Questions of Life and Death in Wisdom Literature --- RGB 3371HF -- 2001, Fri 9am Michael Kolarcik

Readings for Friday November 30th, 2001

Biblical Text: Wisdom of Solomon (The Book of Wisdom) chapters 11--19. While reading this extensive midrashic treatment of the exodus from Egypt, ask yourself the question, 'what has happened to the function of personified wisdom throughout God's intervention on behalf of the just and in opposition to the wicked'?

Secondary Sources: Read at least one of:
 

M. KOLARCIK, The Book of Wisdom: introduction, commentary, and reflections, NIB 5, Project Director, Jack A. Keller, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997, pp. 528-600.

M. KOLARCIK, "Creation and Salvation in the Book of Wisdom", [R.J. Clifford, J.J. Collins, eds., Creation in the Biblical Traditions, CBQ Monograph Series 24, 1992] 97-107.

M. KOLARCIK, "Universalism and Justice in the Wisdom of Solomon," in [Treasures of Wisdom: Studies in Ben Sira and the Book of Wisdom, Festschrift M. Gilbert, eds. N. Calduch-Benages, J. Vermeylen, Leuven: Leuven University Press, 1999] pp. 289-301.

Past Readings

Required text: James L. CRENSHAW, Old Testament Wisdom, An Introduction, Revised and Enlarged, Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox, 1998. (Crux Bookstore at Wycliff)

Other fine introductions or overviews of Wisdom Literature:

Dianne BERGANT, Israel's Wisdom Literature: A Liberation-Critical Reading, Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997.
Richard CLIFFORD, The Wisdom Literature, Nashville: Abingdon, 1998.
John J. COLLINS, Jewish Wisdom in the Hellenistic Age, Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997.
John J. COLLINS, Between Athens and Jerusalem, Jewish Identity in the Hellenistic Diaspora, 2nd ed., Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2000.
R.E. MURPHY, The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature, New York: Doubleday, 1990.
L.G. PERDUE, Wisdom & Creation: The Theology of Wisdom Literature, Nashville: Abingdon, 1994.
Gerhard von RAD, Wisdom in Israel, trans. J.D. Martin, London: SCM, 1978.

General Bibliography regarding biblical views of death and life:

Y. AMIR, "The Figure of Death in the 'Book of Wisdom'", JJS 30 (1979) 154-178.
L.R. BAILEY, Biblical Perspectives on Death, Philadelphia: 1979.
H.U. von BALTHASAR, Man in History, London: 1982.
G. BERTRAM, "Zoê and Bios in the Septuagint", TDNT II, pp. 851-861.
Zachary BRAITERMAN, (God) After Auschwitz, Tradition and Change in Post-Holocaust Jewish Thought, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1998
R.H. CHARLES, Eschatology. The Doctrine of a Future Life in Israel, Judaism and Christianity. A critical History, New York: 1963.
R.E. CLEMENTS, Wisdom for a Changing World: Wisdom in Old Testament Theology, Berkley: BIBAL Press, 1990.
D.J.A. CLINES, "The Arguments of Job's Friends", [Art and Meaning: Rhetoric in Biblical Literature, ed. D.J.A. CLINES et al. JSOT Ss 19, 1982] 199-214.
J.J. COLLINS, "The Root of Immortality: Death in the Context of Jewish Wisdom (Sir WisSol)", HTR 71 (1978) 177-192.
J.J. COLLINS, "Apocalyptic Eschatology as the transcendence of Death", CBQ 36 (1974) 21-43.
J.J. COLLINS, "Cosmos and Salvation: Jewish Wisdom and Apocalyptic in the Hellenistic Age", HR 17 (1977) 121-142.
J.L. CRENSHAW ed., Studies in Ancient Israelite Wisdom, New York: 1976.
D. DAUBE, "Death as a Release in the Bible", Nov. Testamentum, 5 (1962) 82-104.
P. GRELOT, De la mort à la vie éternelle, LD 67 (1971).
W. JAEGAR, "The Greek Ideas of Immortality", HTR 52 (1959) 135-147.
O. KAISER, E. LOHSE, Tod und Leben, Stuttgart: 1977, {Death and Life, trans. J.E. Steely, Nashville: 1981}.
A. MARCHADOUR, Mort et vie dans la bible, CahÉv 29 (1979).
G. MARTELET, Libre réponse à un scandale: La faute originelle, la souffrance, la mort, Cerf, 1985.
R. MARTIN-ACHARD, De la mort à la résurrection d'après l'Ancien Testament, Neuchâtel: 1956, [From Death to Life, trans J.P. Smith, Edinburgh: 1960].
R. MARTIN-ACHARD, La mort en face: selon la Bible hébraïque, Essai biblique 15, Geneva: 1988.
G.W.E. NICKELSBURG Jr., Resurrection, Immortality, and Eternal Life in Intertestamental Judaism, Cambridge: 1972.
K. RAHNER, Zur Theologie des Todes: Mit einem Exkurs über das Martyrium, Freiburg: 1958, {On the Theology of Death, trans. C.H. Henkey, New York: 1961}.
K. RAHNER, "The Scandal of Death", Theological Investigations, Vol 7, pp. 140-144.
K. RAHNER, "The Dignity and Freedom of Man", Theological Investigations, Vol. 2, pp. 235-263.
K. RAHNER, "Ideas for a Theology of Death", Theological Investigations, Vol. 13, pp. 169-186.
J. RATZINGER, Eschatology: Death and Eternal Life, trans. M. Waldstein, Washington: 1988.
P. RICOEUR, The Symbolism of Evil, trans. E. Buchanan, Boston: 1970.
D.S. RUSSELL, The Method and Message of the Jewish Apocalyptic, 200 B.C. - 100 A.D., London: 1964.
J.Z. SMITH, "Wisdom and apocalyptic", [Visionaries and their apocalypses, Issues in religion and theology 2, edit. P.D. HANSON, Fortress, 1983] 101-120.
N.J. TROMP, Primitive Conceptions of Death and the Nether World in the Old Testament, BibOr 21 (1969).
E.E. URBACH, The Sages: their concepts and beliefs, Jerusalem: 1975.
B. VAWTER, "Intimations of Immortality and the Old Testament", JBL 91 (1972) 158-171.
Claus WESTERMANN, Roots of Wisdom, Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1995.
 

A Selected Bibliography on the Book of Job

W.E. AUFRECHT, Studies In the Book of Job, SR Supplements 16, Wilfred Laurier University Press: 1985.
Athalya BRENNER, "God's Answer to Job," Vetus Testamentum, 31 (1981) 129-137.
A. CERESKO, "The Option for the Poor in the Book of Job", Indian Theological Studies, 26 (1989).
D.J.A. CLINES, "The Arguments of Job's Friends", [Art and Meaning: Rhetoric in Biblical Literature, ed. D.J.A. CLINES et al. JSOT Ss 19, 1982] 199-214.
J.J. COLLINS, "Job and His Friends: God as a Pastoral Problem," Chicago Studies 14 (1975) 97-109.
D. COX, The Triumph of Impotence, Analecta Gregoriana 212, Rome: 1978.
E. DHORME, A Commentary on the Book of Job, trans. H. Knight, 1967.
A.A. DI LELLA, "An Existential Interpretation of Job", BTB 15 (1985) 49-55.
H. FISCH, Hebrew Poetry with a Purpose, Indiana University Press, 1988.
N.N. GLATZER, The Dimensions of Job, New York: 1975. Press, Sheffield: 1981.
E.M. GOOD, Irony in the Old Testament, {Jonah, Saul, Genesis, Isaiah, Qoheleth, Job} Almond Press, Sheffield: 1981.
G. GUTIÉRREZ, On Job, God-Talk and the suffering of the innocent, trans. M.J. O'Connell, Maryknoll: 1987.
N.C. HABEL, The Book of Job: A commentary, Philadelphia: 1985.
J.E. HARTLEY, The Book of Job, New International Commentary on the Old Testament; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.
R.E. HONE, ed., The Voice out of the Whirlwind, The Book of Job, London: 1972.
J.G. JANZEN, Job, Atlanta: 1985.
N. KING, "The hand of the Lord has touched me: Job, Qoheleth, and the Wisdom of Solomon," Way 22 (1982) 235-244.
A. LACOCQUE, "Job or the Impotence of Religion and Philosophy", Semeia 19 (1981) 33-52.
R.A.F. MACKENZIE, "The Transformation of Job", BibTB 9 (1979).
S. MEIER, "Job I--II: A Reflection of Genesis I--III," VT 39 (1989) 183-193.
John NAVONE, "A Theology of Darkness, Terror and Dread", Theology 80 (1977) 348-353.
E. TEMPLETON, "In Defense of Disorder," Theology 80 (1977) 413-422.
David PENCHANSKY, The Betrayal of God, Ideological Conflict in Job, Literary Currents in Biblical Interpretation, Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1990.
Leo G. PERDUE, Wisdom in Revolt: Metaphorical Theology in the Book of Job, JSOT Supplement Series 112, Bible And Literature Series 29, Sheffield: 1991.
L.G. PERDUE,W.C. GILPIN, eds., The Voice from the Whirlwind, Interpreting the Book of Job, Abingdon, Nashville: 1992.
R. POLZIN, D. ROBERTSON, eds., Studies in the Book of Job, Missoula: Scholars Press, 1977.
M. POPE, Job. Introduction, translation and notes, N.Y., Doubleday, 1965.
Richard ROHR, Job and the Mystery of Suffering, Spiritual Reflections, New York: Crossroad, 1996.
B. VAWTER, Job & Jonah - Questioning the Hidden God, Paulist, New York: 1983.
W. VOGELS, "Job a parlé correctment", NRT 112E,#6, 1980.
W. VOGELS, "The Inner Development of Job: One more look at Psychology and the Book of Job", Science et Esprit 35,2 (1983) 227-230.
W. VOGELS, "The Spiritual Growth of Job, A Psychological Approach to the Book of Job" Biblical Theology Bulletin 11 (1981) 75-80.
W. VOGELS, Job, L'homme qui a bien parlé de Dieu, lire la Bible, Paris:  Cerf, 1995.
R.B. ZUCK, ed., Sitting With Job, Selected Studies on the Book of Job, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992.
Bruce ZUCKERMAN, Job the Silent: a Study in Historical Counterpoint, Oxford University Press, New York: 1991.
 
 

A Selected Bibliography on Qoheleth

E.F.F. BISHOP, "A Pessimist in Palestine (B.C.)", PEQ 100 (1968) 33-41. (Palestine Exploration Quarterly)
J. CHOPINEAU, "Qoheleth's Modernity", TDig 29 (1981) 117-118.
M.A. EATON, Ecclesiastes: An Introduction and Commentary, (Tydale Old Testament Commentaries), Leicester: 1983.
M.V. FOX, "Frame-Narrative and Composition in the Book of Qohelet", HUCA 48 (1977) 83-106. (Hebrew Union College Annual)
M.V. FOX, Qohelet and His Contradictions, JSOTSS 71.
M. GILBERT, "La vieillesse en Qohelet XII 1-7, est-elle allégorique?", [Congress Volume, ed. J.A. Emerton, Vienna: 1980, SuppVT 32, 1981] 32 96-109.
S. HOLM-NIELSEN, "The Book of Ecclesiastes and the Interpretation of it in Jewish and Christian Theology", ASTI 10 (1976) 38-96 (Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute).
R.K. JOHNSTON, "'Confessions of a Workaholic': A Reappraisal of Qoheleth", CBQ 38 (1976) 14-28.
N. KING, "The hand of the Lord has touched me; Job, Qoheleth, and the Wisdom of Solomon", Way 22 (1982) 235-244.
Jean-Jacques LAVOIE, La pensée du Qohélet: Etude exégétique et intertextuelle (Héritage et projet 49; Montreal: Fides, 1992).
N. LOHFINK, Kohelet, Wurzburg: 1980.
D. LYS, "L'Etre et le Temps. Communication de Qohèlèth", La Sagesse de l'Ancien Testament, ed. M. Gilbert, 1979, 249-258.
R.E. MURPHY, "Qohelet interpreted: the bearing of the past on the present", VT 32 (1982) 331-337.
Choon-Leong SEOW, Eccesiastes, AnchBible 18C, New York: Doubleday, 1997.
Graham OGDEN, Qoheleth, Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1987.
G.T. SHEPPARD, "The Epilogue to Qoheleth as Theological Commentary", CBQ 39 (1977) 182-189.
J.T. WALSH, "Despair as a Theological Virtue in the Spirituality of Ecclesiastes", Biblical Theology Bulletin 12 (1982).
C.F. WHITLEY, Kohelet. His Language and Thought, BZAW 148, New York: 1979. 1979
R.N. WHYBRAY, "The identification and use of quotations in Ecclesiastes", SuppVT 32 (1981) 435-451.
J.G. WILLIAMS, "What Does It Profit a Man? The Wisdom of Koheleth", [Studies in Ancient Israelite Wisdom, (1976)] 385-389.
A.G. WRIGHT, "The Riddle of the Sphinx: The Structure of the Book of Qoheleth", CBQ30 (1968) 313-334, also in J.L. CRENSHAW ed., Studies in Ancient Israelite Wisdom, New York: 1976, pp. 245-266 (See also CBQ 42 (1980) 38-51.
 

A Selected Bibliography on the Book of Wisdom
Y. AMIR, "The Figure of Death in the 'Book of Wisdom'", JJS 30 (1979) 154-178.
J.J. COLLINS, "The Root of Immortality: Death in the Context of Jewish Wisdom (Sir WisSol)", HTR 71 (1978) 177-192.
A.A. DI LELLA, "Conservative and Progressive Theology: Sirach and Wisdom", CBQ 28 (1966) 139-154, also in Studies in Ancient Israelite Wisdom, ed. J.L. Crenshaw, New York: 1976, 401-416.
P. DUMOULIN, Entre la Manne et l'Eucharistie: Etude de Sg 16,15-17,1a. La Manne dans le livre de la Sagesse, synthèse de traditions et préparation au Mystère Eucharistique, (AnBib 132, Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1994.
B.R. GAVENTA, "The Rhetoric of Death in the Wisdom of Solomon and the Letters of Paul", [K.G. HOGLUND, E.F. HUWILER, J.T. GLASS, R.W. LEE, eds., The Listening Heart, JSOT SS 58 1987, in honor of Roland E. Murphy] 127-145.
M. GILBERT, "La structure de la prière de Salomon (Sg 9)", Bib 51 (1970) 301-331.
M. GILBERT, "Sagesse de Salomon (ou Livre de la Sagesse)", DBS 11 -3- (1986) 58-119.
J.S. KLOPPENBORG, "Isis and Sophia in the Book of Wisdom," HTR 75 (1982) 57-84.
M. KOLARCIK, "Creation and Salvation in the Book of Wisdom", [R.J. Clifford, J.J. Collins, eds., Creation in the Biblical Traditions, CBQ Monograph Series 24, 1992] 97-107.
M. KOLARCIK, The Ambiguity of Death in the Book of Wisdom (1-6), A Study of Literary Structure and Interpretation, Analecta Biblica 127 (1991).
M. KOLARCIK, The Book of Wisdom: introduction, commentary, and reflections, NIB 5, Project Director, Jack A. Keller, Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997, pp. 433-600.
M. KOLARCIK, "Universalism and Justice in the Wisdom of Solomon," in [Treasures of Wisdom: Studies in Ben Sira and the Book of Wisdom, Festschrift M. Gilbert, eds. N. Calduch-Benages, J. Vermeylen, Leuven: Leuven University Press, 1999] pp. 289-301.
C. LARCHER, Études sur le livre de la sagesse, Paris: 1969.
C. LARCHER, Le Livre de la Sagesse ou la Sagesse de Salomon, vol. 1-3, ÉtBN 1,3,5, Paris: 1983-1985.
J.M. REESE, Hellenistic Influence on the Book of Wisdom and its Consequences, AnBib 41, Rome: 1970.
M.J. SUGGS, "Wisdom of Solomon II, 10-V: A Homily Based on the Fourth Servant Song", JBL 76 (1957) 26-33.
R.J. TAYLOR, "The Eschatological Meaning of Life and Death in the Book of Wisdom I-V", ETL 42 (1966) 72-137.
F.R. TENNANT, "The Teaching of Ecclesiasticus and Wisdom on the Introduction
of Sin and Death", JTS 6 (1905) 232-237; see also JTS 2 (1901) 207-223.
J.P. WEISENGOFF, "Death and Immortality in the Book of Wisdom", CBQ 3 (1941) 104-133.
D. WINSTON, The Wisdom of Solomon, AnchorB 43, New York: 1979.
A.G. WRIGHT, "The Structure of Wisdom 11-19", CBQ 27 (1965) 28-34.
A.G. WRIGHT, "The Structure of the Book of Wisdom", Bib 48 (1967) 165-184.

COURSE INFORMATION: