The Way of Wisdom
Today I started my second semester teaching at Wildwood. The topic? Biblical wisdom literature (Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes, with some Psalms thrown in for good measure). I'm pumped.
Two texts (among others) I'll be using to prep for this class are The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job & Ecclesiastes by Derek Kidner and Old Testament Parallels: Laws and Stories from the Ancient Near East by Victor H. Matthews and Don C. Benjamin. Here are the details from the syllabus:
Objectives
The intent of Wildwood’s Bible class is to be a stand-alone study and support apologetic for Wildwood’s Humanities class (which this year is studying Antiquity), to look at how the Old Testament treats the common matters of life specifically in the Wisdom books. Our purpose is to reflect on what the wise life is, how it looked to the ancient Israelites, and how it looks (or should look) today.
Discussion will cover how to view wisdom, how to study wisdom, how to approach the ancient wisdom books (comparing bits and pieces from the surrounding cultures), and will address a variety of subjects including money, marriage, work, power and rulership, speech, sex and sexuality, rearing children, commerce, self-discipline, drink, eating, use of wealth, anger, disappointment...basically all the stuff that touches ordinary life.
Spring Semester
1M, 1/8: Old Testament Exam Review/Wisdom Literature Syllabus Review
1W, 1/10: Wisdom in the Ancient World
Have read: Challenge of Application/Practice of Application (handouts)
Proverbs: The Way of Wisdom
2M, 1/15: Proverbs 1-2
2W, 1/17: Application Paper Due/Proverbs 3-4
3M, 1/22: Proverbs 5-7
3W, 1/24: Quiz/Proverbs 8-9
4M, 1/29: No class/assignments – Shakespeare in a Week
4W, 1/31: No class/assignments – Shakespeare in a Week
Proverbs: The Sayings of Solomon
5M, 2/5: Proverbs 10:1-11
5W, 2/7: Proverbs 12:1-15:29
6M, 2/12: Proverbs 15:30-18
6W, 2/14: Proverbs 19-22:16
Proverbs: The Sayings of the Wise
7M, 2/19: Quiz/Proverbs 22:17-23
7W, 2/21: Proverbs 24
Proverbs: More Sayings of Solomon
8M, 2/26: Proverbs 25-26
8W, 2/28: Proverbs 27-29
Proverbs: Sayings of Agur and Lemuel
9M, 3/5: Proverbs 30-31
9W, 3/7: Application Paper Due/Review
10M, 3/12: Midterm
Job: The Narrative
10W, 3/14: Job 1-3
Job: The Speeches
11M, 3/19: Job 4-21
11W: 3/21: Application Paper Due/Job 22-31
12M, 3/26: No class – Spring Break
12W, 3/28: No class – Spring Break
Job: The Voices of Reason
13M, 4/2: Job 32-37
13W, 4/4: Job 38-42
Ecclesiastes: A Life Worth Living?
14M, 4/9: Quiz/Ecclesiastes 1-2
14W, 4/11: Ecclesiastes 3-6
Ecclesiastes: A Life Worthy of God
15M, 4/16: Ecclesiastes 7-9
15W, 4/18: Ecclesiastes 10-12
Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes: Compared, Contrasted, Integrated
16M, 4/23: Quiz/TBA
16W, 4/25: Application Paper Due/TBA
17M, 4/30: 40-Hour Presentations
17W, 5/2: 40-Hour Presentations
Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes: Today
18M, 5/7: Wisdom and the Modern World
18W: 5/9: Key Sentence Paper Due/Review
19M, 5/14: No class
19W: 5/16: No class – Final