BIB6330EN - Advanced Mission of God in OT Prophets

Course description

An introduction into the world of study of prophetic literature. It identifies the root, characteristics, purposes, and historical contexts of Old Testament Prophecy. Poetic speech, imagery, and dominant theological themes in each book will be examined, compared, and analyzed, in order to relate Prophetic books and modern concerns in ethics, politics, race, identity, violence, justice, gender, ecology, and utopia.

How this course benefits students

(1)The student will acquire the ability to interpret biblical passages in prophetic books using basic exegetical methods and tools. (2). The student will be able to situate the prophets within their historical age, outlining their political, social and religious concerns. (3). The student will be able to appreciate the artistry and literary devices employed in the transmission of prophetic oracles. (4). The student will recognize the dominant theological themes and theologies within the prophetic books. (5). the student will be able to articulate the relevance of the prophetic message to the modern reader particularly the reoccurring global issues such as ethics, politics, violence, justice, human rights, gender and ecology in the prophetic writings. (6). The student will appreciate the descriptions of God’s mission to the world through the understanding of the prophetic writings from the perspective of mission.

Why this course is important

The message of the Old Testament prophets is the pinnacle of Old Testament revelation, and thus there is the need to understand the historical background, literary character, artistry, themes and the dominant message of each prophetic book. Similarly, the presence of Messiah prophecies in the prophetic books and their later fulfillment in the New Testament clearly justify the need to study and understand the Old Testament prophets. This exercise on the Hebrew prophets is expected to also reinvigorate the spirituality and missiological commitments of the students to God’s mission.

Credit hours
3 hours
Subject area
Biblical Studies
Educational level
Master
Learning type
Instructional
Prerequisites
None
Upcoming terms
Pending
* Schedule subject to change. Please contact the Registrar's office with schedule questions.
Professor
Dr. Joel Hamme, Senior Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Studies

How this course relates to missional core values

Biblically based

The course is committed to the study of God’s word through the diligent study of Hebrew prophets.

Missionally driven

The study is missiologically-driven by its quest to read and understand Old Testament prophets from the perspective of mission.

Contextually informed

The prophet writings occupy an important part of divine revelation to ancient Israelites. The contextual character of their messages is underscored since all the prophets wrote to address the challenges of some specific historical contexts. Thus God’s message of salvation in the prophetic writing is contextually-driven. However, the canonical context of the prophetic writings is also underscored in the course since the full implications of their writings are only realized in the New Testament.

Interculturally focused

God’s message of salvation in ancient Israel’s prophetic writings has an intercultural dimension particularly in the presentation of God’s message of judgment and restoration to the nations. This intercultural dimension of God’s message in the prophetic writings already fulfills the intercultural requirements for courses of Missional University.

Practically minded

The God of the Old Testament reveals himself in the prophetic books as a God of mission who is practically involved with the suffering and pains of his people. The prophetic writings present God’s works with practical implications for daily living. Similarly, the rhetoric and appeals of the prophetic writings have also practical significance and relevance to the modern world.

Experientially transformed

The prophetic writings encourage experiential encounter between God and his people. The course seeks to reenact this experiential encounter in the life of the student thereby encouraging a vibrant spiritual experience in the reading, interpreting and study of the prophetic writings.