Book of Isaiah (BA3500T)

Undergraduate, 18.0 points

Content

In this unit, students will engage with the Book of Isaiah in English translation, through exegesis of selected texts and scholarship on its composition, and historical contexts. Theological themes such as prophecy, exile and return, a Davidic messiah, and monotheism, will be studied with attention to the ways that these themes develop and change throughout the course of the book, and in their later use by New Testament writers.

Unit code: BA3500T

Unit status: Approved (Major revision)

Points: 18.0

Unit level: Undergraduate Level 3

Unit discipline: Old Testament

Delivery Mode: Blended

Proposing College: Trinity College Theological School

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Learning outcomes

1.

Articulate scholarly debates regarding the composition of the Book of Isaiah;
2.

Interpret selected texts from the book of Isaiah using advanced exegetical skills;
3.

Reflect theologically on the text of Isaiah in relation to other biblical studies and theological disciplines;
4.

Explain ethical and theological issues in Isaiah and propose implications for a contemporary context.

Unit sequence

Prerequisites: Introduction to the Old Testament or equivalent

Pedagogy

Twelve weekly sessions. Lecture component (online or in classroom) and tutorial component on exegesis.

Indicative Bibliography

  • Abernethy, A. T., M. G. Brett, T. Bulkeley, and T. Meadowcroft (eds.) Isaiah and Imperial Context: The Book of Isaiah in the times of Empire. Eugene: Pickwick Publications, 2013.
  • Aster, Shawn Zelig. Reflections of Empire in Isaiah 1-39: Responses to Assyrian Ideology. Ancient Near East Monographs 19. Atlanta: SBL Press, 2017.
  • Boda, Mark J, Frank Ritchel Ames, John J Ahn, and Mark Leuchter (eds.) The Prophets Speak on Forced Migration. Society of Biblical Literature. Ancient Israel and Its Literature 21. Atlanta: SBL Press, 2015.
  • Davis, Ellen F. Biblical Prophecy: Perspectives for Christian Theology, Discipleship, and Ministry. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2014.
  • Firth, David G., and H. G. M. Williamson (eds.) Interpreting Isaiah. Leicester: Apollos, 2009.
  • Hom, Mary Katherine Y. H. The Characterization of the Assyrians in Isaiah : Synchronic and Diachronic Perspectives. LHBOTS 559. New York: T & T Clark, 2012.
  • Kaminsky, J., and A. Stewart, “God of All the World: Universalism and Developing Monotheism in Isaiah 40–66,” The Harvard Theological Review 99 (2006): 139–163.
  • Kim, Hyun Chul Paul. Reading Isaiah: A Literary and Theological Commentary. Reading the Old Testament. Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2016.
  • Maier, Christl M. Daughter Zion, Mother Zion: Gender, Space, and the Sacred in Ancient Israel. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2008.
  • Tiemeyer, Lena-Sofia (ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Isaiah. New York: Oxford University Press, 2021.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Tutorial Paper/Seminar Paper - Tutorial presentation and participation 1000 20.0
Essay 2000 40.0
Exegetical Essay 2000 40.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 28 Jul, 2025

Unit record last updated: 2025-07-28 08:40:18 +1000