Tuesday 2 October 2007

Back to the books







I have had a long summer without HTC, now the new term has begun in earnest so it is back to the books for me. I am taking Wisdom Lit with Dr Jamie Grant, Christian Ethics with our Principal, The Rev Professor Andrew McGowen and Dr Robert Shilaker , Guided Reading, looking at Hermeneutics in Homiletics supervised by Dr Mike F Bird Jedi Knight (as he likes to be called) and finally my dissertation on Edwards' doctrine on sin (or according to David Kirk better philosophy)supervised by Dr Robert Shilaker. I will update you on Dr Grant's class and hopefully come back at a later date with all that I have learnt throughout the semester.

As part of my honours year I am taking a 3rd year module with Dr Jamie Grant on Wisdom literature. We only started last week but I am really looking forward to this module!
Dr Grant led us through several quotes to help us understand what on earth Wisdom literature is in the first place. My Favourite was Derek Kidner 'what is implied is a single system, a universe, and what is invited is the study of it in a spirit of humility. How can we live well when all is not well in God's good but fallen world.' Wisdom was a genre belonging to the whole ANE but Israel took it and made it her own. The idea behind Wisdom literature is not the Torah but observations on life. Therefore Psalm 1 speaking of the righteous says, 'whatever they do prospers.' is not a contradiction with Psalm 73 Asaph's crisis of faith when he sees the wicked prosper (Dr Grant told us that this word in the Hebrew is Shalom, more than prosperity, they are able to sleep in peace). Asaph arrives at an answer for he understands the way of the wicked will ultimately lead to Sheol, although Wisdom literature doesn't always offer an answer, asking the questions it seems is the beginning of wisdom as well as fearing the Lord.

God Bless
Stephen

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