Write a brief essay (five to six pages long) on a topic selected from part A or part B, below.
A. It’s important that students be encouraged to contest their professors’ ideas when they have other
ideas, supported by evidence and argument. So, here are some ideas that roughly conform to Prof. Cox’s
notions. If you wish, pick one of the following ideas and argue against it:
1. During the course of 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and the first three chapters of 1 Kings, providence becomes
less influential on people’s lives.
2. Saul was not a bad king; he was simply confronted by insurmountable obstacles.
3. The rebellion of Absalom illustrates the fact that David was not a good king.
B. Select one of the following topics and agree or disagree with the quoted assertion, or revise it to fit
your understanding of the text.
1. “It’s a good thing that Solomon prays for wisdom (1 Kings 3), because that’s something that his father
never possessed.”
2. “Isaiah and the Psalms are both aids to reflection, and they will lead you to the same basic religious
ideas.” In writing on this topic, consult the Psalms and passages from Isaiah that are listed on the
syllabus; you are not asked to consult additional passages.
3. “Under the circumstances shown in 1 and 2 Samuel and the first chapters of 1 Kings [those on the
syllabus], Joab proved himself a better leader than David.”
4. “If tested by Isaiah’s standards, David would get a very low grade.