Scripture Bulletin Nr. 2-July 1991

ISSN 0036 9780
SCRIPTURE
BULLETIN
Volume XXI NUMBER 2 July 1991
SCRIPTURE BULLETIN
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-
SCRIPTURE BULLETIN
VOLUME XXI.2 JULY 1991
EDITORIAL
We are pleased to present in this issue the text
of a lecture given by the eminent American
speaker and writer, Fr. CarroII StuhImueIIer,
C.P. at Cambridge in April entitled "Prophet-
Mystic and Social Justice". The lecture -
henceforth to be a biennial event and named
after Fr. Cuthbert Lattey, S.J. founder of the
Catholic .Biblical. Association. - is promoted
jointly by the Association and the Von Hiigel
Institute, St Edmund's CoIIege Cambridge.
St Edmund's CoIIege is a non-
denominational graduate CoIIege of the
University of Cambridge. It has developed
from its first beginnings, nearly a century
ago, as a house of residence for priests into a
College which presents students from many
nations for degrees in a wide range of
subjects.
The Von Hiigel Institute, founded in 1986,
has as its principal aim to foster academic
research and writing in the field of the
relation of Christianity to society, it being
taken that such study, pursued on an
ecumenical basis, should assist the
development of just social structures. The
Institute is named after Baron Anatole Von
Hiigel, whose residence in Cambridge was
the centre of Catholic life in that University in
the latter part of the last century.
In his paper Fr. StuhlmueIIer examines the
relationship between prophecy and ancient
orthodoxy. Although his context is that of
Old Testament prophecy and Torah, there is a
hint that modern parallels may be adduced in
which prophecy fails to find a favourable
hearing among the keepers of tradition. The
perspectives drawn by the author provide
Contents
Articles:
Prophet-Mystic and Social Justice
An Exploration
Carroll StuhlmueIIer C.P. 2
The Perspective of Wisdom
Robert C. HiII 16
C.B.F. Plenary Assembly, Bogota: Final
Statement and Recommendations
(Robin Duckworth,S.M.) 21
even greater substance to the figure of the
'peripheral prophet' so often referred to
nowadays in biblical scholarship.
There is an obvious link between Fr.
StuhlmueIIer's biblical analysis and the
contemporary prophetic dimensions of the
C.B.F. Bogota Assembly referred to and
reported in previous issues. In this issue we
provide readers with an extract from the final
statement of that Assembly. In it practical
recommendations of far-reaching significance
are made; they are too important not to miss
repeating them. They have direct relevance to
our own situation - in the U,K. Many would
voice the criticism that the biblical apostolate
is still the handmaiden of other aspects of the
Church's life and does not receive sufficient
recognition in its own right, either in terms of
attittdes or of practical innovations. It would
be easy to point the finger and to say 'there
lies the blame'. However, the fault ultimately
lies with each one of us in hot going further
to encourage, to attract or to interest others in
the power and captivating quality of the
biblical word that is God's Word.
The other article in this issue explores some
recent scholarly presuppositionsconcerning
OT wisdom. The author Robert C. Hill, who
is on the staff of the Australian Catholic
University, New South Wales, provides a
refreshing alternative to form critical
approaches to defining wisdom. He opts for
'perspective' as the key to identifying and
interpreting the sayings and reflections of the
ancient sages.
Book Reviews:
l.General 24
C. Harper Bill, D.G. Scott, S. Greenhalgh
2. Old Testament 25
Wilfred G.E. Watson, Robin Duckworth,
Trevor Dennis
3. New Testament 28
John A. McGuckin, J.K. Elliott, R.C.
Fuller, Henry Wansbrough, Robert Morgan.
Books Received 32
Prophet-Mystic and Social'Justice
An Exploration(1)
Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP
Biblical prophets were in touch with what
was most basic to the Mosaic covenant, a
compassionate God. Social justice,
however, led them into areas where God
was experienced, mystically beyond the
language and ways acceptable to Torah
priests: the non-fulfillment prophecy; the
transformation of the oracles against the
nations; the metaphor of sick and disabled
persons for the faithful remnant ..
Over the last thirty years, scholars have been
investigating both segments of the tide of this
article, "Prophet-Mystic"(2) and "Prophetic
social justice."(3) I hope, however, that
some new avenues of study will open up: 1.
by focusing upon the mystical or
contemplative side of prophecy in relation to
social justice; then by refining this
relationship by investigating: 2. the
fulfillment or non-fulfillment of prophecy;
3. the oracles against the nations; and finally
4. sickness, disability and healing.
This 'last item, in fact, helps to explain my
own involvement with prophetic mysticism.
Recent research on my part into the topic of
sickness, disability and healing - as well as
into another subject, world mission( 4) - has
forced me to peer beyond the borders of
traditional structures of torah or law whether
in the Bible or in today's church. Some of the
data from sickness and world mission
challenges important theological positions in
these religious establishments(5) This latter
statement allows us to offer a preliminary
definition of mysticism: a state of mind,
sustained over a long period of time, that
reaches beyond normal biblical or church
structures and vocabulary for contemplating
and communicating God's active, redeeming
presence in life.(6) This mental attitude may
be limited to one or several important areas of
ministry. Otherwise the person fits well into
the mainstream of religious action and
thinking. As we study prophetic mysticism,
we are forced to come up with further
clarification in the question of true or false
prophet, in the Bible as in Judaism and the
Church.
A few contemporary "saints" have also
pushed my biblical studies into uncharted
areas. Extraordinary people like Thomas
Merton, Dorothy Day, or Ernesto Cardenal,
heroically dedicated to social justice, show up
2
as poets or contemplatives.(7) Their intense
concern for justice envelops them mystically
within a dark night of the soul, feeling as
keenly as they do: about the massive
annihilation of young people through war
without a wimp from government or media;
about physically and mentally impaired
persons, strapped in the dark or left to
wander the streets homelessly; about women
victimized into prostitution.(8) In these
unclean, no-god areas, contemporary mystics
meet God beyond any form of exposition or
structures acceptable to torah or church.
These heroic people show how social justice
and mysticism each impacts and sustains the
other.
One final prefatory remark: in speaking of
theological darkness, beyond the border of
what is canonically established and acceptable
in a religion's Torah or Law, the darkness
generally becomes dirty, the morality
snagged in outrage and rebellion, the
language twisted and scrambled. The 'purity'
of such mystic moments with God does not
come from orthodoxy but from the dark,
tangled depths of compassion. We will touch
base with this a-moral side of mysticism.
In testing the relation of mysticism and
social justice in biblical prophecy, we will not
normally delay over the historical setting but
rather read the literature as representative of a
long tradition of discipleship within the
former prophetical books of Joshua, Judges,
Samuel and Kings as well as within the latter
prophetical books of the three major and
twelve minor prophets.(9) This literature
represents key movements of pastoral activity
and prophetic discipleship: whether northern
or southern, Mosaic covenant orientated or
Jerusalem, Davidic dynasty orientated,
hieratic or popular.( 10)
Part One: Prophet-Mystic: Who are
You?
Mysticism, as already stated is being initially
understood as an overpowering experience
that reaches beyond accepted religious
structures( 11) and explanations and
therefore leaves the person alone in darkness,
at least on one or several issues. Yet to abide
in darkness presumes that the mystic does not
form another structure of life, ritual and
sacred literature but rather remains loyally
within the original community of Israel.
- ----
Paradoxically such prophet-mystics remain
simultaneously at the heart and on the outer
edge. They reach back to some aspects of the
initial impulse of biblical religion and give
these religious positions a central importance,
overlooking others concerned with ritual
which may be even more prominent in the
Torah.(l2) While still present in the central,
authoritative area of Israelite life, especially in
the Torah, prophets reach beyond many of
the official representatives of Torah and add a
new moral imperative to social justice.(13)
We approach an answer to our initial
question, 'Prophet-mystic: who are you?'
from a position taken by J oseph
Blenkinsopp, that prophets functioned at the
periphery of society.( 14) This
characterization, as Blenkinsopp admits, is
difficult to determine. First, the office of
prophet is peripheral to Israel in that it
originated outside of Israel.(15) Prophecy,
moreover, unlike priesthood and royalty
which also as institutions preexisted Israel,
never reached an independent existence but
was always interacting with other offices in
Israel, condemning or supporting. Persons
called prophets performed all kinds of duties,
cultic ones at the temple or sanctuary,
chaplains or advisors at court, isolated
preachers or leaders of communities.(16)
Even the biblical titles for prophets, like
ntiM', r6'eh, h6zeh or 'Ish (ha)'eZ6hfm,
fluctuated in their user 17) as the well known
passage of ISam.9:9 shows: 'For he who is
now called prophet [ntibf'] was formerly
called seer [r6'eh]'. Still other titles show up
on occasion. While Deut.18:9-14 condemns
many of these prophetic-diviners or
necromancers, prophetic literature is more
cautious and critiques them for their
moti vation.(l8)
While society by long experience
determined 'normal' ways for ecstatic'
behaviour, as seen in the writing of Simon B.
Parker(l9) and Robert R. Wilson,(20)
biblical prophecy under consideration here
never remained locked within these forms,
principally because these prophets moved
outside the sacred arena and worked for
social justice. Their ecstatic experiences did
not normally consist in trances or visions
which rendered them incapable of interacting
in human life on planet earth but rather in
3
finding God and God's word, in an intense
way, beyond the normal place and way for
God's presence. For instance, what priests
and temple prophets called blasphemy,
Jeremiah called God's word (Jer.26). To
remain with such a conviction, which
Jer.7:5-7 connects with social justice, could
help to explaln the confessions of Jeremiah,
which leave the prophet with more questions
than answers and an even greater demandJor
faith.(21)
Biblical prophecy, therefore, never arrived
at a well defined, generally accepted job
description. According to John Barton:
... [prophets] fit no categories that were recognized
even by very early readers of lhe ... scriptures ... They
were individuals without a status, lone geniuses
whom any generic title belittles.(22)
Barton also wrote, even more pointedly:
... the classical prophets were eccentrics, strange,
and alarming who the mould of
accepted beliefs and values but who, in the process,
changed those values and altered the national
religion into something scarcely paralleled in the
ancient world.(23)
This status of lonely genius, on the outer
edge of institutions, afforded the prophets an
unique, absorbing awareness of God's
presence and a literary style sans precedent.
Prophets, more so than priests or kings,
sensed an immediacy of divine presence and
divine command. Amos declared:
The lion roars-
Who will not be afmid!
The Lord God speaks-
Who will not prophesy!(24) (3:8, NAB)
Prophets moved to the outer edge in still
other ways. Their interior agony for justice,
as in Jer.4:19-21,25 led 'to emotional
outbursts the diction of which goes beyond
anything preserved from contemporary or
earlier prophets,'(26) what Gustav HOIscher
described as 'prophetic ecstasy.'(27) In an
example from the Isaiah tradition the rhetoric
explodes with terror:
Oracle on the wastelands by the sea:
Like whirlwinds, sweeping in waves
through the Negeb,
there comes from the desert.
from the fearful land,
A cruel sight, revealed to me:
the traitor betrays,
the despoiler spoils ....
Therefore my loins are filled with anguish ...
I am too bewildered to hear,
too dismayed to look.
My mind reels,
shuddering assails me;
My yearning for twilight
has turned into dread. (21:14)
This literary style may be found
occasionally in Torah literature, quite
frequently in prophecy. In this way many
prophets keep contact with Israel's official
religion, yet frequently reach beyond its style
and vocabulary in ecstatic outbursts. These
statements lead us to be more specific about
two areas where prophets broke moulds and
appeared as eccentrics: non-fulfillment of
prophecy and failure in moral integrity.
Part Two: Prophet-Mystics and Non-
Fulfillrnent of Prophecy
Fulfillment of prophecy turned into a major
criterion for judging true from false
prophecy .(28) Deuteronomy is quite clear
about this norm.:
If you say to yourselves, "How shall we recognise
an oracle which the Lord has spoken". know
that ... if the oracle is not fulfilled or verified, it is
an oracle which the Lord did not speak. The prophet
has spoken it presumptuously ... (I7:20-21)
The Deuteronomic history, in the words of
G. von Rad, turned prediction-fulfillment
into a 'system' so that the words of prophetic
prediction became the words for narrating the
later event.(29) Yet this norm, as R.E.
Clements admits in his study, Prophecy and
Tradition, is difficult to negotiate.(30) The
criterion is helpful only if fulfillment is close
in time, as we see in Jer.28, with the death of
the prophet Hananiah 'that same year, in the
seventh month,' as announced by the prophet
Jeremiah. At other times, however, as in
Jer.31, this criterion does not help at all.
Jeremiah's prophecy about the return of the
4
northern tribes never came true; the tears of
Rachel, their mother, continue to flow.
The Isaiah tradition, especially in chs. 41-
48, deals extensively with this question of
prophecy-fulfillment under the rubric of
'former things,' that is, prophecies already
fulfilled, and 'new things,' that is,
prophecies still awaiting fulfillment.(31) In
each case fulfillment contains an element of
surprise. Deutero-Isaiah declared:
Things of the past I foretold long ago,
they went forth from my mouth. I made sure
that you heard them;
then by surprise I took action and they came to be.
(48:3)
The key word, pit'om, is best translated 'by
surprise' or 'unexpectedly,' as in Isa.47:11
or Ma1.3:l. Prophecy prepares the way, but it
never adequately nor completely enables the
person to know exactly when or how the
future will come. The other passage concerns
'new thingsl:
From now on I announce new things to you,
hidden events of which you knew not,
Now. not long ago. they are brought into being.
and bdforetime you did not hear of them.

Again we meet the element of surprise:
'hidden things of which you knew not.'
This chapter 48 of Isaiah prepares the way
for the second major section of Deutero-
Isaiah, 49-55, yet in ways never anticipated
by the prophet. The earlier fate of Jerusalem,
destroyed in 587 BCE, engulfed the Servant-
Prophet who found himself like Jerusalem
rejected and disgraced. The weariness of
Jerusalem, expressed pathetically in 40:27-31
and surprisingly felt even by God (43:24),
creeps into the prophet's own bones.( 3 2)
Within 49-54 the agony of Jerusalem and of
the servant-prophet crisscrosses and
overlaps. The golden-tongued prophet
becomes the silent servant, even anonymous
in the central section of the fourth song,
where the prophet is referred to simply as
'he' or 'him'. David Clines writes eloquently
here of the mystic experience of the prophet-
servant, under the chapter heading, "The
Unsaid: Enigma and Ambiguity. "(33)
Prophet-Mystic. and Social Justice
Such unfulfilled fulfillment continued into
the age of Trito-Isaiah. This prophet moans
about prophecies that are being fulfilled
beyond, and completely different from, the
expectation of the earlier prophet. The
wondrous new exodus turned out to be
abysmally bleak and disappointing. Trito-
Isaiah's response, similar to Raggai's and
First Zechariah's, looked towards the new
temple, yet in ways completely at variance
from these latter two prophets.(34) Trito_
Isaiah is willing to bring shamed eunuchs
into the temple and allow unclean foreigners
to function as priests (56:6-9; 66:18-21). For
the sake of people despised and rejected, the
prophet is reaching far beyond the rules of
Leviticus and even beyond the otherwise
compassionate position of Deuteronomy.
(35) Re will be anointed 'to bring glad
tidings to the lowly, to heal the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives and relief to the prisoners'
(Isa.61:1). The bonding, therefore, is
between social justice and mysticism -
sustaining a pastoral position beyond the
accepted norms of the Torah, yet professing
loyalty to the Torah.(36)
By this unfulfilled fulfillment Trito-Isaiah is
swept into mystic prayer, as we read in ch.
63:
Too long have we been like those you do not rule,
who do not know your name.
Oh that you would rend the heavens and come
down.
with the mountains quaking before you ...
While you wrought awesome deeds we could not
hope for,
such as they had not heard of from old.
No car has ever heard, no eye ever seen,
any God but you
doing such deeds for those who wait.
Can you hold back, 0 Lord, after all this?
can you remain silent:, and afflict us so severely?
(63:19; 64:2-3,11)
The prophet is being led by compassion for
'the lowly and afflicted person who trembles
at my word' (66:2), for those who are
weeping (65:19), for Israelites who are living
in the dismal debris of a dilapidated
homeland. A wide reach for social justice
provided the background for struggling with
non-fulfillment and sustained the prophet
5
waiting and still waiting upon the Lord.(37)
Another aspect of these chapters of Trito-
Isaiah leads us into the other point to consider
in evaluating prophetic mysticism and social
justice: that of thinking and acting beyond the
normal rules of morality. Already Trito-Isaiah
broke with orthodoxy, as enunciated in
Leviticus and Deuteronomy, about the
exclusiveness of levitical or zadokite
priesthood which outlawed foreigners and
those Jews sexually mutilated. Yet he flies in
the face of his own openness to gentiles and
breaks with moral orthodoxy in a most
violent statement against the Edomites. Trito-
Isaiah declares in God's name:
I trod them in my anger,
and trampled them down in my wrath;
Their blood spurted on my garments;
all my apparel I stained (63:3) (38)
Other examples step forward for what we
call the a-moral attitude of prophecy.(39) In
the. midst of loneliness, rejection and
persecution, intensified by close involvement
in the suffering of innocent people, with a
heart on fire with passion (Jer.20:9) and a
tongue sharpened with exceptional rhetorical
skill (Isa.49:2; Rebr.4: 12), amid people, as
Barton wrote, who were 'eccentric, strange
and alarming,' how can we expect a clean,
calm moral response?(40)
A few other examples may enable us to see
other sides of this question of prophetic 'a-
morality.' First we look at prophetic
involvement in the choice of Israel's first
king.(41) We identify the passages by the
presence of the verb for prophesying, naba'
in the niphal and hithpael forms. In other
words, nabr prophets functioned either in
the passive or intensive, reflective state -
ecstatically:
- 10:5, a band of prophets in a delirium or
very excited state, mithnabbe'fm.
- 18:10, 'an evil spirit from God came upon
Saul, andhe raged,' yitlmabbe'(42).
- 19:20, Samuel was presiding over a band of
prophets 'in a prophetic frenzy,' nibbe'fm
and Yithnabbe'u.
- 19:23, as the spirit of God came upon Saul,
he continued in a prophetic state
(yithnabbe'). In that condition he stripped
~ ~ ' ~ - " " ! " . t ~ . ' .-
off his clothes and lay naked(43) all that day
and night.
The prophetic narrative makes no attempt to
modify (as did the Targum) nor to apologize
for Saul's impropriety, nor to exp.1ain how an
evil spirit of Yahweh came upon him.
Still other examples of prophetic a-morality
come to mind. When Elisha cursed the forty-
two boys who jeered at him as 'baldy' and
'she-wolves came out of the woods and tore-
[them] to pieces,' the passage concludes that
the prophet continued on his way to Mount
Carmel and thence to Samaria. The redactor
must have felt that Elisha could serenely go
home and sleep peacefully, for prophets were
above moral judgement by ordinary
standards.( 44)
Other instances occur which raise our
moral eyebrow, like Jeremiah's prayer for
revenge against his enemies in the final
confession we well as his bleak despair,
cursing the day of his birth (20:7-18).
Ecstatic experiences, born of intense
concern for social justice, do not liberate
prophets from, but even propel them into
excesses that at best seem mad and
senseless.( 45) Prophetic words strike
against accepted theological positions (as
with Jeremiah's announcement of the
temple's destruction in chs. 7 & 26) and
become cruel and revengeful (as in the
quotation from Isa.63:1-6 or in the incident
of the prophet Elisha).
To conclude this section: passionate
concern for justice, the agony of its betrayal
and the ineffectiveness of Israel's traditional
institutions push prophets beyond the borders
of orthodoxy, set up by religious authorities.
They are not satisfied with any false or facile
fulfillment but continue in a domain of non-
fulfillment. Prophets, at least some of them,
find an intense awareness of God in a dark
no-God land, an awareness so intense at
times as to plunge them into rhetorical and
moral excesses. Ecstatics are only a razor-
edge away from moral turpitude! At times, as
in any human situation, the law of averages
catches up and they collapse. Occasional
lapses do not discredit prophecy. -
Part Three: Prophetic-Mystic and the
Oracles Against the Nations
The Oracles Against the Nations explode with
6
fury and burn out of control. Contemporary
mystics, to whom we referred earlier,
pacifists like Dorothy Day and Thomas
Gumbleton, may now part company with
biblical prophets. Yet as Duane L.
Christensen wrote in one of the most
extensive investigations of the War Oracles,
'No matter how uncomfortable the idea may
be to men [and women] today, war and the
sacred are integrally related, especially in the
religion of ancient Israel.(46) R.E.Clements
confirms this statement: 'In fact, the threats
of judgement upon nations who were at times
enemies of Israel suggest that such foreign
nation oracles were a conventional part of the
established scope of prophecy in Israel.'( 47)
Norman Gottwald considered these oracles
'one of the earliest, if not the earliest, form
of Hebrew prophecy.'(48)
For any number of reasons, the oracles
against the nations quickly associate
themselves with the ecstatic aspect of
prophecy; passionate and explosive anger,
dynamic rhetoric,(49) patriotic fever,
especially in time of war with ultimate stakes
of survival or death. Over fifty years ago
Christian Schmerl commented on the 'abrupt
style' of speech in the use of verbal
imperatives.(50) T.R.HobOs puts it
realistically:
... through the use of words and language and
symbolic action, the prophet confronts his audience
with the awful, terrible reality of warfare. In stark
contrast to the stereotyped, official accounts of
battle on foreign soil found so frequently in the
historical annals of the monarchy. the prophet
presents the people with vivid. heartrending visions
of a devastated land, a slaughtercd and humiliated
people, the sword, which reaches the very heart of
Judah. It is in the prophetic books that we find
poetic depictions of the horrcndous conditions of
siege warfare .. when bodies line the streets, people
faint through lack of food, and the fear of the
doomed inhabitants gives way to absolute
despair.(S1)
Prophecy, however, moved away from
that point where most Israelites and certainly
the rulers rallied with hatred against the
nations. Many times prophets took up the
oracles against the nations from the periphery
of their society'S attitude towards the nations.
I -
Prophets clashed with such central doctrines
as the election ofIsrael and the non-election
of the nations or the absolute, divine
protection of Israel against the world.
Prophets eventually dreamed the vision of a
new Jerusalem, a symbolic centre for
gathering, not rejecting, the nations of the
world.(52)
The same prophetical interaction of ecstasy,
international politics and social justice, appear
at once with the f"lrst classical prophet, Amos.
The fust and longest single section of Amos'
prophecy consists of Oracles against the
Nations. (1:3-2:16).(53)
Already in Amos prophecy is transfonning
these oracles: f"lrst 'Of all, isolating the major
crimes as those of humanity against
humanity, therefore those of social injustice.
It is impossible to begin citing the many
passages in Amos, defending poor
defenseless people against hardened, wealthy
landlords. Amos transformed the oracles
against the nations by leading up to a new
type of climax, an oracle against Israel.
T.R.Hobbs writes:
In the so -called "classical tradition of prophecy,
this war oracle is redirected against Israel on
numerous occasions. In a clever fashion the
opening chapters of Amos include Israel, and
perhaps J udah in the universal judgement of God.
The tradition continues in the pre-exilic prophets
and a climax is reached in the prophecies of
Jeremiah. Here Yahweh the warrior fights against
His own people, and [in 32:28J eventually 'hands
over' Jerusalem and Iudah into the control of the
Babylonians.(54)
The ecstatic element is evident in several
ways: (1) in the possibility that Amos'
visions, recorded in 7:1-9 and 8:1-3,
constituted his initial call to prophesy; (2) in
the divine compulsion to prophesy (3:8,
7:15),(55) and continuously to detect God's
intervention (3:3-8; 4:6-13);(56) (3) in the
innovative way of transforming oracles
against the nations to sennons for social
justice against Israel. Ecstasy, that is, a:
sustained mental condition beyond what was
normal and regular in Israel's religiou,
secured the prophet Amos in his quest for
social justice.
What we have just seen in the prophecy of
Amos, appears even more developed in the
7
Isaiah tradition. Each element is more f"lrmly
in place: interaction with the foreign nations;
defense of the poor; visionary or ecstatic
person.(57) Together these aspects place
Isaiah at the periphery ofIsraelite society.
Each major section of the prophecy (1-12,
13-23, 24-27, 28-33, 34-35, 36-39, 40-55,
56-66) ends with a favourable outreach
towards the nations. In fact, within the
oracles against the nations, 13-23, there
occurs one of the most radical, pro-nations
statement in the entire Old Testament.(58)
Egypt and Assyria are placed on a par with
Israel:
Blessed be my people Egypt, and the work of my
hands Assyria, and my inheritance Israel.
./
This statement was far too radical in its
friendly outreach towards foreign nations for
the Septuagint and Targum. Each made
signiIicant modiIications. The Septuagint
reads:
Blessed be my people who are in Egypt, and who
are in Assyria, and my inheritance Israel.
The Targum modiIies the statement still
further:
Blessod be my people whom I brought forth from
Egypt,
because they sinned against me I exiled them to
Assyria, and now that they repented they are
called my people and my heritage Israel.(59)
The oracles against the nations also contain
some blatant mythology. Here prophecy
sweeps into a-moral or unorthodox posture.
The passage in 13:21-22 seems to be
referting to lesser, alien deities inhabiting the
deserted land of Babylon:
Wildcats shall rest there
and owls shall fill the houses;
There ostriches shall dwell,
and satyrs shall dance.
Desert beasts shall howl in her castles,
and jackals in her luxurious palace.(13:21-22a)
Lev. 17:7 forbids the worship of these
satyrs. Isa. 34:14 associates the wildcats and
satyrs with the female deity Lilith.
Isa.14:12-23 is also important, for its
mythological story, comparing Babylon to
the fall of the morning star. The Vulgate calls
this star lucifer. Jesus may be referring to
this episode: 'I have observed Satan fall like
lightning from the sky,' in answering the
disciples who declared to him: 'Lord, even
the demons are subject to us' (Luke 10:17-
18). This pericope of Isaiah also braves the
forbidden world beyond the grave and finds
it peopled with many deceased persons who
are active and conscious of one another and
of what is happening on earth.
Justice towards the poor and downtrodden
also shows up clearly throughout the Isaian
oracles against the nations. As with the other
classical prophets, the major crime of the
nations is not idolatry but rather, first of all,
their pride,(60) and secondly, their way of
interfering with God's plans for Israel and
the world.(61) God's plan for persecuted,
decimated people reaches beyond Israel; in
16:14 it includes Moab, caIIed a 'remnant
small and weak - miz'dr me'at se'dr. Yet
Deut 23:4-7, as mentioned already, excludes
the Moabites 'even to the tenth generation [so
that] Israel is never to promote their peace
and prosperity [that is, make a treaty with
them].' This plan for persecuted, decimated
people is expanded to include Israel's future
role of 'remnant,' symbolized by the name of
the prophet's elder son, Shear-jashub (Isa.
7:3).
Finally, the ecstatic or mystical element in
the Oracles against the Nations appears in a
passage which we already quoted for its
rhetoric of fearful visions (lsa. 21:1-4). One
other passage deserves attention, not only for
its visionaty style but also for its influence
upon the famous passage in Isa. 37:36 in
which an angel of the Lord went forth, early
in the morning, to strike down one hundred
and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian
camp. R.E. Clements( 62) has traced the
development of this tradition back to
isa.17:12-14, where this absorbing and
terrifying vision is recounted:
Ah! the roaring of many peopJes
that roar like the roar of the seas!
The surging of nations
that surge like the surging of mighty waves!
But God shall rebuke them,
and they shall flee far away;
8
like chaff on the mountains,
like turnbleweed in a stonn.
In the evening. they spread terror.
before morning. they are gone!
Such is the portion of those who despoil us,
the lot of those who plunder us.
The visionaty or ecstatic aspect of the
prophets Amos and Isaiah enabled them to
stand up to world powers as well as to the
religious and civil authorities in Israel. These
prophets saw a plan of God at work in the
nations for the sake of the poor and humble,
for those who wait humbly upon the Lord, as
in Isa.30:15-18. This last passage (twice with
the use of hdzti or vision) leads to another
expansion seen in the oracles against the
nations: a movement towards pacifism in
which God alone is to intervene in place of
human militaty force. Here is the ultimate act
of social justice for the poor and defenseless.
Referring to this passage in Isaiah ch.30, as
well as to Mic.5: 1 0; Isa.43: 15-17 and
Zech.4:6, Waiter Brueggemann recognizes
the liberating power of God over all
oppressive and unjust domination.(,63)
Part Four: Prophetic-Mystic and
Justice for Sick and Disabled Persons
Once again we search for the conjunction of
prophetic mysticism and social justice, this
time through the prophet's concern for sick
and disabled persons. It has been remarked
several times that mysticism leads a person
beyond the borders of orthodoxy, where God
should not be present, yet in this 'atheistic' or
'agnostic' mist prophecy discovers an
intense, overwhelming presence of God, at
times without the proper language to express
it, at other times defiant enough to speak out
and so to be instrumental in opening and
extending the borders.
We first look at the prophet's willingness to
disregard rules of orthodoxy and to touch the
dead; second, we observe the prophet's way
of linking the cure of the sick to the
eschatological reign of God.(64)
As a basis for our discussion, we note the
Torah's position about ritual uncleanness
connected with sickness, disablement and
death.(65) Aspects of this topic already
arose in discussing Trito-Isaiah's acceptance
of eunuchs and gentiles in the service of the
temple. Leviticus, ch.21, is quite clear and
Prophet-Mystic a1/d Social Justice
prohibits any of its priests from functioning
at the sanctuary, if they have become unclean
through contact with persons seriously ill or
dead, or if the priests show any physical
'deformity.' This question has been pursued
by Mary Douglas with an update and
refinement by Robert P.Carroll.(66) The
same prohibition continues into the Second
Temple Period, as we see in the prophecy of
Ezekiel and Haggai, who decide that coming
near or brushing against the sick or dead
renders one unclean (Ezek.44:25;
Hag.2:13).(67)
The laws of Leviticus seek to preserve the
holiness of the temple and its cuItus,
prohibiting sick and disabled people from
entering and defiling the holy place, as is
summed up towards the end ofLev. 13-15:
You shall put the Israelites on guard against their
uncleanness. lest they die through their uncleanness
by defiling my Tabernacle which is among them.
(JPSV)
Deuteronomy also viewed disease 'as the
primary means by which God manifests his
wrath towards his people.'(68)
The early prophets seem to have completely
disregarded these Torah rules about cleanness
aQd uncleanness, at least judging from the
accounts of Elijah and Elisha. Elijah not only
touched but extended himself over the
deceased son of the widow, three times, tiII
'the life's breath returned to the child's body
and he revived' (1 Kgs 17:22). In another
example, a corpse was hurriedly buried in the
grave of the prophet Elisha. Immediately
upon touching the prophet'S bones,(69) the
dead person returns to life. Within the
traditions of the former prophetic books,
therefore, human bones were not
contaminating but were, in fact, a means of
marvelously restoring life. God was
extraordinarily present where orthodoxy
claimed divine absence.(70) The prophets
were willing to disregard the rules of ritual
cleanliness which separated them from the'
sanctuary and to plunge into the non-world of
spirits and demons. We also sense a firm
belief in conscious survival or life after death,
a position unacceptable to the priesthood.
Isa.14:l2-21 and Ezek.28:11-19 combine
most of these fearsome aspects of the
9
netherworld.
Clearly associated with sickness and death
is Yahweh's image as Lord of pestilence and
death. Pestilence and death, indeed, were
considered demi-gods that surrounded the
throne of God, always at the divine beck and
call.(7l) A series of passages in the psalms
as well as in 1-2 Samuel, Amos, Hosea and
Ezekiel, seems to support this position. For
instance, in 2 Sam.24, the Lord sends
pestilence, to punish David for a census
which the Lord incited David to undertake.
The passage in Ezek.5:11-17 echoes many
words and ideas from 2 Sam.24. These
passages manifest the a-moral aspect of
divinity: unorthodox if judged humanly, but
actually beyond the reach of religious
tribunals.(72 )
The belief, not only that deceased persons
remained alive but that they could be
contacted through necromancers, is plainly
evident in the episode of Saul's tryst at
Endor. Here the necromancer was able to
summon Samuel's ghost back to life. The
text speaks of gods rising up from the earth
(,el6hfm '61fm), so that we are in the fearful
realm of divine beings.(73)
In these instances prophets were willing to
wait beside those who mourned the dead, to
enter the frightening realm of spirits and
demi-gods, and to risk contamination and
theological error, to provide protection
against serious dangers, plagues and
pestilences as well as to console sick,
bereaved and disabled people. .
We consider two other ways by \Yhich
prophet-mystics responded, still more
positively and energetically: one, by bonding
together healing and conversion; second, by
summoning sick and disabled persons into
the eschatological reign of God. In the latter
case sick and disabled persons may have
constituted a metaphor for helpless people,
incapable of sustaining a full life that was
freed of suffering and oppression. Yet, the
choice of such a metaphor is significant - as
though one were to say today that AIDS
patients constituted the core from which God
reconstitutes the disciples of Jesus.
Prophets like Hosea and Jeremiah
consistently united healing (rapa') and
conversion (sub).(74) Hos.5:13-l4
admonishes the people for not going to
Yahweh, when they were sick with oozing
-------------- -- - --
wounds. While the language is metaphorical,
nonetheless, such metaphors presume
Yahweh's willingness to receive sick and
disabled persons - so different from the
temple from which they were barred.
In Isaiah, God inflicts the country with
multiple wounds, with welts and gaping
gashes, not drained or bandaged, or eased
with salve (Isa.l :5-6). Isaiah accepts the
common understanding of the Torah that
sickness was an apt symbol for a sinful
nation. Yet the Lord is not acting to destroy
but to move the people to repentance. In
chapter 38, the prophet Isaiah has no problem
whatsoever of being contaminated religiously
by providing a healing remedy for the ailing
King Hezekiah - even though here the more
traditional theology persists, that there is no
conscious, personal survival after death.
We turn now, as our last point, to
discussing prophetic concern for sick,
disabled and dead people. Because of their
mystical bent and religious courage prophets
were willing to enter into the strange, dark
area of Sheol or the underworld. In these
passages prophecy identifies the people,
being called to the final, glorious triumph of
God as sick and disabled persons, the very
ones whom the Torah prevented from coming
near the God of the living. The first passage
to consider is from the prophecy of
Micah:(75)
On that day, says the Lord,
I will gather those who limp,
And I will assemble the outcasts,
and those whom I have afflicted.
I will make of the lame a remnant,
and of those driven far off a strong nation;
And the Lord shall be king. over them on Mount
Zion,
from now and forever. (4:67)
Most interestingly, the sacred assembly on
Mount Zion consists entirely of those whom
the law declares ceremonially unclean and
therefore forbidden to enter the sanctuary!
Zephaniah, likewise, continues in the same
spirit, bringing lame people and o)ltcasts into
the temple. 3:19 shows literary bonds with
Hosea and Jeremiah, combining the act of
healing with that of conversion or restoration,
as well as with Micah in using the rare
10
Hebrew word, sa/a' 'to limp'.(76)
Last of all, one of the final editors of the
Isaiah tradition acts upon the influence of
Second and Third Isaiah, the former with the
imagery of deserts and marshland where the
glory of the Lord will appear (Isa.40), the
latter with the explicit acceptance of disabled
or mutilated persons into the temple (Isa,56).
The passage reads:
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
Then will the lame leap like a stag.
and the tongue of the dumb will sing ...
Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlastingjoy.(35:5-6,10a)
This text unites ecstatic visions of the glory
of God, a glory that reaches into unclean
foreign lands(77) with a compassionate
social concern for unclean disabled persons.
In conclusion to this fourth section of our
investigation, we see the ability of prophecy
to pass over the boundaries of the sacred into
unclean or profane areas, inhabited by demi-
gods, by sick, disabled and deceased
persons. Here in this dark abyss according to
the Torah, prophets discovered the glory of
the Lord and heard the call to worship on
Mount Zion. The mystic bent of prophecy
allowed them to venture beyond the set
categories of where God ought to be; their
compassionate spirit for social justice led
them to discover healing and salvation here
for the religiously unclean.
In Conclusion
Biblical prophets were frequently mystics,
gifted by a discovery of God beyond the
borders of what was generally considered
acceptable for God, at least as the Torah was
being understood. In these instances prophets
did not have the language or the restraint,
proper to orthodoxy, and so were swept by
passion and rhetoric, even into a-moral
situations. What moved prophecy outside
Torah boundaries was a strong passion for
justice among people who were ostracized.
While Torah, especially Deut.18, restricted
the ranks of genuine prophets to those
whilse prophecies were authenticated in
fulfillment, prophets, especially like Jeremiah
and Isaiah, looked into the element of

ProphetMystic and Social Justice
surprise and found fulfillment in continuity
with tradition, yet beyond its comprehension
by people at the time.
Two groups of people, isolated by Torah
legislation, declared unclean and incapable of
representing Yahweh, the God of Life within
the chosen people, were the foreign nations
and sick or disabled persons. Prophets began
a process of turning the oracles against the
nations into messages of salvation for the
nations. Prophets reached out to bond with
sick and disabled persons, even if it meant at
times dealing with demi-gods, and thought of
the remnant summoned into the
eschatological reign of God under the
metaphor of being sick and disabled.
Prophet-mystic is the term we use to
describe those areas and moments of
prophetic thinking and preaching where they
paradoxically reached to the depth of the
covenant - faith in a God, compassionate
towards the lowly, with steadfast love and
fidelity - yet simultaneously looked beyond
the ways in which the covenant was being
understood and implemented. In each case
prophets lived long and persevering by a faith
which by its very nature leaves a person
without clear answers, in what later mystics
called the dark night of the soul.
A strong concern for social justice kept the
prophet down-to-earth, capable of interacting
with practical demands oflife. Prophets were
genuinely part of Israel, and as just
mentioned, linked with important aspects of
the Torah, especially as found in
Deuteronomy. Yet they emphasized aspects
which, with the passage Of time, were
underrated or overlooked by priests and
levites. Prophets reacted strongly against
some of the Torah prohipitions about clean
and unclean. And in their reaction they
became passionately involved, highly
rhetorical, sternly and even stridently
obedient. For these reasons we link them
with modern prophets like Thomas Merton or
Ernesto Cardenal, where poetry is translated
into everyday life, lived exaltedly, intensely,
often in isolation, yet eventually claiming its
place again in the daily life of Israel and the
Church, by the reformation ofIsrael and the
Church.
Carroll Stuhlmueller, C.P.
11
Notes
1. The initial subtitle to this study was: 'Causae ad
invicem Causae,' translated literally. 'Causes are
causes to one another.' meaning that important
movements oftcn impact and influence one another
simultaneously. Each is a cause that produces an
effect upon the other. This subtitle seemed more
obfuscating than helpful, coming as it did from arcane
medieval philosophy. The new subtitle acknowledges
other difficulties and the many good suggestions from
the two principal respondents, P.A. Viviano' and
R.W. KIein as well as from other participants in the
centennial celebration of the Chicago Society of
Biblical Research, April 20, 1991. I am grateful for
the honour of being invited to prepare this
presentation.
2. See J. Lindblom,Prophecy in Ancient Israel
(philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1973); W. Overholt,
Channels of Prophecy. The Social Dynamics of
Prophetic Activity (Minneapolis: Fortress Press,
1989).
3. R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient
Israel (philadelphia, Fortress Press, 1980); D. Miller
Jnr., Sin and Judgement in the Prophets (SBLMS
27; Chico CA: Scholars Press, 1982); L. Peterson
(ed), Prophecy in Israel (IRT 10; Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1987); J.F.A. Sawyer, Prophecy and
the Prophets of the Old Testament (New York:
O.V.P., 1987); J.A. Dearman, Property Rights in
the Eighth Century Prophets (SBLDS 106; Atlanta:
Scholars Press, 1988).
4. Cf. D. Senior & C. Stuhlmueller, The Biblical
Foundations for Mission. (Maryknoll NY: Orbis
Books, 1983).
5. For churches like Roman Catholicism with a
strong emphasis upon the sacramenlS", sickness and
disability raise the question: is the church ready to
ordain to priesthood a person completely mUle who
must consecrate bread and wine by sign language; or
again, world mission in a land like the Philippines
where grape wine was never indigenous and had to be
brought across the ocean by the colonizers: forces
such churches to face the question, would Jesus
demand grape juice wine, or for that matter, bread, for
the primary sacrament of these churches, the
Eucharist.
6. This statement will be nuanced, as there 'existed
outside and within the Bible 'normal' ways for
ecstatics to express themselves while in a mystic
state.
7. Cr. D. Berrigan, The Dark Nighl of Resistance
(Garden City NY: Doubleday, 1971); id., To Dwell
in Peace: An Autobiography (San Francisco: Harper
& Row, 1987); T. Merton, Mystics and Zen Masters
(New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1967); id.,
Contemplative Prayer (New York: Herder & Herder
1965); D. Day, The Long Loneliness (New York:
Harper, 1952); id., Loaves and Fishes (New York:
Harper and Row, 1963); E. Cardenal, Apocalypse
and Other Poems (edited and selected by R. Pring-
Mill & D.D. Walsh; New York: New Directions,
1977); id . Love, Preface by Thomas Merton, (New
York: Crossroad, 1981). The two great Spanish
mystics. Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross,
combined ecstasy and contemplation with a strong
practical sense for life. See John 0/ the Cross,
Selei:te(i Writings. (ed. K. Kavanaugh; New York:
Paulist Press,1987); id., Spiritual Canticle. 3rd rev.
ed. (trans. and ed. E. Allison Peers; Garden City NY:
Doubleday, 1961); Teresa of Avila, The Interior
Castle. 4th ed. (London: Thomas Baker,1930).
8. Cf. E. Gateley, Psalms of a Laywoman (Chicago:
Claret Center for Resources In Spirituality, 1981);
id . I Hear A Seed Growing (Trabuco Canyon CA:
Source Books, 1990).
9. Cf. the method of canonical criticism: James A.
Sanders. Canon and Community (Guides to Biblical
Scholarship; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984);
B.S. Childs, Introduction to the Old Testament as
Scripture (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979);
id., "The Canonical Shape of the Prophetic
Literature," Interpreting the Prophets (J. Mays &
P.J. Achtemeier, eds; Philadelphia: Fortress Press,
1987) 4149.
10. These two major divisions of Israel's theology are
developed by P.D. Hanson, The People Called.(San
Francisco: Harper & Row, 1986).
11. The mysticism which we are discussing here is
quite different from that indueed by elaborate ritual, as
in 1 Sam. 10:5-9. This latter, but in its legitimate
forms, is presented by J. Eaton, Vision in Worship.
The Relation of Prophecy and Liturgy in the Old
Testament (London: SPCK, 1981). See my review
in JBL 103 (1984) 638-9.
12. One of the early scholars to stress the close
relation of prophecy to the Torah was R.V. Bergren,
The Prophets and The Law (Cincinnati: Hebrew
Union College, 1974). Two others have recently
researched the presence of justice for the poor
throughout the Hebrew Bible: J. Hoppe, O.F.M,
Being Poor. A Biblical Study (Wilmington DE:
Michael Glazier, 1987); N.E. Lohfink, SJ., Option
for the Poor. The Basic Principle of Liberation
Theology in the Light of the Bible (Berkeley CA:
BIBAL Press, 1987)
13. Concern for social justice often draws the line
between genuine mysticism and false gnosticism, as
12
for instance in the case of the 450 prophets of Baal (
1 Kgs.18).
14.J. Blenkinsopp, A History of Prophecy in Israel
(philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1983) 3846.
15. The nrst prominent prophetic notice highlighted
the outsider Balaarn (Num 22-24). J. Hacket!, The
Balaam Text from Deir 'Alla (HSM; Chico CA:
Scholars Press, 1980). vouches for a long tradition
behind this text and that of the Bible.
16. J.F.A. Sawyer, op.cit.,18-23.
17. This question has been explored and synthesized
by D.L. Peterson, The Roles of Israel's Prophets
(JSOTSup 17; University of Sheffield, 1981) chaps.
3-5.
18. I.e. for acting for greed or in the name of foreig.n
deities: cf. Isa.3:1-3; 44:25-26; Jer. 27:9; Mic.3:11-
12.
19.5.B. Parker, ''Possession Trance and Prophecy in
Pre-exilic Israel,"VT28 (1978) 271-285.
20. R. Wilson, 'Prophecy and Ecstasy,' JBL 98
(1979) 321-7; later developed in his book, Prophecy
and Society in Ancient Israel.
21. Jer. 12:1-5; 15:10-21; 17:14-18; 18:19-23; 20:7-
18. Cf., K.M. O'Connor, The Confessions of
Jeremiah: Their Interpretation and Role in Chapters
1-25 (SBLDS 94; Atlanta GA: Scholars Press,
1988); M.S. Smith, The Laments of Jeremiah and
Their Contexts (SBLMS 42; Atlanta GA: Scholars
Press, 1990).
22. J. Barton, Oracles of God(Oxford University
Press: 1986.) 272. He writes of prophets and their
traditions as these were understood and edited in the
postexilic age, similar to the approach which we are
using.
23. Op.cit., 269. These statements of Barton
confinn our earlier position. that prophets remain
staunchly loyal to Torah and Israelite religion. even if
they drew some of its basic positions to conclusions
beyond the range of acceptability by priests and many
others.
24. It is interesting to note that the NAB. unlike the
NJV, NIV, NRSV or NJB, used exclamation marks
here. not question marks. The fact is so certain that it
startles one.
25. Cf. P. Couturier. "Jeremiah." NIBC. 18:22.
'Now [in chs. 4-5] the stress is on morals, both social
and personal.'
26. W. Holliday, Jeremiah 1 (Hermeneia;
Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986) 151; see also H.
Marks, "On Prophetic Stammering," The Book and
the Text: The Bible and Literary Theory (ed. R.
Schwartz; Cambridge MA: Blackwell, 1990) 60-80.
27. Cited by Holliday, ibid.
28. For this question. See J.A. Sanders,
.-
Prophet.Mystic and Social Justice
"Henneneutlcs in True and False Prophecy," Canon
and Authority, (ed. G.W. Coats and B,O. Long;
Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977) 21-41, who
rightly in my judgement, finds the key in pastoral
effectiveness rather than in theological orthodoxy. G.
Miinderlein. Kriterien wahrer und falscher Prophetie
(Europaiser Hochschulschriften, Xl11/33;
Bern/Frankfiirt am Main/ Las Yegas: Peter Lang,
1974; 2nd ed. 1979), discusses only to reject most
standard ways of detennining true prophecy_ See my
review,CBQ 42 (1980) 5478. The pastoral
interpretation within rabbinical tradition which can
separate itself from the historical setting of a biblical
text is discussed by R. Goldenberg, "The problem of
False Prophecy: Talmudic Interpretations of Jeremiah
28 and 1 Kings 22," The Biblical Mosaic (ed.R.
Polzin and E. Rothman; Philadelphia: Fortress Press;
Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1982) 87-103.
29. Cf. G. von Rad, "The Deuteronomic Theology of
History in I and II Kings," The Problem of the
Hexateuch and Other Essays (Edinburgh: Oliver and
Boyd, 1966) 208-211.
30. Cf. R.E. Clements Prophecy and Tradition
(Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975) 52-54. Lack of
fulfillment never collapsed a prophetic movement, as
shown by R.P. Carroll, When Prophecy Failed.
Cognitive Dissonance in the Prophetic of
the Old Testament (New York: Seabury Press,
1979).
31. For an elaborate attempt to organize 15a.40-48
around the theme of first and last: R.P. Merendino,
Der Erste und der Letzte: Eine Untersuchung von Jes
40-48 (VTSup 31; Leiden: Brill, 1981). See my
review CBQ 44 (1982) 487-490, and my own earlier
attempt to explain this question, "'First and Last' and
'YahwehCreator' in Deutero-Isaiah," CBQ 29 (1967)
495-511.
32. Cf. Isa. 40:27-31; 43:24. In fact, the theme of
weariness becomes a key word in Isa 40-55: ya'ap in
40:30; 44:12; 50:4; yaga' in 40:30, 31; 43:22, 23,
24; 47:12,15; 49:4; 57:10; 62:8; 65:23. Note that
65:23 contrasts with 49:4. Cf. P.-E. Bonnard, Le
Seconde Isaie(EBib; Paris: Gabalda, 1972) 103, n.2. .
33. Cr. D.J.A. Clines, I, He, We & They
(JSOTSupl; University of Sheffield, 1976) ch.2.
34. Cf. C. StuhImueller. "Deutero-Isaiah and Trito-
Isaiah," (Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice Hall. 1990)
347, 'This section [65:1-25) tends towards a
protoapocalyptic composition as it sweeps beyond
earthly politics and even Temple worship into a new
heaven and new earth. It is different, therefore, from
Hag.2:6-9 or even Zech.14. While the latter
apocalyptic movement was located within loyalists to
13
the Temple and its priests, that of Dt- and Tr-Isa
perceived the Lord's presence extending beyond
Jerusalem into the Cosmos.'
35. Deut.23:2-9 severely prohibits such 'laxity.'
36. M.S. Smith, The Early History of God. Yahweh
and Other Deities ih Ancient Israel (San Francisco:
Harper & Row, 1990) 126-132, an excellent piec<! of
research, nonetheless, erases too vigorously the
diffeInce between Torah or Temple orthodoxy on the
one hand and popular religious expressions at the
sanctuaries or in the marketplace on the other.
37. The word. qawa connotes strong, confident
waiting, as it occurs here and elsewhere in
of lament: 49:23; 59:9, 11; 60:9; cf. Isa. 5:2,4, 7;
Lam.3:25; Pss.25:2; 27:14; 37:9; 40:2; 69:7; Job
7:2. Cr. Whybray, op.cit. 59; Bonnard, op.cit. 103,
n.4.
38. As mentioned earlier, we treat Isa. 56-66 in its
canonical shape, edited in the postexilic age. The
oracles. against the nations are treated more
extensively in a later section of this study.
39. We are not speaking about immorality, ,a
deliberate breach in what is clearly right and wrong,
but of passionate agony and emotional excess beyond
rules.
40. Perhaps an example will help: chaplains in the
emergency room of hospitals will never follow all the
rules of theologians who from their quiet desk
or who are officials in the chancery office of the
church.
41. We bypass the discussion of Saul as nagid rather
than melek.
42. TM is more blunt than this NAB version: 'an evil
spirit of God rushed upon Saul,' which the Targum
Jonatban renders more discreetly: 'an evil spirit/rom
before the Lord.' (DJ. Harrington and J. Saldarini,
Targum lonathan of the Former Prophets (Aramaic
Bible,1O; Wilmington DE: Michael Glazier, 1987)
137.
43. Targum Jonathan is again more discreet, using an
Aramaic word which may mean 'lay naked' but can
also be translated 'fell under those having power,'
ibid. 139
44. If 2 Kgs.2:23-24 is read in conjunction with
Num.16:35. where fire comes out to consume Korah,
we find a repetition of two key words: 'to come out,'
and the Hebrew word 'baldy' qereah very similar, to
the Hebrew spelling for Korah i.e. 'Q6rah.' Perhaps,
more is implied in 2 Kgs.2:23-24 than ridiculing a
prophet
45. As Hosea was accused in 9:7. The prophet is a
/001, "ewil. a word which in Ps.14 .implies moral
offense. Or the person of the spirit is ma d,
mewugga', as in 2 Kgs.9:11 or Jor.24:26.
46. D.L. Christensen. Transformation of the War
Oracle in Old Testament Prophecy (Missoula
Scholars Press, 1975) 17.
47. R.E. Clements, op.cit.66.
48. N. Gottwald, All the Kingdoms of the Earth
(New York: Harper & Row, 1964) 49, as quoted by
Christensen, op.cit. 5-6. .
49. Cf. the earlier citation of Isa.21:1-4. This
example of terrifying imagery, from a mystic or
visionary experience. that reaches almost towards the
apocalyptic, came from Isaiah's oracles against the
nations.
50. C. Schmerl, Die Volkerorakel in den
Prophetenbachern des Alten Testaments
(Wtirzburg ... Richard Mayr, 1939), cited by
Christensen. op.cit. 3-4.
51. T.R. Hobbs, A Time for War. A study of
Warfare in the Old Testament (Wilmington, DE:
Michael Glazier, 1989) 197.
52. F. Huber, Jahwe, Juda und die anderen Viilker
beim Propheten Jesaja (BZAW 137; New York:
Walter de Gruyter, 1976) shows how Isaiah saw an
ever more positive role for the nations. See my
review CBQ 39 (1977) 420-422.
53. The editor of the entire corpus of Amos's
preaching must have seen the importance of the
initial oracles against the nations, for he links the
fIrst two oracles, against Aram and Philistia, with the
extraordinary verse in Amos 9:7. Here the exodus out
of Egypt is reduced to a political act of fleeing for
safety, something that happened equally as well,
Amos declares, when the PhiIistines came from
Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir.
54. Cf. Hobbs, op.cit. 196
55. In Amos 7:15, 'The Lord took me from
following the flock, and said to me, 'Go prophesy to
my pe.ople, Israel,' the Hebrew word /aqah can
signify a dramatic intervention, as happened when
Enoch and Elijah were taken from earth to be alive
with God (Gen.5:24; 2 Kgs.2:12).
56. The second citation here ends with a hymn (4:13),
most probably a later addition according to J.L.
Crenshaw, Hymnic Affirmation of Divine Justice
(SBLDS 24; Missoula MN: Scholars Press, 1975).
Yet the hymnic segments (4:13; 5:8; 9:5-6) have not
only been carefully stitched into the structural
patterns but they equally as well bring the thought of
each section to a climax, that borrows an exalted or
mystical tone from the cult.
57. The ecstatic element may be supported in the
frequent use of hcizii: Isa.1:1; 2:1; 13:1; 26:11 (2x);
30:10 (2x); 33:17; 33:20; 47:13; 48:6; 57:8. The
term may show it to be a stereotypical formula for
14
prophet in the southern Judahite area (cf. Petersen,
The Roles of Israel's Prophets,52-58). Its use in
connection with the divine council (petersen, 86) may
be simply a metaphor drawn from the Jerusalem royal
protocol or it may indicate an ecstatic invitation into
the divine presence.
58. This distinction is shared with Amos 9:7, cited
above.
59. B.D. Chilton, The Isaiah Targum (Wilmington
DE: Michae1 Glazier, 1987) 39.
60. Cf. Isa.14:12-23 against Babylon; Isa.16:6
against Moab; lsa.23:9 against Tyre.
61. Cf., Huber, op.cit.
62. R.E. elements, Isaiah and the Deliverance of
Jerusalem(JSOTSup 13; Sheffield: 1980) 46-47.
63. W. Brueggemann, Revelation and Violence. A
Study in Contextualizalion (Milwaukee, WI:
Marquette University Press, 1986) 50-51.
64. R.E. Clements, Wisdom for a Changing World.
Wisdom in Old Testament Theology (Berkeley CA:
BIBAL Press 1990) ch. 11, discusses "Death, Life and
Healing" and the way in which wisdom offered an
alternate response to sickness in place of priesthood
and cultus. He admits 'how very minimal is the
availability of any medical or pharmaceutical help
from the cultus' (p.43). In place of the priestly
explanation of sickness as due to guilt, wisdom
attributed sickness to folly and therefore advocated 'a
prudential looking to the consequence.s of actions,'
especially in the postexiJic age when Jews of the
diaspora had little access to the temple priesthood.
65. Uncleanness, in is incurred for
touching (naga') 'a person who was killed (by the
sword), or that died (naturally), or a human bone, or a
grave'; in Lev. 11:31-32,3940, for touching dead
animalS; in Lev. 21:11; Num. 6:69; Ezek. 44:25 for
coming near the dead (ba,); cf., KJ. 111man, Old
Testament Formulas About Death (Abo Akedemi,
1979) 143-144. See the earlier reference to M.S.
Smith, op.cit. 126-132, who. discusses practices
associated with the dead and the question of
uncleanness or the Temple's acceptance of cullic acts
to contact the dead.
66. M. Douglas, "The Abominations of Leviticus
(1966)," and M.P. Carroll, "One More Time
Leviticus Revisited (1978)" in the collection,
Anthropological Approaches to the Old Testament,'
ed. B. Lang (philadelphia; Fortress Press, 1985) 100-
116, 117-126; see also D.P. Wright, The Disposal
of Impurity (SBLDS 101; Atlanta: Scholars Press,
1987).
67. Similar to the situation in Haggai's time, Isa.
53:8 may refer to some kind of excommunication
from the religious assembly because of physical
,
disfigurement
For he was cut off from the land of the living
Through the sin of My people who deserved
the punishment (]PSV)
'It is possible that (the phrase, land of the living]
'eres hayyfm. refers to the temple: with reference to
2 Chron.26: 16-21 which has a very similar
phraseology, except that 'land of the living' in lsa.
53:8 becomes 'house of Yahweh' in 2 Chron. Cf.
M.L. Barn" "'rs (h)hyym - 'The Land of the
Living?'" JSOT 41 (1988) 49-50
68. elements. op.cit.,42, with reference to
Deut28:21-24.
69. The word, to touch - naga', occurs several times
in the prohibitions of Num.19. See note 65.
70. If we associate with the grave the biblical
literature on sheol. and the latter's association with
the lifeless desert and the destructured sea - three noo-
worlds, according to J. Pedersen, [srae I (Oxford:
O.U.P., 1926, rp 1964) 464 - a profound difference
looms between the Priestly, Torah tradition and that
of Prophecy and Psalms. See also J.L. McKenzie,
Dictionary of the Bible (Milwaukee: Bruce, 1965)
800-1 for a c o m p a c ~ complete coverage.
71. For the development of monotheism in biblical
religion and for the association of Yahweh with lesser
deities, see M.S. Smith, The Early History of God.
Yahweh and the Other Deities i{} Ancient Israel (San
Francisco: Harper & Row, 1990). See also I.D.
Levenson. Creation and the Persistence of Evil. The
Jewish Drama of Divine Omnipotence (San
Francisco: Harper & Row 1988); Theodore I. Lewis,
Cults of the Dead in Ancient Israel and Ugarit (HSM
39; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1989).
72. See also Amos 4:10; Hos.13:14; Hab.3:5;
Pss.78:49; 91:56.
73. Cf. Lewis, op.cit. 104-117.
74. Cf. Hos.6:1-2; 7:1; 11:4; 14:5; Ier 3:22; 8:18-
23; 30:12-17; 33:6.
75. Scholars differ whether or not this passage is
genuine to the prophet Micah or added later by the
redactor: H.Wolff, Micah (Minneapolis: Augsburg,
1990) 123, decides for the redactor, but D.R. HiUers,
Micah (Hermeneia; Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984) 54-
55, and I.l. Alfaro, Justice and'Loyalty.Micah (ITC;
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 1989) 50, are not willing to
grant the passage to Micah. In any case we are within
the prophetic tradition that extends .into the postexilic
age for editing.
76. The Hebrew word (sala') is found in only one
other place, describing the condition of lacob after
wrestling with an angel/God and ending 'up with a
limp thereafter (Gen.32:32).
77. Since the desert was the haunt of evil spirits. the
15
passage of Isa.40, where the glory of the Lord appears
in the 'Temple' of the foreign wilderness, becomes all
the more startling.
Robert C. Hill
We have come a long way in our study of
biblical Wisdom since the days of Gerhard
von Rad and his disciples, who could lament
that Wisdom, by comparison with
pentateuchal cultic credos, was 'slightly
tinged with the pallor of theological
reflexion'( I) and that 'its theological base
and interest were too narrowly fixed'.(2)
Since then, under the inevitable pressure of
those unprepared to limit themselves to von
Rad's canon within the canon, not only has
the relevance and peculiar contribution of
Wisdom to the Bible's theological message
been admitted(3), but we have experienced a
movement, perhaps extreme, to a pan-
sapiential focus on biblical material,
unearthing Wisdom almost everywhere. In
particular, a plethora of literary genres and
styles have been dubbed sapiential, from
mes halim and fables and riddles up to torah
and parenesis and apocalyptic. As a result,
we can be hesitant to deny a sapiential
character to passages of the Bible previously
thought unrelated to Wisdom. A student of
mine, Dennis, recently put his finger on this
quandary by asking, How are we to know
Wisdom when we find it?' In a similar vein,
Donn Morgan expresses dissatisfaction with
the pan-sapiential approach, that 'according
to some scholars, wisdom influence is to be
found in almost every non-wisdom literary
tradition in the Old Testament'( 4) and to
break this question-begging 'stalemate' he
elects to follow the familiar path of tracing the
development of Wisdom tradition in ancient
Israel, though extending his compass beyond
commonly accepted 'wisdom literature' to
other parts of the Bible thought to reveal
Wisdom characteristics.(5)
Dennis's question How are we to know
Wisdom when we find it?' gets to the heart of
the methodological difficulty. If we are to
recognise Wisdom in the Bible outside the
commonly nominated 'Wisdom books', as
well as in the non-canonical literature in the
biblical period (by way of acknowledging
that the Bible has no monopoly on sapiential
statement in that world), we need to decide
first on distinguishing characteristics of
Wisdom, which must surely emerge first
from the material. To escape the spiral of
circular reasoning here, we can perhaps settle
16
on those biblical Wisdom books as a base for
providing us with at least some such
distinguishing characteristics (taking
'biblical' in the extended sense of canon
recommended by Sundberg, Sanders and
others who in recent decades have reopened
the question of aT canon);(6) we can then
look at Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Sirach,
Wisdom of Solomon and Baruch for
determining some kind of Wisdom
perspective to begin with (before proceeding
to the less obvious material of the New
Testament).
For what does emerge from this limited
material is an overall perspective, not simply
a range of forms developing from the
meshalim of Proverbs to the hellenistic
periods of Wisdom. and Gospel parables -
though literary expression is one aspect of the
underlying perspective. So much is admitted
by commentators including von Rad, who
speaks of the 'way of thinking'(7) of
Wisdom; others call it 'an approach to
reality'(B) or hold for 'neither a similar
theological purpose nOr a fixed literary genre
but rather an identifiable intellectual stance
and literary idiom'.(9) Some scholars
proceed to identify the social group
responsible for Wisdom comp.osition in
Israel, though the sociological findings have
not been universally accepted.(lD) At any
rate, we are certainly encouraged to find a
general perspective in Wisdom material, a
world view rather than simply wise sayings
or portrayals of wise conduct, wise people,
personified or hypostatised wisdom: it is
Wisdom and not simply wisdom we are
studying - a sapiential perspective, not a wise
one.
This overall sapiential perspective translates
itself into a number of accents, aspects,
characteristics that help us 'know Wisdom
when we find it' rather more reliably than
nominating (arbitrarily) certain literary genres
or consulting concordances under 'wisdom',
'wise'. In other words, there are a number of
viewpoints from which (it seems from
reading the material) it is worthwhile
studying Wisdom: anthropological, cosmic,
epistemological, moral, thematic, traditional,
religious, theological, social and literary (as
only one viewpoint, and not a detertnining
,
one). Taken together they would seem to
constitute the perspective of Wisdom, and
allow us to distinguish this perspective from,
say, an apocalyptic, prophetic, or historical
perspective - while conceding that none of
these terms can always be used univocally,
with constant denotation: if we find the Odes
of Solomon more gnostic than .sapientiai and
1 Enoch more apocalyptic, there are
undeniably sapiential elements to be found in
them as well. But it is helpful to be in a
position to say that the perspective of certain
biblical, intertestamental, Qumranic,
Valentinian works is definitely (sapiential or)
not sapiential; certain sapiential features may
emerge but not sufficient to constitute a
Wisdom perspective. We can, in short, know
Wisdom when we find it.
There is, for instance, in Wisdom
composition an interest - real and unashamed
- in human nature, human behaviour.
Qoheleth is interested in the fact that people
eat and drink and find enjoyment in their toil
(2:24), and Jesus observes that putting new
wine into old wine skins is not what people
generally do (Mt 9: 17) nor do disciples
generally outrank teachers (Mt 10:24).
People's skills and abilities in the use of the
tongue, for instance, fascinate alike James,
Ben Sira and the authors of Proverbs. Such a
concentration on people and practical
behaviour has been found scandalously
atheological by some commentators, like
Zimmerli, for whom 'Wisdom has no relation
to the history between God and Israel'(ll) -
a rather surprising myopia. Commentators
like this have been slower to credit Old
Testament Wisdom composers with that
extraordinary theological advance in
redimensioning human categories, from Jew
and Gentile to good' and eviI(12) - an
elimination of racial boundaries and a
universalism that Job and Ecclesiastes
exemplify, that Jesus and Paul capitalise on,
and that we find also in the Psalms of
Solomon and the gnostic scriptures. So there
is a distinctive anthropological viewpoint tq
Wisdom.
Related to this, and earning the same
displeasure of theologians who bring myopic
presuppositions to biblical theology, is the
cosmic viewpoint of Wisdom composers.
Unlike a Deuteronomist who concentrates on
17
Israel's progress in response to the word of
Yahweh, suffering or prospering according
to their degree of fidelity to this word, the
Wisdom composers are interested not only in
all people but in the created universe as well.
Not simply do Sirach 24 and Proverbs 8
provide us with the figure of wisdom present
and active at creation before the advent of the
patriarchs; but these composers generally are
comfortable with the created realities and the
world of nature about them. Only such a
thinker, with an affinity for that material
world, like Qoheleth, could have written that
beautifully poetic account of the onset of old
age (Eccl. 12:1-7). Jesus impresses as a
Wisdom figure, not simply for use on parable
or proverb in the Synoptics(13) or oracular
pronouncements in John(14), but especially
for his closeness of touch with the real world
of pearls and swine, bad trees and good fruit,
the holes of foxes and the birds of the air, the
lilies of the field and the sparrows, grapes
and thorns and figs and thistles. When we
cross .into the world of Ethiopian Enoch or
The Apocryphon of John (but not, of course
the Gospel of Thomas), we lose this
closeness of touch with the real world; there
is sometimes a cosmic perspective there, but
it is the cosmos of myth. There we find not
an affinity with material things but a dualistic
contempt for them, as in the Odes of
S olomon( 15) or The Hymn of the
Peari,(16) and an opposition between the
world of light and the world of darkness (like
that drawn also in the Community Rule at
Qumran).
In view of this attitude to thematerial world
it is not surprising that the perspective of
Wisdom involves an epistemology lhat
depends on experience. Knowledge is not
infused but acquired; Wisdom writers agree
rather with Shakespeare, 'knowledge hath a
.blood entrance,' than with the gnostic
position, in which gnosis is a gift, a sign of
predestination (cf The Book of Thomas 21-
22), and so they better accommodate
Christian thinking on incarnation. For
Wisdom composers knowledge and skills are
not esoteric but arise from and bear on
practice - though there is clearly a difference
of opinion here between the Hellenistic
speCUlation about the nature of wisdom in the
Tile Wisdom -
Wisdom of Solomon (7:21-30) and the more
terrestrial Qoheleth and the authors of
Proverbs: for them experience and more
knowledgeable people (like the maskil at
Qumran) are good teachers, and the wise
person will attend, listen, learn. Morality,
too, for Wisdom literature has its basis in
experience, not in revelation even if some
Teputedly wise people, like Job's friends,
conveniently reshape the evidence of
experience to fit preconceived ideas. So the
moral thinking of Wisdom has to be adjusted
to fit the data of real life; slick platitudes do
not square with the facts: 'The tents of
robbers are at peace,' Job points out, 'and
those who provoke God are secure'(12:6).
The good life thus learned has to be lived;
salvation does not lie solely in gnosis but in
acting according to practical moral principles,
even if these are found eminently in the Law
(as in Sirach and Baruch); 'treading the way
of holiness' is a phrase dear to the
community of Qurnran, too, and in the New
Testament J ames insists that salvation is
found in Christian ascesis, not mere gnosis.
Jesus, of course, brings a further dimension
to the question, as_ Paul's discussion of
wisdom in I Corinthians emphasises.
The perspective of Wisdom is not primarily
religious; rather, it is secular, this-worldly,
even if subject to evideut sacralising
influences in Sirach and the prologue to
Proverbs. The cult plays no significant part in
the world of Wisdom( 17) (unlike Qumran).
,Those who people -this world are real people,
not angels or visitants from another world. In
this, Wisdom differs from gnostic fascination
with that other world and those heavenly
beings, found also in the Enochic Pentateuch,
where hypostatised wisdom is not prepared
to descend to this (wicked) earth.( 18)
Wisdom is by no means atheological. It is
conscious of God, even if its God is not the
God of the Patriarchs but a universal
Providence interested in all people and things;
the salvation history that this God oversees is
a cosmic salvation history, not simply the
progress of a chosen people. The theology of
Wisdom is more moral than dogmatic, with a
concern rather for reward and punishment
than for truth and error; it could never be
responsible for the Gospei of Truth.
Wisdom is interested in and depends on
18
tradition, even if it gives offence to those
searching for Israel'S historical traditions in
all parts of the Bible. These commentators are
affronted by its relation to similar material
from Egypt and Mesopotamia, Canaan and
Phoenicia,(l9) where the traditions quoted
are -rather social and generally human. Yet
two qf the biblical Wisdom Books do spend
lengthy sections on a survey of history
tracing\ (not the usual sequence of Israel's
salvation history but) the gift of wisdom to
the people in the person of wise men, and
beginning this series (in both books Sirach
and the Wisdom of Solomon) not with
Abraham in the usual pattern of
Heilsgeschichte but with figures of the
primeval history, 'the first-formed father of
the world' and Enoch, for the good
consistent reason that it is the world as a
whole that is on the way to
salvationlliberation under Providence and not
simply the children of Abraham. With this
independent reliance on tradition, Wisdom
predictably dwells on themes different from
those of other parts of the Bible: not election
and deliverance, in the manner of cultic
credos, but on good and evil, suffering and
prosperity, and the relation between these -
universal, human concerns found in the
literamres of all peoples. -
So there is a heightened social-character to
Wisdom literature. It is much taken up with
human converse and dealings between
people, wise and foolish, rich and poor, old
and young (not, as we have seen, Jew and
Gentile). It is not concerned with the major
political forces of its world, even if these may
have had a hand in its developing attitudes,
such as the disillusionment of Job and
Qoheleth. Yet there are references enough to
the court to suggest one of the contexts in
which Wisdom developed in Israel. Gnostic
material differs markedly from Wisdom in
regard to this social awareness. What the two
different perspectives do share to some extent
is their attitude to women. For both,
hypostatised wisdom is female, though at
Proverbs 8, Sirach 24 and Wisdom of
Solomon 6-10 one wonders if this happens
for reasons of gender (hokmall, sophia). In
the gnostic myths this person is associated
pejoratively with the creation of matter, and
has nothing in common with New Testament
regard for these OldTestament figures. More
broadly, both Old Testament Wisdom and
gnostic writing are unsympathetic to women,
though for different reasons: for the authors
of Proverbs and Qoheleth (and perhaps the
author of the Testaments of the Twelve
Patriarchs), it is experience that suggests that
a good woman is not easily found, whereas
for the gnostic scriptures (including the
Gospel of Thomas) there are philosophical
grounds for their misogynism arising out of
creation myths (unlike the merely practical
reasons for celibacy at Qumran).
The perspective of Wisdom, then, is much
more comprehensive than merely literary;
rightly does the author of Ephesians refer to it
(in the theological sense so beautifully
developed there of God's plan for all things-
mysterion, in one of many synonyms)(20)
as polypoikilos, multicoloured (more so than
Joseph's coat, merely poikilos in the LXX),
many-faceted (instead of merely the RSV's
insipid manifold). The sapiential
perspective has anthropological features,
cosmic features, epistemological and moral,
religious and theological, traditional and
thematic, and social features as well. From a
literary point of view Wisdom is found, in
Israel of the biblical period and beyond Israel
before and since, in a range of forms from
the proverbs of Amenemopet and the Old
Testament and Jesus through the dialogues of
The Babylonian Theodicy and Job to the
flowing periods of the Wisdom of Solomon
and the Gospels. and including as well (in the
view of some commentators) riddles,
parables, fables, allegory. autobiographical
narratives, hymns, psalms, exhortations,
woe oracles ... The range of forms in which
Wisdom material has been thought to be
found is so inclusive that these can be
documented also from bodies of material that
are generally not seen as sapiential when
studied from those other (more characteristic)
viewpoints, such as the gnostic scriptures,
the Dead Sea Scrolls, the intertestamental
pseudepigrapha, not to mention more recent
occidental literatures. Another limitation of
the approach of applying a literary criterion
for estimating the sapiential character of, say,
a person like Jesus is that it leads one to
19
focus on his use of proverb and parable and
neglect that wider Wisdom perspective of his
teaching: just as 1 Kings 4 recognises that
perspective in Solomon not simply for his
three thousand proverbs and one thousand
and five songs but also for the fact that 'he
spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in
Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the
wall,... of beast, and of birds, and of
reptiles, and of fish,'(21) so ought w", to
look for Wisdom in Jesus (or any other
figure or writing thought to be authentically
sapiential - and not simply wise) from a
wider perspective.
Yes, Dennis, we can know Wisdom when
we find it. We should not expect to come
upon it always and only in biblical works
commonly called Wisdom; we should not
hunt down riddles and parables, fables and
proverbs to find Wisdom only there. For
Wisdom is rather a perspective, a world
view, that characterises thinkers, teachers and
composers, biblical and extrabiblical, across
the ancient (and modem) world. It is a world
view that is distinctive, easily recognisable
amongst others - apocalyptic, gnostic,
prophetic, historical - once you take all its
particular viewpoints together. And, at least
in biblical Wisdom. it is a distinctive world
view for being three-dimensional.(22)
Firstly, while being shamelessly secular in
character, it believes in a God who, through
wisdom, guides the world from creation
onwards to an eschaton that lies beyond the
grave - something not all the Bible envisaged;
we might call this the linear dimension of
Wisdom. In its dimension of breadth it sees
this divine plan, this mystery, encompassing
not just one racial group, not even simply all
people, but (in a vision that excited Paul of
Tarsus and Teilhard de Chardin both) the
cosmos as a whole, all that God created. A
further dimension is given to this sapiential
world view by the peculiar literary artistry
with which Wisdom writers, like Qoheleth
and the author of Job, communicated their
vision to the people they served. To settle for
a more blinkered world view .because of
some canonical preconceptions is to forfeit a
marvellous (polypoikilos) gift. the gift of
Wisdom.
,--
The Perspective o/Wisdom
NOTES
1, G, von Rad, Old Testament 1(1957
2
),
ET Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1962,446.
2. G. Ernest Wright, God Who Acts:Biblical
Theology as Recital, London: SCM, 1952, 104.
3. Cf C.H. Scobie's quantitative analysis of OT
theologies for the increasing attention given to
Wisdom in "The Place of Wisdom in biblical
theology," Biblical Theology Bulletin 17 (1984) 43.
4. Wisdom in the Old Testament Traditions,
BlackweU 1981, 17,
5. Ibid. 19, 22.
6. See A.C. Sundberg, The Old Testament of The
Early Church, Cambridge, Mass, Harvard Univ.
Press, 1964; "Reexamining the fconation of the Old
Testament Canon," Interpretation 42 (1988) 78-82;
J.A Sanders, Canon and Community, A Guide to
Canonical Criticism, Philadelphia, Fortress, 1984.
7. Wisdom In Israel (1970) ET Philadelphia,
Fortress, 1972, 291.
8. R.E. Mutphy. "Wisdom - theses and hypotheses"
in J.G. Gammie et al (edd.) Israelite Wisdom.
Missoula, Scholars Press, 1978,39.
9. E.?". Heaten, Solomon's New Men. New York,
Pica Press, 1974, 130.
10. Writers refer in general terms to the court and the
family. R. de Vaux holds that there is no evidence of
schools in Israel before the time of Ben S ira
(Ancient Israel: Its life and Institutions [1958,1960]
IlT New York, McGraw-Hill, 1961, 94). Morgan
(op.cit., 142) concludes: 'The precise shape of 1I1e
institutions which may have been existent :for
transmission of training in Wisdom continues to
elude us.'
11. "The place and limit of Wisdom in the framework
9f Old Testament theology," Scottish lournal of
Theology 17 (1964) 147.
12. Cf my "The dimensions of salvation history in
the Wisdom books.' Scripture 19 (1967) 97-106.
R.C. Hill
13. See W.A. Beardslee, "Uses of the proverb in the
Synoptic Gospels," Interpretation 24 (1970) 61-73_
14. See. R.E, Brown, "Wisdom' Motifs" in The
Gospel According to John J-Xll (Anchor Bible 29)
Garden City, Doubleday,1966. cxxiicxxv.
15. E.g. 16; 33; 38.
16. E.g. 109:29; 111:62.
17. Such a generalisation L.G. Perdue endeavours to
rebut on the part of scholars like R.B.Y Scott, R.N
Whybray, G. von Rad, in his study of Wisdom and
C;:ult, Missoula: Scholars Press, 1977. Perdue
perhaps succeeds in reminding us that there is
20
incidental reference in biblical (and earlier) Wisdom to
sacred seasons, sacred places, sacred persons, sacred
rituals.
18. 1 Enoch 42.
19. Cf W.F. Albright, "Some Canaanite-Phoenic1an
sources of Hebrew Wisdom" in M. Noth and D.W.
Thomas, Wisdom in Israel and In The Ancient Near
East (VT Sup.1ll), Leiden Brill, 1960, 1-15.
20. See my "The Mystery of Christ: Clue to Paul's
tPinking on Wisdom" The Heythrop Journal 25
(1984) 475-83.
21. J.L. Crenshaw surprisingly finds these
to natural creation 'vastly different from [Wisdom
material] preserved within the canon.' (0 I d
Testament Wisdom. An Introduction. Atlanta. John
Knox Press, 1981,49).
22. Cf R.C. Hill, 'The dimensions of Salvation
history in the Wisdom books,' Scripture 19 (1967)
97-106.
".
"
CBF Plenary Assenibly, Bogota, 1990 .
J. R. Duckworth S. M.
Continuing our swnmary of the Catholic
Biblical Federation's Plenary Assembly we
present extracts from the final statement.
2. Part I:
THE CALL FOR A NEW
EVANGELISATION
2.1 The theme 'The Bible and the New
Evangelisation' was chosen for the
assembly in line with the general call of the
Holy Father, Pope John Paul n, for a new
evangelisation in the whole world as we
move into the third millennium. 'Reflection
on the Bible face to face with the
evangelisation acquires a greater importance
for a new proclamation of the Word of
God, the good news of salvation' (John
Paul 11 to the IVP A). The assembly was
deeply aware of the great changes and
newness around us, in the world at large
and in the Church of God.
8. Part 5:
PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Preamble
In order to make sure that the Bible is not
only possessed and read but also believed
and lived we make the following
recommendations:
8.1 Recommendations to the Church
8.1.1 We appeal to bishops and bishops'
conferences to ensure that the Dogmatic
Constitution Dei Verbwn is implemented in
the various dioceses and regions through
the establishment of biblical pastoral centres
or institutes.
conferences to give the biblical apostolate
the priority it deserves in their pastoral
endeavours and to encourage it through the
formulation of a biblical pastoral plan and
through the conscientisation of the faithful
through pastoral letters on the biblical
apostolate or other appropriate means such
as the celebration of Bible Sundays, weeks,
months or even a Bible year, especially in
those areas where this is not yet a practice.
conferences to dedicate the next synod of
the bishops to 'Biblical Pastoral Ministry'
so that the relative neglect of the Conciliar
document Dei Verbwn may be set right.
21
8.2Recommendations to the C.B.F.
8.2.1 We appreciate the present structuring
of the federation on the regional and
subregional level and we appeal to the
federation to ensure that these structures are
effective and function to promote the
biblical apostolate.
8.2.2 Regional and sub-regional structures
should be supported and developed.
8.2.3 There should be closer contact,
greater collaboration, and mutual assistance
through the sharing of information,
resources and material within the
federation.
8.3 Recommendations to the Members
8.3.1 Material for the Biblical Pastoral
Ministry. We appeal to members of the
federation to make available
-Bibles in various languages and for
various categories at affordable prices, in
collaboration with the UBS and other such
organisations;
-special pastoral editions of the Bible and
connnentaries;
-biblical pastoral material, courses etc.;
-audio-visual material, especially for the;
illiterate
8.3.2 Structures for biblical pastoral work
We recommend the establishment of
appropriate structures, such as biblical
institutes, biblical centres, biblical
commissions, for the formation, promotion
and coordination of biblical pastoral work.
8.3.3 Formation of Personnel:
8.3.3.1 We strongly recommend the solid
formation of animators, facilitators' and
coordinators for the biblical apostolate at all
levels.
8.3.3.2 Lay people should be given a
privileged place in this formation, given the
fact that they have a particular role in the
new evangelisation. This formation should
place great emphasis on both the content
and the process.
8.3.3.3 The formation and spiritual life of
the clergy and the religious should be based
on the Bible, not only on the intellectual
level, but especially on the experiential
level, considering their role in the biblical
pastoral ministry and proclamation of the
Gospel.
8.3.3.4 The use of the Bible as a source of
personal prayer and spiritual nourishment
C.B.F. Plenary Assembly
through Bible and prayer groups should be
an integral part of the formation in
seminaries and religious formation houses.
8.3.3.5 We appeal to biblical scholars and
exegetes to make their knowledge more
available for the pastoral work. .
8.3.4 The Pastoral Use of the Bible
We recommend that members of t:he
federation develop and strengthen the use of
the Bible in the life of the Church.
8.3.4.1 Through contextual reading in
groups in order to interpret the texts with a
relevance to the life of the people, new
methods are to be developed so as to make
this Bible reading more effective.
8.3.4.2 A privileged place for reading and
interpretation of the Bible in the small
Christian communities. It is necessary to
train leaders who can animate such
communities. In a multi-religious context,
we should encourage the formation of basic
human communities in which the members
will be able to reflect on human issues and
values in the light of the Bible and other
scriptures.
8.3.4.3 The whole liturgical celebration
should become a proclamation of the Word.
For this we recommend the following:
-selection of texts which take into account
the life situation. The books of the Hebrew
Bible, especially the historical, prophetic
and wisdom literature, should not be
neglected. The order of Sunday .
should be revised in this sense; ,
-there should be no celebration without a
homily or some other method of
interpretation, because the Word can be
found in the life of the people only by
interpreting it;
-the songs of the liturgy should have greater
biblical foundations;
-the liturgical language should reflect Lhe
richness of the biblical images of God,
humanity and creation.
In order to achieve these aims, we again
stress the importance of Bible Sundays,
Bible weeks, months or years in the life of
the parishes and dioceses.
8.3.4.4 Biblical retreats for clergy,
religious and lay people should be
organised. It will be useful to prepare
retreat kits adaptable to various regions.
8.3.4.5 The Christian family life should
have its centre of unity and strength in the
22
Word of God. For this it is necessary to
make family prayer an occasion for reading
and reflecting on the Word of God. The
various events of family life should be
interpreted in the light of the Bible. In order
to achieve this it is necessary to form
training centres for leaders of families in
parishes.
8.3.4.6 The Christian communities -
parishes, dioceses and local churches -
should listen to the Word of God in order to
be evangelised themselves. M etanoia
according to the biblical message should
build up a Church that is more orientated to
its lay people, and less clerical in its
mentality.
8.3.4.7 Popular devotions should be
.conducted in such a way that, through
them, the Word of God enters into the
prayer and life of the people.
8.3.5 Biblical Pastoral Work As an
. Answer to the Challenges of Today's life
8.3.5.1 Inculturation
The proclamation of the Word of the Bible
should take into account the cultural
diversity of people. It should interpret them
prophetically in the light of God's word,
denouncing the evils and highlighting
values so that it may become clearer that the
Word of tne Lord fulfils the legitimate
aspirations of men and women.
8.3.5.2 Dialogue with other Scriptures
The Word of the Lord must become good
news for all religions. This can be achieved
through a dialogical approach to their
scriptures, by reading these scriptures
together with the Bible in order to interpret
human events and values. It is necessary to
prepare. manuals that can give guidelines to
conduct such sessions of dialogue.
8.3.5.3 Fundamentalism
In to counteract the dangers of sects
and biblical fundamentalism, we
recommend the following:
a) solid biblical formation which will
interpret the Bible correctly
b) foster openness to a God who speaks In
human history and to read the Bible in that
context
c) distribute information, e.g. statements
that have already been made on this matter
d) Bible-based Christian communities
should be formed .
C.B:F. Plenary Assembly
Where there is the special challenge of an
aggressive fundamentalism in other
religions, we recommend an adequate
biblical fonnation which deepens the faith
of Christians so that they remain faithful,
even against all pressures
8.3.5.4 Socio-economical and political
challenges
Bible centres should take into account, in a
very special way, the presence of the poor
in their context and should realise that
God's Word today comes to us especially
through them. For this, Bible groups for
the marginalised people should be
organised, and those engaged in animating
these groups should become first and
foremost, listeners of the Word that
emerges from the midst of the poor. They
should leam to read the Bible .in a spirit of
openness to these people.
A prophetic use of the Bible demands that it
be read in the context of the socio-political
situation. This means that commentaries on
the Bible should be prepared which throw
light on, and challenge, unjust social
structures, violation of human rights,
situations of oppression and exploitation.
It also requires that we join with and
encourage all groups and movements that
are in favour of justice, peace and solidarity
with the oppressed.
We also ask all those who are working in
the biblical-pastoral ministry and the whole
Church, in collaboration with other
Churches and religious groups, to urge
governments to announce a biblical
shabbat, or Jubilee year, before the year
2000, so that the foreign debts of the
poorest nations of the world will be
cancelled instead of becoming an etemal
debt.
8.3.5.5 Fonnation of Youth
The youth of today carry within them the
promises of tomorrow. The Word of God
is active in them. They should therefore be
trained to listen and respond to God. They
are also the evangelisers of today and
tomorrow. As such they are capable of'
evangelising the adults. Adequate Bible
editions and biblical programmes which can
answer the demands of today's life, will
enable them to fulfil this mission. For the
same reason the catechesis of the youth
should be based on the Bible.
23
8.3.5.6 The role of women in the Church
The lay people and especially women are
going to have an important role in the life of
the Church. Therefore, we strongly
recommend the following:
a) the Church and the biblical-pastoral work
should assist in all efforts to emancipate
women in the different countries, nations
and cultures.
b) women would especially be encouraged
to become agents of the proclamation of the
Word. They should be given the
opportunity to take over responsible and
leading positions in the biblical apostolate
and in the Church. Women should be better
represented in national or international
commissions and also in the federation
itself.
c) the Bible.is very rich in texts dealing with
women. These unknown texts should be
given back to the people of God, because
the women of the Bible show the way to the
reign of God and throw light on the role of
womyn today. Biblical texts that are hostile
to women should be proclaimed always
with a critical comment made on them.
d)women have to be involved in Bible
translations and in revisions as a guarantee
that their needs will be heard.
8.3.5.7 The Ecological Problem:
The Bible speaks about creation as a gift
that God made to the whole human family.
In order to respond to the serious ecological
imbalances of today, the biblical-pastoral
ministry should help to alert Christians to
these problems, and support all groups
which are engaged in these matters.
Ecological problems should be a theme for
Bible Sundays, Bible weeks, of retreats, of
Bible groups and of biblical and theological
formation in colleges, seminaries and
universities. The injustice that has been
done, and continues to be done, to creation
must be recognised as sinful in the light of
the Gospel. We encourage all Churches to
cooperate with people and groups who are
concerned by these ecological challenges.
8.3.6 All the members of the federation are
invited to ensure that these
recommendations are made known and put
into practice for the good of the Church and
human society. .
BOOK
1. General
A History of the University of Cambridge:
The University to 1546. (vol 1) D. R.
Leader. Cambridge, C.U.P. 1989. Pp.
xxi,399. 35.
The history of the medieval English
universities is fashionable nowadays.
Within five years we have had the initial
sections of the multi-volume history of
Oxford, Dr. Cobban's survey of the two
institutions, and now the first of four books
on Cambridge, taking the story from the
migration of the Oxford masters in 1209 to
the early years of the English Refonnation.
This is the first modern history of the
medieval university, and it is conspicuously
free of the self-congratulation and
antiquarianism which, not surprisingly,
characterised some earlier attempts. It
cannot be sufficiently stressed that this
work is remarkable achievement. Dr.Leader
has single-handed traversed the ground
covered by a substantial team in two much
larger Oxford volumes ,and he has
produced a very readable account of lOhe
institutional and intellectual history of
Cambridge, which is hardly light fare.
The book is at its most original on the arts
syllabus, on which the author based his
own doctoral dissertation. Of greatest
interest to readers of this Bulletin,
.however, will be the faculty of theology,
which assured Cambridge'S status as a great
'international university. It is emphasised
that, contrary to popular belief, strong
emphasis was placed on the study of lOhe
Bible, and that it was the method, not 1:he
content, of the medieval syllabus which "",as
attached by later humanists. Christological
questions still contentious today were hotly
debated- there was not monolithic
orthodoxy within the schools. Neither "",as
the faculty inverted, for by the fifteenth
century candidates for the doctorate were
required to preach a public open-air service
at Paul's Cross in London.
The university achieved physical stability
with the establishment of a group of
colleges in the early 14th century and
attained parity with its elder sister in 1:he
15th century, when it remained untai'n1:ed
by Lollard heresy and thus attrac1:ed
extensive patronage, which led to a second
24
REVIEW
wave of collegiate foundations from the
1440s. Then, too, the humanists began
gradually to make their influence felt ,
although it is here emphasised that even by
the turn of the century, when John Fisher
enlisted the support of the Lady Margaret
Beaufort to introduce wide-ranging changes
in the curriculum, there is no evidence of
acrimony between traditionalists and
innovators within a stable and self-confident
academidnstitution. Neither did humanism
herald radical religious change. Landy
Margaret's colleges were, like their
antecedents, chantry foundations and their
Alumni were sent forth to propagate more
effectively traditional doctrines.
Leader does not subscribe to the view
vociferously advanced by one recent
historian of the medieval universities that
their value lay only in the service of their
members to government and society. He
lays great stress on abstract intellectual
attainment. He shows clearly, indeed, that
tragedy befell the university when the
English Government,in the turbulent
1530s, realised how useful it could be.
Effective and often vicious royal control
replaced the benign supervision of the
bishops of Rome and Ely. A faculty - that
of canon law - was abolished by
governmental decree. Not until the 1980s
was such amputation again considered.
There is, indeed, a lesson for our times in
the author's description of the state of
Cambridge in 1535, 'when the curriculum
and even the internal financing were dictated
by royal injunction'.
Twickenham C. Harper-Bill
Medicine and the Bible B.Palmer (ed)
Exeter, Paternoster Press, 1986. Pp.296
Pbk. 7.95.
Bernard Palmer in his preface describes this
book as 'an up to date survey of the most
important issues facing the medical
profession today as seen in the light of the
Bible'. Although the book is written
primarily for the medical profession every
chapter has something in it of general
interest. This is especially true of the first
two chapters, one by D.J. Wiseman on
'Medicine in the Old Testament' and the

Book Review
other by C.J. Hemer on 'Medicine in the
New Testament World'.
Hemer continues the debate on Luke's
medical and defends the traditional view of
Luke as a physician. He calls attention also
to Luke's role as a historian and man of
science but does not pursue this topic. In
his section on miracles H. dismisses the
idea that the healing miracles of Jesus are
readily understandable in these days of
psychosomatic medicine; he holds that 'the
actual healings are evidently not amenable to
medical explanation'. H. reviews also the
debate on the physical causes of Jesus'
death. It seems that it is theologically
difficult to accept that Jesus surrendered
himself to death; had he done so he would
not have experienced death as men know it.
Is this really so? Most people who have had
experience of terminal illness have
encountered individuals who would not
give up their grasp on life until some
awaited event had occurred, or some
important good bye had been said. S.G.
Brown surveys leprosy in biblical and
modern times and puts into modern context
Christ's words 'cleanse the leper' - serve
the neglected, the underprivileged and those
against whom society discriminates. In
"The Value of Human Life", D.R. Millar
concentrates on the fetus and sets out
biblical, legal and medical views on the
beginning of life. The chapter includes short
but very worthwhile sections on the value
of the newborn, the value of child bearing
and of the elderly. General practitioners will
find much of use in Sim's chapter on
demon possession. He deals at length with
the problems posed by possession states
and people whom others believe to be
possessed. R. Winter deals sympathetically
with homosexuality and has much to say to
those who think anything but unmixed
heterosexuality lies outwith the pale of the
normal. In a valuable chapter on healing
R.F. Hurding draws attention to the current
convergence of church and medicine in
questions of healing and discusses healing
today with special reference to miraculous
healing. He summarises the contemporary
debate and disagreement about such
healing.
All in all an interesting collection of
essays, of varying quality on this topical
25
biblical theme.
Leeds D.G. Scott
The Purpose of the Biblical Genealogies
with special reference to the setting of the
genealogies of Jesus. M.D. Johnson.
(SNTSMon08) Cambridge, C.D.P., 1989.
Pp.xxxiv,310. Hbk. 30/$49.50.
This second edition of Johnson's 1969
study of biblical genealogies contains a
substantial introduction to more recent
scholarship (xi-xxii). In the area of OT
study Malamat, R.R. Wilson and
Westermann are singled out and ctitiques of
their ideas given. According to J., nothing
fundamentally new has occurred in NT
studies since his first edition. The reader,
however, will find most useful summaries
and reviews of those writers who have
contributed directly or indirectly to the
understanding of the Matthean and Lukan
genealogies. J. reviews Raymond Brown's
Birth of the Messiah (New York, 1977)
and considers it to be 'Perhaps the most
exhaustive treatment of the genealogies of
Jesus since the first edition of PBG.'(xxi)
In addition J. refers to B. Nolan's The
Royal Son of God: The Christology of Mt.
1-2 (Gottingen, 1979), H. Stegemann,
"Die des Uria". Zur Bedeutung der
Frauennamen in der Genealogie von
Matthaus 1: 1-17 in Tradition und Glaube
(ed. G. Jeremias, H-W Kuhn & H.
Stegemann, Gottingen, 1971) He surveys
recent discussions of the integrity of
Matthew's genealogy by H. Waetjen, H.'
Schollig, F.W. Beare and D. Patte. The
work of J.A. Fitzmyer and E.L. Abel on the
Lukan genealogy is acknowledged. A list of
reviews of J.'s 1969 volume is provided.
The rest of this edition exactly reproduces
the earlier. It is a welcome aid for an often
neglected but important area which can yield
unexpected rewards for the persevering
student.
Southampton Stephen Greenhalgh
2. Old Testament
Joel and Amos D.A. Hubbard. (TynOTC)
Leicester, IVP, 1989. Pp.245. Pbk. 5.95.
Book Review
The book opens with a bibliography for
both Joel and Amos which is quite up to
date, but no works on poetry are
mentioned. The commentary itself, based
principally on the RSV, is very readable
even though so much information is
provided. The emphasis ori Hebrew
philology is .particularly welcome as is the
insistence on literary form.
The book of Joel is dated to 500 BCE, the
invasion of locusts is taken literally and no
mention is made of possible later editing.
Evidently Hubbard's approach is moderat:e
and traditional. For the book of Amos' a
degree of editing is accepted but it is
considered preferable to study the book as it
is now rather than using dubious methods
of dissection. H. accepts, with the majority
of scholars, that the prophet was active
between 760 and 755 BCE and suggests the
book dates to the same period.
Two main criticisms come to mind.
Although mention is made thtoughout of
poetic devices (alliteration and the like) the
reader, I suspect, will not appreciate that
these works are written in verse. Second,
there could have been more reference t:o
ancient Near Eastern traditions. For
example, the occupation of nqd (Amos 1:1)
also occurs in the U garitic texts.
Nevertheless in the brief compass allotted
'him the author provides a sober and
sensitive commentary.
'Newcastle/Tyne Wilfred G.E. Watson
1,2 Kings. T.R. Hobbs. (Word Biblical
Themes) Waco, Word Books, 1989.
Pp.xiii,104. Hbk.
Word Biblical Themes is a companion
series to the Word Biblical Commentaries,
whose purpose is 'to distil the theological
essence of the biblical books as interpreted
in the more technical commentary series and
to serve it up in ways that will enrich the
preaching, teaching, worship and
discipleship of God's people'. Hobbs was
the author of 2 Kings in the commentary
series. In this volume, his aim is 'to
examine the full canvas, and to sketch in
broad strokes some of the major themes that
emerge' in 1 and 2 Kings. He has chosen
six: kings; prophets; the J?eople of God;
26
covenanted land; sin and judgement; hope
and the anger of God.
In an introductory chapter he addresses
the perspective of 1,2 Kings, the sources,
structure and historical background. Then in
successive chapters he addresses his chosen
themes. After considering the role of the
kings and their relationship to the Torah, he
gives a few examples of kings and
concludes that the writer's formula of
evaluation recalls the standards (divine not
human) whereby they were judged. Since
only material that illustrates these
perspectives is used, what we can know
about the kings is limited. The chapter on
Prophets looks at the nature of prophecy in
Israel, the relationship between prophets
and kings, propheis and politics and
prophets and history, with special treatruent
of Elijah and Elisha. In the chapter on the
People of God he deals with the nature of
God's people, their responsibility, the
covenant, which is the basis of the
relationship with God, and finally worship,
failure in which resulted in the loss of the
Temple and the land.
In the chapter on The Covenanted Land,
the author situates the land geographically
and politically, and then deals w.ith the use
and mismanagement of the land, which was
a gift from God. H. refers to the biblical
writer's task in offering an explanation for
the Exile, which included the loss of the
land as well as the other symbols of the
covenant. The themes of Sin and Judgement
reveal the reasons for exile and loss of the
land. The sin lay in disobedience to ,the
covenant law which existed ultimately for
the preservation of the community of Israel.
Thus in abandoning its covenant
relationship Israel also gave up its right to
be called God's special people. In dealing
with Hope and the Anger of God, H. points
out that the writer of Kings did look
forward to a continued relationship between
God and people. Though this is not stated
in so many words, it is hinted at in more
subtle ways. Whilst the symbols of the
covenant are destroyed, some remain intact,
namely the Temple vessels and the king,
though in exile. In his concluding chapter
the author comes back to the role of the
Deuteronomist (in his commentary he has
opted for a single writer of the
Book Review
Deuteronomistic History) 'whose masterful
exposition of the past ... provides a platfonn
on which he can construct hope for the
present and the future'.
Endnotes mean that the text is uncluttered
by references often daunting for the general
reader. The selection of themes is the
author's own and so, to a certain extent,
subjective. Nevertheless, even without the
'more technical commentaries' the reader
can find useful infonnation in this book
which will aid understanding of 1,2 Kings.
Ushaw College Robin Duckworth ,S.M.
Durham
Job 1-20. D.J.A. Clines. (WordBibCom)
Dallas, Word Books, 1989. Pp.CXV,?Ol.
Hbk. 18.95.
The Word Biblical Commentaries which
have come out so far are a mixed bag.
Several have received lukewarm reviews,
and one I have come across is positively
bizarre. But David Clines' Job 1-20 is to
be most warmly welcomed, and the author
is to be congratulated on producing such a
massively comprehensive treatment of the
text, so full of insight and with such a sure
grasp of its complexities. How he found
time to write the volume amidst ltis work on
the new Sheffield Hebrew lexicon and all
his other commitments, and will find time to
complete the second volume, I do not
know.
A glance through the introductory sections
of this volume will tell you that you are
handling no ordinary commentary. The
bibliography, or "Orientation to Books
about Job", as Clines prefers to call it, is
remarkable in itself; it is 53 pages long and
covers Christian and Jewish works on Job
from the patristic period onwards, and
even, and most usefully, has sections on
IIJob in Art\ "Job in Music
l
" IIJob in
Dance", "Job in Film". The previous part of
the introduction contains sections entitled,
"A Feminist Reading", "A Vegetarian
Reading", IIA Materialist Reading", and !lA
Christian Reading". Those are short and
well worth reading for their own sake.
When Clines eventually reaches the text
itself, his treatment follows the familiar
pattern of the series: bibliography;
27
translation and text notes (the Hebrew of
Job is notorious for its obscurities);
Form/Structure/Setting; verse by verse
commentary; explanation.
His handling of the text in the detailed
commentary is masterful. He makes
frequent reference to the Hebrew, but not to
the degree that the non-Hebraist is left
bewildered or frustrated. He brings the rich
imagery of the poetry to life, and references
to or discussions of previous scholarship,
or cross-references to other biblical texts are
manifold and generally extremely useful.
All this means that he spends 66 pages on
the first two chapters of the book alone, or,
to take another example, 101/2 pages on the
famous 'my redeemer liveth' passage
(19:23-27) although he prefers 'champion'
to 'redeemer'. And that brings us to the
limitations of the volume. It will be of
immense use to the teacher of Job, or to the
student at university level doing a detailed
exegesis of a particular passage, but others
willl)ot have the time to wade through such
a vast amount of material, or else will
simply get bogged down amidst the welter
of words. (There is admittedly, the
"Explanation" at the end of each section, but
that is generally very brief and by itself has
the opposite limitation of too few words.)
In the case of 19:23-27, for example, we
only get to a marvellous discussion of the
identity of the 'champion' - Clines interprets
it as a personification of Job's own cry to
God - via a long piece on the technicalities
of the carving of ancient inscriptions (with
reference to vv. 23 and 24).
In the circumstances it seems ironic that
Clines should spend so long on the first two
chapters of the book without considering
whether he is dealing with parody. Surely
the Job of the Prologue is meant to be seen
as too good to be true, and the God of that
section as unbelievable (see Athalya
Brenner's article "job the Pious?" in JSOT
43, 1989) Their black comedy throws into
sharp relief both the harsh realism of Job's
complaints and accusations, and the
compelling grandeur of the God who
appears near at the end of the poem, and
who has so little in common with his earlier
counterpart. It just goes to show that no ol)e
can have the last word, even if they write as
many as Clines!
Yet one should not end a review of this
Book Review
remarkable commentary with criticism, bu:t
with Clines himself. He writes in his
preface, 'Job represents the vitality of the
human spirit which refuses to be
humiliated, not even by God, and especially
not by theologians! Reading and close
reading the book of Job ... has been a
perennially uplifting and not infrequently
euphoric experience'. I believe him. rt
shows in his writing. I await eagerly his
second volume.
Salisbury Trevor Dennis
3. New Testament
Reading Mark. Bas Van Ierse!. Edinburgh,
T&T Clark, 1989. Pp.261. Pbk. 9.95.
Reading Mark is a commentary with a
difference. Apart from the excellent practice
of publishing the whole text of the Gospel
at the end, it avoids the normal style of tne
commentary by refusing to nail itself onto
the text of Mark in the usual parasitic way.
There are good reasons why this style has
become normative in commentary writing -
it allows a close and detailed interpretation
of the local text to emerge, but there are
equally good reasons why it should not be
seen as the only possible way of doing
things - it runs the danger of the reader
having every passage presented in an
equally weighted way, with the concomitant
lack of perspective that can often result from
such a reading.
The book opens (chs 1-2) with very brief
introductory sections detailing the inital
presuppositions. This owes more than a
passing nod to semiotics which has
determined the commentary's overall
flavour and given it more the style of a
'narrative' appreciation of the text. Not
surprisingly the author pays tribute to
Rhoads and Michie's Mark as Story
(SCM, 1984) as a significant influence on
him. From ch. 3 onwards the commentary
proceeds, following Mark's line of narrative
but almost as a parallel text, that is, it is not
so much rooted in detailed verse references
but tells the story of the story and tries 1:0
interpret its overall and general meaning
rather than the minutiae.
I always have a particularly favourite
28
'rock' in Markan studies against which I
like to sail commentaries to see how they
stand up. It is what I consider to be one of
the many enigmas in a very enigmatic
Gospel: what Jesus meant when he replied
to the High Prtiest's question in 14:61-62.
The question comes after the testimony of
all his accusers has come to nothing. Jesus
has kept a strict silence and at the point that
the whole trial seems, in Mark, to be falling
apart, the High Priest apparently seeks and
gets a self-condemnation from Jesus
himself with which to secure the conviction.
Van Iersel recognises the episode as of
exceptional importance (p.I77) and so full
marks thus far. But the point of the question
is: "'Are you the Christ, Son of God?'" and
according to V.I.: 'Jesus affirms that he is
the one whose identity is attributed to him
by the High Priest'. Well, if some of
Perrin's work had been absorbed one
would have known that this simplistic
reading (or misreading) of the text just will
not do in any comentary worth its salt these
days. If the question was: "'Are you the
Christ, Son of God?'" then the interpreter
reads the Greek text as if the answer was:
"'Yes. And I'll tell you some other
information as well .... [about the Son of
Man] .... This exactly the kind or misreading
of Mark 8:29 we used to get before Petrin,
as if Mark only affirmed the same kind of
theology as the Matthean parallels. In Mark
the answer Jesus gives is to answer the
query with a quotation from Scripture.
When the High Priest categorizes Jesus and
asks if this is right, Jesus answers: "'I am.
And you shall see the Son of Man ... "'. It is
highly tendentious to read the ego eimi in
Mark as if it were a simple affirmation and
fail to see that it rather serves as an
introduction to biblical recitation. In short,
the answer to the High Priest's question is
given back to him as an invitation to exegete
the Son of Man prophecies. None of this
subtlety survives V.I.'s reading of the
episode.
It may be unfair to take one text for
detailed comment, but it was randomly
done, and confirmed the worst fears of this
reviewer that whatever 'Narratology' might
do for the holil'=stic restoration of the text, it
often appears as a short circuiting of the
monumental historical work that has been
,
Book Review
going on so impressively this century.
While this approach may offer easily
digested certainties, instead of piling up
more and more enigmas, an approach of
course generally very welcome to the
inquiring reader, it may do so at an
undisclosed cost.
This commentary will probably find a
large readership who will welcome its clear
and confident passage through the text of
Mark. The whisper from the side of stage,
however, should be heard; for scholarly
consensus shies away from the writing of
the grand commentary on Mark. Far too
much still needs to be done in terms of the
accumulation and weighing of evidence,
and consequently hooks like this which fill
the vacuum seem more than questionable to
me. It is a good narratological commentary,
commendable for its genre, but one for me
that did not survive its test-sailing against
the rock.
University of Leeds John A. McGuckin
El Evangelio de San Marcos en Copto
Sahidico (Texto de M 569 y Aparato
Critico) G. Aranda Perez (ed.). Textos y
Estudios "Cardenal Cisneros 45"; Consejo
Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas,
Madrid, 1988. Pp.150.
Until recently our knowledge of the Coptic
S ahidic Gospels was based on the
fragments published by Homer earlier this
century. Now we have continuous texts: the
Palau Ribes 5th century manuscript in
Barcelona and the Pierpont Morgan
manuscript M 569 of the 7th-8th century in
New York. Hans Quecke has published the
Palau Ribes Mark (1972), Luke (1977) and
John (1984), in which he also gives the
variants in M 569. The text of Matthew in
M 569 itself was published by Gonzalo
Aranda Perez in 1984. Now we have his
edition of Mark.
The author assumes his Matthew to hand: .
the introductory notes to that text must serve
for Mark as well, even though some of the
earlier discussions are inevitably directed to
Matthew. Thus there is nothing substantial
in the Mark volume to compare with the
helpful section 'El Texto de Mateo
Represantado en M 569'. We also need the
29
introduction to Matthew for the list of
manuscripts cited in the apparatus to Mark.
(Only those manuscripts absent from the
Matthew volume are listed in the present
book.)
There are six pages of introduction
(compared with over ninety in the earlier
book). Then follows the text of Mark in
Coptic together with a subjoined critical
apparatus divided into two sections (the f l f ~ t
detailing granrrnatical and stylistic variants;
the second 'significant'variants that can
affect the sense). The readings of over forty
Cop tic manuscripts are included in the
apparatus: these include P (;Palau Ribes)
not given in the supplementary list of
manuscripts. The volume ends with a list of
the 48 conventional Kephalaia to Mark
found in this manuscript: these run from
1:23 to 15:42 (Request for the Lord's body)
and thus do not assist in our dealings with
the endings of Mark (see further below).
As far as the text of Mark is concerned,
where individual words are in dispute M
569 generally seems to favour a longer text
(e.g. 1:34,41). In matters of the omission
or addition of verses, Mark 7: 16, 9:44, 46;
11:26; 15:28 are not found in M 569. This
means that the manuscript sides with the
'Alexandrian' Greek manuscripts including
Sinaiticus and Vaticanus. This is to be
expected given the assumed provenance of
all these Egyptian witnesses, but the Sahidic
is not a unified text here. The relation of M
569 with its Coptic colleagues and with the
underlying Greek manuscripts needs
investigating especially in those places in
the NT where the Cop tic seems to agree
with so-called Western manuscripts. One
important place in Mark where M 569 does
not agree with Sinaiticus and Vaticanus is in-
its inclusion of 16:9-20. These verses run
on naturally in this manuscript: the Sahidic
tradition as a whole has varying endings to
Mark. For a fuller picture see P .E. Kahle,
ITS 2 (1951) pp.49-57.
We congratulate Dr. Aranda for his
continuing work and look forward to the
publication of the remaining two gospels (M
569 for John is complete; for Luke only half
remains). The Coptic versions form an
important source for work on the NT text.
This important new Sahidic witness to Mark
needs to be taken into account by all who
value the text of the Bible.

I would like to offer a suggestion for
those who work on or refer to Coptic N"T
manuscripts and this is that instead of using
the often differing catalogue numbers of
Horner, Till, Zoega and others, the ne"""
sigla of the Munster catalogue (F-J Schmit:z
and G. Mink, Liste der Koptischen
Handschriften des Neuen Testament:s
published by de Gruyter in their series
Arbeiten zur Neutestamentlick.e
Textforschung). There have been three
volumes on the Sahidic Gospels so far
(ANTF 8, 13, 15). In the first of these
there is a description of M 569 now known
as sa 9 (Palau Ribes is numbered sa 1). It
would be helpful if Aranda in his future
publications could set an example to other
Coptic scholars by using these new sigla.
Those working on Greek manuscript:s
already have a recognised system: the time
is now right for adopting the new register of
Coptic manuscripts.
University of Leeds J.K. Elliott
The Cry of Jesus on the Cross: a biblical
and theological study. G. Rosse. Tr. from
the Italian, Il Grido di Gesu in Croce. S.A.
Arndt. New York, Paulist Press, 1987.
Pp.x,145. Pbk. $10
The words of Jesus "'My God, my God,
why have you forsaken me'" as recorded by
Mark and Matthew have never ceased to
cause awe, perplexity, and not a little
, unease among Christians. Some explained
them in terms of the two natures - the
human, suffering abandonment; the divine,
in possession of the beatific vision - or else
as a reference by Christ to the psalni's
messianic meaning without necessarily
implying abandonment by the Father. But
these interpretations have long since been
given up as unsatisfactory; as tending to
explain away rather than plumb the depths
of meaning. Rosse here gives us a useful
compendium of interpreters' views Over the
ages, while devoring most attention to those
of today. As R. says, Moltmann (T k. e
Crucified God) is not alone in thinking that
'in the mouth of the crucified Jesus, psalm
22 constitutes a crucial turning point for the
whole of theological thought'.(p.viii)
Bultmann's view that the passage is an
interpretation by the early Christian
30
community of the loud cry uttered by Jesus
as he died was soon questioned by
Kiisemann who reaffirmed the link between
the historical Jesus and the Christ of faith.
While Mark is not attempting to give us a
history, he is nevertheless dealing with
historical facts with a view to penetrating
their meaning. No contemporary author
would have wanted to dwell on so shameful
and horrifying a death as crucifixion yet that
is what Mark does, not from any morbid
curiosity but because that death has
profound meaning for our faith. The
darkness (v.33) and the rending of the veil
(v.38) could well be rhetorical devices to
suggest deployment of the powers of evil
and the emptying of Jesus on the cross in
order to become the new temple not made
with human hands. But the abandonment of
Jesus on the Cross, so far from being an
awkward text not altogether explainable,
constitutes the high point of Jesus' mission
of 'obedience and love for the Father to the
point of completely assuming the human
condition of suffering, of loneliness, of
anguish and of distance from God, of
which the cross - as wood of the curse - is
the sign'. But that is not the end. This
'abandonment' is in fact the moment when
the Father's presence is marked by silence,
non-intervention, yet nearness. Far from
indicating any withdrawal, it shows his
supreme power, the ultimate fulfilment of
his will in regard to his son. For it is at this
moment that Jesus identifies with man
estranged from God and in this solidarity
that separation from God is removed. Jesus
in his abandonment is the God of those
without God. Ross6's book well repays
careful and meditative study.
London R.C. Fuller
Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees in
Palestinian Society: a sociological
approach. A. J. Saldarini. Edinburgh,
T&T Clark, 1989. Pp.336. 19.95.
Although it comes with the high
recommendation ofEd Sanders of Oxford,
'the best single book on the Pharisees,
scribes and Sadducees', this detailed book
does not give the reader a much clearer idea
of who Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees
Book Review
actually were. It proceeds in three parts,
tITst a sociological analysis of groupings in
Palestinian society, next an examination of
the puzzling literary evidence, and lastly
analysis and synthesis. In fact the
sociological findings and definitions are
largely contmed to the first part.
The evidence is, of its namre, extremely
difficult to handle. The fullest continuous
characterisation of two of the three groups
is given by Josephus. It would have been
useful to have a full quotation and
commentary of these texts. Saldarini
protests that his list of characteristics does
not have any inherent unity or intelligibility
(p.I13). Later he points out that in his
narrative Josephus seems to approve or
disapprove of Pharisees according to
whether they are acting as a force for or
against stability (p.129). S. leaves
untouched, however, the difficulty which
seems to me paramount, that Josephus
presents as three parallel factions groups
which in reality are not at all in the same
category: Pharisees have some sort of
special interest in legal observance,
Sadducees are categorised by birth and
position, and Essenes (not considered in the
present book) represent an esoteric and
separatist religious tendency.
The other main source of evidence, the
gospels, is no easier to handle. It is difficult
to maintain that the evangelists have a clear
characterisation of these groups in mind,
and much more attractive to assume that the
groups simply stand for the current
opposition to the gospel; in many instances
the evangelists seem to use their names
almost interchangeably, and John especially
oversimplifies the position. S. is duly
sceptical &bout colourings suggested by the
evangelists, though he has some
surprisingly positive statements, for
instance that the Pharisees are 'a political
interest group' (p.157) or seem to be paid
officials (p.172); nor does it seem to me
justified to say that Luke sees them as 'an
active political force in Jewish society'
(p.181). Similarly the statement that 'scribal
activities were intensely political' (p.268) is
almost wholly without foundation.
A third source of evidence is the rabbinic
writings, and one of S.'s important
contributions is to question a number of
31
assumptions with regard to the Pharisees:
the wimess of these writings is far too late,
and must to some extent reflect the
preoccupations of a later period. S. attacks
Rivkin's influential view that the Pharisees
widely diffused a resurrectional theology
and points out that the control texts of the
pre-70 sages are mostly concerned with
tithing, rimal laws and Sabbath observance;
this should point to their areas of interest.
The positive yield of the book is
disappointing, but this is perhaps a
reflection more on the paucity of the
evidence than of the adequacy of the
investigation.
Oxford Henry Wansbrough
Companion God. A Cross-Cultural
Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.
G.T. Montague, S.M. New Jersey, Paulist
Press, 1989. Pp.330. $13.95.
The title of this excellent popular
commentary echoes the claim of the gospel
that Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us (1:23)
present with his disciples when they meet in
his name (18:20, cf. 26:29) and with them
to the end of time (28:20). Anyone led by
the sub-title to expect perspectives from the
social sciences will be disappointed. It
reflects the author's conviction that his
insight has been deepened by the experience
of working in a non-industrialized society
(India and Nepal). Whatever the source
there is no doubt of the skill and insight,
and this book can be strongly recomended
to any non-specialist. It is simply written,
without any footnotes or bibliographical
references, but aware of the scholarly
discussions and able to use them for the
purpose of edification. Critical judgements
are accepted, but tactfully concealed from
readers who would find them offensive.
Thus the story of the guard at the tomb 'is
historical in the sense that it reflects the
disputes between Christians and Jews .. .'.
The point made is not that it is probably
fiction, but that 'both parties assume an
empty tomb'.. Contemporary applications
are sensitively and not too frequently made.
The reader is drawn deeper into the text in a
way that is exemplary for Christian reading
of scripmre.
Oxford Robert Morgan
BOOKS RECEIVED
BOOKS RECEIVED
AlIen L.C. Ezekiel 20-48. Word Biblical Commentary 29. Dallas, Word Books. 1990.
Pp.xxviii, 301. Hbk. (no price).
Balz H & Schneider G (eds) Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament "Aaron-
Enw=. Edinburgh, T&T Clark. 1990. pp.528 Hbk. 29.95
Beuder J & Fortna R.T. (eds) The Shepherd Discourse of John 10 and its Context. SNTS
Monograph 67. Cambridge, CUP. 199L Pp.x,I72. Hbk. 25/$34.50.
Brett M.G. Biblical Criticism in Crisis: the impact of the canonical approach on Old
Testament Studies. Cambridge, C.D.P. 1991. Pp. xiii,237. Hbk. 30/$44.50.
Bruner F.D. Matthew: Volume 2 The Churchbook, Matthew 13-28. Dallas, Word Books.
1990. Pp.xx, 477-1127. Hbk. (no price)
Crafton J.A. The Agency of the Apostle: A Dramatistic Analysis of Paul's Responses to
Conflict in 2 Corinthians. JSNTSup51. Sheffield Academic Press. 1991. Pp.188.
Hbk.21/$35.
Day J. Psalms. OT Guides. Sheffield Academic Press (JSOT Press). 1990. Pp. 159. Pbk.
Dennis T. Lo and Behold: The Power of Old Testament Storytelling London, SPCK, 1991.
Pp. 164. Pbk. 8.99.
Gunn D. M. (ed) Narrative and Novella in Samuel. Studies by Hugo Gressmann and Other
Scholars 1906-1923. (Trans. by D.E.Orton) JSOTSup 116/Historic Texts and Interpreters
in Biblical Scholarship Series 9. Sheffield Academic Press (Almond). 1991. Pp.182. Hbk.
19.50/$32.50.
Harns M.J. Colossians and Philemon. Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament.
Grand Rapids, Eerdmans. 1991. Pp.xxix,310. Pbk, $21.95.
Hawthorne G. F. The Presence and the Power: The significance of the Holy Spirit in the
life and ministry of Jesus. Dallas, Word :Books. 199LPp.264. Pbk.
Jamieson-Drake D.W. Scribes and Schools in Monarchic Judah: A Socio-Archaeological
ApprQach. JSOTSup9/The Social World of Biblical Antiquity Series, 9. Sheffield Academic
Press (Almond). 1991. pp.240. Hbk. 30/$48.50.
Kee H C What Can We Know about Jesus? (Understanding Jesus Today) Cambridge,
C.D.P. 1991. Pp.122 Pbk/Hbk 4.95/17.50 '
Lemcio E. E. The Past of Jesus in the Gospels. Society for New Testament Studies,
Monograph Series 68. Cambridge, C.DJ'. 1991. Pp. 190. Hbk. 25/$34.50.
Lieu, J. The Theology of the Johannine Epistles. New Testament Theology. Cambridge,
C.D.P. 1991. Pp. xii,130. Hbk. 22.50/$29.95. Pbk. 7.95/$10.95.
Lincoln A.T. Ephesians. Word Biblical Commentary 42. Dallas, Word Books. 1990.
Pp.xcvii, 494. Hbk. (no price)
Lindars, B. The Theology of the Leuer to the Hebrews.New Testament Theology.
Cambridge, C.D.P. 1991. Pp. xiv,155. Hbk. 22.50/$29.95. Pbk. 7.95/$10.95.
Longenecker R.N. Galatians. Word Biblical Commentary 41. Dallas, Word Books. 1990.
Pp.cxix, 323. Hbk. (no price). ,
Mason R. Micah, Nahum, Obadiah OT Guides. Sheffield Academic Press, 1991. Pp. 116.
Pbk. 5.95/$9.95.
Murphy-O'Connor, J. The Theology of the Second Letter to the Corinthians. New
Testament Theology. Cambridge, C.U_P. 1991. Pp. xii,166. Hbk. 22.50/$29.95. Pbk.
7.95/$10.95. Netherwood A The Voice of His Calling London, SPCK, 1990. Pp.133
Pbk. 6.95
Perkins P Jesus as Teacher (Dnderst:anding Jesus Today) Cambridge, C.D.P. 1991.
Pp.117 Pbk/Hbk 4.95/17.50.
Rice G. 1 Kings: Nations Under God (International Theological Commentary) Grand
Rapids, Eerdmans, 1990. Pp.xv, 198. Pbk. $10.95.
Riches J The World of Jesus: First Cenrury Judaism in Crisis (Understanding Jesus Today)
Cambridge, C.D.P. 1991 Pp.151 Pbk/:Hbk 4.95/17.50.
Rogerson J. Genesis 1-11. (OT Guides) Sheffield Academic Press, 1991. Pp. 87. Pbk.
5.95/$9.95.
Published by the Catholic Biblical Association of Great Britain
, ,
'-

EDITORIAL POLICY REVIEWS
We aim to publish reviews that are both critical and courteous. All reviews should be kept
within the specified word limit. If reviewers think that a book requires more or. less
treatment than is specified, they are asked to contact the editor who reserves the right to
return, or amend reviews that deviate substantially from editorial policy .
I. Typing should be double spaced with at least one generous margin (not less than I" or
2.5 cm).
2. In giving information about books review headings should use the sequence: -
titIe(underlined). author/editor(s). (series), place of publication,
publisher, year of publication. number of pages, format CHbk.' or
'Pbk.'), price (or 'no price').
3. Further information about translation from an original source should be inserted after the
author's name.
4. To conserve space, reviewers are asked to adhere to the following:
(a) The author's name should be abbreviated except for the first reference or where
ambiguity might occur.
(b) Substantial quotations should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.
(c) Conventional abbreviations should be used for biblical books and periodicals. Chapter
and verse should be separated by 'colon'
5. Hebrew, Greek etc. should be transliterated (unless otherwise required by the nature of
the comment) and should be underlined. Reviewers should specify whether the apostrophe
represents 'aleph or 'ayin.
6. Reviewers should avoid leaving typographical errors unidentified. The correct reading
should be indicated.
7. Reviews should end with the reviewer'S place of residence/institution and name
underlined e.g.:
Southampton Stephen Greenhalgh

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