Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 82:2 (Fall 2020)
Article: Abstracts Of Recent WTS Doctoral Dissertations
Author: Anonymous

WTJ 82:2 (Fall 2020) p. 359

Abstracts Of Recent
WTS Doctoral Dissertations

“To Study The Law Of The Lord”:
The Use Of Deuteronomy In Ezra-Nehemiah

Bryan M. Murawski

This dissertation explores nineteen occasions where Ezra-Nehemiah uses the language of Deuteronomy, either through allusion or quotation. The study considers how the law contributed to the identity of the post-exilic community, especially in relation to their ongoing exile while being settled back in the Promised Land.

The use of Deuteronomy indicates that Scripture held ongoing authority, relevance, and applicability for the post-exilic community, even in situations where the law could not be applied in a literal or exact manner. The community felt free exegetically to interpret the law according to its spirit in order to apply it to their situation. However, the application of Deuteronomy also suggests that they were unable to keep faithfully the law they sought to follow.

Reuse of Deuteronomic texts (e.g., Deut 12:11a//Ezra 6:12a; Deut 7:21//Neh 4:8) also indicates that the post-exilic community expressed solidarity with the previous generations of Israelites, for better or worse. Their inability to follow the law was what kept them “in exile,” even though they had returned to their own land. This caused them to recognize that their only hope for release from that “exile” would be found in the divine initiative of Yhwh to bring about permanent restoration of their hearts.

WTJ 82:2 (Fall 2020) p. 360

In His Own Words: The Portrayal Of Solomon Within The Speeches Of 1 Kings 8:1–61

Jared Reed

The general agreement about the critical role of Solomon within the DtrH often is paired with varying opinions concerning whether Solomon is presented in 1 Kgs 1–11 largely positively or negatively. These range from declarations that assert his stalwart commitment to God to allegations about his murderous efforts to consolidate his political hegemony. In their bid to explain Solomon, scholars have tended to highlight one of three major structural elements within the first eleven chapters: Solomon’s apostasy (11:1–6), his two visions (3:4–14, 9:1–9), and intermittently interspersed ironic elements. I propose a fourth textual component, the speeches of Solomon (