Content

Ezekiel was a prophet of the Exile. His intended audience was not only the exilic community in Babylon but also the remnant community in Jerusalem after 597 BCE. His prophetic language is highly imaginative and visual. The Book of Ezekiel shows great interest in the cult, ritual and the priesthood of the Jerusalem Temple. The Book contains three great visions in narrative form: the call of the prophet in chapters 1-3; the departure of the divine presence from the doomed temple in Jerusalem in chapters 8-11; and the vision of the new sanctuary of God in the prolonged narrative in chapters 40-48. This unit will examine these three great visions in the Book in some detail. The visions offer a sustained and unique insight into Ezekiel’s understanding of God, both in terms of divine presence and divine absence, and how God is to be worshipped in the new circumstances of exile. The visions offer new hope for a different future.

Unit code: BA9320C

Unit status: Archived (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Old Testament

Delivery Mode: Face to Face

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Demonstrate a broad knowledge of the geo-political, religious and ideological context of Jeremiah’s prophecy,

2.

Exhibit advanced exegetical skills in reading and interpreting the three texts, and especially the Masoretic text

3.

Appraise and contrast the varied interpretations of the texts in the secondary literature, thus demonstrating the capacity to deal with a range of approaches to the text

4.

Critically evaluate the theory of divine presence/absence as the unifying theme of the narratives

5.

Demonstrate the capacity to undertake research in a critically rigorous, sustained and self-directed manner.

Unit sequence

BS8001C and BS8002C Students undertaking the unit for Research Masters degree are required to demonstrate proficiency in the appropriate biblical language

Pedagogy

Lectures, seminars, interactive class work, research projects

Indicative Bibliography

  • Block, Daniel. The Book of Ezekiel: Chapters 1-24. NICOT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997.
  • ––– The Book of Ezekiel: Chapters 25-48. NICOT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
  • Bowen, Nancy R. Ezekiel. Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2010.
  • Duguid, Iain M. Ezekiel and the Leaders of Israel. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1994.
  • Hiebel, Janina M. Ezekiel’s Vision Accounts as Interrelated Narratives: A Redaction-critical and Theological Study. BZAW 475. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015.
  • Joyce, Paul M. Ezekiel: A Commentary. New York: T. & T. Clark, 2007.
  • Kutsko, John. Between Heaven and Earth: Divine Presence and Absence in the Book of Ezekiel. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2000.
  • Odell, Margaret S. Ezekiel. Macon: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2005.
  • Tuell, Steven. Ezekiel. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009.
  • Zimmerli, Walther. Ezekiel 1: A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel: Chapters 1-24. Edited by Frank Moore Cross and Klaus Baltzer. Translated by Ronald E. Clements. Hermeneia series. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979.
  • ––– Ezekiel 2: A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel: Chapters 25-48. Edited by Paul D. Hanson. Translated by James D. Marlin. Hermeneia series. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Essay

One 1,500-word seminar paper 30% One week after completion of intensive unit One 4,500-word essay 70% Four weeks after completion of intensive unit

OR

One 6,000-word essay 100% Four weeks after completion of intensive unit

0 100.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by John Capper on 19 Oct, 2016

Unit record last updated: 2019-09-02 16:27:46 +1000