The way of wisdom in the Old Testament

Rating:
Summary: An excellent introduction to the Wisdom Literature
Review: Scott distinguishes the Wisdom Literature as follows:" They have little or nothing to say about institutional religion or a special relationship between Yahweh and Israel,past or present.They do not address the collective Israel, as the prophets do, nor appeal to the authority of revelation. Their concern is with men as individuals, or , more exactly with man in his individuality and social relationships, and in his private thoughts. Their counsel has to do with how men ought to act in the workaday world, with personal character and with a way of life that can be called good because it has coherence,value,a dn meaning.The authority with which they speak is that of the moral experience and trained intelligence of genuinely religious men.Their method is counsel and instruction,and , at a later state, persuasion and debate."pp. 5
In chapter titled ,Wisdom in the Bible, The International Contest, Precepts and Proverbs, Wisdom in Stories and Word Pictures, Prophecy and Wisdom, Wisdom in Revolt Job, Wisdom in Revolt Agur and Quoholeth Wisdom Piety The Role of Wisdom -
he tries to show how Wisdom Literature helps in its fundamental task of enabling the individual to live a better life.