A Journey with Lady Wisdom: Biblical Wisdom Literature and its Reception (BA9510A)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

The unit will examine various aspects of ancient wisdom as depicted in the following four canonical books of the Old Testament: the Book of Job, Wisdom Psalms, the Book of Proverbs, and the Book of Ecclesiastes; and the following Deuterocanonical books: the Wisdom of Solomon, Ben Sirach (Book of Ecclesiasticus). Wisdom literature will be explored through questions such as: What is wisdom? What are its foundations? Who is a wise man or woman? Specific biblical and extra-biblical texts will be studied from theological, historical-critical and literary perspectives. Modern reception of Wisdom literature in addressing contemporary world concerns will also be investigated.

Unit code: BA9510A

Unit status: Approved (New unit)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Old Testament

Proposing College: St Athanasius College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Demonstrate knowledge of the content of the main Old Testament wisdom texts
2.

Analyse and explain the content, types and themes of Wisdom Literature.
3.

Define the nature and attributes of God in Wisdom Literature
4.

Critically discuss the influence of the Ancient Near Eastern literature on Wisdom Literature
5.

Analyse the themes and theology of Wisdom Literature
6.

Integrate perspectives from Wisdom Literature with their other theological studies

Unit sequence

An Old Testament introduction unit

Pedagogy

12 weekly sessions, synchronous and asynchronous.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Blenkinsopp, Joseph. Sage, Priest, Prophet: Religious and Intellectual Leadership in Ancient Israel. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2000.
  • Brown, William P. Character in Crisis: A Fresh Approach to the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996.
  • Clifford, Richard J. (ed.). Wisdom Literature in Mesopotamia and Israel. Atlanta: SBL, 2007.
  • Crenshaw, James. Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998, 2010.
  • Curtis, E. M. and J. J. Brugaletta. Discovering the Way of Wisdom. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2004.
  • Dell, Katherine J, Suzanna R. Millar, and Arthur Jan Keefer. The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Wisdom Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022.
  • Duncan, Julie A. *Ecclesiastes. Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2017.
  • Estes, Daniel J. Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.
  • Hunter, Alistair G. *Wisdom Literature. London: SCM, 2006.
  • Fyall, Robert. S. Now My Eyes Have Seen You: Images of Creation and Evil in Job. Leicester: Apollos, 2002.
  • Hunter, Alastair G. Wisdom Literature. London: SCM, 2006.
  • Murphy, Roland. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Co., 1990, 2002.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper 2000 30.0
Document Study 2500 35.0
Essay 2500 35.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 4 Oct, 2023

Unit record last updated: 2023-10-04 09:49:46 +1100