NOTRE DAME SEMINARY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY. Course Syllabus for SS 503 Prophets

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1 NOTRE DAME SEMINARY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY Course Syllabus for SS 503 Prophets Instructor: Nathan Eubank, PhD Semester: Fall Time: Friday 8-9:50am Office Hours: Monday 1:30-2:30 and by appt Place: Classroom 2 Phone: , ext. 115 I. Course Description This course surveys the history, literature, and theology of the prophetic corpus. It situates the prophets in their historical context by reading key sections of the historical books of the Old Testament (1-2 Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah). It then turns to the prophetic books themselves and studies either key portions of the prophetic books or whole books (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel). While working through the prophetic books, particular attention is paid to their criticism of social injustice and the ways in which their message prepares the way for the Gospel. II. Course Rationale Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people (Luke 24:19). To understand him, one must understand his prophetic forbearers who called the people back to their God. To understand the Gospel, one must learn to read the prophets as the heralds of the mystery which was revealed in the Christ event. III. Course Goals/Intended Outcomes Seminarians will demonstrate familiarity with the key events in the history of Israel that establish the context of ancient Israelite prophecy. Seminarians will be able to identify key dates in the history of Israel and place major prophetic figures in that history. Seminarians will learn to read the prophets both in their own historical settings and in light of Christ. IV. Instructional Methods Lecture Exegesis paper writing Close reading V. Required texts 1. Harper Collins Study Bible. 1

2 VI. Bibliography A note on other translations: regular consultation of the NAB is encouraged for obvious reasons. The Douay-Rheims is helpful for devotional use, or for those who do not know Latin and who wish to study the Vulgate of the Counter- Reformation period, or for those who enjoy basking in the glow of the English language s former glories, but it should not be used in this class for academic work. It is a translation of the Vulgate of its time. In this class we will seek to understand the Prophets in their historical setting (DV 12), so it is important to read a translation of the best Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Anchor Bible Dictionary. Yale University Press. Ancient Christian Commentary Anderson, Gary. Charity: The Place of the Poor in the Biblical Tradition. Yale University Press, Anderson, Gary. Mary in the Old Testament. Pro Ecclesia 16 (2007): Brueggemann, Walter. A Commentary on Jeremiah: Exile and Homecoming. Eerdmans, Childs, Brevard S. Isaiah. Westminster John Knox Press, Davis, Ellen F. Biblical Prophecy. Interpretation: Resources for the Use of Scripture in the Church. Westminster John Knox, Eichrodt, Walther. Ezekiel: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press, Hays, J. Daniel. The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament. McDermott, Ryan. The Ordinary Gloss on Jonah. scholarship.pitt.edu/18871/1/mcdermott_- _The_Ordinary_Gloss_on_Jonah_(offprint).pdf A New English Translation of the Septuagint. Oxford University Press, (available online) Wilken Robert, L. Isaiah. Interpreted by Early Christian and Medieval Commentators Eerdmans,

3 VII. Professional Vocabulary Divided kingdom Following Solomon s reign the kingdom split into the southern Kingdom of Judah and the northern Kingdom of Israel. Assyrian conquest of Israel In 722 the Assyrians destroyed Samaria and exiled many of its elite citizens. The Kingdom of Israel ceased to exist as an independent nation. 722 The year of the Assyrian destruction of the Kingdom of Israel. 586 The year of the Babylonian destruction of Solomon s temple and exile of the leading citizens of the Kingdom of Judah. Prophet (meanings of the word) In Greek prophet signifies someone who speaks before both in the sense of foretelling events and in the sense of forthtelling the message that God wants people to hear. Prophets claim to speak the truth about the present (what is happening and what people should do) and about the future. Former prophets The prophets of the historical books of Joshua through Kings. Latter prophets The writing prophets, those with books carrying their names. Deuteronomistic History The name commonly used to designate the book of Deuteronomy as well as the section of the Hebrew Bible known as the Former Prophets, i.e., Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, and 1-2 Kings. The name reflects the scholarly theory that these books comprise a single literary unit alongside the other two great historical works in the Hebrew Bible the Tetrateuch (Genesis through Numbers) and the Chronicles complex (1-2 Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah). (ABD) These books show how God s warnings in Deuteronomy played out in subsequent history. Deuteronomistic theology The promise of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. It is announced in Deuteronomy and plays out in the Deuteronomistic History. Masoretic Text (MT) In its widest sense, the term Masoretic Text (MT) can be applied to any text of the Hebrew Bible produced under the care of scholars known as Masoretes, or any copy of 3

4 such a text.this standard text has three main components: the letters, the vowel signs, and the accents. In most manuscripts, a fourth component, the marginal notes of the Masorah, is represented at least to some extent. (ABD) It dates from around A.D. 10 th century and is the main basis for our English OT. Septuagint (LXX) The most widely accepted designation for a diverse collection of Greek literature encompassing: (1) translations of the contents of the Hebrew Bible; (2) additions to some of its books; and (3) works written originally in Greek (or in some instances in Hebrew) but not included in the Hebrew canon. The word Septuagint, (from Lat septuaginta = 70; hence the abbreviation LXX) derives from a story that 72 (other ancient sources mention 70 or 75) elders translated the Pentateuch into Greek; the term therefore applied originally only to those five books. (ABD) Solomon s Temple The first temple, built under Solomon in Jerusalem and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586. Vassal kings Kings who endure at the pleasure of a neighboring power and who pay regular tribute to continue unmolested. 4

5 VIII. Lecture and Reading Schedule Aug 29 Sept 12 Sept 19 Sept 26 Oct 3 Introduction/ What is a Prophet? / The Prophets Samuel and Nathan Simone Weil, Reflections on the Right Use of School Studies with a View to the Love of God (handout) The Prophets Samuel and Nathan 1 Samuel 1-end (Samuel and David) 2 Samuel 1-end (David and Nathan) HarperCollins Introduction, King Solomon, Divided Kingdom, the prophet Elijah 1 Kings (Solomon and Elijah) HarperCollins Introduction, St. Ambrose, On Naboth (handout) From the Divided Kingdom to Exile, the prophet Elisha 2 Kings (Elisha, destruction of both kingdoms) 1 Chronicles 10-23, 28-29, 2 Chron 1-36 (a liturgical reinterpretation) HarperCollins Introduction, The Assyrian Exile of the Northern Kingdom: Amos and Hosea Amos (including the HarperCollins Introduction) Hosea (including the HarperCollins Introduction) Exegesis paper #1 due before class on Friday, October 3. (1 Sam 1:21-28 or 1 Kings 19:9-18) Oct 10 Oct 17 Oct 24 Oct 31 Trouble in Judah: Isaiah and Micah Isaiah 1-39 (including the HarperCollins Introduction) HarperCollins Introduction, Micah (including the HarperCollins Introduction) The Babylonian Exile Jeremiah (including the HarperCollins Introduction) Prophecy in Exile Ezekiel (including the HarperCollins Introduction) Gary Anderson, Mary in the Old Testament (handout) Return from Exile Haggai (including the HarperCollins Introduction) 5

6 Zechariah (including the HarperCollins Introduction) Isaiah Malachi 1-4 (including the HarperCollins Introduction) Recommended: Ezra-Nehemiah Nov 7 Past Exile as Template for Action in the Present, Prophecy of Future Jonah (including the HarperCollins Introduction) Nov 14 Past Exile as Template for Action in the Present, Prophecy of Future Daniel (including the HarperCollins Introduction) Nov 21 SBL Annual Meeting: No Class Exegesis paper #2 due by 5pm Monday, November 24. (Jeremiah 7:1-11 or Haggai 2:1-9 or Jonah 4:1-11) Dec 5 Daniel continued A Few Notes on Reading: 1. Skimming does not work. 2. Many texts need to be read more than once to be understood. 3. You are more likely to remember what you read if you take notes while reading and conclude by writing a one-sentence summary of what you read. 4. The most important reading is slow, careful, attentive, prayerful reading of Scripture. 5. You are not required to agree with everything you read in assigned scholarly literature. The professor himself will at times disagree vehemently with these scholars. 6. Nevertheless, our pursuit of truth and charity demands that we approach all literature with a posture of patient humility so that we may separate wheat from chaff and grow to understand new things. IX. Course Requirements Read all assigned readings Participate in class and maintain good attendance record, which included punctuality Study the notes from the class lectures Carefully follow the instructions for the paper X. Important Dates Paper #1: Friday, October 3 before class Paper #2: Monday, November 24 before 5pm 6

7 XI. Evaluation Criteria: Nolite plures magistri fieri, fratres mei, scientes quoniam maius iudicium accipiemus. Reading comprehension/class participation: 20% Exegesis paper #1: 20% Exegesis paper #2: 30% Final exam: 30% Reading comprehension will be measured by asking seminarians questions about the readings in class every Wednesday. Class participation refers to one s alertness (i.e., absence of bump-on-a-logishness), teachable spirit, and willingness to engage in conversation or to ask questions when invited to do so by the professor. XII. Attendance Policy Notre Dame Seminary observes the following policy regarding class attendance: Regular class attendance is expected and required of all students who intend to receive credit for course work in the graduate school. Inevitably, extraordinary circumstances will arise that make class attendance impossible on occasion; therefore, a formula for determining regular attendance has been established as policy for the convenience of both seminarians and instructors. A student is permitted to be absent from class no more than twice the number of times the class meets per week. (You are considered absent if you are not present when attendance is taken). Thus, if a student is absent for seven classes from a course that meets three times a week, the student is in violation of school policy in this regard. The normal penalty for such a violation is the grade FA (failure due to absence). The number of absences includes those due to illness, late registration, or any other cause. Absence from class immediately before or after holidays and free weekends is considered a double cut. Only the Academic Dean may waive penalties for absence. In absences due to illness, you must inform the instructor and your formation advisor prior to the class. XIII. Academic Integrity Seminarians of Notre Dame Seminary are required to commit themselves to responsible scholarship in every aspect of priestly formation, including academics. It is expected that every seminarian works and studies to the best of his ability for every course. Seminarians also accept responsibilities and obligations as students, which include commitments to honesty, disciplined study, and integrity in their academic work. They 7

8 will be expected to respect academic scholarship by giving proper credit to other people s work, while at the same time preparing well for assigned materials and examinations in such a way that their academic integrity will never be questioned. Those needing assistance with writing papers, or who would like tutoring, should contact the Academic Resource Center (ARC) for assistance. All students are encouraged to seek the direct assistance of their instructor whenever any questions arise regarding assignments, grading, course expectations, etc. XIV. Disability Accommodation Policy In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Notre Dame Seminary provides disability accommodations for students with identified and/or diagnosed disabilities. Students with disabilities need not inform their instructors about the nature of their disabilities, but they are responsible for contacting and providing appropriate documentation to the Academic Resources Center. Requests for accommodations must be made each semester for which the student wishes to receive service; the Academic Resources Center will then distribute a letter of accommodation to the faculty. It is the student s responsibility to meet with each faculty member to discuss how his/her accommodation(s) may be met within each course. Notre Dame Seminary will attempt to meet reasonable accommodations requested. A reasonable accommodation is a modification to a non-essential aspect of a course, program, or facility which does not pose an undue burden and which enables a qualified student with a disability to have adequate opportunity to participate and to demonstrate his or her ability. Such accommodations are determined on an individual basis depending upon the nature and extent of the disability. For more information, contact the Academic Dean s Office. XV. Extension Policy Instructors are never obligated to grant a student s request for a due-date extension on a paper/project if they judge the request to be without sufficient merit or not in keeping with the fair requirements articulated in the course syllabus. XVI. Audit Policy For academic course audits at Notre Dame Seminary, the amount of work required of seminarians will be decided on a case by case basis by the instructor, the Academic Dean and the seminarian s Formation Advisor. XVII. Probation and Grading Policy 8

9 Passing grades for seminarians are A, B and C. A seminarian is put on academic probation for the following: A seminarian who obtains a D+ or lower in any course is automatically placed on probationary status and must repeat the course in order to get credit for the course. Seminarians will be allowed to repeat a course only once and the course must be repeated at NDS. If the seminarian fails the course a second time, the Rector, after consultation with the faculty, will then review the status of the seminarian with the vocation director. A seminarian whose semester grade point average (GPA) in coursework is below a 2.30 at any time is placed on academic probation. Two or more consecutive semesters on probation may subject the seminarian to be dismissed from academic formation at Notre Dame Seminary. To be removed from probationary status, the seminarian must complete a semester with a GPA of 2.30 or higher. After each semester, the seminarian s Bishop will receive a copy of his transcript and a review of the seminarians status. If a seminarian fails to meet the passing grade point average requirement then he forfeits his eligibility for financial aid under Title IV Federal Regulations. Letter Grade Number Quality Points Grade Scale A A B B B C C C D D D F

10 See Academic Catalog for Grading Guidelines Policy Narrative. XVIII. Syllabus Contract This syllabus obliges the student to adhere to all policy requirements and to fulfill all academic expectations herein stated; it also entitles the student to a reasonable opportunity to learn the material specified in the course description in order to accomplish for himself the educational goals of the course. In order to optimize the learning process the course instructor reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to the syllabus requirements during the semester, in response to unforeseen developments or circumstances. All adjustments made must be communicated clearly to students. XIX. Use of laptops and phones during class We live in an age of distraction. Many of us find it difficult to stop fiddling with electronic devices or to take a break from checking . Confirming what professors have long suspected, one recent study indicates that students who use laptops in class earn significantly lower grades. 1 To engage in prayerful study that is, to do our work with rigor and attentiveness to the voice of the Lord we must learn to be quiet and focus. Therefore, the use of laptops in class is strongly discouraged. Phones are prohibited entirely. Any person who is seen using a laptop or other electronic device for something other than taking notes will receive an automatic 5% reduction in the final grade. At the end of the semester each student will be asked how many times during the semester the student used a laptop or other electronic device for something other than taking notes. 1 y.html 10

11 Appendix: Exegesis Papers In order to become familiar with the tools of biblical interpretation, students will select a passage for each of the exegesis papers. The papers will ask interpretive questions of the text and use the tools of biblical studies (study Bibles, commentaries, articles etc.) to find answers to these questions. Topic: students will choose a passage from Matthew, Mark, or Luke. Students will also choose the three exegetical questions. THE STUDENT MUST GET THE PROFESSOR S APPROVAL FOR THE CHOICE OF TEXT AND QUESTIONS. Format: 10 pages, double-spaced; 12 point font, Times New Roman (10 point in the footnotes). One inch margins. Introduction (1 page) First question (2 pages) Second question (2 pages) Third question (2 pages) Living Tradition (2 pages) Conclusion (1 page) Documentation: use footnotes to document secondary sources and parenthetical references to document primary sources (Scripture). Contents: each paper will ask three questions of the selected passage of Scripture and then use the tools of modern biblical scholarship to answer these questions. Modern sources: the paper will draw on secondary literature, in the form of: One or two study bibles and bible dictionaries (such as the Harper-Collins Study Bible and the Anchor Bible Dictionary). Three or four commentaries from a reputable commentary series such as Anchor Bible, Sacra Pagina, International Critical Commentary, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture etc. Disreputable sources do not count toward the total. Living tradition: after an exegetical analysis using modern biblical scholarship, students will then provide a brief overview of how the interpretive questions asked have been answered in the unfolding tradition of the Church. This section should discuss how the passage is interpreted in antiquity, the middle ages, and by great doctors, spiritual writers, as well as magisterial texts. 11

12 Grading rubric A papers will demonstrate excellence in content, organization, and style. (See the NDS academic catalogue for more detail) A late assignment will lose 10 percentage points for every day it is late after the assigned due date beginning from the minute it was due. Assignments will not be accepted unless they are delivered by to the instructor as a ms word file, 12 point Times New Roman font, one inch margins, double-spaced, containing the read out-loud pledge (see below). Content Follows directions Offers convincing interpretations of the passage. One could imagine the human author of the biblical text reading your paper and saying, Yes, you understood me correctly. Thank you for not importing your own ideas and later concerns. (To repeat) avoids anachronism. Does not import later theological categories until the living tradition section. Does not transpose the text into a different conceptual register. Attempts to understand the way the biblical author thought. Makes no arguments from authority. The opinions of scholars must be weighed not counted. Makes arguments that are based on the details of the text. Accounts for the entire passage. Doesn t cherry-pick the evidence that is congenial to the student s views. The interpretation offered is nuanced, sensitive, and careful. Organization Follows the instructions given above. Style Follows the instructions given above. Under the student s name, this pledge must be included: I promise that I read this paper out-loud to myself at least once all the way through and fixed every error and infelicity that I found. 12

13 avoiding jargon and ostentation. Free of grammatical errors. Free of awkward syntax. Uses a formal, academic register while Exemplifies lucid brevity. Theological Justification for Exegesis Papers Verbum Domini 32 Before all else, we need to acknowledge the benefits that historical-critical exegesis and other recently-developed methods of textual analysis have brought to the life of the Church. For the Catholic understanding of sacred Scripture, attention to such methods is indispensable, linked as it is to the realism of the Incarnation: This necessity is a consequence of the Christian principle formulated in the Gospel of John 1:14: Verbum caro factum est. The historical fact is a constitutive dimension of the Christian faith. The history of salvation is not mythology, but a true history, and it should thus be studied with the methods of serious historical research. The study of the Bible requires a knowledge of these methods of enquiry and their suitable application. While it is true that scholarship has come to a much greater appreciation of their importance in the modern period, albeit not everywhere to the same degree, nonetheless the sound ecclesial tradition has always demonstrated a love for the study of the letter. 13