RGB1005H online- INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD
TESTAMENT
-- M. Kolarcik – January-April, 2015
This
introductory course explores the thematic unity of the Old Testament
under the
heading of Covenantal Theology. Significant covenantal moments in the
Bible are
studied in their historical settings and context, cultic realizations,
and
literary expressions (Abram, Sinai, David/Zion, Prophecy, Exile,
Deuteronomistic texts, Priestly texts - Creation / Noah / Abraham,
Wisdom,
Covenant in the New Testament). Literary and rhetorical
analysis, historical and textual criticism are
employed as
means of exploring the biblical texts. Assignments:
readings, five short study papers, on-line
discussions on questions and two sets of terms to define as presented
in the explained
in the materials for the syllabus.
Textbook:
BOADT, Lawrence. Reading the Old
Testament: An Introduction. Second edition, revised
and updated by Richard Clifford and Daniel Harrington. New York:
Paulist Press, 2012.
COLLINS, John J. Introduction to the Hebrew
Bible (with CDRom).
Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004.
(check for these two books at Crux Book
Store, located at Wycliffe College, or you can easily order them
from amazon.ca if you are off campus. I suggest you acquire at least one
of these introductions and consult the other books through the
libraries of TST and Robarts. For a solid understanding of historical
events in Israel in relation to the biblical tradition, I highly
recommend John Bright, A History of
Israel).
Recommended texts :
ANDERSON, Bernard W., Steven BISHOP, Judith H.
NEWMAN. Understanding the Old
Testament. 5th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice
Hall: 2007
CAMPBELL, Antony, F., Mark A. O’BRIEN. Rethinking
the Pentateuch: Prolegomena to the Theology of Ancient Israel. Louisville,
KE: Westminster John
Knox, 2005.
CERESKO, Anthony. An Introduction to the Old Testament: A
Liberation Perspective. Updated and Revised. First edition, 1992. New York:
Orbis,
Maryknoll, 2001.
HAHN, Scott W. Kinship by
Covenant: A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of God's Saving
Promises. The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library. New Haven:
Yale University, 2009.
LEVENSON, Jon. Sinai
and Zion: an
Entry into the Jewish Bible. San
Fransisco: Harper
& Row, 1987.
ANDERSON, Bernhard
W. Contours of Old Testament Theology. Minneapolis:
Fortress, 1999.
BRIGHT, John. A History of Israel. 4th edition. Philadelphia: Westminster, 2001.
Goals -Outcomes : With the successful
completion of this course, the student will be able to:
| a) define key terms in the
field of Old Testament and biblical studies; |
assessment:
collaborative work in definition of terms |
| b) present an overview
of covenantal theologies in their historical context; |
assessment: study
papers, online discussion |
c) appreciate and articulate
the literary structure of important covenantal passages;
|
assessment: study papers
|
d) collaborate with other
students in grasping questions and formulating responses;
|
assessment: collaborative work
in definition of terms
|
e) apply literary and
rhetorical analysis to a biblical text
|
assessment: study papers,
online discussion
|
Questions for study based on lecture material (in alphabetical
characters) and
on reading assignments (in numerical characters) The specific questions
are found in the Course Materials.
Answer one question in three
pages,
double-spaced, font-timesroman-12 point.
All of the
assignments are due to be sent by email through blackboard on the
Saturday of the week.
First Assignment Due January 24th
Second Assignment Due
February 14th
Third Assignment Due
February 21st (Sat after reading week)
Group Definitions of terms (1st section) to be
submittted March 7th.
Fourth Assignment Due March 14th
Group
Definitions of terms (2nd section) to be
submitted March 28th
Fifth Assignment Due April 11th
(Saturday of Exam week)
For reading assignments and tasks
for each lecture go to the Course Materials file under Content on
Blackboard/portal
Course
and Reading Materials listed for Weekly study
For Guidance on Writing Style and specifically for referencing your
work
follow
Turabian (An Adaptation for
Biblical essays from the University of
Toronto Writing Manual)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1) INTRODUCTORY BACKGROUND MATERIAL
ADAM, A.K.M. ed. Postmodern Interpretations of the Bible: A Reader.
St. Louis, Missouri: Chalice,
2001.
ADAM, A.K.M. ed Handbook of Postmodern
Biblical
Interpretation. St.
Louis, Missouri:
Chalice, 2000.
ALTER, R. and F. KERMADE, eds. The
Literary Guide
to the Bible, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University
Press, 1987. (Reference Shelf BS 535 L54)
BACH, A. ed. Women in the Hebrew Bible: A Reader. New York:
Routledge, 1999.
BARR, J. The Concept of Biblical Theology: An Old Testament
Perspective. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1999.
BRUEGGEMANN, W. Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute,
Advocacy. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1997.
CHILDS, B.S. Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments. Minneapolis:
Fortress, 1993.
CHILDS, B.S. Introduction to the Old
Testament as
Scripture. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1979.
EISSFELDT, O. The Old Testament: An Introduction. Translated
by Peter R. Ackroyd. London:
Blackwell,1974.
FRYE, N. The Great Code: the Bible and
Literature. Toronto: Academic, 1982.
GOTTWALD, N.K. The Hebrew Bible: A
Social-Literary Introduction. Philadelphia :
Fortress Press,
1985.
GOTTWALD, N.K. The Tribes of Yahweh.
Maryknoll, N.Y. :
Orbis Books,
1979.
KIM, Wonil and others, eds., Reading the Hebrew Bible for a New
Millennium:
Form, Concept, and Theological Perspective, Studies in
Antiquity & Christianity. Vol 1: Theological and
Hermeneutical Studies, Vol 2: Exegetical and Theological Studies, Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press
Internation, 2000.
LOHFINK, N. Theology of the Pentateuch: Themes of the Priestly
Narrative and
Deuteronomy. Translated L.M. Maloney, Minneapolis: Fortress, 1994.
PILCH, J. Introducing the Cultural
Context of the Old Testament. Vol. 1. New York:
Paulist,
1991.
PRITCHARD, J.B. Ancient Near Eastern
Texts Relating
to the Old Testament. ANET 3rd edition with
supplement. Princeton: Princeton University, 1963. (Reference)
von RAD, G. Old
Testament Theology. Vol. I, II. Translated D.M.G. London: Stalker, 1975.
RENDTORFF, R. The Old Testament: An Introduction. Philadelphia, Fortress,
1986.
RICOEUR, P. "Philosophy and Religious Language.” JR 54 (1974)
71-85.
RICOEUR, P. "Philosophical Hermeneutics and Theological Hermeneutics.” Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses
5 (1975) 14-33.
RICOEUR, P. "Creativity in Language.” Philosophy Today 17
(1973) 97-111.
RICOEUR, P. "Biblical Hermeneutics.” Semeia 4 (1975) 29-145.
2) GENERAL INTRODUCTIONS TO "COVENANT"
AZELLES, H. "Covenant.” [Sacramentum Mundi,
New York: 1975].
HILLERS, D.R. Covenant: The History of a Biblical Idea.
Baltimore: 1969.
McCARTHY, D.J. Old Testament Covenant: A Survey of Current Opinions.
Oxford: Blackwell,
1972.
McKENZIE, J.L. "Aspects of Old Testment Thought.” [The New Jerome
Biblical Commentary. eds., BROWN, FITZMYER,
MURPHY, Prentice
Hall, New Jersey: 1990,
1284-1315].
MENDENHALL, G.E. "Covenant.” [IDB. (Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible) vol. 1].
MENDENHALL, G.E and G.A. HERION.
"Covenant.” The Anchor Bible Dictionary, I 1179-1202.
WEINFELD, M. "berith.” TDOT
(Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament) Volume 2. Grand Rapids, MI:
William B.
Eerdmans, 1977.
3) GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE COVENANT
ADEYEMI, F. The New
Covenant Torah in
Jeremiah and the Law of Christ in Paul. New York:
Peter
Lang, 2006
BALTZER, K. The
Covenant Formulary in the Old Testament. Translated
D.E.
Green. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1971.
BRIGHT, J. Covenant and Promise: the prophetic understanding
of the
future in pre-exilic Israel. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1976.
BRUEGGEMANN, W. The Land: Place as Gift, Promise, and Challenge in
the
Biblical Faith. New
York: Fortress,1977.
BRUEGGEMANN, W. David's Truth in Israel's Imagination and Memory. New York: Fortress,
1985. |bs 580 d3 b78
CLEMENTS, R.E. Prophecy and Covenant. SBT 43, London:
SCM Press, 1965.
CLEMENTS, R.E. Abraham and David, Genesis 15
and its
Meaning for Israelite Tradition. SBT 2:5, London: SCM Press, 1967.
CLEMENTS, R.E. God's Chosen People: A Theological Interpretation of the Book of
Deuteronomy. London: SCM Press,
1968.
CLIFFORD, R. Deuteronomy, with Excursus on Covenant and Law.
Old Testament Message 5. Wilmington:
Michael Glazier, 1982.
CRENSHAW, J.L. Story and Faith, a Guide to
the Old
Testament. New
York: Macmillan,
1986.
CROSS, F.M. Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic.
Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University, 1973. (See especially "The
Ideologies of
Kingship in the Era of the Empire: Conditional Covenant and Eternal
Decree.”
219-273).
Dumbrell, William J. Covenant
and Creation : a theology of Old Testament
covenants. Nashville :
T. Nelson, 1984.
GUTHRIE, H. Israel's Sacred Songs: a study of dominant themes. New York:
Seabury, 1966.
HAHN, Scott W. Kinship by Covenant:
A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of God's Saving Promises.
The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library. New Haven: Yale University,
2009.
KALLUVEETTIL, P. Declaration and Covenant, A Comprehensive Review of Covenant
Formulae from the Old Testament and
the Ancient Near East. Analecta Biblica 88. Rome: Pontifical Biblical
Institute, 1982.
McCARTHY, D.J. Treaty and Covenant:
A Study in Form in the Ancient Oriental
Documents and in the Old Testament. Analecta
Biblica 21a. Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1978.
McCARTHY, D.J. Institution and Narrative: Collected Essays. Analecta Biblica 108. Rome:
Pontifical
Biblical Institute, 1985.
McCOMISKEY, T.E. The Covenants of Promise: a theology of Old
Testament
Covenants. Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House, 1985.
McEVENUE, S.E. The Narrative Style of the
Priestly Writers. Analecta Biblica
50, Rome:
Pontifical
Biblical Institute, 1971.
MENDENHALL, G.E. Law and Covenant in Israel and the Ancient Near East. Pittsburg: Presbyterian Board of
Colportage of Western Pennsylvania, 1955.
MENDENHALL, G.E. The Tenth Generation; the
origins of the
biblical tradition. Baltimore:
John Hopkins University, 1973.
NEWMAN, Murray Lee. The
People of
the Covenant. New York:
Abingdon, 1962.
NICHOLSON, Ernest W. God and his people :
covenant
and theology in the Old Testament. Oxford:
Clarendon; New York : Oxford University,
1986.
NICHOLSON, Ernest W. Exodus and Sinai in History and Tradition.
Oxford: Clarendon, 1973.
ORLINSKI, H.M. The So-Called
"Servant
of the Lord" and Suffering Servant in 2nd Isaiah. VTSup
14 (1967). [Note the appendix, "A Light of Nations, A Covenant
People,” 97-119].
Person, Raymond F. The
Deuteronomic School :
history, social setting, and literature. Atlanta, GA :
Society of
Biblical Literature, 2002.
PLASTARAS, J. Creation and Covenant.
Milwaukee: Bruce, 1968.
POLZIN, R. Moses and the Deuteronomist.
New York:
Seabury, 1980.
SCHMIDT, W.H. The
Faith of the Old Testament. London: Basil
Blackwell, 1983.
W. VOGELS, La
Promesse Royale de Yahweh Préparatoire à L'Alliance.
Ottawa: Editions
de l'Université
Saint-Paul, 1970.
M. WEINFELD, Deuteronomy and the
Deuteronomic School, Oxford: Clarendon, 1972.
WHYBRAY, R.N. The Succession Narrative: A Study of 2 Samuel 9-29, 1
Kings 1
and 2. London: SCM
Press, 1968.
WRIGHT, C.J.H. God's People in God's Land, Family, Land and
Property in the
Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.
4) ARTICLES ON COVENANT
BRUEGGEMANN, W. "Amos
4:4-13 and Israel's Covenant Worship.” VT 15 (1965).
BUSS, M.J. "Covenant, Theme in Historical
Perspective.” VT 16 (1966).
CAMBELL, A.I. "An Historical Prologue in a Seventh Century Treaty.” Bib
50 (1969).
EICHRODT, W. "Covenant and Law.” Interpretation 20 (1966).
FENSHAM, F.C. "Father and Son Terminology for Treaty and Covenant.” [Near
Eastern Studies in Honor of W.F. Albright, ed. H. Goedicke, Baltimore:
1971].
FENSHAM, F.C. "Common Trends in Curses of the Near-Eastern Treaties and
Kudurru-Inscriptions Compared with Maledictions of Amos and Isaiah.” ZAW 75 (1963).
FENSHAM, F.C. "Covenant, Promise and Expectation in the Bible.” TZ 23 (1967).
FENSHAM, F.C. "Malediction and Benediction in
Ancient
Near-Eastern Vassal Treaties and the Old Testament.” ZAW 74 (1962).
FITZMYER, J.A. "The
Aramaic Treaty from Sefire in the Museum of Beirut.” CBQ 20 (1958).
FREEDMAN, D.N. "Divine Commitment and Human Obligation.” Interpretation 18 (1964).
GERSTENBERGER, E. "Covenant
and Commandment.” JBL 84 (1965).
HELD, M. "Philological Notes on the
Mari Covenant Rituals.” BASOR 200 (1970).
HEPPENSTALL, E. "The
Law and the Covenant of Sinai.” AndrewsUnivSeminarySt
2 (1964).
HILLERS, D.R. "berit 'am,
Emancipation of the People.” JBL 97 (1978).
JOTHANN, C.D. "The
Covenant and Covenant Making in the Pentateuch." BangaloreTheologicalForum
3 (1969).
KLINE, M.G. "Law
Covenant.” WestminThJ 27 (1964).
KLINE, M.G. "Dynastic
Covenant.” WestminThJ 27 (1964).
LEVENSON, J.D. "The
Davidic Covenant and its Modern Interpreters.” CBQ
41 (1979).
MARTIN-ACHARD, R. "La
nouvelle alliance selon Jérémie.” RThPh 3:12
(1962); also in [Questions disputées...
see D.J.
McCarthy]
MARTIN-ACHARD, R. "La signification de l'alliance dans l'Ancien
Testament
d'après quelques travaux récents.” RThPh 3:18 (1969).
MAYES, A.D.H. "The Covenant on Sinai and the Covenant with David.”
Hermathena 110 (1970).
MAYES, A.D.H. "King
and Covenant, a study of 1K 22-23.” Hermathena
124 (1978).
McCARTHY, D.J. "berit
and Covenant in the Deuteronomistic History.” [Studies
in the Religion and History of Ancient Israel. VT 23 (1972)].
McCARTHY, D.J. "berit
in Old Testament History and Theology.” Bib 53 (1972).
McCARTHY, D.J. "2Sam
7 and the Structure of the Deuteronomistic History.” JBL 84
(1965).
McCARTHY, D.J. "Covenant
Relationships.” [Questions disputées d'Ancien Testament, BETL
33, ed. C.H.W. Brekelmans, Leuven-Gembloux:
1974].
McCARTHY, D.J. "Prophets
and Covenantal Community.” Jeevadhara
11
(1981).
D.J. McCARTHY, "Moses' Dealings with Pharaoh.”
CBQ 27 (1965).
McCARTHY, D.J. "Notes
on the Love of God in Deuteronomy and the Father-Son Relationship
between Yahweh
and Israel.” CBQ
27 (1972) 144-147.
McKAY, J.W. "Man's Love for God in
Deuteronomy and the Father/Teacher -- Son/Pupil Relationship.” VT
22 (1972) 426-435.
McKENZIE, J.L. "The Dynastic
Oracle: 2 Sam 7.” ThSt 8 (1947) 187-218.
McKENZIE, S.L and H.N. WALLACE. "Covenant Themes in
Malachi.” CBQ 45:4 (1983).
MORAN, W.L. "The Ancient Near Eastern Background of the Love of God
in
Deuteronomy.” CBQ 24 (1963).
W. MOST, "A Biblical Theology of Redemption in a Covenantal Framework.”
CBQ 29 (1959).
MUILENBURG, J. "The Form and
Structure of the Covenantal Formulations.” VT 9 (1959).
NICHOLSON, E.W. "The Covenant
Ritual in Ex 24:3-8.” VT 32 (1982).
NICHOLSON, E.W. "The Tradition in
Exodus 24:9-11.” VT 26 (1976).
NICHOLSON, E.W. "The Interpretation
of Exodus 24:9-11.” VT 24 (1974).
O'DOHERTY, E. "The
Organic Development of Messianic
Revelation.” CBQ 19 (1957) 16-24.
PRUSSNER, F.C. "The
Covenant of David and the Problem of the Unity in Old Testament
Theology.”
[Transitions in Biblical Scholarship, ed. J.C. Rylaarsdam,
Chicago:
1968].
QUELL, G. "diatheke, The Old
Testament term berit.” Theological Dictionary
of the
Bible.
RIEMANN, P.A. "Covenant, Mosaic.”
[IDB, suppl. vol, Nashville: 1976].
SWETNAM, J. "Why was Jeremiah's new
covenant new?.” [Studies on Prophecy,
VTSup
26 (1974)].
SWETNAM, J. "Diatheke in the
Septuagint account of Sinai: A Suggestion.” Bib 47 (1966).
TSEVAT, M. "The House of David in
Nathan's Prophecy.” Bib 46 (1965).
TSEVAT, M. "The Neo-Assyrian and
Neo-Babylonian Vassal Oaths and the Prophet Ezekiel.” JBL 78
(1959).
WEINFELD, M. "berith - Covenant vs
Obligation.” Bib 56 (1975).
WEINFELD, M. "Deuteronomy and the Present State
of
Inquiry.” JBL 86 (1967).
WEINFELD, M. "Jeremiah and the
Spiritual Metamorphis of Israel.” ZAW 88 (1976).
WHITLEY, C.F. "Covenant
and Commandment in Israel.” JNES 22 (1963).
WIJNGAARDS, J. "Death and
Resurrection in Covenantal Contexts (Hosea 6:2).” VT 17 (1967).