Wisdom Literature (English)

There’s something intriguing and appealing about books like Job, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. But then they disorient us. The book of Job is sad, Ecclesiastes is sceptical and Proverbs is self-interested. And they don’t seem to be about the gospel.

In this unit we will consider what wisdom is, how other ancient cultures made sense of it and how it fits in the grand message of the Bible. We will turn to Wisdom Literature to understand how we know things, the nature of creation, justice and the ways of God. We will give close attention to passages of Ecclesiastes and, especially, Job. You will gain skills in understanding Old Testament texts as crafted literature, discerning their profound theology and applying them to Christian living today. By the end, you might find that what seemed sad, sceptical and self-interested offers a subversive and liberating joy.