Transcript Wisdom Literature

Wisdom Literature
OT Introduction
Introducing your textbook
A review of William Brown’s
Character in Crisis:
A Fresh Approach to the
Wisdom Literature of the
Old Testament
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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.
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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.
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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
The chapter headings
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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 1-31
4 The Reformation of Character: Job 32-42
5 Character Reconstructed: Ecclesiastes
6. Conclusion: The Journey of Character
Wisdom Literature
HOW TO PURCHASE
ISBN:
080284135X
available
at
http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResult
s?an=brown&sortby=3&sts=t&tn=character+in+c
risis&x=62&y=6
and
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Character-CrisisApproach-LiteratureTestament/dp/080284135X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8
&s=books&qid=1195728972&sr=8-1
 under £10
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Wisdom Literature
Some of our session titles:
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The Intellectual Tradition: Wisdom in the Ancient Near East
Wisdom in Israel: Psalmists, Prophets and Sages
Proverbs 1-9: Family Instruction
Proverbs: Major Themes
Proverbs: The Capable Wife
Ecclesiastes: Its place in the canon
Ecclesiastes: Meaning and validity
The Meaning of Job
Job as a Theology of Existence
Extra-canonical Wisdom
Wisdom in the NT
Wisdom Literature
Essay Assessment
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A class presentation AND a research project on a tutor-approved
subject. Here are some examples:
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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
Wisdom Literature