Hebrew Bible 14: Primeval History? Genesis 1-11
Easter Term 2001
Monday 1:15-3:45
Office: 646-6523 (with voice mail)
Home: 646-5562 (with answering machine)
email: stephwig@nashotah.edu
When a person begins to read the Bible, the first thing she or he generally reads is Genesis 1. With some knowledge of modern literary categories, the reader is likely to take the first part of Genesis as a record intended to express historical events. This assumption then colors the reader's interpretation of the remainder of the book. This course will address some of the problems such an approach raises.
The first eleven chapters of Genesis are the basis for several Christian doctrines and concepts. When issues of historicity were raised concerning these chapters, beginning with the Copernican revolution, the church began to take this new scientific knowledge into account. This course will consider the material in Genesis 1-11 in the light of its own context and within the context of on-going scientific discovery. The course will be seminar format with student presentations and discussion based on the readings.
Unlike the introduction in HB 2, this course will allow us to explore the material in Genesis 1-11 in depth. In addition to exegetical exploration, this course offers the opportunity for an applied, contextual, exploration. Issues raised by the material will also be included.
Another purpose of this course is to assist in developing group discussion leadership skills. You will be expected to lead the class discussions regularly, which will require preparation in advance. This skill is indispensable in parish work.
This course is a seminar. The philosophy behind seminar courses is that learning can take place in discussion. In keeping with this philosophy, this course will involve student-led discussions weekly. On a rotating basis, each student will lead a session every three weeks; there will be a total of four sessions for each of you to lead.
Leading a session will involve preparation. Relevant material will be read and a plan for the concepts and issues to be discussed will be prepared. The presenter is not expected to lecture, but to lead the discussion. All registered students are expected to participate fully in the conversation. In practical terms this means that everyone must have read the material to be covered each week in order to participate intelligently in the discussion. We will learn from each other.
The idea is that this will be a conversation, not a soapbox for the presenter. You are encouraged to express your opinion, but you must listen to others express theirs as well. If you abuse the situation and refuse to let other people have their say, it WILL affect your grade. Haranguing your class mates is strictly forbidden: they have a right to their opinion, too. I do not expect you to talk at your class mates, but to talk with them. I will remind the class of this as often as it is necessary.
The necessary texts for this class are: Ellen van Wolde, Stories of the Beginning: Genesis 1-11 and Other Creation Stories; Robert T. Pennock, Tower of Babel: The Evidence against the New Creationism; Lloyd R. Bailey, Noah: The Person and the Story in History and Tradition; William Ryan and Walter Pitman, Noah's Flood: The New Scientific Discoveries about the Event that Changed History. Unfortunately the Bailey book is out of print. If you can find a used copy, that will be very helpful, otherwise, I will expect all of you to be generous with the library copy. If that is not feasible, I will be glad to put the library copy on reserve. A suggested reading schedule is provided below.
This course has no examinations and no required papers. As a result, it is weighted very heavily on the required reading and class participation. It is evident when material has not been read, so do not risk "coasting" until it is your week to present! In grading the course by participation, there are two essential aspects to which you should pay attention: 1. leading the discussion and 2. participating in the discussion.
1. Leading the discussion will be graded on the basis of the degree of preparation demonstrated as well as the success at keeping discussion going. Creativity in the presentations is encouraged.
2. Participating in the discussion will be graded on evidence of having done the reading as well as evidence of careful consideration of the issues involved. There must be some depth of analysis here; it will not suffice to restate what was written in the texts. You must learn to interact with the material.
In both leading and participating in discussion, respect for the viewpoint of others is essential. What we are striving for is learning which develops from in-depth conversation of the topics. This cannot occur when the presupposition is that we have nothing to learn from others, or that the view of others is "heterodox" or "heretical."
Although extensive use of Hebrew is not expected, some facility with the language will be of great help when discussing the nuances of the material. In this regard it may be quite useful to bring your BHS to class weekly.
Class attendance is absolutely essential. You are expected to attend unless you are quite ill or have a serious reason for being absent. If there is such a reason, please notify me as soon as possible. Unexcused absences, since this course is graded on the basis of discussion, will hurt your grade.
Please feel free to call me at home or at my office if you wish to make an appointment. I frequently work at Ivins House (since my computer is there), and it is not an interruption for you to call me at home (prior to 9 p.m., please).
Genesis has generated an enormity of books and articles. What I have listed below are useful volumes with which I am familiar.
| Anderson, | Bernhard W., ed. Creation in the Old Testament . Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984. This is a series of essays on various aspects of creation by several biblical scholars. Some of the contributions are quite important. |
| -------. | Creation versus Chaos. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987. Anderson explores how the concept of creation relates to other biblical concepts such as history, covenant and worship. This work is dated, but raises many relevant points. |
| Callender, | Dexter E., Jr. Adam in Myth and History: Ancient Israelite Perspectives on the Primal Human. Harvard Semitic Studies 48. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2000. This new book is concerned specifically with the person of Adam in Genesis and elsewhere in the Bible, as well as the interpretations of the first human in other ancient contexts. |
| Cohn, | Norman. Noah's Flood: The Genesis Story in Western Thought . New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996. Pleasantly illustrated, Cohn's book discusses many practical aspects of the deluge story and its impact on and response to modern thought. |
| Dennett, | Daniel C. Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life . New York: Touchstone, 1995. Characteristic of Dennett's work, this book is densely written but well worth the effort of reading it. |
| Desmond, | Adrian and James Moore. Darwin: The Life and Times of a Tormented Evolutionist . New York: W. W. Norton, 1991. A very good recent biography of Darwin which charts his move from being destined to the life of a parish priest to his agnosticism. It provides valuable background to many subsequent issues raised by interpretations of Genesis and of Darwin. |
| Dyson, | George B. Darwin among the Machines: The Evolution of Global Intelligence . Reading, MA: Perseus Books, 1997. Dyson asks the logical questions of where the theory of evolution leads in an age of machines. A challenging book. |
| Elder, | Gregory P. Chronic Vigour: Darwin, Anglicans, Catholics, and the Development of a Doctrine of Providential Evolution . Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1996. Written by a Nashotah House alum, this revised dissertation explores how Anglican divines contemporary with Darwin challenged, accepted, or defended the truth of Darwin's theories. Very useful for an Episcopalian readership. |
| Gowan, | Donald E. Genesis 1-11: From Eden to Babel . International Theological Commentary. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988. A slim commentary by a solid scholar. In keeping with the intent of the series, this is a popular, theological discussion of the material. |
| Hallo, | William W. and K. Lawson Younger, Jr., eds. The Context of Scripture (2 volumes). Leiden: Brill, 1997, 2000. This projected three-volume set is a much more recent edition of many important ancient texts, designed to supersede Pritchard's ANET. Although still fairly new, it has won scholarly accolades. |
| Hendel, | Ronald S. The Text of Genesis 1-11: Textual Studies and Critical Edition . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. This book is precisely what its title says it is. Not for light reading, but it is useful for establishing the Hebrew text of the material to be discussed. |
| Hess, | Richard S. and David Toshio Tsumura, eds. I Studied Inscriptions from Before the Flood: Ancient Near Eastern, Literary, and Linguistic Approaches to Genesis 1-11. Sources for Biblical and Theological Study. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1994. With 28 essays on various aspects of Genesis 1-11, this is a useful resource. The topics covered, however, are somewhat "hit-and-miss," depending on your particular area of interest. |
| Livingstone, | David N. Darwin's Forgotten Defenders: The Encounter between Evangelical Theology and Evolutionary Thought . Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 1984. This little book provides a summary of how representative evangelical figures of the nineteenth century came to terms with the fact of evolution while remaining true to their faith convictions. Somewhat uneven, it is still quite informative. |
| Meyers, | Carol . Discovering Eve: Ancient Israelite Women in Context . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. The first chapter of this study is of special interest to this class. As a whole Meyers' book is a valuable contribution to our understanding of life in ancient Israel. |
| Pagels, | Elaine. Adam, Eve, and the Serpent . New York: Vintage Books, 1988. Pagels, a scholar of the early church period, offers a very useful presentation of how Genesis 1-3 was understood by several early church writers, including some of the Gnostic interpreters. |
| Pritchard, | James B. ed. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament . Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969. This is the classic source for finding other ancient writings which may be discussed in class. It is dated, but fairly complete for its day. See also Hallo and Younger, above. |
| Rogerson, | J. Genesis 1-11. Old Testament Guides. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1991. This slim volume provides an overview of the material to be covered this term. The intent of this series is to do just that -- offer an overview to interest the reader in further study. |
| Westermann, | Claus. Genesis 1-11. A Continental Commentary. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1994. In this first volume in his massive three-volume commentary on Genesis, Westermann thoroughly explores the issues raised by the chapters under study this term. This is only one of many commentaries, but its thoroughness demands special recognition for it. |
For each session a general topic is assigned. The issues listed are a guideline for your preparation of the discussion for a particular day. You do not have to address all of the issues listed, although you may find them helpful starting points.
29 January Introduction.
| 5 February | Creation -- Issues: creatio ex nihilo, Big Bang, divine council Reading: van Wolde, 1-33; Pennock, 1-42. |
| 12 February | Adam and Eve -- Issues: gender, image of God, task of humanity Reading: van Wolde, 34-73; Pennock, 43-116. |
| 19 February | Adam and Eve -- Issues: evolution, creationism, literalism Reading: Pennock, 117-214 |
| 26 February | Adam and Eve -- Issues: "the Fall," original sin, genetic engineering Reading: Pennock, 215- 308. |
| 5 March | The Serpent and the Trees -- Issues: forbidden knowledge, life, the devil Reading: Pennock, 309-377 |
| 12 March | Cain and Abel -- Issues: sacrifice, vanity, murder Reading: van Wolde, 73-90 |
| 19 March | Genealogy -- Issues: Cain and Seth, lifespan, races Reading: van Wolde, 91-104. |
| 26 March | Gods and Humans -- Issues: fallen ones, playing God, angels Reading: van Wolde, 105-121. |
| 2 April | Noah -- Issues: justice, grace, walking with God Reading: Reading: van Wolde, 121-140; Bailey, 3-52. |
| 9 April | The Flood -- Issues: dinosaurs, origin of flood story, geology Reading: Ryan and Pitman. |
| 23 April | The Ark -- Issues: earlier flood stories, search for the ark, two of each kind Reading: Bailey, 53-209. |
| 30 April | Division of Humanity -- Issues: ethnic differences, tower of Babel, linguistic evolution Reading: van Wolde, 141-265. |
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This page was last modified on 22 January 2001.