Religious Anthropology

1. Religious Anthropology Jan 22, 2014 Psalms: Souls That Sing

2. Threaded Discussions this week • What is your favorite kind of Psalm (Praise, Thanksgiving, Lament, Didactic, Wisdom, etc)? Why is that your favorite? Give an example of a one (e.g. Psalm 1). No Psalm repeats!In your comments (quotes), read the Psalm given by that person's post, quote a verse that speaks to you, disturbs you, inspires you, and explain why.

3. P135: A book of Prayers and Poems • Divided into 5 books: • Book 1: Psalms 1-41 • Book II: Psalms 42-72 • Book III: Psalms 73-89 • Book IV: Psalms 90-106 • Book V: Psalms 107-150

4. Psalm Authorship • 73 by David • 12 by Asaph • 12 by the sons of Korah • 2 by Solomon • 1 by Heman the Ezrahite • 1 by Ethan the Ezrahite • 1 by Moses • 49 by unnamed authors

5. Emotion and Theology United • “The very essence of the Psalms dynamically unites human experience and emotion with a vibrant theology about God.” • “The writers of the Psalms strike a balance between experience and theology that is generally unknown in the modern church!” • Case study Psalm 32. • Experiment: Pick a Psalm at random and try to see if there is both a theological and emotional element: “Is the psalmist just emoting about life and his feelings, or is he also integrating his emotions with truths about God?”

6. Poetic Parallelism • Hebrew poetry vs. English Poetry = Parallelism vs. Rhyme • Synonymous parallelism – 2nd line repeats the idea of the 1st • Antithetical parallelism – 2nd line is antithesis of 1st • Synthetic parallelism – 2nd line enriches idea of the 1st • Specifying parallelism – 2nd line makes the idea of the 1st more specific • Intensifying parallelism – 2nd line restates the idea of the 1st in a potent way

7. Categories of Psalms (examples on chart on pp144-145) • Lament: • Songs of Trust: • Declarative Praise: • Descriptive Praise: • Didactic Psalms:

8. Religious Anthropology Jan 27, 2014 Psalms: Souls That Sing

9. Silently read Psalm 91  this week’s scripture quiz • While reading this text a signup sheet for outline consultation times will be passed around. • Tuesday and Wednesday will have time for outline work so bring what you need to work on your outline. Sign up for an appointment.

10. Outline tips • Before your consultation time, have something done so that we have a starting point from which I can help you. • Clause defined: Jim went to the store / because it was raining • Syntactical unit: Jim went / to the store / because / it was raining • Texts only need to broken down to the CLAUSE.

11. Acrostics Psalm 119 Pass around the Hebrew Bibles. Notice how each line starts.

12. Psalm 23

13. Identifying Poetic Parallelism • Read Psalm 71:1-13 & identify what type of parallelism you find. • Synonymous parallelism – 2nd line repeats the idea of the 1st • Antithetical parallelism – 2nd line is antithesis of 1st • Synthetic parallelism – 2nd line enriches idea of the 1st • Specifying parallelism – 2nd line makes the idea of the 1st more specific • Intensifying parallelism – 2nd line restates the idea of the 1st in a potent way

14. Psalm 71 - Identifying Poetic Parallelism In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;    let me never be put to shame.2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;    turn your ear to me and save me.3 Be my rock of refuge,    to which I can always go;give the command to save me,    for you are my rock and my fortress.4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,    from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

15. Psalm 71 - Identifying Poetic Parallelism 5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,    my confidence since my youth.6 From birth I have relied on you;    you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.    I will ever praise you.7 I have become a sign to many;    you are my strong refuge.8 My mouth is filled with your praise,    declaring your splendor all day long.

16. Psalm 71 - Identifying Poetic Parallelism 9 Do not cast me away when I am old;    do not forsake me when my strength is gone.10 For my enemies speak against me;    those who wait to kill me conspire together.11 They say, “God has forsaken him;    pursue him and seize him,    for no one will rescue him.”12 Do not be far from me, my God;    come quickly, God, to help me.13 May my accusers perish in shame;    may those who want to harm me    be covered with scorn and disgrace.

17. What Kind of Psalm is it? (Close PwF books) • Lament, Declarative Praise (Thanksgiving), Descriptive Praise, Didactic? • Psalm 1 • Psalm 22 • Psalm 124 • Psalm 145

18. 2 Main questions to ask when reading the psalms • Primary: What does this Psalm tell us about how God’s presence and work connects with our deepest concerns and emotions in the midst of difficult or joyous circumstances? • Secondary: What does this Psalm tell us about how we should pray, praise, and generally express our hearts’ desires to God in individual and corporate worship?

19. Homework • Study Psalm 91 for Scripture Quiz on Friday. • Skim Read pages 142-153 to familiarize yourself with how to apply the hermeneutical tools to Psalms. Your assessment on Friday will require you to do a similar analysis of a different Psalm. • Bring devices for in-class work time on outlines. • Continue working on outline – due Friday

20. Religious Anthropology Jan 28, 2014 Psalms & Proverbs

21. 2 Main questions to ask when reading the psalms • Primary: What does this Psalm tell us about how God’s presence and work connects with our deepest concerns and emotions in the midst of difficult or joyous circumstances? • Secondary: What does this Psalm tell us about how we should pray, praise, and generally express our hearts’ desires to God in individual and corporate worship?

22. Religious Anthropology Jan 29, 2014 Proverbs

23. Psalm 91: Scripture Quiz • Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest where? • What will be your shield and rampart? • Name at least two of the things that you will not fear. • What will you observe (or see) with your eyes? • Angels will lift you up in their hands so that _____________. • Name one of the animals that you will tread or trample on. • Who is speaking in this sentence: “He will call me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him”?

24. Religious Anthropology Feb 3, 2014 Proverbs

25. Wisdom Literature • What is wisdom? • B. Baloian – “Wisdom is knowledge painfully garnered.” • Wisdom literature in the O.T.: • Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, (SoS?)

26. ¿Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes? • Proverbs– we reap what we sow • Job – sometimes we reap what we didn’t sow • Ecclesiastes – it seems that reaping and sowing don’t match up at all • Why do these three books of wisdom literature all exist in the Bible? TENSION

27. Attributes of Proverbs • A fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow. ~ Lesotho proverb • If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. ~ African proverb • Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. ~ Confucius • Plough deep while sluggards sleep and you shall have corn to sell and to keep. ~ Ben Franklin • A stitch in time saves nine ~ English Proverb

28. Elder-berry is in the kitchen-garden, and the uncle is in Kiev. Attributes of Proverbs • A fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow. ~ Lesotho proverb • If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. ~ African proverb • Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. ~ Confucius • Plough deep while sluggards sleep and you shall have corn to sell and to keep. ~ Ben Franklin • A stitch in time saves nine ~ English Proverb Short, pithy sayings Memorable (alliteration, assonance, rhyme, etc) Observation of the world Sense of certainty Often context is necessary

29. Craft 5 proverbs of your own using these guidelines • Short, pithy sayings • Memorable (alliteration, assonance, rhyme, etc) • Observation of the world • Sense of certainty • Often context is necessary

30. Religious Anthropology Feb 4, 2014 Proverbs

31. P162 – The question to ask when reading wisdom lit. • What does this passage tell us about what wise, skillful living would be in the area being discussed? What general pattern does this reveal for God’s people, or what specific behaviors does it challenge us to embrace?

32. Primary questions of Job • Why do the righteous suffer? • Will they worship God even when they suffer? • The moral? • Think about and feel the depth of life’s experiences • Don’t give naïve or trite responses to suffering • Cling to God even if we don’t understand • 5 minutes Silent Reading in Job

33. Proverbs in a nutshell: 5 minutes silent reading • Primary Author: Solomon • Some things written by other wise men, Agur, and Lemuel. • Prov 1:1-7 explains • Understanding wisdom and instruction for morality and relationships • Insight into complexities of life and spiritual truth • Fear of God and wisdom are necessary to gain skills in the book • Wise embrace wisdom, foolish embrace folly and destruction • 5 minutes Silent Reading in Proverbs

34. Ecclesiastes • The preface and conclusion may indicate the purpose of the book. • Seemingly contrasting, but are they really? • Bottom line: We cannot fully comprehend life by observing or living it… but we still should enjoy it and fear God because he will ultimately judge all. • 5 minutes silent reading in Ecclesiastes