Dr. Robert B. Chisholm, Jr.
Office: Todd 201E
DTS Phone: 214-887-5311
Email: [email protected]
Dallas Theological Seminary
OT 710 Knowing God through the OT
Fall 2017 (3 hrs)
R 1:00-3:40 pm
Room Location: TBA
KNOWING GOD THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE DESCRIPTION
A study of divine names, titles, roles, attributes, and acts/self revelation with a view to
their relevance for Christian theology, worship, and ethics. The course will also
compare and contrast Israelite monotheism with ancient Near Eastern polytheism in an
effort to help the student appreciate the unique revelatory nature of Israel’s religion.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Cognitive Objectives. My hope is that this course will enhance your understanding of
the character of God. With this enhanced understanding you will be able to develop a
more biblical and sophisticated worldview that will in turn give you a more solid
foundation for ministry. I also hope that you will gain a greater appreciation for the
contextualized nature of God’s self-revelation and for the necessity of balancing both
his transcendence and immanence in your theology. More specifically, by the end of
the course you will state and defend the thesis that God is both sovereign and good.
Affective Objectives. Beyond the cognitive goals outlined above, my hope is that you
will gain a greater appreciation for our sovereign and relational God and a stronger
desire to worship and serve him in the context in which he has placed you.
VALUE OF COURSE
Contribution to the DTS Curriculum. The various seminary degree programs are
designed to give students a solid biblical-theological foundation for ministry. This
course contributes to this goal by enhancing the student’s understanding of biblical
theology, especially as it is derived from the Old Testament.
Contribution to Future Ministry. By giving the student an enhanced understanding of
the person of God and his relationship to his world, the course contributes to the
student’s theological foundation and worldview, both of which are vital to effective
ministry.
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COURSE TEXTBOOKS
Required Texts
Mettinger, Tryggve. In Search of God: The Meaning and Message of the Divine
Names. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2005.
Penchansky, David. What Rough Beast? Images of God in the Hebrew Bible.
Louisville: John Knox, 1999.
Seibert, Eric. Disturbing Divine Behavior: Troubling Old Testament Images of God.
Minneapolis: Fortress, 2009.
Supplementary Bibliography
Old Testament Theology:
Brueggemann, Walter. Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy.
Philadelphia: Fortress, 2012.
Childs, Brevard S. Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments. Philadelphia:
Fortress, 1992.
Dumbrell, W. J. The Faith of Israel. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988.
Dyrness, William. Themes in Old Testament Theology. Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity, 1979.
Eichrodt, W. Theology of the Old Testament. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Westminster,
1961, 1967.
Goldingay, John. Old Testament Theology. Volume One: Israel’s Gospel. Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2003.
Goldingay, John. Old Testament Theology. Volume Two: Israel’s Faith. Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2006.
Goldingay, John. Old Testament Theology. Volume Three: Israel’s Life. Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2009.
House, Paul R. Old Testament Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998.
Martens, Elmer A. God's Design: A Focus on Old Testament Theology. Grand
Rapids: Baker, 1981.
Merrill, Eugene H. Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament.
Broadman & Holman, 2006.
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Moberly, R. W. L. Old Testament Theology: Reading the Hebrew Bible as Christian
Scripture. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013.
Preuss, Horst D. Old Testament Theology. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1995.
Rad, Gerhard von. Old Testament Theology. 2 vols. New York: Harper & Row,
1962, 1965.
Routledge, Robin. Old Testament Theology: A Thematic Approach. Downers Grove,
IL: IVP Academic, 2012.
Sailhamer, John H. Introduction to Old Testament Theology. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1995.
Smith, Ralph L. Old Testament Theology: Its History, Method, and Message.
Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1993.
Terrien, Samuel. The Elusive Presence. New York: Harper & Row, 1978.
Waltke, Bruce K. An Old Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical and
Thematic Approach. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007.
Westermann, Claus. Elements of Old Testament Theology. Louisville: John Knox,
1978.
Wright, Christopher J. H. Knowing God the Father Through the Old Testament.
Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2007.
Zimmerli, W. Old Testament Theology in Outline. Louisville: John Knox, 1978.
Zuck, Roy B., ed. A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody,
1991.
Special Themes and Backgrounds for Old Testament Theology:
Albrektson, Bertil. History and the Gods: An Essay on the Idea of Historical Events
as Divine Manifestations in the Ancient Near East and in Israel. Lund: CWK
Gleerup, 1967.
Balentine, Samuel E. Prayer in the Hebrew Bible: The Drama of Divine-Human
Dialogue. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1993.
Block, Daniel I. The Gods of the Nations: Studies in Near Eastern National
Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988.
Boda, Mark J. A Severe Mercy: Sin and Its Remedy in the Old Testament. Winona
Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2009.
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Boyd, Gregory A. God at War: The Bible & Spiritual Conflict. Downers Grove, IL:
IVP, 1997.
Brueggemann, Walter. An Unsettling God: The Heart of the Hebrew Bible.
Minneapolis: Fortress, 2009.
Burnett, Joel S. Where is God? Divine Absence in the Hebrew Bible. Minneapolis:
Fortress, 2010.
Copan, Paul. Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God.
Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011.
Copan, Paul, and Matthew Flannagan. Did God Really Command Genocide? Grand
Rapids: Baker, 2014.
Day, John. God's Conflict with the Dragon and the Sea. Cambridge, Cambridge
University, 1985.
. Yahweh and the Gods and Goddesses of Canaan. Sheffield: Sheffield
Academic, 2000.
Firth, David G., and Paul D. Wegner, eds. Presence, Power and Promise: The Role of
the Spirit of God in the Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic,
2011.
Fløysvik, Ingvar. When God Becomes My Enemy: The Theology of the Complaint
Psalms. Saint Louis: Concordia Academic, 1997.
Fretheim, Terence E. Creation Untamed: The Bible, God, and Natural Disasters.
Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010.
Fretheim, Terence E. God and World in the Old Testament: A Relational Theology of
Creation. Nashville; Abingdon, 2005.
Fretheim, Terence E. The Suffering of God: An Old Testament Perspective.
Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984.
Handy, Lowell K. Among the Host of Heaven: The Syro-Palestinian Pantheon as
Bureaucracy. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1994.
Heiser, Michael S. The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the
Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham, 2015.
Humphreys, W. Lee. The Character of God in the Book of Genesis: A Narrative
Appraisal. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2001.
Kaminsky, Joel. Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible. Sheffield: Sheffield
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Academic, 1995.
Keel, Othmar. The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern
Iconography and the Book of Psalms. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1997.
Lamb, David. God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and
Racist? Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2011.
McCurley, Foster R. Ancient Myths and Biblical Faith: Scriptural Transformations.
Fortress, 1983.
Mullen, E. Theodore, Jr. The Assembly of the Gods. Missoula, MT: Scholars, 1980.
Niehaus, Jeffrey J. Ancient Near Eastern Themes in Biblical Theology. Grand
Rapids: Kregel, 2008.
Oswalt, John N. The Bible among the Myths. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.
Ringgren, Helmer. Religions of the Ancient Near East. Translated by John Sturdy.
Philadelphia: Westminster, 1973.
Sparks, Kenton L. Ancient Texts for the Study of the Hebrew Bible: A Guide to the
Background Literature. Hendrickson, 2005.
Stadelmann, Luis I. J. The Hebrew Conception of the World. Rome: Pontifical
Biblical Institute, 1970.
Thomas, Heath A., Jeremy Evans, and Paul Copan, eds. Holy War in the Bible:
Christian Morality and an Old Testament Problem. Downers Grove, IL:
IVP Academic, 2013.
Tiessen, Terrance. Providence & Prayer: How Does God Work in the World?
Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2000.
Walton, John H. Ancient Israelite Literature in its Cultural Context: A Survey of
Parallels Between Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Texts. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1989.
Walton, John H. Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing
the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006.
Weinfeld, Moshe. Social Justice in Ancient Israel and in the Ancient Near East.
Jerusalem: Magnes, 1995.
Wolff, Hans Walter. Anthropology of the Old Testament. Translated by Magaret
Kohl. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1974.
Wright, Christopher J. H. An Eye for An Eye: The Place of Old Testament Ethics
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Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1983.
. God's People in God's Land: Family, Land, and Property in the Old
Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Reading Assignments
Assigned reading includes (1) the textbooks (Mettinger, Penchansky, and Seibert), (2)
selected articles listed in the “Lecture Schedule” below (all assigned articles are posted
on the course web site), and (3) selected biblical passages (see under “Lecture
Schedule”). You must complete 70% of the assigned reading from each of these three
categories to pass the course, 80% to qualify for a B, and 90% to qualify for an A. To
count toward this requirement all reading must be done on time. See the schedule
below. Percentages are calculated on the basis of total number of pages. Textbooks:
approximately 581 pages (Seibert 280, Penchansky 94, Mettinger, 207); articles 213
pages; 74 Bible chapters or chapter portions
Written Assignments:
Please submit all written work electronically. My email address is [email protected].
(1) On or before Thursday, October 5, you must submit a paper entitled, “God’s
Character as Revealed in the Book of Hosea.” In this paper you should address the
question, “How does Hosea portray the character of God?” You should weave into
your discussion an analysis of the various metaphors used of God in the book. You
should also attempt to harmonize (exegetically, hermeneutically, and theologicallyphilosophically) the tension within the book between the portraits of God as judge and
as compassionate husband. I am concerned more with quality than length, but this
paper should be about eight-ten pages single-spaced, including footnotes. English style
will be a factor (10%) in the evaluation and grading of the paper. This paper counts
30% of the course grade.
(2) On or before Thursday, October 26, you must submit a review (four-five singlespaced pages) of Eric Seibert, Disturbing Divine Behavior. Your review should (a)
summarize the book’s contents and main thesis (or theses), (b) identify the strengths of
the book, and (c) identify the weaknesses of the book. For both (b) and (c) you should
give exegetical, hermeneutical, and theological-philosophical reasons for your
evaluation and critique. English style will be a factor (10%) in the evaluation and
grading of the paper. The grade on the book review counts 20% of the course grade.
(3) On or before Thursday, December 14, you must submit a paper (approximately
15-20 pages single-spaced) in which you respond to the letter entitled, “An Exile,”
which is posted on the course web site. This letter was sent to me by a young Christian
man who is struggling with the issue of God’s goodness. In his cover letter he asks for
“content-rich, non-platitudinous explanations that could help me reconstruct my
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debilitated spiritual life—if that’s even possible.” In your paper, attempt to do this. The
operative phrases are “content-rich” and “non-platitudinous.” You should integrate into
your essay references to and interaction with the required texts for the course,
especially the work by Penchansky. Assume the “Exile” has read the required texts.
After all, the “Exile” seems on the verge of embracing Penchansky’s viewpoint due to
problems raised and addressed by Penchansky and Seibert. You should interact with
the “Exile’s” arguments at the hermeneutical, exegetical, and theological-philosophical
levels. Feel free to integrate materials from the class lectures and notes into your essay
as well. In this response to the “Exile,” you are supporting the thesis that God is both
sovereign and good. English style will be a factor (10%) in the evaluation and grading
of the paper. The grade on this paper will count 50% of the course grade.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
DTS does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the operation of any of its
programs and activities. To avoid discrimination, the student is responsible for
informing the Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities and the course
instructor of any disabling condition that will require modifications.
COURSE POLICY ON PLAGIARISM
Be aware of the seminary’s policy regarding plagiarism (see the latest edition of the
Student Handbook). If you need further clarification on what constitutes plagiarism,
please see me privately. Note carefully that plagiarism is not just quoting someone
without giving credit; it can also take the form of stealing another’s ideas without
giving them their due.
GRADE SCALE
A+ 99-100
C+ 83-85
A 96-98 A- 94-95 B+ 91-93 B 88-90 B- 86-87
C 80-82 C- 78-79 D+ 75-77 D 72-74 D- 70-71 F 0-69
COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADING
As noted above, the course grade will be based on the book reviews and papers.
However, failure to complete the reading on time and excessive absences can affect
one’s grade negatively. See the policies stated elsewhere in the syllabus under the
headings Reading Assignments, Late Assignments, and Absences, respectively.
CLASS PARTICIPATION
Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the class discussion. However, try to
make your questions/comments concise and to the point. Please do not use valuable
class time with questions/comments that are not directly applicable to the issue being
discussed.
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LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Late submissions of written work will be penalized one letter grade. All late work must
be submitted electronically. My email address is [email protected].
ABSENCES
Four unexcused absences are allowed without penalty. Each unexcused absence beyond
this number will result in a reduction of the final grade in accordance with the student
handbook policy. If a prolonged illness keeps you from attending class, or work and
ministry responsibilities conflict with the scheduling of this course, you should drop it.
Three late arrivals count as an absence. You are late if you enter the classroom five or
more minutes after the official start time of 1:00. Remember that in the format being
used this semester, there are two class sessions each class day.
COURSE LECTURE AND READING SCHEDULE
Class
Date
Class discussion/Assignment(s) due
1
R 8/31
Intro to course/God’s Self Revelation in the OT
2
R 8/31
Creator of the World
3
R 9/7
Images of the Sea in Biblical Creation Accounts
4
R 9/7
King of the Created Order/Conflict at Carmel
Read 1 Kings 18 and Chisholm, “The Polemic against
Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac
151 (1994): 267-83; and Chisholm, “Yahweh Versus the
Canaanite Gods: Polemic in Judges and 1 Samuel 1-7,”
BSac 164 (2007): 165-80 (posted on course web site)
5
R 9/14
Elohim: God of Gods
El Shaddai: Source of Blessing
6
R 9/14
Yahweh, the Ever Present Faithful God
Read Mettinger, In Search of God, 1-74
7
R 9/21
The Heavenly Assembly and the Lord’s Messengers/The
Spirit of God in the OT
Read Heiser, “Deuteronomy 32:8 and the Sons of God,”
BSac 158 (2001): 52-74 (posted on course web site)
8
R 9/21
Cosmic Warfare in the OT
9
R 9/28
The Incomparable God/King over History
Read Isa. 40-41, 44 and Mettinger, 75-157
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10
R 9/28
The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
READ Exod 3-14 and Chisholm, “Divine Hardening
in the Old Testament,” BSac 153 (1996): 410-34
(posted on course web site)
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R 10/5
The God Who Deceives
READ 1 Kings 22 and Chisholm, “Does God Deceive?”
BSac 155 (1998): 11-28 (posted on course web site)
Essay on God’s Self Revelation in Hosea due
12
R 10/5
The Just King
Read Pss 11, 82, 97, 146; Judg 9; 1 Kings 21; 2 Kings 1
13
R 10/12
The God of War/The Ethics of Warfare
Read Exod 15; 2 Sam. 5:17-25; Isa. 2:9-21; 10:12-34;
63:1-6; Hab. 3; Zech. 14
14
R 10/12
Fighting Yahweh’s Wars: Some Disturbing Acts of
Violence in Judges-Samuel
Read Judg 3:12-30; Judg 4-5; Judg 14; 1 Sam 15
15
R 10/19
Yahweh’s Disturbing Silence
Read Judg 11; Judg 19; and Chisholm, “The Ethical
Challenge of Jephthah’s Fulfilled Vow,” BSac 167
(2010), 404-22 (posted on course web site)
16
R 10/19
Is God Cruel and Unpredictable?
Read Num 15:32-36; Num 16-17; Num 20:2-13; 1 Sam
13:1-15; 2 Sam 6:1-10; 1 Kings 13
Read Seibert, Disturbing Divine Behavior
17
R 10/26
Rizpah’s Torment: When God Punishes the Children for
the Sins of the Fathers
Read Josh. 7; 2 Sam. 21:1-14; Ezek. 18
Review of Seibert, Disturbing Divine Behavior, due
18
R 10/26
The Holy God/The Jealous God
Read Lev 19; Pss 15, 24; Isa 6/Ex 34:1-14; Deut 6:1-25
19
R 11/2
Divine Pancausality and the Demonic-in-Yahweh Theory:
Sovereignty at the Expense of Goodness
Read Chisholm, “How a Hermeneutical Virus Can
Corrupt Theological Systems,” BSac 166 (2009): 259-70
(posted on course web site); and Penchansky, What
Rough Beast?
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20
R 11/2
The Sovereign King and Protector/The God Who Rewards
and Preserves the Faithful
Read Gen 6; Num 25; Josh 14:6-15; Ezek 9; Mal 3:1318; and Mettinger, 158-74
21
R 11/9
The God Who Tests and Refines His People
Read Gen 22:1-19, and Chisholm, “Anatomy of an
Anthropomorphism: Does God Discover Facts?” BSac
164 (2007): 3-20 (posted on course web site)
22
R 11/9
The God Who Announces and Decrees
Read 2 Kings 3; Jer 18:1-12; Pratt, “Historical
Contingencies and Biblical Predictions,” in The Way of
Wisdom, 180-203; Chisholm, “When Prophecy Appears
to Fail, Check Your Hermeneutic,” JETS 53 (2010):
561-77; and Chisholm, “Israel’s Retreat and the Failure
of Prophecy in 2 Kings 3,” Biblica 92 (2011), 70-80
(posted on course web site)
23
R 11/30
The God Who “Changes His Mind”
Read Hos 11, and Chisholm, “Does God ‘Change His
Mind’?” BSac 152 (1995): 387-99 (posted on course web
site)
24
R 11/30
The God Who Responds to the Prayers of His People
25
R 12/7
The God Who Forgives
26
R 12/7
Human Suffering and Divine Providence
27
R 12/14
Tormented Job’s Complaint and Yahweh’s Response
Read Mettinger, 175-200
28
R 12/14
The God Who Dwells Among His People/“Knowing God”
according to the OT
Read Pss 46, 48, 132; Isa 54, 60-62/Jer 22:13-17;
31:31-34; Hos 2:16-20; 4:1-6
Paper (Response to “An Exile”) due
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