Introduction to Old Testament Wisdom

Introduction to Old Testament Wisdom
A Spirituality for Liberation
by Anthony R . Ceresko , O.S.F.S.
Orbis Books, 1992
205 pages
ISBN 1-57075-277-X

Scholar and seminary professor in India, Anthony Ceresko has written a book that is invaluable for secondary teachers and students. I particularly like works that can be used in a variety of courses and disciplines. This study of the Hebrew Bible's wisdom literature certainly falls into that category. Eminently suitable for secondary students in their junior and senior years, in history, religious studies, or world literature courses, this book is well written and is laid out logically in its order and sequence of presentation; moreover, it contains study questions at the end of each chapter, and it is an accessible bibliography for further reading. Teachers at all levels of secondary education will find this text very useful.

Mr. Ceresko sees the wisdom literature as being grounded first and foremost on the experiences of everyday life and in the alchemy of our relationships with others. These experiences of life, in all sorts of human relationships, are based first on a relationship with God that manifests in the human sphere as the call for humans to be socially just and compassionate.

Chapters 2 through 6 create the multiple contexts necessary for readers to understand the historical and literary content of the wisdom literature. Moving from a discussion of the large genre of wisdom literature in general to the specifics of wisdom literature in Israel, we are immersed in the worlds of family and clan wisdom, scribes and scribal schools and their relationship to the notions of wisdom and revelation. The historical milieu for Israelite wisdom is discussed clearly and succinctly in sections on the destruction of the monarchy, the exile, and the postexilic restoration. The same clear exposition is given to literature with a discussion of the basics of Hebrew poetry, proverbs, and parables.

The rest of the text takes each of the wisdom books and literature (Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Wisdom of Ben Sira, Wisdom of Solomon, and the Song of Solomon) and explains them to the reader. Two chapters are devoted to each book. The first chapter, "Overview," explains the basic historical context, literary structure, and core themes and motifs of each work. The second chapter for each book, "Content," then moves the reader through portions of the text illustrating in particular the structures, themes, and motifs that are being discussed. I found this structure to be enormously helpful. The text comes alive in both its historical situation and in the more universal modes of wisdom literature. Each section is followed by good questions for discussion .The bibliography gives both interested teaches and students further sources for study.

The book ends by forming a thematic bridge between the material in the wisdom books of the Hebrew Bible and the teachings of Jesus in the Christian New Testament. This followed by a short conclusion chapter that nicely sums up the central points of the book. Accessible, clearly written, and informative, I highly recommend this book for secondary teachers and students.

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