Wisdom Literature of the Bible

Did you realize that such enduring expressions as "the patience of Job" and "nothing new under the sun" derive from the Wisdom literature of the Bible? Now you can explore the wisdom of such extraordinary books of the Bible as Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Sirach, and Wisdom of Solomon with top Scripture scholar and master teacher Fr. Michael Guinan, O. F. M. , as your guide.

You will learn the biblical meaning of "wisdom" as Fr. Guinan unlocks the riches contained in these too-often-neglected books. Listen as Fr. Guinan discusses the vexing moral and theological questions raised by these books. Does Proverbs offer a unified theological vision? What does Job show us about the suffering of the innocent? Should we read Song of Songs as a mystical meditation on God and Israel, Jesus and the Church or soul, a healthy view of human sexuality, or all of these interpretations? What should we make of the seemingly negative outlook in Ecclesiates?

Wisdom is also important in the New Testament. Jesus himself taught as a wisdom teacher, and when the early Christians came to think and talk about who Jesus was, some of them drew on the rich background of Old Testamnet wisdom. What are some of the implications of this for our own lives?

This course is part of the Learn25 collection.