 3. Proverbs 1-9: Family Instruction 4. Proverbs: Major Themes 5. Proverbs: The Capable Wife 6. Ecclesiastes: Its place in the canon 7. Ecclesiastes: Meaning and validity 8. The Meaning of Job 9. Job as a Theology of Existence 10. Extra-canonical Wisdom 11. Wisdom in the NT

Wisdom Literature 9 Essay Assessment A class presentation AND a research project on a tutor-approved subject. Here are some examples: Wisdom Literature and Creation Theology Suffering and the book of Job The Subversive Character of Job s Epilogue Biblical Theology and Wisdom Literature Wisdom Literature and Divine Guidance Feminine Imagery in Biblical Wisdom Women and Biblical Wisdom Literature Qohelet among the Sages Wisdom Literature and the Sanctity of Life Genre and Historicity of the Book of Job Proverbs and Moral Formation The Theology of a Particular Wisdom Book