Theology and Justice in the Prophets (BA2709T)

Content

Students in this unit will study the phenomenon of Israelite prophecy in its Ancient West Asian (Ancient Near Eastern) context. Each instance of a difference in justice and theodicy themes will be studied within individual literary prophetic books and prophetic characters’ in other OT narratives. Emphasis is on justice issues in Amos and Hosea, and theological themes more generally in Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel. Consideration will be given to the relevance of these texts in the global context.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

BA1000T Introduction to the Old Testament OR equivalent

Pedagogy

Lectures and assessment that require demonstration of some integration of knowledge with specific skills, tools and applications to specific contexts.

Indicative Bibliography

• Baltzer, Klaus. Deutero-Isaiah. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001.
• Barton, John. Oracles of God: Perceptions of Ancient Prophecy in Israel after the Exile. London: Darton, Longman, and Todd, 2007.
• Block, Daniel. The Book of Ezekiel: Chapters 25–48. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
• Doan, William and Terry Giles. Prophets, Performance and Power. New York: T & T Clark, 2005.
• Dube Shomanah, Musa W., Grant Me Justice! HIV/Aids and Gender Readings Of The Bible. Edited by Musa W. Dube and Musimbi Kanyoro. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 2004.
• Houston, Walter J.Contending for Justice: Ideologies and Theologies of Social Justice in the Old Testament. London: T & T Clark, 2006.
• Lundbom, Jack R. The Hebrew Prophets: An Introduction. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2010.
• Robinson, Bernard. “Jeremiah’s New Covenant: Jer 31, 31-34.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 15 22 (2001): 181-204.
• Sweeney, Marvin A. The Prophetic Literature. Nashville: Abingdon, 2005.

Assessment