Understanding the Old Testament

by Robert D. Miller

Streaming video, 2019

Status

Available

Call number

221

Series

The Great Courses: Religion and Theology (6013)

Collections

Your library, Media

Publication

Great Courses (2019), 24 lectures, 30 min. each, 167 pages

Description

Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML: The Old Testament is one of the foundational texts of Western civilization, and is among the most impactful and widely read books in world history. In 24 enthralling lectures, Professor Miller guides you through a core selection of the major books of the Old Testament, inviting you to probe their meaning and relevance in incisive and thought-provoking commentary. Among the books of the Old Testament, you'll explore:Genesis: Uncover fascinating features of the Old Testament's opening, such as how the events of the first week of creation form an elaborate pattern, expressing the complex order of the universe; and how the text does not lay primary blame for "the fall" on the woman, Eve; Deuteronomistic History: Study the epic history of the people of Israel in the Promised Land; follow the story of the Israelites' disobedience to God, and its tragic consequences;The Books of Ruth and Esther: Among notable women in the Old Testament, explore two stories of women who are doubly at risk, and who prevail through loyalty, resourcefulness, and integrity; andDaniel and the Apocalyptic: In the Book of Daniel, encounter the genre of apocalyptic literature�??revelation initiated by God�??and contemplate the figure of "the Son of Man," a promised redeemer.Throughout the lectures, Professor Miller offers a wealth of perspectives on how to approach the texts. You'll assess the role of translation in the understanding of the texts, studying the meanings of key Hebrew words; you'll also look in depth at the history, dating, and writing of the texts, and you'll study their literary and linguistic features, noting how they achieve their impact on the reader. In Understanding the Old Testament, you'll take a revelatory look at this epically impactful text, finding its deeper historical and religious meanings, as well as its sublime literary treasures… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member datrappert

Miller is an excellent lecturer, and his knowledge of Hebrew (and other languages) makes his analysis of the true meaning of some passages of the Old Testament quite fascinating. He acknowledges some problems with the text itself, but he concentrates on deciphering it in the form(s) we have it now,

frequently providing his own translation in place of the one more prevalent in various published versions of the Old Testament. I liked his explanation the Book of Job, especially calling out that it talks about "the Satan" rather than just Satan, and explaining the significance. As a faculty member of Catholic University, you can't expect him to come down too hard on Christian interpretation of passages in the Old Testament as foretelling the coming of Christ, but he does describe the Jewish point of few when relevant. It would be interesting to have a similar course taught from a Jewish perspective, but there is very little to complain about in this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as well as learning a good deal.

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LibraryThing member A.Godhelm

Great course in a sea of christian apologetics; here you instead get a perspective more grounded in the jewish story, but without becoming strictly jewish theology. It's a mix of the Bible read as literature, with some historical background to flesh out the events, and perhaps that's the most

fruitful arena compared to other offerings, as it repeatedly refers to the influence of Babylonia and Caanan, including their gods, on the content - something sorely missing from many other courses (and books). Miller doesn't go quite as deep into the idea of judaism as steeped in reactions to its religious environment as I would have liked, and some of his defense of hard to interpret books like Job get a bit too 'just so' for me. Still it's very different in trying to cover an evolving religion caught on the page, rather than the much more common post hoc view of judaism (and christianity) as a finished product delivered in complete (if not perfect) form.

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Language

English

Original language

English

Local notes

[01] The Old Testament as Literature [02] The Genesis Creation Story [03] What God Intended for Adam and Eve [04] When Things Go Wrong in the Garden of Eden [05] Abraham, the Father of Three Faiths [06] Moses and the Exodus [07] The Ten Commandments [08] The Covenant Code in Exodus [09] Leviticus at a Crossroads [10] Deuteronomy to Kings [11] The Book of Judges [12] The Books of Samuel [13] The Books of Kings [14] Biblical Short Stories: Ruth and Esther [15] Amos, Prophet of Justice [16] The Prophet Isaiah in Three Movements [17] Jeremiah, Persecuted Prophet [18] Daniel and Apocalyptic Literature [19] How Scholars Study Psalms [20] The Music of the Psalms [21] Proverbs in the Bible: Wisdom Literature [22] Job’s Suffering and Understanding [23] Ecclesiastes and the “Vanity of Vanities” [24] Slaying the Dragons of the Old Testament