Making Sense of the Wisdom Literature Essay
For this assignment, you will write a 2-part essay on the wisdom literature. Each part must be in current Turabian format and have a brief introduction and conclusion. The first part must contain an essay of at least 500 words that explains how to properly read and interpret the proverbial statements found in the book of Proverbs. The essay must focus on the special guidelines for interpreting Proverbs that are unique to this specific genre. Provide 5–6 specific examples of these biblical Proverbs that reflect how you practice these guidelines.
The second part must contain an essay of at least 600 words on how the Old Testament wisdom books are read in light of each other. Specifically, focus on how the promises and warnings given to the wise person are balanced by the perspectives found in the other books in the wisdom literature. The primary focus will be on how the perspective on life provided in Proverbs is balanced by Job and Ecclesiastes, but brief consideration of how Song of Solomon also contributes to the overall message of the wisdom books must also be included.
Both parts must consist primarily of your own interaction with the biblical text and the questions raised. Because of the length of this essay, quotations from biblical passages and other sources must represent less than 10% of the total word count for the paper. Overuse of quotations will result in a deduction of your grade for the assignment.