Rural Life and Rural Church

Theological and Empirical Perspectives

Leslie J. Francis, Mandy Robbins

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781845539832
• eBook ISBN: 9781317545095
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

The essays brought together here present a broad assessment of the serious issues facing rural life and the rural church today. The authors are drawn from the Anglican, Baptist, Methodist and Pentecostal Churches. The essays explore a wide range of biblical, theological, sociological, and historical concerns and topics. Throughout, the book is informed by a spirit of listening - to church-goers, clergy, church leaders, and local communities. Rural Life and Rural Church provides an invaluable resource for clergy and lay Christians involved in rural ministry, initial and continuing ministerial education, and Christian men and women living in the countryside.

Part 1

PERSPECTIVES FROM THE BIBLE

Chapter 2

ISRAELITE WISDOM AND PASTORAL THEOLOGY IN THE RURAL CHURCH

Gareth Lloyd Jones*

Abstract – This article argues that pastoral theology proclaimed from rural pulpits and practised in rural ministry may be disloyal to its biblical roots if inadequate attention is given to the distinctive perspective of the Israelite Wisdom tradition. A review of recent significant development in our understanding of this particular biblical tradition is followed by an examination of a prominent aspect of Hebrew Wisdom, namely its anthropocentricity. Attention will be drawn to the literature’s key themes including human concerns, human responsibility, human authority, and human limitations.

Introduction

Traditionally the writings ascribed to Israel’s sages have included five books: Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes in the canon of the Old Testament, and the Wisdom of Solomon and the Wisdom of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus) in the Apocrypha. When considering this literature, it is useful to make a distinction between books of a prudential nature, which contain practical advice on how to succeed in life (Proverbs and parts of the Wisdom of Ben Sira), and those of a reflective kind, where the authors probe the meaning of existence and question the accepted order (Job and Ecclesiastes).

Though scholars have recently extended the scope of Israelite Wisdom, having detected the influence of the sages in other parts of the Old Testament such as Genesis, Deuteronomy, and 2 Samuel, this development does not concern us here. The primary focus of this article is on the recognized Wisdom books, and specifically on the Book of Proverbs with its essentially prudential message and optimistic outlook. But before we examine this element in the teaching of the sages, let us note the reception given to the Wisdom tradition in general within Christian scholarly circles during the past half-century.

Deficient theology

Until well into the 1960s the emphasis in biblical scholarship was on the Law and the Prophets. Though the Wisdom literature was a recognized part of the canon, its theological relevance was considered to be marginal. It was regarded as a foreign body within the Old Testament. G.E. Wright, a prominent figure in the Biblical Theology Movement, admitted that ‘in any outline of biblical theology, the proper place to treat the Wisdom Literature is something of a problem’ (Wright, 1952, p. 115, n.1). A similar claim was made over thirty years later by H.G. Reventlow (1985, p. 184) in whose opinion ‘the integration of wisdom into Old Testament theology is an unresolved task that remains for the future’. What accounts for this negative view of Wisdom and for the indifference to it exhibited by many biblical scholars?

The primary reason is the reluctance of the sages to mention ‘the mighty acts of God’. During the early part of the twentieth century, theologians concluded that the Old Testament bore witness to a God who acted within the day-to-day life of a particular nation in order to save humanity. Consider the main themes of the Pentateuch, all of which are presented as historical events: the promise to Abraham, the Exodus, the making of the covenant, and the wilderness wanderings. These traditions were thought to be the raw materials of an Old Testament theology. The belief that God is revealed within the historical order as a redeemer was at the heart of Israelite religion. As in the New Testament, history was the arena of divine action; hence the term ‘salvation-history’.

When judged according to such a scheme, the canonical Wisdom books appear to be theologically deficient. The wise do not mention liberation, election, covenant, for example; they address human beings irrespective of their nationality. For them, authoritative truth is not based on revelation but on observation and experience. The essence of religion is not temple-worship but right living. It is difficult, therefore, to find any correlation between Wisdom and the central ideas of the Old Testament. Its teachings are theologically incompatible with those of the Torah and the prophetic books. They are difficult to fit into any theology which is dominated by the concept of a God who acts on behalf of a chosen people.

Because it did not conform to a view of God’s revelatory actions, the Wisdom literature was considered to be utilitarian and worldly with little or no theological depth. This led Wright to the conclusion that the book of Proverbs ‘remains near the pagan source of wisdom in which society and the Divine work in history played no real role’ (Wright, 1952, p. 104). Furthermore it was perceived to have ‘a strongly secular flavour’ and to be ‘only loosely connected with religious faith’ (Eichrodt, 1967, II, p. 81). When the sages are compared with the prophets they come out a poor second.

Given that their theology has been regarded as deficient by leading and influential theologians, perhaps it is not surprising that the common lectionary contains very few readings from the canonical Wisdom literature for Sundays and Holy Days.

A reappraisal

It can now be confidently stated that such negativity belongs to a previous generation. Today we witness a positive attitude toward the Wisdom literature. Current scholarship is at pains to revise past opinion and emphasize the distinctiveness of Wisdom within the religion of Israel. There can be no doubt that ‘the wisdom literature has moved toward the centre of interest of Old Testament scholars during the past quarter of a century’ (Emerton, 1979, p. 214). For any evaluation of the theological significance of the Old Testament, the words of the wise have become an element of the first importance. This reappraisal has opened up a dimension of Israelite life and thought which has never before been fully understood nor adequately appreciated.

The reason for this re-evaluation of the theological significance of Wisdom is that the emphasis once placed on ‘the God who acts in history’ has been greatly reduced. Philosophical critique has played a major part in this. For example, Maurice Wiles has pointed out that the concept of a God who is revealed within the historical order is not as distinctive a characteristic of Old Testament thought as is often supposed. If the core of Israel’s theology is to be found in God’s action, then a substantial part of the canon must be regarded as having only an ancillary role to play in the nations religious tradition. To say the least, ‘one finds it a little difficult to know what to do with the Wisdom literature’ (Wiles, 1986, p. 1).

But philosophy is not the only contributor to the qualification of the emphasis on the ‘mighty acts’ of God and to the subsequent reappraisal of Wisdom. The contemporary secular worldview is another. Most people do not regard God as the proximate source of all that happens. The notion that he is the direct cause of every occurrence is alien to them. When we hear of a pedestrian killed by a hit-and-run driver, we do not believe that the accident is an act of God. Amos’s conviction that the Lord actively punishes a corrupt political system, either through natural catastrophes or by enemy action (Amos 3:6), finds little favour today. Though some see the destruction of the Twin Towers on 11 September 2001 as divine punishment of a corrupt culture, the vast majority of us take responsibility for the consequences of our actions without any reference to a divine agency. The idea of a wrathful deity who acts within history to strike down those who displease him seems closer to pagan mythology than to the Judaeo-Christian tradition. Does the God of Israel, asks Wiles, ‘like Zeus, send out thunderbolts in his displeasure?’ (Wiles, 1986, p. 1). Today we think in terms of autonomy rather than theonomy, of the secular rather than the sacred.

For some people the word ‘secular’ has negative connotations in that it means ‘irreligious’, and is therefore an inappropriate term to describe Israelite thought. But in his pioneering study of the theological legitimacy of the secular experience, Harvey Cox distinguishes between secularization and secularism. Secularization has a positive meaning in that it refers to ‘the discovery by man that he has been left with the world on his hands, that he can no longer blame fortune or the furies for what he does with it. Secularization is man turning his attention away from worlds beyond and toward this world and this time (saeculum = “this present age”)’. It is a ‘historical process, almost certainly irreversible, in which society and culture are delivered from tutelage to religious control’. Its children are pluralism and tolerance which ‘represent a society’s unwillingness to enforce any particular worldview on its citizens’ (Cox, 1965, pp. 2–3).

Secularism, however, has negative connotations. It is ‘the name for an ideology, a new closed worldview which functions very much like a new religion …. Like any other ‘ism’, it menaces the openness and freedom secularization has produced’ (Cox, 1965, pp. 20–21). So when Eichrodt describes Wisdom as having ‘a strongly secular flavour’, he is referring to secularization not secularism. He might claim, as others would, that the teachings of the sages ‘were essentially common sense as opposed to having their starting point in religious ideas about God’ (Dell, 2000, p. 29).

Theological anthropology

In his reappraisal of the significance of the Wisdom tradition R.E. Murphy summarizes the central message or ‘kerygma’ of the book of Proverbs in one word: ‘life’ (Murphy, 1966, p. 3). It is noteworthy how often the word is used:

Heed admonition and you are on the road to life (10:17).

A soothing word is a tree of life (15:4).

He who perseveres in right conduct and loyalty finds life (21:21).

In this context ‘life’ does not mean longevity or survival. Rather it implies peace, security, wellbeing, material needs, human rights, friends, family, health. It includes ‘all these things’ promised by Jesus in Matthew 6:33, things which allow people to live to their full potential.

Because it is chiefly concerned with the human quest for prosperity and wholeness, and lacks a readily identifiable theological core, the Wisdom literature has been regarded as markedly anthropocentric in character. The various definitions given to the teaching of the sages highlight this description. It has been described as: ‘an approach to reality’, ‘the ability to cope’, ‘non-revelatory speech’. In the words of G. von Rad, ‘Israel understood “wisdom” as a practical knowledge of the laws of life and of the world, based upon experience’ (von Rad, 1962, I, p 418). Three characteristics of the literature witness to its anthropocentricity.

First, the focus on the individual. The advice given by the wise is sometimes in the form of an instruction extending over several verses, but more often in the form of a proverb. It is always the fruit of observation, for observation is the quintessence of proverb-making. A word of wisdom is often prefaced by ‘I saw’ or ‘I saw and took note’. It is clear from the advice given that the sages had every person’s welfare at heart. Various types of individuals receive close attention in an effort to provide direction for those who seek it. There is an emphasis on character so that specific virtues and vices are identified. The drunkard, the sluggard and the scoundrel are condemned and mocked.

Wine is an insolent fellow, and strong drink a brawler, and no one addicted to their company is wise (20:1; cf. 23:29–35).

A door turns on its hinges, a sluggard on his bed (26:14; cf. 24:30–34).

A scoundrel rakes up evil gossip, it is like scorching fire on his lips (16:27; cf. 6:12–19).

Genuine friendship is extolled and three of its characteristics emphasized: constancy, ‘A friend shows his friendship at all times’ (17:17); candour, ‘Open reproof is better than love concealed’ (It is better to correct people openly than let them think that you do not care for them at all, 27:5); counsel, ‘As iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens the wits of another’ (27:17). These are but a few of the many examples of the sages’ interest in the individual.

Second, the insignificance of history. We have already noted that the canonical Wisdom books are devoid of any reference to Israelite history. Not a word is said about the nation’s glorious past. The liberation from Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, the achievements of King David, are all passed over in silence. In the rest of the Old Testament these are the bricks and mortar of the theology, for they reveal God at work in the world. The sages knew their history, but they chose to ignore it because their message was centred on humanity not on God.

Third, the universality of wisdom. Because the literature is intended for and applied to everyone, the particularism which stressed that Israel was God’s chosen people is deliberately ignored. So there is no mention of the priesthood, the temple, or Jerusalem. The only concession the author of Proverbs makes to his Israelite background is the use of the word ‘Yahweh’. If this proper name were to be replaced with ‘God’, the book would be as relevant to Muslims and Buddhists as it is to Jews and Christians. The sage’s parish is the world. His viewpoint is ecumenical. His message is for everyone, regardless of creed, colour or country. Everything concerned with humanity is within his sphere of interest. This characteristic has been partly responsible for the general appeal of his teachings down the ages.

However, the view that the anthropocentric framework is primary does not mean that Wisdom totally lacks a religious dimension. While it is true to say that the focus of the sages is on humanity, that ‘man is at stage-centre in OT wisdom literature’ (Towner, 1977, p .138), it is not true to say that God is absent. We will have occasion to explore further the theocentric aspect as we consider the features which flow from the theological anthropology of the wise.

Human concerns

It is not for nothing that Wisdom has been termed ‘the humanism of the Ancient East’. The authors of Proverbs, for example, display an altruism which implies a critique of society not unlike that found in the prophetic books. Because they believe in everyone’s inalienable right to enjoy the good life, which is God’s gift, they regard the ideal person as one who condemns avarice and oppression, and car...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Preface
• Foreword
• 1. Introduction: Shaping Rural Theology
• Part 1. Perspectives from the Bible
• Part 2. Perspectives from Ordinary Theology
• Part 3. Theological and Sociological Perspectives
• Part 4. Historical Perspectives
• Part 5. Listening To Visitors
• Part 6. Listening to the Community
• Part 7. Listening to Churchgoers
• Part 8. Listening to Church Leaders
• Part 9. Satisfaction and Stress in Ministry
• Contributors
• Sources
• Subject Index
• Name Index