Biblical Studies 5401A
Prophets and Deuteronomic History

WEDNESDAYS 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
THURSDAYS: 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
St. Peter's Seminary, Room 102

Instructor:  Rev. Murray Watson, BA, MDiv, SSL
Office hours by prior appointment
mwatson9@uwo.ca

A. COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course examines the Israelite prophetic movement from the early monarchical period up to the early post-exilic period, its original message and its modern applications. Themes include the city of Jerusalem in Israelite history, the desert as place and metaphor, and the use of prophetic messages in the New Testament. (Antirequisite: The former Biblical Studies 335a and 401a)

B. GOALS

This course will assist students to grow in the following knowledge, skills and attitudes:

KNOWLEDGE:
* A broad understanding of the scope of Biblical history, from the conquest of the Promised Land until the return from the Babylonian Exile;
* An informed awareness of some of the ongoing debates about Biblical historicity and archæological research;
* Familiarity with the work of some prominent Biblical scholars and commentators on this corpus, both ancient and modern;
* A broad understanding of the place of ancient Israelite prophecy in its Middle Eastern context;
* Familiarity with key themes and motifs in the Hebrew prophets;
* A recognition of the place of the prophets in the Church’s Sunday lectionary;
* A consciousness of how the Biblical prophets have inspired, and continue to inspire, the Church’s vision of social justice and peace.

SKILLS:
* The ability to make intelligent, appropriate use of print and Internet-based resources for Biblical research and study generally;
* The ability to write clearly, logically and effectively, in order to present one’s findings in a systematic and coherent way from which others can benefit;
* The ability to integrate solid, contemporary exegetical study with one’s own Christian faith and spiritual life, without compromising one or the other;
* The ability to preach on Old Testament texts in a way that is theologically informed and pastorally relevant.

ATTITUDES:
* An appreciation for the centrality of the Old Testament for Christian faith and exegesis;
* An openness to the richness of meaning to be found in Biblical passages through the application of a variety of exegetical methods, including patristic and rabbinic interpretations, literary and feminist approaches;
* A better understanding of the ways in which Jewish and Christian messianic interpretations of Scripture overlap and diverge;
* A desire to draw regularly upon relevant Old Testament texts in preaching and catechesis;
* An intellectual curiosity about the background of the Old Testament, and a desire to continue learning long after the course is complete.

C. ASSESSMENT

N.B.  The first and second assignments should be chosen from different categories (i.e., one from the Prophets, the other from the Deuteronomic historical books)

1)  Each student will be asked to select one of the First Readings from the Prophets or Deuteronomic-historical books which occur in the Canadian Lectionary for Sundays and Solemnities, and to prepare a two-page (single-spaced, 12-point type) exegetical study of this text. Begin by looking at the text in at least 4 English translations, noting and commenting on any significant variants in these translations which might point to difficulties or ambiguities in the underlying Hebrew text. This study should draw upon standard commentaries (single volume or multi-volume) to help situate the text within the larger book and its main themes, and should include insights drawn from two of the three following types of interpretation: rabbinic/Jewish, patristic and feminist. The concluding paragraph (4-5 sentences) of the study should be a summary of the passage’s theological message, suitable for printing in a parish’s Sunday bulletin. (40%)

D. READINGS OR TEXTBOOKS

Required textbooks (available from UWO Bookstore):

* A Bible in a contemporary English scholarly translation (NRSV, NAB, NJB preferred)
* Dianne Bergant, Israel’s Story, Part 1 and Part 2 (NB: 2 vols.). Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2006.
* Joan E. Cook, Hear, O Heavens and Listen, O Earth: An Introduction to the Prophets.  Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2006.

Other reading materials will be supplied in class, or will be made available on reserve in the A.P. Mahoney Library (St. Peter’s Seminary).

E. STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE:

The Old Testament and Christianity: Avoiding the Error of Marcion
“Historical Books” or “Former Prophets”? “Major” and “Minor” Prophets: How Canon (and Canonical Order) Affects Interpretation
Brief Review of the Documentary Hypothesis (DH) in its classic form (J,E,D,P)
Recent Challenges to the DH
Tetrateuch, Pentateuch, Hexateuch, Enneateuch? What Connects to What?

“The Deuteronomic History”
Overview of the DH and Its Predominant Themes
Joshua and Judges
          Helpful Approaches to Difficult Passages (e.g. Jephthah, Gibeah, etc.)
The Ongoing Debate About Historicity
Samuel and the Beginnings of the Monarchy (Saul)
King David
King Solomon
The Divided Kingdoms of Judah and Israel
The Exile

The Prophets
An Overview of the Prophetic Corpus
What Exactly is Prophecy in the Bible? Prophecy in the Ancient Middle East
An Overview of the Historical Era of the Prophets: Pre-Exilic, Exilic and Post-Exilic
Major Issues Addressed by the Biblical Prophets; Main Messages
Selections from Individual Prophets:

Isaiah
“The Fifth Gospel”: The Special Place of Isaiah in the Christian Scriptures
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
Amos
Hosea
Jonah
Micah
Habakkuk
Joel
Obadiah
Malachi

Differing Jewish and Christian Approaches to “Messianic” Prophetic Texts

F. UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS

Students are responsible for knowing the University’s academic policies and regulations and any particularities of their own course of study. These can all be found at the University’s website (http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholoff.pdf). Ignorance of these policies is not an excuse for any violation thereof. The following policies are particularly important to note:

Submission of Assignments: Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the dates as given above. Assignments may not be dropped off at King’s or submitted electronically. It is the responsibility of the student to organize his or her work so that the assignments are completed on time. For a serious reason, a student may approach the professor before the due date, and may be granted an extension at the discretion of the professors. Any medical reasons will be confirmed by proper documentation, as approved by the Dean’s Office. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment will be deducted for each day it is overdue without permission. No electronic devices will be allowed during tests or the examination, unless approved in advance by Student Services at the University or King’s.
Students who miss tests will negotiate a “make-up” date with the professor. Any medical reasons will be confirmed by proper documentation as approved by the Dean’s Office.

Plagiarism: Students must write their essays and assignments in their own words. Whenever  students take an idea or a passage from another author, they must acknowledge their debt by quotation marks and/or footnotes. Plagiarism is a major academic offense. Students may be required to submit their work in electronic form for plagiarism checking.

Selection and Registration of Courses: Students are responsible for ensuring that their selection of courses is appropriate and accurately recorded, that all prerequisite course(s) have been successfully completed, and that they are aware of any anti-requisite course(s) that they have taken.