Katharine Dell on wisdom in the OT; a sermon on Proverbs 1; and how an assignment works
Welcome to my newsletter, ‘Bible, Mission, and More’, where I share what’s on my mind as I teach, research, and write on the Bible and mission, children-at-risk in the Bible and contemporary society, Psalms and Wisdom Literature, and a range of other topics. I teach at All Nations Christian College in the UK, though views are my own.
Each Tuesday I’ll share something I’ve read, something I’ve written or recorded, something on learning and teaching, and a quote to reflect on.
Something read – Katharine Dell open access article on Wisdom in the Old Testament
Katharine Dell is Professor of Old Testament Literature and Theology at Cambridge University. Earlier this year she published an article on Wisdom in the Old Testament for the open access St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology. I’ve mentioned resources from SAET in other posts, including articles on missio Dei and trauma theology.
Dell’s article is a really helpful orientation to wisdom themes and literature in the OT. You won’t find a book-by-book outline of Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes but what you do get is an excellent thematic presentation of important wisdom ideas. The first main section covers ‘The acquisition of wisdom’, touching on subjects like the genre, character formation, and the good life. She then unpacks ‘Divine Wisdom’ under the headings, ‘God as creator’, ‘Wisdom as a bridge’, and ‘Moral actions and divine expectations.’ The following section covers some of the tensions and question arising from the wisdom material, such as when experience doesn’t match up with tradition, and life in the light of death. The final part looks at develops in wisdom in the Apocrypha and New Testament.
The SAET is a treasure trove of up-to-date and open access resources. If you are ever teaching or studying a particular topic, I’d recommend always seeing what SAET has to offer on it. They are constantly adding more articles so it is also well worth returning regularly to see what’s new.
Here is the full citation, including a link to the article: Dell, Katharine. 2024. 'Wisdom in the Old Testament', St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology. Edited by Brendan N. Wolfe et al. https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/WisdomintheOldTestament
Something written – Sermon on Proverbs 1
Recently I preached at our church on the opening chapter of Proverbs. We are doing a seven-part series on the book, and taking inspiration from a very helpful resource written by Antony Billington for the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity.
You can watch the sermon on the church’s YouTube channel here. The main points I wanted to get across were that (1) we all need wisdom to navigate the complexities of life; (2) God has provided us with a way on gaining wisdom; and (3) a relationship with God is the foundation for a life of wisdom. Wisdom involves the desire and capacity to live well in our complex world. It is practical, applied knowledge. It involves, if you like, the ‘will’ and the ‘skill’ to pursue what you recognise as the right decisions.
I was also struck by the book’s insistence that wisdom is not just for the young and impressionable, although on the surface the speeches are aimed mainly at a young man. In 1:5 we hear, ‘Let the wise hear and increase in learning’ (ESV). Wisdom is never a completed task; there is always more to pursue.
Learning and teaching – how an assignment works
Have you ever wondered how your lecturers arrive at their assignment topics and titles? If not, it’s worth thinking about because it might help you focus on answering them even better. If you know what they are aiming for, you are more likely to hit it.
Although institutions will differ considerably, there are a number of likely things that will have happened to arrive at the essay question you’ve been set. Imagine these two overall questions your lecture might ask themselves:
‘How can I test the module’s learning outcomes?’ Each of your modules will have a set of ‘learning outcomes’ or aims that spell out what you should be able to do by the end of the module. These are official aims for the module that will have been approved as part of the course’s validation process. So they are a really big deal. ALL your assignments will be helping you to hit those outcomes in some way or another. So familiarise yourself with those outcomes and look at how the assignment relates to them. You module documentation may even cross-reference the assignment(s) to the learning outcomes to make it really clear which ones they are hitting.
‘Will this pass the scrutiny of my colleagues?’. At a previous institution we had what was called an ‘Assessment Scrutiny Panel’. This meeting happened at the start of a semester and all the faculty would share their upcoming assignments. As a team we would look through them and probe whether they were appropriate and fair. So, for example, we would consider whether what was being asked of the students was doable in the word count, and whether the wording was clear enough. We’d also check if the assignments really were assessing the required learning. We might also consider whether there was ample scope for stronger students to push into the higher marks. So, they might ask, ‘What would an excellent answer look like for this question?’
As I say, all institutions are different. Yours may not have that type of meeting but the lecturer will have had the questions(s) scrutinised by colleagues and quite possibly by an external academic as well.
All that is to say, assignments should be very intentional in their aims and wording, and it should be clear to see how they connect with the learning and aims of your module. If that isn’t the case, have a chat with your lecturer.
In my experience, lecturers really want students to do well. Both you and they want you to get good marks. So the clearer you are on what is required in an assignment, the easier you can make it for them to give you those top marks!
Quote – Katharine Dell on Wisdom in the Old Testament
‘It is often said that ideas found in the wisdom material have an immediacy and a relevance to today’s world that is striking. General maxims on human behaviour, emotions, and activities have clearly not changed for thousands of years, and so they go on being cited and remain relevant. Trying to live a fulfilled life is still the goal of most people, whether that be through religious channels or not. The art of coping with life, of forming one’s own character, of knowing how to treat people and how to communicate most effectively with them, and how to handle suffering, evil, and difficult situations – all of these are essential life lessons for us all. And who among us would not prefer to be a little wiser than we are now? We tend to look up to older people who have had a longer time to learn than we have, and the wisdom of age is a reality that those engaged in the quest for eternal youth would do well to remember. Wisdom is about seeking satisfaction in life but also deeper meaning and purpose: in the wisdom books, this works primarily on an individual level but translates into human society, communities, and very identity. The importance of God for gaining wisdom varies for people depending on their perspective; however, the wisdom literature sees God as the creator in control of destiny, holding life and death in his hand, and wishing to be in relationship with humankind, guiding and directing human lives. This God calls on people to fear and trust in him, and says that all will then be well. Through the bridge of Wisdom, life is on offer to those who will accept it in all its fullness.’
(see above for reference)
Thanks for joining the journey and see you next week,
Tim