OT 305 THE MINOR PROPHETS Spring 2017 Monday, 4:00-6:40 p.m. Revised 3/14/2017

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1 OT 305 THE MINOR PROPHETS Spring 2017 Monday, 4:00-6:40 p.m. Revised 3/14/2017 Claude F. Mariottini Professor of Old Testament Northern Baptist Seminary Lombard, Illinois Phone (630) Web page: Blog: I. Textbooks 1. The Bible: The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV), 4 th edition. ISBN: $ In this course I will be using the New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV), 4th edition. This is an excellent study Bible which provides a good introduction to each book of the Bible and also good study notes. Students are not required to use this version of this Bible. Students are required to bring their Bible to class each week. Reading from another student s Bible is not allowed. Students are required to read the books of the Minor Prophets this quarter. Previous reading of these books does not count for credit. 2. C. Hassell Bullock, An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophetic Books. Chicago: Moody Press, ISBN: pages. $ Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination. 2 nd. Edition. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, ISBN: pages. $ James D. Newsome, Jr. The Hebrew Prophets. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, ISBN: pages. $ Sharon H. Ringe, When Women Interpret the Bible, in The Women s Bible Commentary, edited by Carol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe, 1-9. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992 (available on Moodle).

2 6. Gale A. Yee, Hosea, in The Women s Bible Commentary, edited by Carol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe, Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992 (available on Moodle). 7. Yoilah Yilpet, Micah, in Africa Bible Commentary, edited by Tokunboh Adeyemo, (available on Moodle). 8. Articles in The Anchor Bible Dictionary (ABD) The reading of these articles are not required but they offer the best and the most recent scholarly introduction to the Minor Prophets. These articles will be available on Moodle. II. Course Description 1. This course will introduce students to the content of the books of the Twelve Minor Prophets. 2. The course will focus on the historical, political, religious, and social events that shaped the ministry of the Minor Prophets and provided the impetus for their preaching. 3. Students will learn how the prophetic message explains the mission of God in the world. 4. Students will also become acquainted with writings on the Minor Prophets by feminist and African scholars. III. Course Objectives 1. This course will help students gain a basic knowledge of the content of the books of the Twelve Minor Prophets. 2. This course will help students study the message of the Minor Prophets of Israel and the historical, social, and religious contexts that gave meaning to their ministry. 3. This course will help students gain an overview of the message and ministry of the Minor Prophets of Israel and relate the prophetic message to Christian Ministry. 4. This course will help students identify biblical and theological truths that

3 contribute to spiritual formation and theological competence for life and ministry. 5. This course will help students develop an appreciation of the Old Testament as an integral part of the Christian Scriptures. IV. Course Requirements 1. Students are expected to attend all class meetings, unless hindered by circumstances beyond control. Any student who, for any reason, misses more than 20% of the classes (two classes) will fail the course. 2. Students will be required to write two papers during the quarter, 7-8 pages each. One paper will study one of the Minor Prophets and the other will deal with the relevance of prophetic ministry for today s church. 3. The first paper will be due on Monday, May 1. The second paper will be due on Monday, June 5. Papers must be submitted via on or before the due date. 4. The research papers must follow Turabian s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Additional information and requirements will be found in How to Write an A+ Research Paper. This guideline will be distributed in class. Read the guidelines before writing your paper. 5. Students must present a 3-page review of the book The Prophetic Imagination. The report will be due in class on Monday, May 22. Late book reviews will not be accepted. A guideline for the book review will be distributed in class. Write a 3-4 page review of the book describing how the content of the book relates to God s mission in the world. In addition, describe how the message of this book relates to prophetic ministry in the twenty-first century. 6. Students must present a 2-page review of the articles by Ringe, Yee and Yilpet. The reviews will be due before class on the days listed on the syllabus. Late reviews will not be accepted. 7. Students are expected to make preparation for each class meeting by reading the pages assigned in the textbooks listed above and by reading the assigned Scripture passages. 8. No incomplete will be given in this course. Students who fail to submit their work by the last day of the course will fail the course. An incomplete will be granted only in case of death in the family or for a medical emergency. 9. The paper must be submitted in class on the day it is due. Overdue research paper will be penalized one letter grade.

4 10. Any work missed will have to be made up and prior approval by the professor is required for makeups. Overdue work must be turned in. There will be a penalty for any overdue work. Students who fail to present the research paper on the due date will lose a letter grade for the paper. V. Technology Use in the Classroom Unless it is directly tied to note-taking or research for the class, students are expected to refrain from cell phone or laptop use during class. Checking s or using the Internet during class is not allowed. Students who violate class policy will not be allowed to use computers in class. VI. Grading A. The total amount of points to be given in class is 300. B. Each research paper will be worth 1/3 of the grade (100 points each) C. The book review and the three reviews of the articles will be worth 1/3 of the grade (100 points). D. Grading scale: E. Grading scale: A = A- = B+ = B = B- = C+ = C = C- = D+ = D = D- = F = 59 and below

5 VII. Office Hours I am available to all students who desire to discuss problems related to class work, Old Testament, matters related to seminary work, or any personal need. This quarter my office hours are: Monday 1:00 a.m. - 3:00 p. m. Tuesday 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a. m. If you are unable to come during office hours, send me an and make an appointment to see me. You can also send me an with questions about assignments. I will answer your as soon as possible. VIII. Weekly Reading April 3 1. Introduction to Hebrew Prophecy Bullock, Newsome, 1-15 ABD, 5: April 10 The article by Sharon H. Ringe, When Women Interpret the Bible, will be discussed in class today. Send review by before you come to class. April Amos 3. Hosea Read Amos 1-9 Bullock, Newsome, ABD, 1: Review of Gale A. Yee, Hosea, is due today. Send review by before you come to class. Read Hosea 1-14 Bullock, Newsome, ABD, 3:

6 April Micah Review of Yoilah Yilpet, Micah, is due today. Send review by before you come to class. Read Micah 1-7 Bullock, Newsome, ABD, 4: May 1 Note: First Paper is Due Today. Send paper by before you come to class. 5. Zephaniah Read Zephaniah 1-3 Bullock, Newsome, ABD, 6: Nahum Read Nahum 1-3 Bullock, Newsome, ABD, 4: May 8 7. Habakkuk Read Habakkuk 1-3 Bullock, Newsome, ABD, 3: Obadiah Read Obadiah Bullock, Newsome, ABD, 5:2-4

7 May Haggai Read Haggai 1-2 Bullock, Newsome, ABD, 3: Zechariah Read Zechariah 1-14 Bullock, Newsome, ; ABD, 6: May 22 Book Review is Due Today: Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination. Send review by before you come to class. 11. Joel Read Joel 1-3 Bullock, Newsome, ABD 3: Malachi Read Malachi 1-4 Bullock, Newsome, ABD, 4: May 29 No Class Memorial Day June 5 Note: Second Paper is Due Today. Send paper by before you come to class. 13. Jonah Read Jonah 1-4 Bullock, Newsome, ABD, 3:

8 14. Conclusions Newsome, IX. Classroom Expectations POLICIES FOR ALL MASTERS CLASSES NOTE: All communications from the seminary will go to your seminary account. Contact All Covered at (877) if you need help forwarding your seminary address to your personal address. As a seminary community we hold integrity/hospitality as core values. Individuals are able to do their best work and thinking when their peers are fully present and engaged. We expect each person to both participate in class and carefully listen to others with the belief that everyone s contribution is equally important. Therefore, the following policies have been established in order to provide clarity in regard to attendance expectations and relationships in the classroom. Diploma/Certificate Student Course Requirements The amount of work required of Diploma/Certificate students will be at the discretion of the professor. Students will be responsible for contacting the professor about what assignments are required. Class Attendance Policy It is expected that students will attend and participate in all class sessions. Failure to attend at least 80% of class sessions is grounds for automatic failure. A professor may set other attendance expectations. Students are always expected to communicate with a professor in advance if they will be absent. Attendance expectations are higher for online and intensive courses (see syllabus for specific requirements). Class Tardiness Policy The third time a student is late to the start of class, it will be counted as a class absence. It is also expected that students will return from a break by the time specified by the professor. Late Work Policy If a student cannot complete the work for a course by the due date listed on the syllabus, they must submit a Request for a Grade of Incomplete form to the Registrar by 4:30 of the last day of the term. The form must be signed by the instructor and Dean of Students. The professor may set stipulations and grade reductions. In the absence of a formal request form, the student will receive a grade based upon work completed by the last day of the term. Turabian Format All papers, including footnotes and bibliography, must be submitted in the correct format according to Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8 th ed., 2013.

9 Plagiarism Plagiarism is the act of passing off as one s own the words or ideas of someone else without providing proper acknowledgement or documentation. See the Academic Honesty Policy in the Seminary Catalog for more information on plagiarism and how to avoid it. Electronic Format Unless otherwise specified by the professor, all work submitted electronically must be in a Word document format (.doc,.docx). Technology Use in the Classroom Unless it is directly tied to note-taking or research for the class, students are expected to refrain from using cell phones, laptops, or other electronic devices during class. Course Evaluation in Moodle Students must complete an online course evaluation using the seminary Moodle system at The evaluation will be open at the end of the course. If you need assistance connecting to Moodle or accessing the evaluation, please send an to moodlehelp@seminary.edu.

10 OT 305 THE MINOR PROPHETS Spring 2017 Monday, 4:00-6:40 p.m. Claude F. Mariottini Professor of Old Testament Northern Baptist Seminary Lombard, Illinois Phone (630) Web page: Blog: TOPICS FOR RESEARCH PAPER Each student will be required to write two papers during the quarter. I. Paper 1: Introductions 1. An Introduction to the Book of Hosea 2. An Introduction to the Book of Joel 3. An Introduction to the Book of Amos 4. An Introduction to the Book of Obadiah 5. An Introduction to the Book of Jonah 6. An Introduction to the Book of Micah 7. An Introduction to the Book of Nahum 8. An Introduction to the Book of Habakkuk 9. An Introduction to the Book of Zephaniah 10. An Introduction to the Book of Haggai 11. An Introduction to the Book of Zechariah 12. An Introduction to the Book of Malachi II. Paper 2: Prophetic Ministry In light of your reading and class discussion, define and discuss prophetic ministry and its relevance for Christian ministry in the twenty-first century.