Order

2021 ◽  
pp. 82-100
Author(s):  
Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Doctrine Of God ◽  
Wisdom Of Solomon

The idea of order permeates Old Testament Wisdom Literature. This is true especially for Proverbs. In Job, this conception is brought into a crisis, whereas it is critically scrutinized in Ecclesiastes. In both cases, however, order is not rejected in principle, but its understanding deepened through the integration of seemingly contradictory insights and experiences. This deeper insight is accompanied by the theologization of wisdom, which enables the revelational and apophatic character of the biblical doctrine of God to become evident. God becomes a constitutive aspect of sapiential thinking, and yet the mysterious character of the divine reality remains unfathomable. Sirach and Wisdom of Solomon develop these two aspects each in their own manner, and explicitly connect them with Torah and Prophecy.

Wisdom Literature of the Apocrypha and Related Compositions of the Second Temple Era

2021 ◽  
pp. 270-283
Author(s):  
John Kampen
Keyword(s):  
Second Temple ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Literary Production ◽  
Ben Sira ◽  
Wisdom Of Solomon ◽  
Jewish Writers

By examining the approaches to wisdom evident in its literary production, it is possible to get a glimpse of the diversity of Second Temple Jewish viewpoints. The identification of one trajectory is an attempt to describe and evaluate certain trends that are apparent in the literature without being able to make the claim that such an attempt is exhaustive. On the basis of the evidence available in one specific trajectory, Ben Sira and Wisdom of Solomon make the closest correlations between wisdom and Torah. While not providing evidence that the Torah was valued primarily as a collection of Pentateuchal law, it is apparent why these two compositions were valued by Jewish writers for whom this became the case.

scholarly journals Riglyne vir die prediking oor wysheidsliteratuur, toegespits op die boek Spreuke

1991 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. F. Van Rooy
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Wisdom Literature

The aim of this paper is to give guidelines for preaching on the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, concentrating on the book of Proverbs. As background for the guidelines, wisdom and wisdom literature are defined and attention is given to the forms of wisdom literature, problems regarding the preaching on wisdom literature and relevant information on the book of Proverbs. In many circles Proverbs is largely ignored in preaching to the detriment of the church's preaching. Preaching on wisdom forces the preacher to apply the guidelines practically and to touch on the daily life of the members of his congregation. Twelve guidelines are given and they are applied to three examples from Proverbs.

scholarly journals Pieter M. Venter’s contribution to Old Testament Studies – an appreciation

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wouter C. Van Wyk
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Second Temple ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Interpretive Community ◽  
Second Temple Literature ◽  
Critical Theology ◽  
The Church ◽  
Old Testament Studies

The contribution that Professor Pieter M. Venter has made to the study of the Old Testament during his academic and ecclesiastic career is reviewed. After a brief biographical introduction, the article surveys the development of his research interests, focusing specifically on his contributions to the study of wisdom literature, narratives and narratology, second temple literature, the formation of the canon, and Old Testament Theology. The review concludes with reference to his way of practising critical theology, taking full cognisance of research into the linguistic, historical critical, narratological and ideological aspects of Old Testament texts, but always with a sensitivity for the needs of the church as interpretive community.

scholarly journals Onderskeid (בין) in die Ou Testament

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ananda Geyser-Fouche
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Reformed Churches ◽  
Textual Research ◽  
The Church

Discernment () in the Old Testament. Discernment is one of the concepts that urge each and everyone to think critically and anew. The concept of a never-ending spiral of thinking is very familiar in the circles of reformed churches. This concept is also known from the wisdom literature in the Old Testament. The realisation that you do not know, means approaching the ability to grasp something of wisdom. In order to find out what the Old Testament is saying about ‘discern’, I did a textual research on the two Hebrew words: and I apply the results of this research to the context of the church (with specific reference to the ‘Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika’ [NH Church]) attempting to find out what the church’s responsibility is with regards to what is really important (i.e. discernment).

scholarly journals Flowers of evil: Constructing the wicked in Wisdom of Solomon

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-121
Author(s):  
Jiani Sun
Keyword(s):  
Mirror Effect ◽  
Close Reading ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Divine Intervention ◽  
Divine Justice ◽  
Social Theories ◽  
Wisdom Of Solomon ◽  
Literary Device ◽  
Divine Mercy ◽  
The Relationship

The distinction between the good and the wicked is common in wisdom literature. Although the distinction can be viewed as ubiquitous, I would like to problematize it by considering the literary device deployed in constructing the archetypes of the good and the wicked. Specifically, I analyze the depiction of the wicked in chapters 1–6 in Wisdom of Solomon and argue that the construction of the wicked in Wisdom is indispensable in understanding how the righteous obtain wisdom through divine protection and acceptance of divine provision. First, I offer a close reading of the text, mainly Chapters 1–6, and parse out the ways of depicting the wicked in Wisdom of Solomon. In particular, I highlight the “collectivity” of the crowd, as opposed to a “single” righteous individual or group. Social theories of the crowd are critical to my formulation of the characteristics of the wicked. Second, I examine the relationship between the wicked and the righteous, and propose the idea of “a mirror effect” in these antithetical depictions. The mirror effect exhibits didactic values, as it instructs one to pursue righteousness and shun from evil. Third, I focus on the interaction between God, the righteous, and the wicked and suggest that divine intervention in helping the righteous stand firm among the wicked manifests both divine justice and divine mercy.

scholarly journals Sophia's theme in world and national spirituality

2004 ◽  
pp. 86-95
Author(s):  
Yevgen A. Harkovschenko
Keyword(s):  
Middle Ages ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Wisdom Of Solomon ◽  
The Temple ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Middle Ages

The Sophia tradition was formed in European philosophical and religious creativity and was developed in the pre-Christian period by Plato. Then it was reflected in Gnosticism and Neo-Platonism, the writings of prominent theorists of Christianity - fathers and teachers of the church, mystics of the Middle Ages. This tradition was reflected in the temple architecture and iconography of the Orthodox East, and took a systematic form of the doctrine of sophiology in the "philosophy of unity." The doctrine of Sophia the Wisdom of God is set forth in the biblical book of the parables of the Solomons, as well as in the non-canonical books of the Old Testament - the Wisdom of Solomon and the Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach. In Ukraine, Sofia teaching has been known since medieval times and was a feature of Kyiv Christianity.

Wisdom Traditions and the Writings

2018 ◽  
pp. 83-98
Author(s):  
James L. Crenshaw
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Wisdom Literature ◽  
Near Eastern ◽  
Ancient Israel ◽  
Wisdom Traditions ◽  
Wisdom Of Solomon ◽  
History Of

This chapter explores the wisdom literature and teachings of sages and scribes in ancient Israel, with a special focus on the postexilic and early Roman periods. Definitions of wisdom, sage, and scribe, their social status, their literary identities, and their teachings are discussed. Pertinent comparisons with ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, Torah and Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, and the history of ancient Israel anchor presentations of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Sirach, and Wisdom of Solomon. The importance and pertinence of this literature and its teachings for ancient and contemporary seekers of wisdom are argued throughout.

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