Date of Award
5-1968
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Theology
First Advisor
Dennis McCarthy
Second Advisor
Thomas Caldwell
Third Advisor
Quentin Quesnell
Abstract
My starting point is quite conscious and may seem arbitrary. however it seems wise to state one's basic position at the very outset. I consider two points to be self evident facts: 1) the Old Testament is a literary phenomenon in its own right and, 2) it is a religious document and therefore must be treated as such. This means, that when one attempts a scientific work on any one of the literary phenomena within the Old Testament, one must approach the chosen text 1) as any other literary phenomenon and, 2) as any other highly subjective literature which bears the content of a religious experience. The initial question is therefore: What is the meaning of this piece of literature for whom and when? The text I have chosen is Ps. 132, which stands within the normative complex of a faith document--the Old Testament. This document does not say. It was heard and understood.