1 OT 458 OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT Spring 2016 Tuesday 7:00-9:40 p.m. Claude F. Mariottini Professor of Old Testament Northern Baptist Seminary Lombard, Illinois 60148 (630) 620-2186 Email: cmariottini@faculty.seminary.edu Web Page: www.claudemariottini.com Blog: http://claudemariottini.com I. Textbooks a. The Bible: The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV). Students do not have to buy the NRSV, but they are required to bring their Bible to class each week. b. Robin Routledge, Old Testament Theology: A Thematic Approach. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2008. ISBN-13: 978-0830828968. 384 pp. $32.00. c. Michael J. Chan and Brent A. Strawn, What Kind of God?: Collected Essays of Terence E. Fretheim. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015. SBN-13: 978-1575063430. 414 pp. $59.50. Note: Before you buy this book, please, consult the professor. The publisher has given Northern students a special discount on the book, including free postage. d. Paul Copan. Is God a Moral Monster?: Making Sense of the Old Testament God. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0801072758. 256 pages. $14.99. e. Claude Mariottini Class Notes (Charge $10.00) II. Class Objectives 1 This course will help students understand ancient Israel's religious ideas and beliefs. The focus of this course will be on Israel s understanding of their God. 2. This course will provide students with guidelines for the interpretation of the
2 biblical material in its theological context. 3. This course will help students develop an appreciation for the Old Testament as an integral part of the Christian Scriptures. III. Class Requirements 1. Students are required to attend all meetings of the class, unless hindered by circumstances beyond their control. 2. Any student who misses more than 20% of classes will fail the course. 3. Students are expected to make preparation for each class meeting by reading the pages assigned in the textbooks. 4. Students will write a 1-page review of each article for a class presentation. The article review must be emailed each week before class. Late reviews will be penalized two letter grades. In you review, summarize the content of each article and describe what you learned about the God of the Old Testament. 5. Students will write a 3-page review of Copan s book for a class presentation. The book review is due on Tuesday, June 7, 2016. Late reviews will lose 2 letter grades. Send the review by email before class. In you review, summarize the content of the book and describe what you learned about the God of the Old Testament. 6. Any work missed will have to be made up, and prior approval of the professor is required for makeups. Overdue work must be turned in. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade. 7. 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. 8. Each student will be required to write a research paper on one of the theological issues dealing with the God of the Old Testament. 9. Students may choose to write two 7-8 pages research papers. If a student chooses to write two papers, the first paper will be due on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 and the second will be due on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 before class. 10. Students may choose to write one research paper, 15 pages in length. If a student chooses to write a 15-page paper, the paper will be due on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 before class.
3 IV. Grading 1. The total amount of points to be given in class is 300. 2. Attendance to all classes: 40 points. 3. Article reviews: 100 points 4. Copan s book Review: 60 points. 5. Research Papers: 50 points each (100 points for one paper) 6. Grading scale: V. Office Hours A = 100-95 A- = 94-90 B+ = 89-87 B = 86-83 B- = 82-80 C+ = 79-77 C = 76-73 C- = 72-70 D+ = 69-67 D = 66-63 D- = 62-60 F = 59 and below The professor is available to any student who wishes to discuss any problem related to class work, research paper, or any matter related to seminary work. This quarter my office hours will be as follows: Monday Tuesday Thursday 1:30-3:00 p.m. 9:00-11:30 a.m. 1:30-3:00 p.m. If you are unable to come during office hours, send me an email and make an appointment to see me. You can also send me an email with questions about assignments. I will answer your email as soon as possible.
4 VI. Weekly Reading April 5 Introduction to Old Testament Theology Routledge, pp. 17-80 God and the Gods Routledge, pp. 81-123. April 12 God and the World Divine Dependence upon the Human: An Old Testament Perspective, Fretheim, pp. 25-39. The Repentance of God: A Key to Evaluating Old Testament God-Talk, Fretheim, pp. 40-57. The God Who Acts: An Old Testament Perspective, Fretheim, pp. 58-70. Some Reflections on Brueggemann s God, Fretheim, pp. 71-83. April 19 God and Creation Routledge, pp. 124-158 God and His People: Election and Covenant Routledge, pp. 159-174 April 26 God and Suffering What Kind of God, Fretheim, pp. 87-97. To Say Something About God, Evil, and Suffering, Fretheim, pp. 98-103. Suffering God and Sovereign God in Exodus, Fretheim, pp. 104-123. Evil After 9/11: A Consequence of Human Freedom, Fretheim, pp. 124-125.
5 May 3 God and His People: Worship and Sacrifice Routledge, pp. 175-208 First Research Paper is due today (for students writing two papers) God and His People: Receiving Instruction Routledge, pp. 209-224. May 10 God and Wrath God and Violence in the Old Testament, Fretheim, pp. 129-139. Theological Reflection on the Wrath of God in the Old Testament, Fretheim, pp. 140-158. The Self-Limiting God of the Old Testament and Issues of Violence, Fretheim, pp. 159-171. I Was Only a Little Angry: Divine Violence in the Prophets, Fretheim, pp. 172-184. May 17 God and His People: Kingship in Israel Routledge, pp. 225-237 God and His People: Ethics and Ethical Questions Routledge, pp. 238-260 May 24 God and the Prophets Divine Foreknowledge, Divine Constance, and the Rejection of Saul s Kingship, Fretheim, pp. 267-273. The Prophets and Social Justice: A Conservative Agenda, Fretheim, pp. 274-283. Caught in the Middle: Jeremiah s Vocational Crisis, Fretheim, pp. 284-293. The Character of God in Jeremiah, Fretheim, pp. 294-311. Is Anything Too Hard for God? (Jeremiah 32:27), Fretheim, pp. 312-317. The Exaggerated God of Jonah, Fretheim, pp. 318-327.
6 Jonah and Theodicy, Fretheim, pp. 328-337. May 31 God and the Future Routledge, pp. 261-310 God and the Nation Routledge, pp. 311-334 Second Research Paper is due today (for students writing two papers) The Research Paper is due today (for students writing a 15-page paper). June 7 God and the Pentateuch Creator, Creature, and Co-Creation in Genesis 1 2, Fretheim, pp. 195-205. God Was with the Boy (Genesis 21:20): Children in the Book of Genesis, Fretheim, pp. 206-224. The Plagues as Ecological Sings of Historical Disaster, Fretheim, pp. 225-235. The Reclamation of Creation: Redemption and Law in Exodus, Fretheim, pp. 236-247. Copan s book Review is due today. Students will discuss Copan s book in class today VII. Classroom Expectations POLICIES FOR ALL MASTERS CLASSES NOTE: All communications from the seminary will go to your seminary email account. Contact ithelpdesk@seminary.edu if you need help forwarding your seminary email address to your personal email 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. 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
7 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, 7 th ed., 2007. 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 http://moodle.seminary.edu in order to receive a final grade for the course. The evaluation will be open for one week starting the last day of the term. If you need assistance connecting to Moodle or accessing the evaluation, please send an email to ithelpdesk@seminary.edu.
8 OT 458 OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY The God of the Old Testament Spring 2016 I. Basic Research Information Research Project 1. Each student will be required to write a research paper on one of the topics listed below. All papers must deal with one aspect of the nature and character of God in the Old Testament. a. Students may choose to write two 7-8 pages research papers. If a student chooses to write two papers, the first paper will be due on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 and the second will be due on Tuesday, May 31, 2016. b. Students may choose to write one research paper, 15 pages in length. If a student chooses to write a 15-page paper, the paper will be due on Tuesday, May 31, 2016. 2. Papers must follow Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. The paper must use stylistically correct endnotes citing primary and secondary sources and must include a complete bibliography of all sources used. 3. Each student must submit their paper as an email attachment. The paper must follow the guidelines on how to write the research paper. Papers must be written as a Word document. Do not submit your paper as a PDF document. 4. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade. II. Research Project Topics 1. God and the Problem of Evil in the Old Testament 2. The God of Love and the Problem of War 3. God and the Problem of Satan in the Old Testament 4. The Suffering of God 5. The Dark Side of God 6. God, Job, and the Problem of Suffering 7. The Character of God (Exodus 34:6-7) 8. The Suffering of God 9. Human Freedom and Divine Foreknowledge
10. Divine Helplessness in the Old Testament 11. Does God Lie? The Problem of Divine Deceit 12. The Problem of Divine Trial 13. The Problem of Divine Impassibility 14. The Repentance of God in the Old Testament 15. The Hiddenness of God 16. The God the Warrior 17. Yahweh as the Creator 18. God as King 19. The Wrath of God in the Old Testament 20. The Spirit of God in the Old Testament 21. The Humanity of God 22. The Holiness of God 23. God as the Righteous Judge 24. The Love of God 25. God as the Defender of the Oppressed 26. The Jealous God 27. God the Rock of Israel 28. God the Savior 29. God as Lord 30. The Openness of God 31. God as Father 9