Intro to the Book of the 12

This course is based on the premise that how people have interpreted and been influenced by an ancient text like the minor prophets is often as interesting and historically important as what it originally meant. The course focuses on the analysis of the minor prophets to gain a respect for the antiquity and cultural remoteness of these prophetic writings and to grapple with the variety of their possible meanings; to fathom a long history of interpretation in which these texts have been wielded for causes both beneficial and harmful, and to develop hermeneutical skills and voices as responsible interpreters, aware of our social locations in relationships to power and privilege. Prerequisite: an introductory course in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible.