Jeremiah and Empire

Catalog description

This course examines the book of the prophet Jeremiah and its historical context amidst the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires. The portrayal of the prophet in the theo-political roles as advisor to kings, divine messenger to peoples and nations, as well as representative of YHWH will be explored, expecially as this sheds light on the peculiarities of prophecy in this book. Exploration of the text will call attention to theological, liturgical and societal implications for contemporary faith communities. This exploration will be done with the help of postcolonial theory, empire studies and other critical theory. Evaluation of the course includes class participation, written assignments and an exegetical project. Fulfills PLTS Prophets requirement for PLTS students. [An intro course in OT; Auditors with Faculty permission]