Abstract
In this carefully considered monograph, Sandoval sets out ‘to describe and account for some of the ambiguity in portrayals of Proverbs’ theological ethics’ (p. 7), which he attributes to scholarly attempts to read Proverbs through the lens of modern deontological or consequentialist theory. He argues that, although elements of deontology or utilitarian thinking can be found in the book, modern scholarship has generally failed to recognize that Proverbs represents a premodern discourse that does not fit comfortably into either of these later philosophical categories. Rather, it is important to read the book on its own terms, located as it is within a historical context that lends itself more readily to a form of virtue ethics.
Sandoval readily acknowledges that Proverbs is not an exact fit for the Aristotelian model of virtue ethics either: there is no clear parallel in Hebrew thought to the idea of phronesis, for example. Nevertheless, a number of features in Proverbs overlap significantly with the thrust of Aristotle’s approach, particularly the need to cultivate the values, skills and practices required for an individual to flourish within society. This observation sets the framework for the next step in the argument as Sandoval turns to Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue as a significant debating partner. MacIntyre’s adaptation of Aristotelian thought provides the key for not only understanding the distinctive approach of Proverbs, but also unlocking the way in which many of the insights in Proverbs might continue to be used for contemporary ethical reflection.
The bulk of this study, however, is given over to a detailed thematic exegesis of the text, for which a working knowledge of Hebrew is broadly required. After a review of recent scholarship on Proverbs, Sandoval notes how a slow return to virtue perspectives can be found first in the work of Gerhard von Rad, but also emerges gradually in later studies. Even John Barton, who initially dismissed virtue ethics in some of his early essays, came to modify his view. At any level, Sandoval points out, Proverbs has an obvious interest in the training of young people in the skills and insights needed to flourish in life; and recognizing that humans are social creatures, caught up in a network of relationships, means that the desire to flourish individually and achieve legitimate goals such as wealth and status has to be put back into that overall social context. The issue is not desire per se, but the training of desire to achieve legitimate goals within these relationships.
Sandoval recognizes clear limitations on the ethical framework this approach suggests. For example, Proverbs provides few role models beyond broad generalizations, and the oft-repeated criticism that the book is primarily aimed at an elite male readership has some foundation. Recognizing these limitations leads Sandoval into a detailed analysis of the generic types described in Proverbs, from the wise sage to the foolish dolt, but in the later chapters the focus falls sharply on the two prominent female figures in the book – the foolish and the wise women. Sandoval fully accepts that these two female figures present a real challenge to modern readers, but returns to his discussion of MacIntyre’s ‘flexible’ approach to virtue ethics to argue that it is still possible to work with the wisdom offered in Proverbs while acknowledging its obvious limitations.
This is a well-researched study based on years of careful scholarship, and will be welcomed by specialists in the field as another valuable contribution to Old Testament scholarship. The structure of the argument felt a little disjointed at times, as if, perhaps, the book had been written in several stages over a period of time. But, overall, there is a great deal of detailed exegesis here and much wisdom that deserves to be taken seriously.