Class notes: 11/12/09
-See film Cold Comfort Farm
-Material for test from Frye
-Page numbers-
-54: he use of figurative language in the bible; types of figurative language; hyperbole, intentional exaggeration; quote on p.54 from Gospel of John;
-Jesus’ metaphorical statements.
-Page 81 -82: anamnesis, recollection; types and antitypes; typology as an analogy of causality
-The old is to the new as the type is to the antitype
-82 – repetition; returning to the original pristine state and moving forward.
-Frye Chapter 5
-Pg. 107; Creation - the patriarchal deity
-Pg. 116; Exodus; seeing God; the admonition of making graven images
-Pg. 120; Law; Science develops more readily out of polytheistic religion; Natural Law, regarded as the continuing of the divine creation in time.
-Pg. 123; Wisdom; Hebel, where vanity derives, metaphorical kernel of fog, vapor, emptiness, worthless; but is a breath, life vain, worthless? Hmm, interesting
Pg. 128; Prophecy; wise man vs. prophet, prophet sees man in a state of alienation caused by his own distractions, at the bottom of the U shaped curve. Metanoia, changing the mind.
-Pg. 130; Gospel; repentance; change of outlook, spiritual metamorphosis, an enlarges vision…
Pg. 137-8; Apocalypse; Read the Tibetan Book of the Dead; Jonny Deep movie Dead Man. References to William Blake, Tibetan Book of The Dead
Pg. 138: best definiton of apocalypse: the way the world looks after the ego disappears, a form a detachment;
-Page Numbers to Read from The Slave
238, 252- 269, 278-9
Review Questions: For a STUPID TEST; Gee, thanks
Plotz Question
1. Who is an early Jesus figure in the Old Testament in First Kings: 17? Elijah.
2. Who was associated with early makeup and what does it symbolize? Jezebel, the bad woman.
3. Answer: The Lion and The Lamb; Question: Which doesn’t belong together?
4. Who does Plotz compare God to in Isaiah? Santa Clause and Jack Nicholson.
5. Why does Plotz think we shouldn’t share a beach house with Jeremiah? He’s incredibly morbid. Pg. 201
6. Ezekiel, chapter 4, the ingredients for what he’s supposed to eat for the years; breakfast cereal; Chapter 16-17, the metaphor of marriage and Jerusalem.
7. Why does Jonah get on the boat? To flee from God!
8. It ain’t no whale!!
9. Which biblical character does Plotz talk about the most in Pslams? David. According to Plotz what is the main theme? Woe is me!!
10. What other biblical story is the book of Daniel most similar to? In respet to precognition? The story of Joseph.
11. Why does Ezra pull out all his hair, on his head and body? Ouch? Inter-marriage between the Jews and Gentiles.
12. Plotz describes the book of chronicles in one sentence, which is? It retells the stories you’re already heard. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. Should we read the bible? Of course? The only difficulty, especially for Plotz, is all the violence. But the less you believe the more you should read. That’s me… All events are biblical! –Alex’s bad morning, getting stuck twice in the snow, but the good Samaritan comes through.
13. The Greek root of Ecclesiastes is ecclesia, which means what? Gathering.
14. What is eschatology? The study or philosophy of the end times.
15. In Frye, what form of creation does Frye stress? Logos. Spoken creation. Logos, blah, blah, blah.
16. Jesus and Socrates;
17. Why is the bible a comedy? It has a happy ending!! Prophets
18. What kind of wisdom literature would be espoused by our grandparents? Prudential; know difference between skeptical and prudential wisdom
19. What did Jacob put on his head at the end of The Slave? A fez; page 298.
20. The three great tragedies, according to Dr. Sexson: The Brothers Karamazov; King Lear; The Book of Job.
21. Why is God a patriarchal God? To rationalize the ethos of a patriarchal system.
22. What is an epiphany? A sudden manifestation of the divine or supernatural being.
23. What is the doctrine of retributive justice, and name a person who is an example? Good thing happen to good people, bad things to bad people. Job’s three friends are examples.
24. Which two Shakespearian characters exhibit prudential and skeptical wisdom? Polonius and Hamlet; Neither a borrower or a lender be; versus To be or not to Be, that is the question.
25. The best examples of the bible as narrative and imagery. The book of Job, a supreme narrative; the best example of imagery is Revelation.
26. According to Wikipedia, metanoia
27. What is Moses the archetype for? The Leader or Hero.
28. What does Jacob do, in The Slave, to make up for the absence of his Torah? Writes them on a rock, then memorizes them.
29. What is the vindication of divine goodness and providence? Theodicy = the question of innocent suffering; theo = god, dike justice
30. What is the definition of a parable? An attack on the structure of your expectations, according to Dr. Sexson. The difference between a parable and proverb.
31. Apocalypse = unveiling.
32. The difference between literal and realized eschatology? The end at a specific time, versus the notion that the world’s already come to an end, but we haven’t realized it.
