Reading Week: February 19-22, 2019 (204) , ext. 350 Voluntary Withdrawal Date: March 16, 2019

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1 May 31, 2018 Canadian Mennonite University Biblical Theology Defusing the Theological Minefield of the Old Testament BTS-5080MLS 3 credit hours Graduate Syllabus Draft Winter 2019 Pierre Gilbert, Ph.D. January 5 April 5, 2016 (Université de Montréal) Monday, 2:30-5:15 PM pgilbert@cmu.ca Reading Week: February 19-22, 2019 (204) , ext. 350 Voluntary Withdrawal Date: March 16, 2019 Office: B323 I. COURSE DESCRIPTION In this course, we will examine the Old Testament from a theological perspective. The primary objective of the course is to articulate the notion of a theological centre and to verify how it is expressed in its various parts. This centre will be used as a principle of integration for the diversity of phenomena attested in the Hebrew Bible, as well as to facilitate the discussion of its theological and pastoral relevance. In addition, we will examine some of the Old Testament's most critical issues such as: creation, covenant, law, war, the sacrificial system, etc. Students will be challenged to develop their hermeneutical skills with regard to the literary specificity of the major sections of the Old Testament (Law, Prophets and Writings). II. COURSE OBJECTIVES A. The student will be in a position to understand the necessity of developing a theology of the Old Testament. B. The student will become familiar with 1) the major stages that led to the development of the theology of the Old Testament as a discipline and 2) the present state of research. C. The student will become familiar with Elmer Martens thesis with respect to the possibility of a theological center and will be given the opportunity to verify it in the various parts of the Hebrew Bible. D. The student will explore how the notion of a theological center can facilitate the interpretation of the various aspects of the Old Testament and will reflect on preliminary elements of resolution for some of the more problematic Old Testament issues. E. The student will explore the issue of unity between the Old and the New Testament. F. The student will examine how the message of the Hebrew Bible can be relevant in the context of the Church s contemporary discourse.

2 2 III. TEXTS FOR THE COURSE Martens, Elmer A. God s Design. A Focus on Old Testament Theology. Third Ed. N. Richland Hills, Texas: Bibal Press, 1998 [1981, 1994] (418 pp.). (Students can also purchase the 4 th ed. at Wipf and Stock Available at the CMU bookstore). Selected articles from Ollenburger, Ben C. Ed. Old Testament Theology: Flowering and Future. Rev. ed. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2004 (544 pp). These articles are available as pdf documents on the CMU student portal. * Walther Eichrodt, Does Old Testament Theology Still Have Independent Significance within Old Testament Scholarship? pp *Ben C. Ollenburger, Introduction, pp *George Ernest Wright, God the Warrior, pp *Gerhard von Rad, Eighth-Century Prophecy, *Ben C. Ollenburger, Introduction, pp *Walter C. Kaiser, Promise, * Introduction, pp * Introduction, pp *Phyllis Trible, Overture for a Feminist Biblical Theology, *James Barr, Real Theology and Biblical Theology, *Mark G. Brett, The Future of Old Testament Theology, *Johann P. Gabler, An Oration on the Proper Distinction between Biblical and Dogmatic Theology and the Specific Objectives of Each, Walter Brueggemann, Walter. Theology of the Old Testament. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, Pp (Excerpt available on the CMU student portal). Suggested Texts: Anderson, Bernhard. From Creation to New Creation.. Contours of Old Testament Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress, Brueggemann, Walter. Theology of the Old Testament. Minneapolis: Fortress, Martens, Elmer A. Old Testament Theology. IBR Bibliographies. Vol. 13. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, Waltke, Bruce K. An Old Testament Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, IV. COURSE ASSIGNMENTS A. Reading 1. Required Textbooks a. Elmer Martens, God s Design (3 rd or 4 th ed.). Students are expected to read carefully Elmer Martens God s Design (418 pp.) and to produce an extensive report. The report should be 5-7 pages (double space, Times New Roman-12; about words) and contain the following elements. 1. Summary of thesis

3 3 2. Critique (strengths, weaknesses) 3. Contemporary relevance (church, preaching, ethics, society, etc.) Please devote the greater part of the paper to the third section. Here are some suggestions in regards to the kind of things that can be included in this section: *Highlight how the book contributes to a greater understanding of Old Testament theology; *Focus specifically on one or two elements that you found particularly helpful in terms of facilitating the process of theologizing and contextualizing the Old Testament. b. Ben C. Ollenberger, Old Testament Theology. Students are required to read the selected portions of Ollenburger s Old Testament Theology and to submit a 2-3 page ( words) report and reflection on one of the topics covered in the book. The report should cover the following items for each article: a. Short summary of each selection (one or two sentences) What is the issue? Why is it a problem? b. Contemporary Relevance (church, preaching, ethics, society, etc.) In this section, identify and discuss in greater detail one article that you feel offers some significant insights with respect to Old Testament theology in connection with preaching, teaching, or a specific contemporary issue. 2. Old Testament Theologies Survey Students are also required to peruse the Old Testament theologies listed below. *Survey the table of contents. *Scan the introduction, the conclusion, and the main body of the text. A short report indicating whether the assignment was completed is due on: TBD. G. von Rad, Old Testament Theology W. Eichrodt, Theology of the Old Testament C. Westermann, Elements of Old Testament Theology W. Brueggemann, Theology of the Old Testament Bruce K. Waltke, An Old Testament Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, Brueggemann, Theology of the Old Testament, pp Statement of Completion only. 4. General Reading In addition to the textbooks, students are required to read an additional 500 pages.

4 4 Only a statement of completion is required. Note: Students are encouraged to use this reading assignment in view of the research required for their final paper. B. Old Testament Theology Paper Students are required to write a research paper on a specific problem or issue related to the field of Old Testament theology. Students should have their topic approved by the professor. Parameters: *Length: pages ( words; Times New Roman-12). *Must show evidence of research. Students are required to submit a research proposal including a description of the topic and a preliminary bibliography. Proposal The paper should include the following elements: *Introduction -Thesis statement -Method (how will the paper unfold) -Sources *Conclusion *Table of contents *Titles and subtitles *Evidence of research -Review of the literature -Scholarly sources -Journal-length scholarly articles -Dependable internet sources *In addition to a solid academic dimension, the paper should reflect a strong theological/pastoral/reflection component. *The paper should be thoroughly proofread. *The student is encouraged to consult with the instructor in the choice of the topic. -Definition of problem/issue -Review of literature/research -Thesis -Theological relevance/implications Topic suggestions: *The problem of war in the Old Testament *The Relevance of the Law (ceremonial laws, moral laws, 10 commandments) *The task of Old Testament theology? *The theology of a book (eg. Joshua, Ecclesiastes, a prophet, etc.) *The theology of Genesis 1-3/Creation theology *Sin in the Old Testament *The curse and the blessing

5 5 *The sacrificial system *The purity laws *The Spirit of God in the Old Testament *The theological relevance of the Exodus narrative *The theology of a text (pericope) Etc. C. Presentation Students will be invited to present the results of their research towards the end of the semester (12-15 minutes). Students are encouraged to prepare a two-page summary handout for the class, including a select bibliography. V. COURSE OUTLINE A. Introduction B. Historical Survey 1. History of Research 2. Survey of Approaches a. Eichrodt b. Von Rad c. Westermann d. Zimmerli e. Jacob f. Kaiser C. Definition and Method D. The Center of the Old Testament E. Old Testament Theology: Selected Texts, Themes, and Problems 1. Introduction 2. The Creation Account 3. The Covenant 4. The Law 5. The Problem of War in the Old Testament 6. The Sacrificial System F. Synthesis G. Unity between the Old and the New Testament H. Relevance of the Old Testament in Christian Discourse

6 6 VI. COURSE GRADING A. Attendance and Participation: 10 B. Reading (OT Theologies Survey, Brueggemann, addit. readings): 10 C. Report on Martens: 10 D. Report on Ollenberger: 5 E. Research Paper 60 F. Presentation 5 Total: 100 VII. BIBLIOGRAPHY For a basic list of books on Old Testament theology, see God s Design, pp. 397ff. Students are strongly recommended to consult the excellent bibliography published by Elmer Martens in 1997: Old Testament Theology. IBR Bibliographies. Vol. 13. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, Martens bibliography covers, among others, the following topics: -history/state of the discipline -issues (task of OT theology, method, wisdom, center, unity, etc.) -perspectives (Jewish, sociological, Christian preaching) -Old Testament theologies -corpora (Pentateuch, former prophets, latter prophets, wisdom, etc.) -individual books -themes (anger, anthropology, apocalyptic, blessing, covenant, land, law, sacrifice, worship, etc.) VIII. HANDING IN ESSAYS Unless otherwise instructed, students will submit written assignments by . Students are responsible for ensuring that assignments have in fact been received by the professor. If the student does not receive confirmation of receipt within 24 hours, the communication is deemed to have failed. The student must then take the initiative to contact the professor to confirm receipt of the submission. In case of disagreement in regards to an electronic submission, the professor s electronic reply will constitute the only proof of submission. Without such proof, the assignment will be deemed not to have been submitted and will be assigned a grade of 0 or F. IX. MISCELLANEOUS *All grades submitted by CMU s instructors are provisional until they have been vetted by the Dean s Council. That process occurs early in January for fall semester grades and early in May for winter semester grades. *Please consult the CMU Academic Calendar, Section II: Academic Policies for further information about extensions and incompletes, multiple submissions of the same work, attendance policies, examination rescheduling, academic misconduct, appeals, and other academic matters. (Available at