Instructions for Short Essays on Hosea

Essays on HOSEA (remember: you may write either on Hosea or on Job) should address one of the following topics, using at least one commentary on Hosea in addition to the class texts (see the attached bibliography; web resources may be used in addition to, but NOT in place of, this requirement).

FORMAT: The paper must be properly documented using either in-text references in parentheses or footnotes, and must include a bibliography citing all works consulted. ALL quotations must appear inside quotation marks and be followed by citation of the source. ALL ideas gathered from other sources and presented in your own words (i.e. "paraphrased") must also cite their sources. The papers must be typed and carefully proofread for spelling and grammatical errors.

TOPICS:

1) Summarize the book of Hosea's depiction of BAALISM and compare it with the picture of that religion available from other biblical and extrabiblical sources.

2) Analyze Hosea 1 and 3 and present your understanding of the nature of Hosea's marriage and its role in his prophetic career. Defend your analysis against competing interpretations of these chapters.

Bibliography. The following books are on RESERVE in the library:

• Andersen, Francis I. & David Noel Freedman. Hosea. Anchor Bible. New York: Doubleday, 1980
• Birch, Bruce C. Hosea, Joel, and Amos. Louisville: Westminster, 1997.
• McKeating, Henry. The books of Amos, Hosea and Micah. Cambridge: U.P., 1971.
• Wolff, Hans Walter. Hosea : a commentary. Hermeneia. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1974.

The following books are in the REFERENCE section of the library:

• Anchor Bible Dictionary
• Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible
• Interpreter's Bible

Other volumes may be found on the library shelves.