Papers by Megan C Roberts
Ph.D. Dissertation, McMaster Divinity College, 2020
Scholars have long noted that Isa 40–55 emphasizes Yahweh’s offer of comfort and consolation to h... more Scholars have long noted that Isa 40–55 emphasizes Yahweh’s offer of comfort and consolation to his people who have suffered through the Babylonian exile. This focus on comfort, which is intended to bring restoration and healing from exilic trauma, however, exists alongside indictments against rebellion, accusations of abandonment, and numerous other indications that all is not well in the relationship between Yahweh and his people. The people doubt Yahweh’s offer of comfort, asserting that he and his promises are untrustworthy. This tension in the covenant relationship and the people’s deep-seated distrust of Yahweh creates a serious problem, the problem of receiving the offered comfort. Interwoven with the promises of comfort and expressions of relational problems is also a significant emphasis on memory, both remembering and forgetting, as Yahweh and his people accuse one another of faulty memory. Drawing on sociological memory studies and trauma theory, the present study argues that the solution to the problem of comfort can be found in the memory negotiations between Yahweh and his people. Because memory frameworks interpret the past for the present to envision a particular kind of future, a shared memory framework is essential for relational harmony. This analysis concludes that the memory negotiations are intended to produce a shared memory framework so that Yahweh’s people can adjust their interpretation of the exile and their suffering and so receive and share in Yahweh’s restorative comfort and transformation.
Conference Presentations by Megan C Roberts
Presentation for Israelite Prophetic Literature, SBL, 2019
“Never forget!” This phrase, or some form of it, can often be heard, read, and memorialized after... more “Never forget!” This phrase, or some form of it, can often be heard, read, and memorialized after tragic events. In some cases, it is a statement of commitment towards and solidarity with those who have suffered while at the same time carrying an implied negative critique of those who might forget, or worse, those who might argue that the tragedy should be forgotten. In other cases, the vow to never forget carries connotations of revenge and a will to remain forever hostile towards those perceived to be at fault for the suffering, while others warn that this never forgetting results in too much remembering, inhibiting the ability move beyond the suffering. Sociological memory studies and trauma theory have explored this phenomenon of contention that often surrounds questions of how and what to remember and forget in the wake of traumatic events. This paper suggests that insights from memory and trauma studies shed light on the issues around forgetting and forsaking in Isa 40–55, a text that grapples with the trauma of the Babylonian exile. While Zion accuses Yahweh of forgetting her, Yahweh asserts that he has not forgotten her and makes a counter-accusation that the problem of forgetfulness lies with Zion and her children. And yet, Yahweh eventually admits that he did forsake them for a moment, while continuing to promise that returning to him will result in Zion forgetting her painful and shameful past. The conflict surrounding who has forgotten what and with what consequences can only be resolved based on an understanding of the intended goal of forgetting some things and not others. Drawing on memory studies and trauma theory, this paper argues that the poetic sequence of Isa 40–55 engages the conflict around forgetting in order to persuade the recipients that divine comfort is possible if the correct things are forgotten.
Presentation for Old Testament Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books, ETS, 2019
Isaiah 43:18 and 46:9 appear to present contradictory commands from Yahweh to the stated audience... more Isaiah 43:18 and 46:9 appear to present contradictory commands from Yahweh to the stated audience of Jacob/Israel. While the former urges the addressees to “not remember the former things,” the latter commands them to “remember the former things.” Scholars puzzle over how to explain the negative command in 43:18 in the context of a prophetic text that so often reuses and alludes to the past, but many do not even make an attempt to explain how the two commands might function together in the literary context without being contradictory. The oddity of the negative command within its literary context has led some scholars to interpret it in terms of apophasis. This argument removes the contradiction between 43:18 and 46:9 by arguing that the rhetorical function of 43:18 is to stimulate specific memory, just like 46:9. This paper, then, proposes an alternative solution for understanding these commands within the literary context of Second Isaiah that retains the negative command as such and explains how the two commands function together. Drawing on the field of sociological memory studies, this paper argues that these two memory commands are evidence of conflict within the collective memory of Jacob/Israel, collective memory that has been shattered by the traumatic events of the Babylonian exile. Robin Wagner-Pacifici’s paradigm of performatives, demonstratives, and representations, which quantifies the process of collective memory, is combined with Barry Schwartz’s concept of keying and framing and Gil Eyal’s elucidation of the goal of collective memory. This combined framework offers a new perspective for understanding the way in which collective memory is renegotiated in the wake of traumatic events. These memory commands can thus be understood as an expression of Jacob/Israel’s conflicted and confused collective memory and a vocalization of Yahweh’s desire to re-form and re-orient their collective memory so that Jacob/Israel would accept his promises of comfort and restoration.
Presentation for Old Testament Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books, ETS, 2017
The book of Micah presents a familiar prophetic message: Yahweh’s people have become increasingly... more The book of Micah presents a familiar prophetic message: Yahweh’s people have become increasingly sinful to the point of requiring serious discipline, judgment, and purging. Through this purging, a faithful remnant will survive to participate in a glorious restoration, characterized by holistic well-being. This redemptive reversal will be accomplished through Yahweh’s covenant faithfulness and sovereign power, condemning those who persist in disobedience but forgiving those who turn in obedience. Though the various prophets have various ways of presenting these truths, this basic outline is common to many of them. This paper, however, argues that Mic. 6–7 highlights memory as a key component within the schema of Yahweh’s redemptive reversal, a component that is almost entirely absent from the scholarly discussions on this text. Though scholars often note the implicit call to repentance imbedded within the memory commands of Mic. 6:3–5, the significance of memory’s connection to renewed identity and transformed behavior, like that described in Mic. 7:7–20, is not developed. The goal, then, of this paper is to advance an argument for why the memory commands are a significant factor in the movement in Mic. 6–7 from open rebellion against Yahweh to lament to admission of sin to forgiveness and restoration. Drawing on insights from social memory studies, textual analysis will first focus on Mic. 6:1–8 to better appreciate the power of memory to shape identity and behavior. The characteristics of those who obey these memory commands will then be outlined and contrasted with the characteristics of those who do not obey them. Finally, the characteristics of those who remember will be compared to those of the remnant who receive forgiveness and holistic restoration in Mic. 7:18–20. Through this analysis and comparison, this paper argues that the Mic. 6¬–7 presents memory as an essential component in the process that leads to forgiveness and restoration.
Presentation for Israelite Prophetic Literature, SBL, 2017
Isaiah 43:18 and 46:9 appear to present contradictory commands from Yahweh to the stated audience... more Isaiah 43:18 and 46:9 appear to present contradictory commands from Yahweh to the stated audience of Jacob/Israel. While the former urges the addressees to “not remember the former things,” the latter commands them to “remember the former things.” Scholars puzzle over how to explain the negative command in 43:18 in the context of a prophetic text that so often reuses and alludes to the past, but many do not even make an attempt to explain how the two commands might function together in the literary context without being contradictory. Drawing on the field of sociological memory studies, this paper argues that these two memory commands are evidence of conflict within the collective memory of Jacob/Israel, collective memory that has been shattered by the traumatic events of the Babylonian exile. Robin Wagner-Pacifici’s paradigm of performatives, demonstratives, and representations, which quantifies the process of collective memory, is combined with Barry Schwartz’s concept of keying and framing and Gil Eyal’s elucidation of the goal of collective memory. This combined framework offers a new perspective for understanding the way in which collective memory is renegotiated in the wake of traumatic events. These memory commands can thus be understood as an expression of Jacob/Israel’s conflicted and confused collective memory and a vocalization of Yahweh’s desire to re-form and re-orient their collective memory so that Jacob/Israel would accept his promises of comfort and restoration.
Presentation for the annual ETS conference, 2015
Christians who desire to study the Old Testament for the ultimate benefit of the Church cannot un... more Christians who desire to study the Old Testament for the ultimate benefit of the Church cannot underestimate the importance of integration between OT studies and the other sub-disciplines within biblical theological studies. However, the precise way in which the OT is a resource for Christian thought, belief, and practice is a disputed topic. This paper will survey the place of the OT in biblical theological studies beginning with the NT’s use of the OT, leading to a consideration of the way in which pre-critical, pre-modern exegesis followed the NT’s hermeneutic and whether or not Christians today can follow suit. The philosophical and cultural shifts of the Reformation and Enlightenment drastically reshaped biblical theological studies, gradually segregating the sub-disciplines into microcosms of specialization so that any thought of integration appeared ludicrous at worst and terrifyingly complex at best. In an attempt to navigate through the intricacies of this topic, I will focus on how the Rule of Faith was used as a guiding principle for pre-critical exegesis and hermeneutics, why it was rejected by higher criticism, and why it ought to be reclaimed in the wider Protestant community as a beneficial tool for interpreting the OT and integrating it with other biblical theological sub-disciplines.
Presentation for the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies, 2016
While the Old Greek text of the Hebrew Bible has been valued in Protestant scholarship for its us... more While the Old Greek text of the Hebrew Bible has been valued in Protestant scholarship for its usefulness in textual criticism, it is much less frequently valued for the textual tradition it represents along side the Hebrew text. This paper, then, explores Isaiah 46 in the Hebrew text of 1QIsaa and in the Greek text of Codex Sinaiticus to further appreciate the historical particularities of these text traditions. The textual analysis uses the tools of lyric poetry to first understand each text on its own terms before comparing and contrasting the two traditions.
Presentation for Israelite Prophetic Literature, SBL, 2016
While the Old Greek text of the Hebrew Bible has been valued in Protestant scholarship for its us... more While the Old Greek text of the Hebrew Bible has been valued in Protestant scholarship for its usefulness in textual criticism, it is much less frequently valued for the textual tradition it represents along side the Hebrew text. This paper, then, explores Isaiah 46 in the Hebrew text of 1QIsaa and in the Greek text of Codex Sinaiticus to further appreciate the historical particularities of these text traditions. The textual analysis uses the tools of lyric poetry to first understand each text on its own terms before comparing and contrasting the two traditions.
Book Reviews by Megan C Roberts
ISBN 978-1-9787-0690-3. Pp. xi + 231. $95.00 hardcover.
Sample Syllabi by Megan C Roberts
This course introduces and surveys the literature of the Old Testament from within its historical... more This course introduces and surveys the literature of the Old Testament from within its historical, cultural, and literary context as the necessary foundation for understanding the character of God, his relationship to his creation, his work to redeem and restore, and the identity and relationship of humans to God and creation. A broad historical and theological overview will provide a framework within which to understand the basic content and themes of each Old Testament book. Attention will be given to ancient Near Eastern culture and literary genres to fill out key aspects for accurate interpretation. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to explain the historical-theological arc of the Old Testament, key characteristics of God, the place of humans in God's creation and plan of redemption, and a basic contribution from each of the Old Testament books to these broad ideas.
This introduction to Classical Hebrew stresses vocabulary acquisition, noun and verb morphology, ... more This introduction to Classical Hebrew stresses vocabulary acquisition, noun and verb morphology, proficiency in oral reading and translation, and familiarization with Hebrew language tools. This class includes a strong focus on the historical development of the Hebrew language so that students understand the principles of word formation rather than having to rely solely on rote memory. Students will translate slightly modified passages taken from Gen 37-50 (the Joseph narrative) and will learn frequently attested Hebrew vocabulary. Many different learning modes will be employed to enhance understanding and retention of the language, including songs, videos and pictures, simple speaking and reciting, reading, and writing. Students are encouraged to fully engage with each learning mode, not to take themselves too seriously, and to be willing to make mistakes. Students are encouraged to engage with Hebrew every day; this will greatly enhance overall language understanding and retention.
This class will explore the book of Isaiah with attention given to historical backgrounds, the na... more This class will explore the book of Isaiah with attention given to historical backgrounds, the nature of prophecy in the ancient Near East, the various genres within the book, and significant themes found throughout the book. Students will gain familiarity with the content of the book, the progression and development of themes within the book, and the skills required to read and interpret prophetic texts. These skills will be enhanced by readings from the Ancient Christian Commentary and by reading modern scholars who are not white westerners. In addition, an important goal of the class is to encounter the presence of God as we read, discuss, and meditate on the text of Isaiah together.
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Papers by Megan C Roberts
Conference Presentations by Megan C Roberts
Book Reviews by Megan C Roberts
Sample Syllabi by Megan C Roberts