Does Wisdom Literature actually exist? How are we supposed to read Hebrew poetry—and how can we preach the Gospel from it? This March, join us as we explore these questions with Dr Kamina Wüst in two days of Professional Development.

“I’m excited to teach you to handle these quirky books with confidence and enjoyment, and consider how to preach Christ from the Wisdom literature in a way that is literarily and theologically coherent, appreciating how the Wisdom books enrich and are enriched by the gospel of Jesus.” - Dr Wüst

Foundations for reading biblical Wisdom literature

Wednesday, 25 March 2026

9:00am – 5:00pm

Job, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and Song of Songs are some of the oddest books in the Old Testament: composed of enigmatic poetry, difficult to pin down in history, and peppered with quirky statements that seem to complicate or contradict other parts of the Bible. This day of lectures will introduce you to the broader scope of wisdom traditions in the Ancient Near East, how they inform the wisdom content in the Hebrew Bible, and whether ‘Wisdom literature’ should even be a category. We’ll also discuss why Christians are bad at reading poetry, how to appreciate Wisdom literature as Hebrew poetry, and how to “do” biblical theology with the Wisdom books. You’ll leave with a new set of strategies for reading and teaching the Wisdom books as integrated parts of the Old Testament and the unfolding revelation of the gospel.

Solomon's Wisdom and the Song of Songs

Friday, 27 March

9:00am – 1:00pm

“The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.” So runs the full title of the Song of Songs, yet mainstream interpretations of the Song of Songs have been very little informed by the Bible’s portrayal of Solomon. Whether romanticised into the ideal lover or excluded from the Song’s meaning entirely, he’s hardly ever allowed to show up in the Song as the complicated king with a problematic history in matters of the heart. These lectures will delve into the question of Solomon’s ‘wisdom’ before and after he makes his iconic request of God, and how it impacts the way we receive Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song. The second part of the morning will focus on the Song of Songs: Solomon as the key to its interpretation, the overlooked inner-biblical allusions that de-mystify its message to Israel, and how to apply it meaningfully for God’s people today.

These Professional Development Days form part of a unit on Wisdom Literature being taught at Mary Andrews College. You can find more information on the full unit here

Contact the host of Professional Development days with Kamina Wüst