SDQ, MIȘPAT and the social critique of the eighth century prophets

This dissertation focuses primarily on three areas. It provides detailed examinations of SDQ and MIȘPAT as they are used in the Old Testament. To this end, extra-Biblical material from the Ancient Near East is also examined, thus yielding the background meanings of these concepts. SDQ and MIȘPAT are investigated with a view to demonstrating "relationship" as their overall functional locus, and all occurrences of these concepts in the Old Testament are studied. The occurrences of SDQ and MIȘPAT indicate that whether these concepts have to do with aspects such as "justice in the gate", "Yahweh's ordinances", "salvation", "deliverance" or even secular matters such as "weights and measures" and "trading", the fundamental element that unites all of them is "relationship" and the sustaining of it. The thesis argues that SDQ and MIȘPAT as terms of "relationship", are the basis for the social critique of the Eighth Century Prophets. In this regard, the different subjects of the prophets' social critique are examined. The discussion concludes that corruption in the economic, social and religious aspects of life is directly correlated to the absence of SDQ and MIȘPAT. In the Eighth Century prophets SDQ is seen to be the bond which is integral for the covenant relationship between Yahweh and his people, while MIȘPAT is the element necessary for a right relationship amongst individuals. The absence of both SDQ and MIȘPAT as is the case in the Eighth Century, suggests clearly that the Prophets' critique concerns not only the relationship between individuals, but even more fundamentally, the people's relationship with Yahweh

The Virtue of Interrupted Lives

In this lecture Dr. Gossai hopes to inspire the audience to explore ways of having their lives when interrupted either by design or by circumstances, move in a direction that is just and virtuous. He will look to those who have gone before us, individuals whose lives were interrupted, often tragically, painfully and who chose to live their lives out in hope and justice, peace and civic virtue for others: From Jeremiah to Jesus; Socrates to Thoreau; Dietrich to Bonhoeffer to Nelson Mandela; Vaclav Havel to Mahatma Gandhi; Rosa Parks to Dorothy Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. to Elie Wiesel. What does it mean to have our lives be interrupted? Hemchand Gossai who earned his Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, has served as an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Georgia Southern University since 2006. Prior to coming to Georgia Southern, Dr. Gossai was the Chair of the department of Religion and Associate Professor at Muhlenberg College. He has served as a visiting professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Missouri, was an invited participant at the University of Notre Dame in the 50 Most Effective Teachers of Religion project. At Muhlenberg College, he received The Henry Award for Outstanding Faculty and the Bridgebuilders\u27 Award for mentoring students with disabilities. In Missouri he received the Governor\u27s award for excellence in teaching. Dr. Gossai has written and edited numerous articles and several books on religious studies, including Post Colonial Commentary on the Old Testament, which is due out fall 2011. In addition he has written two memoirs, River Crossings and A Requiem for Neil, a tribute to his brother Neil. He has taught courses on the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, Holocaust Literature, Monotheism, and Applied Social Ethics and has lectured extensively to Academic, Civic and Religious groups. Active in teaching and service, Dr. Gossai has served as the director of the Center for Religious Studies at Georgia Southern and will teach at the Cite Universitaire in Paris, France this coming summer