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The Meaning of a Critical Introduction

critical introduction to the first of the five books of the Bible, which we call "Pentateuch" or "Torah" in its Hebrew name, is fundamental to an objective understanding of Christian Revelation and Faith. It is the record of the foundational experiences of our ancestors in the faith (cf. Romans 4:11-12) and the spirituality of a people on its way to the ultimate city (see Exodus 15:17; Hebrews 13:14; John 14:1-10). It is for this reason that such study is at the heart of the four year theological studies.

What does critical introduction imply? The emphasis here is the word "critical" which points to the use of the indispensable method in biblical interpretation, the so-called Historical-Critical Method.

"Historical" means that the main context for interpretation is the place and time in which the text was composed.

“Critical" does not mean looking for mistakes in the Bible. It is reading the text in objective and systematic way with the use of universally accepted approaches.

As stated above, we study the text in a scholarly way in order to assist us to a sincere search for the truth of our faith. In this way, The Bible could truly become the Sacred Scripture for the students.

The word "introduction" refers to the limit of our course. It is impossible to discuss the Pentateuch in detail. That is for higher studies in the future. What the course offers is an overview of its general structure and content, of issues on the Pentateuch from the point of view of scholars, and a study of selected texts that are not so easy to interpret.

Past Old Testament Professors of DWST

For the past twenty years, DWST's great Pentateuch professors, the late Fr. Herman Mueller, SVD and the late Fr. Anthony Ceresko, OSFS had introduced first year theology students to the critical reading of Pentateuch guided by the Documentary Hypothesis, the Four Source Theory which had dominated Pentateuchal studies since the publication of Julius Wellhausen's Prolegomena to the History of Israel (German, 1883; English translation, 1885).

The lecture notes (unpublished mimeographed handouts) of H. Mueller had worked along this line, teaching DWST students the Pentateuch as a revealed text, which finds its fulfillment in the New Testament. His methodology was a combination of historical-critical method and spiritual exegesis because, as he knew very well, his students were not solely being prepared to be exegetes but pastors and missionaries primarily.

A. Ceresko, bringing with him his experiences of eight years of teaching in India and his conviction that the biblical text can shed light on the Bible's total liberation, had used the Documentary Hypothesis to show that Israel's God is a God of justice and the Pentateuch stands as a witness to the struggle of God's people for justice and freedom and their quest to build a nation over and against the Egyptian controlled Canaanite city-states, characterized by kinship rather than kingship; solidarity rather than individualism, loyalty rather conformity. In other words, the Pentateuch was Israel’s testament of a just God who acts in history and his covenanted people who had envisioned a society characterized by justice and equality. See A. R. Ceresko, Introduction to the Old Testament: A Liberation Perspective (Revised and Expanded Edition; Quezon City: Claretians, 2001).

The Documentary Hypothesis in Crisis

After more than a century of the dominance of this theory in Old Testament studies (and more than forty years of Pentateuchal studies at DWST), today, there is no longer a consensus among scholars on the reliability and soundness of the theory. Some scholars propose to cancel out this theory for good, others continue to defend it, and some modify it, while still others suggest alternative models. To say that there are separate stories that come from J (Yahwist source), E (Elohist source), P (Priestly source), and D (Deuteronomistic source) which formed the so-called Pentateuch after the Babylonian exile (around 538-334 BC), as students were taught in the past, should now be stated with extra caution, not taking for granted the present serious criticisms aimed at this theory. For reader-friendly introduction to this problem, see Jean-Louis Ska, "The Pentateuch", in The International Bible Commentary, pp. 335-343 (especially p. 340).

The Approach in Class

In the midst of this present lack of consensus, there are two extremes about which students need to be cautioned. First is the resort to fundamentalism which assumes that a critical study of the biblical text is leading nowhere and is detrimental to faith or to the Church. Second extreme is skepticism or relativism in which every “certitude" is suspect. This tendency is often times associated with the excesses of post-modernism. It holds that all methods of interpretation are true to themselves without regard to reasonable criticism and dialogue between these methods to reach to a consensus.

In our class, we will employ, albeit with caution, the historical-critical method. But instead of the usual approach of Pentateuchal study that begins with the study of the Documentary Hypothesis, we commence the course by discussing the structure of the Pentateuch in its final form (that is, the text as we have now today).

Outline of the Course

Chapter 1: Some Fundamental Questions on the Pentateuch (Ska, pp. 1-15)

Chapter 2: The Five Books of the Pentateuch: Its Content and Structure (Ska, pp. 16-39)

Chapter 3: Genesis 1-11 (Wenham, pp. 9-34)

Chapter 4: Genesis 12-50 (Wenham, pp. 35-56)

Chapter 5: Exodus 1-15 (Ska, HANDOUT)

Chapter 6: Exodus 16-40 (Wenham, pp. 66-80)

Chapter 7: Leviticus (Wenham, pp. 81-102)

Chapter 8: Numbers (Wenham, pp. 103-122).

Chapter 9: Deuteronomy (Wenham, pp. 123-143)

Chapter 10: History of Pentateuchal Research (Ska, pp. 96-164; or Blenkinsopp, pp. 1-30)

Chapter 11: Conclusion

Course Expectations

1) Attendance will be checked. Twice late is equivalent to one (1) cut (absence). Class officially begins with the opening prayer (the Shema). The maximum number of absences is nine hours before incurring a failing mark in the course.

2) Bring your Bible every meeting, NRSV preferable.

3) In class, cellphones should be switched off or at least in silent mode.

4) When the class has started, those who go out will be marked late. If a student does not come back to the classroom after five (5) minutes, he/she will be marked absent. It means, personal needs must be done during the break. If a student has a medical problem, he/she should present a medical certificate to the Dean of Studies.

5) Students should make a good effort to complete all the readings before the lecture for which they are assigned. If there is no time to complete every word of every reading, at least the material should be skimmed. Recommended readings will help the students to understand moreand extra credit readings are for students interested in advanced issues.

6) Students are expected to complete each assignment on time. Late submission means a failing mark in that assignment; non submission means incomplete final grade. Quizzes will not be administered a second time.

7) The use of inclusive language in writing and speaking is highly recommended. This is required in all work for the course. Students often help one another through polite reminders during discussion times. The entire class is asked to take responsibility for this.

Course Requirements

1) Examination on Ceresko, pp. 29-93 on July 7 (Mon) = 15%

2) Monday Quizzes [occasionally replaced by short reflection papers]= 30%

3) Research Paper = 25%

Deadline of submission: on or before 24 September 2008, 4:30pm. Registrar’s Office

4) Comprehensive Final Examination = 30%

Important note on the Examination on Ceresko, pp. 29-93:

--This is an examination of reading comprehension and so the content will not be discussed in class. Questions found at each end of a chapter will considered for the examination questions.

--WARNING: Don’t review the prepared answers of others without reading first the assigned pages!

--This examination assures the professor that students have a basic or college-level knowledge of Pentateuch before tackling advanced and critical studies of the subject.

Consultation Hour: Every Monday , 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm, Director’s Office, Arnoldus Library

Initial Bibliography

1) JOSEPH BLENKINSOPP, The Pentateuch: An Introduction to the First Five Books of the Bible (AB Reference Library; New York: Doubleday, 1992). For an introduction to this book you can read the review of J.-L. Ska in Catholic Biblical Quarterly 58 (1996), pp. 100-102. A summary of this book is also found in Joseph Blenkinsopp, “Introduction to the Pentateuch,” in The New Interpreters Bible Volume 1, pp. 305-318.

2) A. E. CAMPBELL AND M. O'BRIEN, Sources of the Pentateuch: Texts, Introductions, Annotations (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993). This book is a good reference to the biblical texts which are arranged according to the traditional sources of the Pentateuch and presented with critical explanation of each.

3) ANTHONY R. CERESKO, Introduction to the Old Testament: A Liberation Perspective (revised and expanded edition; Quezon City: Claretians, 2001).

4) JOHN J. COLLINS, Introduction to the Hebrew Bible with CD-ROM (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).

5) JEAN-LOUIS SKA, Introduction to Reading the Pentateuch (Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns, 2006). This is a major source of our course. Copies are placed on reserve in the Arnoldus Library. A general summary of this book can be found in Jean-Louis Ska, “The Pentateuch,” in The International Bible Commentary, pp. 335-343.

6) GORDON WENHAM, Exploring the Old Testament Volume I: The Pentateuch (London: SPCK, 2003). This is another major source of our course. Copies are placed on reserve in the Arnoldus Library.

7) R. NORMAN WHYBRAY, Introduction to the Pentateuch (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1995).

8) For an excellent online general introduction to the Pentateuch, please visit the website of Prof. BARRY L. BANDSTRA http://hope.edu/bandstra/RTOT/RTOT.HTM.

The website also has a helpful list of terms used in Old Testament studies.

NOTE: Bibliography of commentaries on each book of the Pentateuch will be uploaded in our blog: http://pentateuch2008.blogspot.com