Isaiah

OT2120 PROPHETS: ISAIAH GH 203; Phone: 641-3210

Frederick J. Gaiser fgaiser@luthersem.edu

Fall Semester 2008 Office hours by appointment

Home: 651-646-3484

THE BIBLE ON THE STUDY OF ISAIAH

“So Philip ran up to [the chariot] and heard [the Ethiopian official] reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ He replied, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’” (Acts 8:30-31a)

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

A study of the entire book of Isaiah, emphasizing the significance of these chapters for both Old and New Testaments. This study acknowledges the discrete sections of the book and their historical settings while also considering the structure and message of the book as a whole. Central passages are examined in detail and attention is given to their use in contemporary Christian teaching and proclamation.

OBJECTIVES

1. To gain an understanding of the nature, theology, and historical setting of Old Testament prophecy

2. To become familiar with the prophetic books of the Old Testament

3. To become acquainted with the content, historical situation, and theology of the book of Isaiah.

4. Through detailed study of specific passages to learn to apply appropriate methods of Bible study to prophetic material

5. To examine the forms and the development of Israel's theological traditions employed in these chapters

6. To consider the use of this material in the New Testament and in the history of the church, and its contemporary relevance

7. To discuss and practice ways in which this material might be used in Christian ministry

REQUIRED BOOKS

John Goldingay, Isaiah (New International Biblical Commentary, Hendrickson, 2001)

Donald Gowan, Theology of the Prophetic Books: The Death and Resurrection of Israel (Westminster, 1998)

RECOMMENDED CRITICAL COMMENTARIES

Brevard Childs, Isaiah (Westminster John Knox, 2001)

Gene Tucker, “The Book of Isaiah 1-39,” and Christopher Seitz, “The Book of Isaiah 40-66,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 6 (Abingdon, 2001)

Claus Westermann, Isaiah 40-66 (Old Testament Library, 1969)

RECOMMENDED PREACHER’S OR LAY COMMENTARIES

Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 1-39 (Westminster Bible Companion, 1998)

Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 40-66 (Westminster Bible Companion, 1998)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR THEOLOGICAL ISSUES

Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, vol. 2, The Theology of Israel’s Prophetic Traditions (Westminster John Knox, 2001)

RECOMMENDED FOR LITERARY ISSUES

Peter D. Quinn-Miscall, Reading Isaiah: Poetry and Vision (Westminster John Knox, 2001)

RECOMMENDED FOR HISTORICAL, THEOLOGICAL, AND INTRODUCTORY ISSUES

Rainer Albertz, Israel in Exile: The History and Literature of the Sixth Century B.C.E. (Atlanta: SBL, 2003)

Rolf Rendtorff, The Canonical Hebrew Bible: A Theology of the Old Testament (Leiden: Deo, 2005)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Frederick J. Gaiser, “Isaiah,” in Enterthebible.org (online, forthcoming)

To preview, go to http://isp.insourcemedia.com/ui/index.php? For User ID, type in: Isaiah

Note: This is work in progress. If you find any technical problems or have any suggestions regarding the presentation of this material, please notify Sally Peters via email: speters@luthersem.edu (with a copy to Prof. Gaiser at fgaiser@luthersem.edu)

Frederick J. Gaiser, Notes on Isaiah, in the Lutheran Study Bible (draft on e-reserve)

Note: This is a draft of a work in progress. No further distribution of this material is appropriate.

STRUCTURE

The class will meet in a two-hour block on Thursday afternoons with a concentration on the material of Isaiah; a one-hour preceptorial on Fridays will focus primarily on the other prophetic books.

CLASS SCHEDULE AND DAILY ASSIGNMENTS

Sept 11 Introductory Matters; Structures of Hebrew Poetry

Sept 12 READ: Adele Berlin, “Introduction to Hebrew Poetry,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 4, 301-315 (e-reserve)

TEXT: 43:1-7. Prepare a poetic/literary analysis of the text; having done the analysis, include some “so what” comments related to what you have observed. DO NOT CONSULT COMMENTARIES OR OTHER SECONDARY LITERATURE FOR THIS WORK.

Sept 18 From Old to New; The Message and Structure of Isaiah

TEXT: 35:1-10 (compare 6:9-13)

READ: Rolf Rendtorff, “The Book of Isaiah,” in The Canonical Hebrew Bible: A Theology of the Old Testament (Leiden: Deo, 2005) 167-201 (e-reserve)

Frederick J. Gaiser, Introductory material to Isaiah in Enterthebible.org (that is, the material other than the comments on “Key Passages”)

BUT SEE THE BOLD PRINT FOR SEPT 19 (BELOW)

Sept 19 READ: The entire book of Isaiah

WRITE: A two-to-three page review, reflection, response. What is the message of the book? Or messages? Does it hold together? What strikes you, either positively or negatively? DO THIS ASSIGNMENT PRIOR TO READING THE MATERIAL FOR SEPT 18 OR OTHER SECONDARY BACKGROUND MATERIAL ON ISAIAH.

Sept 25 “Thus says the Lord”: On Biblical Prophecy

TEXT: 55:6-13

READ: Gowan, 1-21

Frederick J. Gaiser, “One Little Word” (Sermon on Isa 55:10-11) (e-reserve)

PLUS: James Luther Mays, “The Phenomenon of Prophecy,” in The Oxford Study Bible, ed. M. J. Suggs, K. D. Sakenfeld, J. R. Mueller (New York: Oxford University, 1992) 164-171 (e-reserve)

OR: David Petersen, “Introduction to Prophetic Literature,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 6, 1-23 (e-reserve)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:

Gerhard von Rad, “General Considerations in Prophecy,” part 1 of Old Testament Theology, vol. 2, 1-125

Sept 26 READ: The book of Amos; Gowan, 24-37

POST IN ADVANCE: Responses as noted below under “Online Component”

Oct 2 The Call of First Isaiah

TEXT: 6:1-13

READ: Gene Tucker, “The Book of Isaiah 1-39—Introduction,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 6, 27-42 (e-reserve)

Brueggemann, Isaiah 1-39, 1-7 (e-reserve)

Oct 3 INSTRUCTOR OUT OF TOWN

READ: Hosea and Micah; Gowan, 37-59, and post (in advance) online responses as noted below

Oct 9 The Call (?) of Second Isaiah

TEXT: 40:1-11 (compare other possible call reports: 49:1-7; 61:1-4)

READ: Westermann, 3-30 (esp. for literary forms) (e-reserve)

Brueggemann, Isaiah 40-66, 1-15 (e-reserve)

SUGGESTED: Christopher Seitz, “The Book of Isaiah 40-66—Introduction,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 6, 309-324 (e-reserve)

OR: Rainer Albertz, “Towards a new beginning—‘Deutero-Isaiah’s’ proclamation of salvation,” in A History of Israelite Religion in the Old Testament Period, vol. 2 (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1994) 411-426 (e-reserve)

Oct 10 READ: Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Jeremiah; Gowan, 78-117; and post online responses in advance.

Oct 16 Judgment and Lament

TEXT: 5:1-7 (review chapters 1-5)

Oct 17 READ: Obadiah and Ezekiel; Gowan, 117-137; and post online responses in advance.

Oct 23 Messianic Hope

TEXT: 2:1-4 (5-6) OR 9:2-7 OR 11:1-9 (review all of these texts; work on one of them, if you choose to hand in a paper this week)

Oct 24 Jonah; Gowan, 137-142; and post online responses in advance.

Oct 30 The Day of the Lord

TEXT: 25:6-12

Oct 31 READ: Joel; Gowan, 181-187; and post online responses.

Nov 6 The Call of Cyrus

TEXT: 44:23-45:8 (9-10)

Nov 7 READ: Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi; Gowan, 162-170, 177-18; and post online responses.

Nov 13 The Call of the Servant

TEXT: 42:1-12 (or should the unit end at 13? at 17?) [cf. also 49:1-7; 50:4-9; 52:13–53:12]

READ: R. E. Clements, “Isaiah 53 and the Restoration of Israel,” in Jesus and the Suffering Servant, ed. W. Bellinger, Jr., and W. Farmer (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity, 1998) 39-54 (e-reserve)

SUGGESTED READING:

Bernard M. Levinson and Douglas Dance, “The Metamorphosis of Law into Gospel; Gerhard von Rad’s Attempt to Reclaim the Old Testament for the Church,” in Recht und Ethik im Alten Testament, ed. Bernard Levinson, Eckart Otto, and Walter Dietrich (Münster: Lit-Verlag, 2004) 83-110 (e-reserve)

Steven McKenzie, “Deuteronomistic History,” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary 2:160-168 (e-reserve)

Gerhard von Rad, “The Deuteronomistic Theology of History in the Books of Kings,” in Studies in Deuteronomy (London: SCM, 1953) 74-91 (e-reserve)

Hans Walter Wolff, “The Kerygma of the Deuteronomic Historical Work,” in The Vitality of Old Testament Traditions, by W. Brueggemann and H. W. Wolff, 2d ed. (Atlanta: John Knox, 1982) 83-100 (e-reserve)

FOR AN OPTIONAL READING GUIDE, SEE:

Pauline A. Viviano, “The Deuteronomistic History,” in The Catholic Study Bible, ed. Donald Senior et al. (New York: Oxford University, 1990) 116-186 (desk reserve)

WRITE: The paper described below (assignment 4)

Nov 20 Theology and Gender

TEXT: 66:1-16 [cf. 63:7-64:12] (see also 40:12-31 and 46:1-7)

READ: Frederick J. Gaiser, “‘To Whom Then Will You Compare Me?’ Agency in Second Isaiah,” Word & World 19/2 (1999) 141-152 (available online under “Online Archives” at www.luthersem.edu/word&world)

Frederick J. Gaiser, “‘I will carry and will save’: The Carrying God of Isaiah 40-66,” in “And God saw that it was good”: Essays on Creation and God in Honor of Terence E. Fretheim, ed. Frederick J. Gaiser and Mark A. Throntveit, Word & World Supplement Series 5 (Saint Paul, MN: Word & World, Luther Seminary, 2006) 94-102 (e-reserve)

Nov 21 The prophets and contemporary issues

TEXT: 56:1-8

READ: Frederick J. Gaiser, “Open-door Policy: Homosexuality and the Message of Isaiah,” The Christian Century, 2 May 2006, 26-27 (e-reserve)

OR: Frederick J. Gaiser, “A New Word on Homosexuality? Isaiah 56:1-8 as Case Study,” Word & World 14/3 (1994) 280-293 (a fuller version of the article above) (available online under “Online Archives” at www.luthersem.edu/word&world)

Nov 27-28 THANKSGIVING BREAK

Dec 4 Third Isaiah: Renewal and Restoration

TEXT: 58:1-14

READ: Brueggemann, Isaiah 40-66, 164-167 (e-reserve)

Dec 5 Preaching and Teaching the Prophets

READ: Gowan, 188-200

Frederick J. Gaiser, “A Preacher’s Conversation with Second Isaiah,” Word & World 14/1 (1994) 87-94 (available online under “Online Archives” at www.luthersem.edu/word&world)

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “A Church of the World or a Church of the Word?” (sermon on Exod 32), in Bonhoeffer, No Rusty Swords, ed. Edwin H. Robertson, trans. Edwin H. Robertson and John Bowdan (New York: Harper and Row, 1965) 243-248 (e-reserve)

POST: Responses in the same manner as always.

Dec 11 Looking Ahead

TEXT: 62:1-12

Dec 12 Wrap-up discussion

ONLINE COMPONENT

In preparation for preceptorial discussions on Fridays, students will post responses to a question posted by the instructor and to another student according to the following schedule:

By Tuesday, Sept 23

POST: A response to a question on the reading assigned for Friday, Sept 26.

By Thursday, Sept 25

POST: A response to at least one other student, normally the student who responded to the question immediately before her or him

By Tuesday, Sept 30 / Thursday, Oct 2

POST: Responses (as above) for the Oct 3 preceptorial

By Tuesday, Oct 7 / Thursday, Oct 9

POST: Responses for the Oct 10 preceptorial

By Tuesday, Oct 14 / Thursday, Oct 16

POST: Responses for the Oct 17 preceptorial

By Tuesday, Oct 21 / Thursday, Oct 23

POST: Responses for the Oct 24 preceptorial

By Tuesday, Oct 28 / Thursday, Oct 30

POST: Responses for the Oct 31 preceptorial

By Tuesday, Nov 4 / Thursday, Nov 6

POST: Responses for the Nov 7 preceptorial

NO ONLINE QUESTIONS FOR THE NOV 14 AND NOV 21 PRECEPTORIALS

NO CLASS ON NOV 28 (THANKSGIVING BREAK)

By Tuesday, Dec 2 / Thursday, Dec 4

POST: Responses for the Dec 5 preceptorial

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Students should do all assigned reading and be prepared for class discussions. AFTER DOING THEIR OWN WORK ON DAILY TEXTS, students should consult the appropriate sections of commentaries and other readings for additional background on these texts.

2. Specific biblical texts are assigned for fourteen class sessions (marked “TEXT”). Each student should work through these texts in preparation for class. For ANY TEN of these texts (including, for all, the paper assigned for Sept 12), students will prepare a paper to hand in (about two pages) that analyzes the text from a particular methodological perspective (e.g., literary/poetic analysis, form-criticism, rhetorical analysis, historical/theological commentary). Each student should try different methods, but all are encouraged to focus most frequently on the literary/poetic structure of the text. NOTE: These are NOT simple reflections on or narratives of the content of the text. They are working papers that apply a particular method of analysis. In addition to the textual analysis, the paper should include some comments or questions reflecting on the significance of what the student has observed. As working papers, these can be informal in style, though, as always, any secondary literature used should be cited. Late papers will be downgraded.

3. For ONE of the assigned texts, in addition to the analysis described above, students will prepare a paper of about seven to ten pages in which they reflect on the application of the text to our contemporary situation. These papers need not be handed in at the same time as the textual analysis, though, if not, the daily analysis paper (with instructor’s comments) must be resubmitted along with the extended paper. This paper is due by Dec 12 (earlier papers appreciated!). The present application might include:

a. sermon on the text

b. Bible study session on the text

c. plan for counseling sessions using the text

d. a textually based reflection on a contemporary theological or ethical issue

e. a musical or other artistic interpretation of the text

These papers should contain FOUR CLEARLY DESIGNATED PARTS:

(1) the daily paper prepared for this text (with instructor’s comments, if previously handed n)

(2) a presentation in narrative form of the message or argument of the text (including significant linguistic, historical, literary, or theological issues)

(3) a discussion of the contemporary setting or issue to which you are now addressing the text (what is the present situation/location that you have identified? what are the theological needs to be met? the important interpretive issues?)

(4) a sermon (can be abbreviated), or a theological/ethical presentation, or an outline of a Bible study or other teaching/counseling situation (including questions, strategies, desired answers and outcomes, etc.), or a musical or artistic interpretation. The emphasis in this paper is on your own interaction with the text. What has emerged from your own work on the text? What will you make of this? Any secondary literature used should, of course, be cited.

4. For the Nov 14 preceptorial, after reading the Deuteronomic History (DH) in the Bible and the assigned secondary readings, write a two-to-three-page paper in two parts: (1) your understanding of the message and purpose of the Deuteronomic Historian and (2) the significance of that perspective for the book of Isaiah (especially the second half). To what degree is Second Isaiah (especially) influenced by the DH perspective? Or what, if anything, does the book of Isaiah add to this theological point of view?

5. The online component will make use of “Forums” on MyLutherNet, responding to the readings as directed. All students must participate fully in the online forums.

6. There will be an oral final examination in this course. Students will meet with the instructor in small groups. Emphasis will be placed upon the contents of Isaiah and upon the student's ability to apply the material of the course in the interpretation thereof.

GRADING

Grading will be based on the daily written and online work (ten daily text papers, review paper on Isaiah, paper on Deuteronomic History, online participation) (50%); the longer contemporary application paper (30%); and the oral final (20%). A passing grade assumes satisfactory completion of all assignments.

ALTERNATIVE ASSIGNMENT

Any student desiring to do a major research paper in partial fulfillment of the requirements for this course should contact the instructor.