Fall 2011 Wisdom Course Class Notes C

November 7, 2011 (17)

Estes, "Proverbs"

• p. 219: definition and properties of proverbs. "brief pungent maxim crystallizing experience" 219 a heuristic!

• Wisdom divides into "spaiental, moral, relgious" dimension in religious culture of Judaism.

• Judaic belief in natural order. p. 222

• Values/themes expressed in Proverbs -- Note how these virtues and attitudes would function in promoting group cohesion and rational expectations within a group.

• Cheerfulness --
• Contentment -- in marriage, with God, contentment leads to moderation, the discontent are tempted to do wrong,
• Decisions -- interesting connection decision making chapter in Hall; integrity, getting advice in making decisions,
• Diligence -- 20:5 -- compares well with Buddhism, Stoics, Epicureans, q. 235, "The diligent person..."
• Friendship -- 237: note integration of vertical and horizontal, 237.
• Generosity -- consider some functions of generosity: signalling commitment to group, lack of greed, reciprocity: "in 21:13: "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered."
• Humility --
• Kindness --
• Parenting -- note emphasis on training
• Purity -- Hebrew "heart" (like gen in Chinese Philosophy) - image/source of goodness of motivation
• Righteousness --
• Truthfulness --

• Note the connection and contrast of these themes with some of the other traditions we have looked at.

Proverbs

• Divides in four places, at 9.18, 22.16, and 25.1. First 10 books seem like instruction (Estes), later books full of specific proverbs. Note misogyny. Women are temptresses.

Formal Features of Proverbs

• Look at Proverb form: from Estes: contrast, enigmatic, compresses, pith, uses analogy, understood to be generalizations.

• analogies and similes: 26:7ff
• Chiasmus

Themes of Proverbs

• Wise lead orderly lives in fear of the Lord and they prosper because of it.
• Attitude of the wise is consistent and cheerful, even in the face of poverty. 15:15-17, also 19:1
• Proverbs offer integration of behavioral norms we should hold ourselves to with a vertical and transcendent moral order.
• Situations in which we should check our responses
• Issues of trust and association (important for our inquiry in this part of the course)
• Flourishing
• Mind, speech, and action
• Recall one's attention to the Lord (to vertical relationships)

• Could we write proverbs for our time?

November 9, 2011 (18)

Ecclesiastes

• major theme: human existence is full of vanity and "striving after the wind". "nothing new under the sun" -- strong sense of man's insignificance

• 2 -- Speaker built great wealth and works. still didn't help.

• 2:24 -- Crucial argument -- follow

• 3 -- Positive Theory -- "For everything there is a season"

• 3 -- God gave us the idea of eternity, but also limits our knowledge. -- also resignation at futility 3:19-23

• 4 -- Beginning of proverbial advice. Review for substance and tone.

Job

• Review story: Job, God, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu -- importance of devil's wager.
• Reminder of Problem of Evil --

• What is the lesson of Job?

• 1. Your best effort to lead a justified and upright life might not save you from profound suffering. AND
• 2. You can't blame God for it, but you don't have to blame yourself either.

• Important that God condemns the friends' approach and supports Job's

• View of Wisdom

• Key lesson of wisdom is to understand limits of understanding
• We go wrong to think that God's care for us implies that allowing suffering is unjust. Presumes we understand all the competing goals of creation. (note similarity and difference from Greeks -- you have a version of Socratic humility, but none of the aspiration toward complete knowledge.
• Wisdom involves being prepared for one's life to become Job-like.
• Fate / God