Fall 2010 Wisdom Course Class Notes3

November 8, 2010

Estes, "Proverbs"

• p. 219: definition and properties of proverbs.

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

• Judaic belief in natural order. p. 222

• Values/themes expressed in Proverbs

• Cheerfulness --
• Contentment -- in marriage, with God
• Decisions -- interesting connection decision making chapter in Hall
• 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, rhetorically at Book 10. First 10 books seem like instruction (Estes). Note misogyny. Women are temptresses.

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

• analogies and similes: 26:7ff (also literary convention in Illiad)

• Themes

• Wise lead orderly lives in fear of the Lord and they proper 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.

• Could we write proverbs for our time?

November 10, 2010

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

November 15, 2010

Song of Solomon

This is from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

Contents. As a collection of love lyrics, this book is not easy to summarize. The poems follow no logical sequence; rather, they express the various moods of love: the joy of union, the pain of separation. There are protestations of love and fidelity, reminiscences of courtship, descriptions of each other's beauty. The mood of mutual love is sustained throughout, but a high-point is reached in 8.6–7, "Set me as a seal on your heart… ." The imagery is spontaneous and varied: gazelles and hinds, pomegranates and mandrakes, myrrh and spices, vineyards and wine. The rich use of geographical references suggests the disparate origins of the lyrics: Cedar, Engaddi, Lebanon, etc.

Interpretation. If identifying the literary structure is difficult, the interpretation of the meaning is more so. Both Christian and Jewish interpretations have agreed on a religious meaning: this book describes the love of Yahweh and Israel (or Christ and the Church) in terms of human marriage, thus continuing the theme inaugurated by Hosea (ch. 1–3) and echoed in many later prophets (Is1.21–22; 62.5; Jer 3.1–10; Ez ch. 16, 23).

As Parable or Allegory. In detail, this interpretation is worked out as a parable, or as an allegory. The parabolic view is presented by D. Buzy, who claims that the work as a whole deals with the covenant relationship under the guise of human marriage. One should not press the details here; they serve to create the marriage atmosphere and to carry on the theme. Others argue that the Song is an allegory; the details have each a transferred meaning, referring to various aspects of Yahweh's dealings with Israel. This approach was first given a strong philological and exegetical basis by P. Joüon, and it has been supported by the method of style anthologique, applied by A. Robert. The "anthological style" refers to the Biblical practice (e.g., in Prv ch. 1–9, Sir, Wis) of composing a work in phrases and diction borrowed from earlier Biblical works; presumably the allusions to the previous books betray the intention of the writer of this book.

As Cultic Songs. Another interpretation, by such scholars as T. Meek, M. Haller, H. Ringgren, H. Schmökel, finds in this book cultic songs of the pagan myth of Tammuz and Ishtar. Presumably these could have been sung in the temple (e.g., during the reign of Manasseh) and might later have entered the Passover liturgy. But the contacts that are pointed out between the Song and the myth are not sufficient to establish this interpretation. Nor can one easily imagine that Israel would have glossed over such origins in eventually accepting the poems into the canon. Any similarity is more easily explained by the influence that popular beliefs might have had on the love poetry and the wedding imagery of the Israelites themselves.

As Extolling Human Love. In recent times several Catholic scholars have criticized both the allegorical and parabolic approach. The principal reason for this criticism is that the obvious meaning of the Song is human love. When human love is used in the prophetical writing as referring to Yahweh and Israel, the explanation of the symbolism is always given. Hence we may not presume that the intent of this book goes beyond the obvious and direct meaning. The use made by the prophets is usually in terms of Israel as the adulterous spouse (Hos 2.18–22; Is 62.5; etc. are clear exceptions), but the Song presents a picture of idyllic love. The elaborate use of anthological style by A. Robert and A. Feuillet has not convinced many, especially for the reason that there is no indication in the Song of alleged mercy toward an unfaithful spouse.

There is a strong trend among recent Catholic scholars to agree with many of their Protestant colleagues (H.H. Rowley, W. Rudolph, etc.) that the literal sense of this book is the extolling of love and fidelity between man and woman; so say J. P. Audet, A. Dubarle (at the Louvain journées bibliques of 1963), M. van den Oudenrijn, and others. Comparison of this book with the love poems of the ancient Near East, especially Egypt, shows a common atmosphere and similarity of theme. The Song would be the "voice of the bridegroom" and the "voice of the bride" mentioned in Jer 7.34 (Audet). Such praise of love is entirely consonant with inspiration, since God himself is the author of that love (Gn 1.27).

In line with this deeper understanding of love, these scholars also allow that a higher sense, fuller or typical, can be found here. Human love is a participation in divine love, to which it is oriented; the family reflects the people of God. Here exegesis would join the age-old interpretation that sees in the Song the description of the love between God and his People. Christian tradition has developed this theme, already found in the NT (Eph5.23–25, marriage compared to the relationship between Christ and his Church). The famous medieval writers, such as St. Bernard, and the mystical writers, such as St. John of the Cross, have exploited the richness of this interpretation.

[R. E. MURPHY]

Basics on Islam

Use the Islam Wiki page or other reference site to get some particulars on the following:

• Conception of God in Islam
• Revelation in the Koran
• Attitudes toward Trinity and status of Jesus.
• Judgement, Predestination, and Free will.
• Five Pillars

1. Recognition of God (Shahadah [1])
2. Prayer (Salah)
3. Fasting during Ramadan (Sawm)
4. Alms giving (Zakat)
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj)

Frager, Ch 6 Mind of Islam

• Dualist psychology -- mind and soul(ruh) -- soul connected with heart -- ego (nafs) is a problem for realizing spritual nature.
• Human Nature - ruh insani - essentially spiritual.
• Stations of humanity corrrespond to different levels of "nafs" (note sagehood model, p. 101). Also, note how stages define border of community.
• Rumi -- 13th Century Islamic sage --
• p. 105 -- comment on testimony regarding experience of prayer -- note connection with body position.
• Story of the Saint and the Scholar -- example of model of sagehood in Islam.
• p. 108: Sufi Poet Hafiz on desire.

Sufism -- Mysticism in Islam

• Term -- associated with purity, rough wool, "first row" deveotees of Mohammed,
• Sufis practice simple life.
• Ibn Arabi -- great Sufi scholar -- four levels: note depth of claims -- q. wisdom as insight of the soul.
• Process of sufi devotion: Devotion, Service, remembrance (of the name of God), meditation and contemplation.
• Note proverbs on p. 83.
• Follow the psychology of the Nafs on p. 84 - 88.
• "Adab" -- right action.