The Psalter
OT020 (English) | OT021 (Hebrew)
Workload
One semester, 4 credit points
Status
Elective
Prerequisites
16 credit points of core foundation units which include OT301/501 and OT302/502. OT436 and OT636 require the completion of LA003A and LA003B.
When
Semester 2, 2019
Who
Jill Firth
Content
- Poetry, metaphor, macrostructures and microstructures, psalm types, individual and communal lament, the feminine in the Psalter, colonialism and postcolonialism, themes and theology, New Testament connections. Reflections on Psalms from Athanasius, Luther, Calvin, Bonhoeffer, Brueggemann, Serene Jones. Listening to indigenous, majority world and Asian voices including Miriam Rose Ungunmerr, Carol Robertson, Emmanuel Katangole, Yohanna Katanacho, Federico Villanueva, Dennis Ngien, and Peter Lau. Each class will include a time of reflection and prayer.
- Exegesis of the English text of Psalms including 1, 2, 3, 22, 23, 42, 44, 48, 73, 74, 89, 96, 110, 137, 150.
Hebrew Texts to be prepared for OT436/OT636: Psalms 1, 2, 3, 22, 23, 42, 73, 96, 110, 150. A workbook with the Hebrew text is supplied to students.
Assessment
OT426 (English text)
40% Essay (2,000 words). Choose one.
- What does the book of Psalms teach about the nature and place of lament?
- Identify the key theological ideas which emerge from the Zion psalms, and discuss the usefulness of these psalms for Christians today.
- What are the key themes of the historical recital psalms and what is their enduring value?
- ‘Yahweh reigns.’ To what extent is Book IV (Psalms 90-106) the theological centre of the Psalter?
60% Exam 2-hour unseen exam. Choose one question (out of 3) on the theology of the Psalms and two (out of 5) on exegesis of set texts. All questions of equal value.
OT436 (Hebrew text)
40% Essay (2,000 words) Choose one.
- What does the book of Psalms teach about the nature and place of lament?
- Identify the key theological ideas which emerge from the Zion psalms, and discuss the usefulness of these psalms for Christians today.
- What are the key themes of the historical recital psalms and what is their enduring value?
- ‘Yahweh reigns.’ To what extent is Book IV (Psalms 90-106) the theological centre of the Psalter?
50% Exam 90-minute unseen exam, choose two questions (out of 5). All questions of equal value. Translation, translation notes (together worth 40%) and exegesis (worth 60%).
10% Weekly translation of Hebrew set texts. Ability to translate and comment on the set texts in class.
OT626 (English text)
50% Essay (3,000 words) Choose one.
- What is the role of Psalms 1-2 in the Psalter as a whole?
- Critically evaluate the appropriateness of a Messianic reading of the Psalter.
- What is the contribution of Book V to the Psalter as a whole?
- Choose one lens (feminist, postcolonial, missional, trauma, indigenous, ecological, intertextual, discourse analysis) or historical approach (form criticism, canonical) and evaluate its value in reading the book of Psalms.
50% Exam 2-hour unseen exam. One question (out of 3) on the theology of the Psalms and two (out of 5) on exegesis of set texts. All questions of equal value.
OT636 (Hebrew text)
50% Essay (3,000 words) Choose one.
- What is the role of Psalms 1-2 in the Psalter as a whole?
- Critically evaluate the appropriateness of a Messianic reading of the Psalter.
- What is the contribution of Book V to the Psalter as a whole?
- Choose one lens (feminist, postcolonial, missional, trauma, indigenous, ecological, intertextual, discourse analysis) or historical approach (form criticism, canonical) and evaluate its value in reading the book of Psalms.
40% Exam 90-minute unseen exam, two questions (out of 5). All questions of equal value. Translation, translation notes (together worth 40%) and exegesis (worth 60%).
10% Weekly translation of Hebrew set texts. Ability to translate and comment on the set texts in class.
