Old Testaments Books

Book SynopsisConfronts the story of the man who challenged God, the man who experienced hell on earth and still did not reject his faith. This title examines the symbolic role that theological concepts play in an individual's psychic life.Trade ReviewPraise from previous edition: "This book breathes a passionate wish for the regeneration of mankind, integrating the destructive impulse rather than repressing it."--Times Literary Supplement Praise from previous edition: "Dr. Jung speaks with the authority and conviction of his professional insight into the mind of an age whose great longing is for some new heavenly marriage that shall produce a new divine child to save us from impending apocalypse."--Kathleen Raine, Encounter Praise from previous edition: "Jung...points out that the psychology of religion has two aspects, the psychology of religious persons and the psychology of religious 'contents.' He has himself, in this book, made a rare and original contribution to the latter."--A.M. Silver, British Journal of PsychologyTable of Contents*Frontmatter, pg. i*TABLE OF CONTENTS, pg. v*FOREWORD TO THE 2010 EDITION, pg. vii*PREFATORY NOTE, pg. xi*LECTORI BENEVOLO, pg. xiii*ANSWER TO JOB, pg. 1*BIBLIOGRAPHY, pg. 109*INDEX, pg. 111

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Book SynopsisTranslation of: Exodus, die Revolution der alten Welt.Trade Review"[Assmann] represents the best tradition of a German public intellectual, able to support his thesis with a wide diversity of insights and to do so with authority and creativity."---Michael R. Simone, Theological Studies

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Book SynopsisGenesis is a book of origins: of the world, of sin, of God's promise of redemption, and of the people of Israel. It traces God's pledge of a Saviour through Abraham's line down to his great-grandson Judah. It is foundational for the New Testament and its teaching that Jesus is the fulfilment of God's promise to save humankind from sin and death. Andrew Steinmann's thorough exegetical commentary includes a reconstructed timeline of events from Abraham's life through to the death of Joseph.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[A] masterful piece of scholarship. . . . Baden’s accessible prose will make this exceptional work appeal to scholars and general readers alike." * Publishers Weekly *"Baden’s clear, insightful, and fascinating overview of Exodus demonstrates how powerful and inspiring this biblical narrative has been throughout history in religious, political, and social settings."---Mark Scarlata, Church Times"Assman brings forth an intense interpretation. . . . this book is clearly a product of meticulous work and a life-long experience and must be read by graduate theology students, in particular the ones who study Jewish identity and religion."---Dr Hafize Zor, Rest Journal

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Book SynopsisDon Collett, an experienced Old Testament scholar, offers an account of Old Testament interpretation that capitalizes on recent research in figural exegesis. Collett examines the tension between figural and literal modes of exegesis as they developed in Christian thought, introduces ongoing debates and discussions concerning figural readings of Scripture, and offers theological readings of several significant Old Testament passages. This book will work well as a primer on figural exegesis for seminarians or as a capstone seminary text that ties together themes from courses in Bible, exegesis, and theology.Table of ContentsContents Introduction A World Well Lost: The Eclipse of Old Testament Consciousness Part 1: Frameworks 1. Biblical Models for Figural Reading 2. Figural Reading and Scripture's Literal Sense Part 2: Exegesis 3. Figural Reading, Metaphor, and Theological Exegesis Part 3: Assessment 4. Figural Reading and Modernity 5. Epilogue Indexes

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Book SynopsisDo you know the character of our God--do you know who God is? What does it mean to say that God is love, light, life, and spirit? In Who God Is, world-renowned New Testament scholar Ben Witherington III explores the nature and character of the God of the Bible by focusing specifically on the nouns used to describe who God is. This rich exploration has its foundation in a deep reading of the biblical text. Reflecting on these descriptions of God gives us a fresh understanding of the beauty and uniqueness of the character of our God.

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Book SynopsisIn the Song of Songs the son of David, King in Jerusalem, overcomes hostility and alienation to renew intimacy between himself and his Bride. This most sublime Song sings of a love sure as the seal of Yahweh, a flashing flame of fire many waters could never quench. James M. Hamilton Jr, in this latest addition to the popular Focus on the Bible series, pours fresh light on this inspiring and uplifting book. Trade ReviewThis beautifully written book of sound Christ-centered biblical exposition and skillful personal application, will not only strengthen and heal many marriages, but will also draw many Christians into a deeper appreciation and enjoyment of their marriage to Christ. Unlike most books on the Song of Songs, this one will make you sing! -- David Murray (Senior Pastor, First Byron CRC, Byron Center, Michigan and author of ‘The StoryChanger’ and ‘Jesus on Every Page’)...a fresh, biblically-theologically informed approach to the Song of Solomon. This is a commentary pastors should regularly turn to when preaching through this important but difficult book of Scripture. And make no mistake-reading this commentary will make you want to preach this book. -- R. Albert Mohler (President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky)

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Book Synopsis“A brilliant study of the Hebrew prophets, one of the most penetrating works . . . [of] our time.”— Will HerbergFrom the legendary twentieth-century Jewish Theologian and author of Man is Not Alone and God in Search of Man, comes a beautiful new hardcover edition of Abraham Heschel''s masterwork of Biblical scholarship, The Prophets.When it was first published in 1962, The Prophets was hailed as a masterpiece. Since then, Heschel''s classic work has stood the test of time. The Prophets provides a unique opportunity for readers of all faiths to gain a fresh perspective and deep knowledge of the Old Testament and Israel’s ancient prophetic movement. Heschel’s profound understanding of the prophets and detailed examinations of them, including Amos, Hosea, Isahiah, Micah, and Jeremiah, offers crucial insights into the philosop

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Book SynopsisBloody battles, love, betrayal and the miraculous. This graphic novel presents every word, chapter and verse, within its historical, cultural and geographical context. Bloodshed and adult themes give an advisory rating of 15+.

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Book SynopsisIn this 10-week Bible study for women, Lydia Brownback explores the themes of Jonahcompassion, mercy, patience, repentance, and sovereigntyto help readers understand God's relentless grace and his desire to save the lost.

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Book SynopsisThis classic Biblical commentary from Derek Kidner explores the theology and text of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

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Book SynopsisLife''s not fair! You''ve heard it a million times--and probably said it yourself. But what if your greatest difficulties were steppingstones to a greater destiny? What if seasons of unbearable pain turned out to be pathways to unbelievable purpose?In The Unfair Advantage, pastor Aaron Burke takes a closer look at the seven unfair seasons Joseph endures in the book of Genesis and reveals how Joseph''s struggles are not unlike the battles readers face today.Combining biblical truths with Pastor Aaron''s insights from his years of walking with people through their biggest challenges, this book offers a message of hope and renewed strength for anyone who has battled seasons of feeling discouraged, rejected, undervalued, tempted, unfairly punished, deprived, or forgotten. The surprising reality revealed by the story of Joseph is that unfair moments and seasons of difficulty--if handled wisely--can actually be used by God for our advantage.R

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Book SynopsisDesigned for the pastor and Bible teacher, the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament features today''s top Old Testament scholars and brings together commentary features rarely gathered together in one volume. With careful discourse analysis and interpretation of the Hebrew text, the authors trace the flow of argument in each Old Testament book, showing that how a biblical author says something is just as important as what they say.Commentary on each passage follows a clear structure to help readers grasp the flow and meaning of the text: The Main Idea of the Passage: A one- or two-sentence summary of the key ideas the biblical author seeks to communicate. Literary Context: A brief discussion of the relationship of the specific text to the book as a whole and to its place within the broader argument. Translation and Exegetical Outline: Commentators provide their own translations of each text, formatted to highlight its discourse strucTrade Review'Dr. Turner is to be commended for this excellent work that combines scholarly research and personal insight into Habakkuk's world. His scholarship is especially evident in detailed textual analysis and clarifying footnotes, but perhaps the most outstanding feature of the commentary is Dr. Turner's ability to present each verse as part of the overall literary context of Habakkuk in a captivating manner that is borne out of both careful study and personal experience. This is truly a wonderful addition to the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament!' * KEVIN BURRIS, department chair, Bible and theology, Toccoa Fall College *'Ken Turner's work in Habakkuk is invaluable. His commentary offers discourse analysis and grammatical context to expertly support those teaching, preaching, or studying the book. The commentary's depth of insight makes it a resource I will continue to use.' * TAYLOR TURKINGTON, director, BibleEquipping.org; author, Trembling Faith *'Kenneth Turner has written a truly original and valuable commentary on Habakkuk. Readers interested in Hebrew will be pleased by the careful attention to grammar, syntax, and poetic analysis. Turner integrates this focus on text-level details with careful consideration of intertextual connections, integration with Christian theology, and even pastoral application. He insightfully avoids common exegetical pitfalls and persuasively argues for better solutions. Turner demonstrates how evangelicals can draw from the best of current scholarship while avoiding excessive focus on topics that are unfruitful for exposition in the church. Students, pastors, and scholars alike will all benefit from this important study.' * DAVID J. FULLER, assistant professor of Old Testament, Torch Trinity Graduate University, Seoul, South Korea *

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Book SynopsisThis book explores God’s use of violence as depicted in the Hebrew Bible. Focusing on the Pentateuch, it reads biblical narratives and codes of law as documenting formations of theopolitical imagination. Ophir deciphers the logic of divine rule that these documents betray, with a special attention to the place of violence within it. The book draws from contemporary biblical scholarship, while also engaging critically with contemporary political theory and political theology, including the work of Walter Benjamin, Giorgio Agamben, Jan Assmann, Regina Schwartz, and Michael Walzer. Ophir focuses on three distinct theocratic formations: the rule of disaster, where catastrophes are used as means of governance; the biopolitical rule of the holy, where divine violence is spatially demarcated and personally targeted; and the rule of law where divine violence is vividly remembered and its return is projected, anticipated, and yet postponed, creating a prolonged lull for the text’s present. Different as these formations are, Ophir shows how they share an urform that anticipates the main outlines of the modern European state, which has monopolized the entire globe. A critique of the modern state, the book argues, must begin in revisiting the deification of the state, unpacking its mostly repressed theological dimension.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments | vii Introduction | 1 1. Staying with the Violence | 13 Divine Violence—A Trailer, 13 • A Brief Note on Counting and Explaining Away, 21 • Violence, as It Is Unfolding: A Phenomenological Sketch, 24 • Literal Reading and the Biblical Language of Violence, 36 2. Theocracy: The Persistence of an Ancient Lacuna | 45 Theocracy, with and beyond Flavius Josephus, 45 • The Blind Spot: Three Contemporary Readings of Biblical Violence, 53 • On the Attribution of Power and Authority, 74 • Kingship, Anarchy, Theocracy, 79 • Hypothesis, Method, and Stakes, 86 3. The Rule of Disaster: Extinction, Genocides, and Other Calamities | 96 Becoming Political, 96 • From Extinction to Genocide, 99 • Beyond Destruction, 105 • Separation and Disaster, 113 • Violence and Law, 124 • The Sovereign’s Moment, 130 • Scouts in the Land of the Giants: Three Theocratic Formations, 139 4. Holy Power: States of Exception, Targeted Killings, and the Logic of Substitution | 145 Holiness, 145 • Rebellions in the Wilderness, 160 • Substitution and Containment, 178 5. The Time of the Covenant and the Temporalization of Violence | 193 The Experimental Setting: Recalling Violence and Regulating It, 196 • The Covenant and the Curses, 204 • The Weight of the Present, 214 • The Subjects’ Trap, or the People’s Irony, 222 • A Midianite Utopia, 230 Afterword: The Pentateuchal State, and Ours | 241 Notes | 257 Works Cited | 317 Index | 335

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Book SynopsisA vibrant and contemporary youth (12+) edition of the English Standard Version of the Bible, the world's fastest-growing Bible translation.An easy-to-read Bible translation, containing a 40 page colour section at the back with timelines, dictionary of Bible terms, maps, concordance and the complete text of the ESV Bible in a highly readable font size and only one inch thick. This youth edition is ideal for church, school and personal use.Helpful features included: Old Testament and New Testament colour timelines Dictionary of Bible terms God's Word for me when and about 2 Reading Plans Simplified maps British English text Double-column format with black letter text 30-page Concordance Gilt page edges One inch thickThe English Standard Version is a great choice for personal reading and study, for private devotions and family prayers, and for teaching, preaching, and worship. An essentially literal' translation, the ESV Bible combines word-for-word accuracy with readability, literary excellence, and depth of meaning. More than 100 of the world's leading Bible scholars and teachers were involved in creating the ESV BibleTrade Review‘This is a fine, fresh and faithful translation, combining both elegance and accuracy to bring us a version of the bible that is anything but standard. The ESV brings us a text that is both readable yet scholarly. It is quite simply the best version we have today – clear, simple and illuminating’Martyn Percy, Principal of Ripon College Cuddesdon ‘At last a translation that majors on accuracy, combined with a modern, fluent style. I am confident that in time the ESV will become the standard translation for the English speakingworld.’ The RT. REV. Wallace Benn, Bishop of Lewes, England ‘Meticulous care and passionate research make the ESV a crisp, accurate, and valuable translation.’Max Lucado, Minister, Oak Hills Church of Christ ‘At every level of congregational and individual Christian life, an accurate, consistent, and readable Bible translation is essential. The ESV is all those things’- William Taylor, St Helen’s Bishopsgate ‘Dependability. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think of the ESV. Reassuring. That’s the first word that comes to my mind when I think of the new Anglicised version! Confidence. That’s what every Christian can have when they use this version.’- Steve Timmis, Acts 29 ‘The ESV is a dream come true for me. The rightful heir to a great line of historic translations, it provides the continuity and modern accuracy I longed for’- John Piper

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Book SynopsisDr Israel Drazin reveals fascinating information about Elijah. Among much else, he reveals that the Bible depicts him as being overzealous, hardly ever showing an interest in helping people, and totally different than the Elijah who appears in the legends of post-biblical literature. In these he is kind, and generally very friendly to people. God was not satisfied with the biblical Elijah and God criticised and punished him. Were the fifteen events in which Elijah was involved miracles or natural events? Most are easy to explain as natural events; some are more difficult to do so. Did God order Elijah to perform the acts? The Bible does not say so. The only times that Elijah was ordered by an angel or God to do something was when he was told to go somewhere, and these instructions could be understood as Elijah having the idea. Nearly all Elijahs acts were done because of his overzealous love of God and his abhorrence of idol worship, and apparently show no warm feelings toward people. Yet, the Biblical book Malachi is held by many to prophesy the coming of the prophet Elijah centuries after his death or ascension to heaven. This, despite the fact, as Dr Drazin shows, Malachis prophecy does not seem to deal with the messianic age, but with a resolution of the problems caused by intermarriage. Malachi states, Behold, I will send to you Eliyah the prophet before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the heart of fathers to children, and the heart of children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction. These words have nothing to do with a messianic age and the legendary Elijah who generally helps people in distress is totally different from the overzealous biblical Elijah with whom God was displeased.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the 2013 Cover/Jacket Merit Award in the Professional, Scholarly Series category, New York Book Show"

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Book SynopsisA unique overview of both the Old and New Testaments, from a widely respected evangelical speaker and writer.Unlocking the Bible opens up the word of God in a fresh and powerful way. Avoiding the small detail of verse by verse studies, it sets out the epic story of God and his people in Israel. The culture, historical background and people are introduced and the teaching applied to the modern world.Eight volumes have been brought into one compact and easy to use guide to cover both the Old and the New testaments in one massive omnibus edition.Old Testament: The Maker's Instructions The five books of law A Land and A Kingdom Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings Poems of Worship and Wisdom Psalms, Song of Solomon, proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job Decline and Fall of an Empire Isaiah, Jeremiah and other prophets The Struggle to Survive Chronicles and prophets of exileNew Testament: The Hinge of History Mathew, Mark, Luke, John and acts The Thirteenth Apostle Paul and his letters Trade Review‘If you want a highly rated commentary on the whole Bible – all for under £10 – we recommend Unlocking the Bible’Holy Trinity Brompton (home of the Alpha Course)

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Book SynopsisIn The Meaning of the Bible: What the Jewish Scriptures and Christian Old Testament Can Teach Us, preeminent biblical scholars Douglas A. Knight and Amy-Jill Levine deliver a broad and engaging introduction to the Old Testament—also known as the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible—offering a wealth of compelling historical background and context for the sacred literature that is at the heart of Judaism and Christianity. John Shelby Spong, author of Re-Claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World writes, "Levine and Knight have combined to write a book on the Bible that is as academically brilliant as it is marvelously entertaining. By placing our scriptures into their original Jewish context they have opened up startling and profound new insights. This is a terrific book."

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Book SynopsisThe editors of The Jewish Annotated New Testament show how and why Jews and Christians read many of the same Biblical texts - including passages from the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Psalms - differently. Exploring and explaining these diverse perspectives, they reveal more clearly Scripture’s beauty and power.   Esteemed Bible scholars and teachers Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler take readers on a guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted in the New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts and then how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. Passages include the creation of the world, the role of Adam and Eve, the Suffering Servant of Isiah, the book of Jonah, and Psalm 22, whose words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” Jesus quotes as he dies on the cross. Comparing various interpretations - historical, literary, and theological - of each ancient text, Levine and Brettler offer deeper understandings of the original narratives and their many afterlives. They show how the text speaks to different generations under changed circumstances, and so illuminate the Bible’s ongoing significance. By understanding the depth and variety by which these passages have been, and can be, understood, The Bible With and Without Jesus does more than enhance our religious understandings, it helps us to see the Bible as a source of inspiration for any and all readers.  

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Book SynopsisThe editors of The Jewish Annotated New Testament show how and why Jews and Christians read many of the same Biblical texts - including passages from the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Psalms - differently. Exploring and explaining these diverse perspectives, they reveal more clearly Scripture’s beauty and power.   Esteemed Bible scholars and teachers Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Z. Brettler take readers on a guided tour of the most popular Hebrew Bible passages quoted in the New Testament to show what the texts meant in their original contexts and then how Jews and Christians, over time, understood those same texts. Passages include the creation of the world, the role of Adam and Eve, the Suffering Servant of Isiah, the book of Jonah, and Psalm 22, whose words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,” Jesus quotes as he dies on the cross. Comparing various interpretations -

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Book SynopsisMormonism''s founder, Joseph Smith, claimed to have translated ancient scriptures. He dictated an American Bible from metal plates reportedly buried by ancient Jews in a nearby hill, and produced an Egyptian Book of Abraham derived from funerary papyri he extracted from a collection of mummies he bought from a traveling showman. In addition, he rewrote sections of the King James Version as a New Translation of the Bible. Smith and his followers used the term translation to describe the genesis of these English scriptures, which remain canonical for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Whether one believes him or not, the discussion has focused on whether Smith''s English texts represent literal translations of extant source documents. On closer inspection, though, Smith''s translations are far more metaphysical than linguistic. In Joseph Smith''s Translation, Samuel Morris Brown argues that these translations express the mystical power of language and scripture to interconnect people across barriers of space and time, especially in the developing Mormon temple liturgy. He shows that Smith was devoted to an ancient metaphysics--especially the principle of correspondence, the concept of as above, so below--that provided an infrastructure for bridging the human and the divine as well as for his textual interpretive projects. Joseph Smith''s projects of metaphysical translation place Mormonism at the productive edge of the transitions associated with shifts toward secular modernity. This transition into modern worldviews intensified, complexly, in nineteenth-century America. The evolving legacies of Reformation and Enlightenment were the sea in which early Mormons swam, says Brown. Smith''s translations and the theology that supported them illuminate the power and vulnerability of the Mormon critique of American culture in transition. This complex critique continues to resonate and illuminate to the present day.Trade ReviewBrown's goal lies in finding just the right concept combination to bring today's reader into some sort of understanding of Smith's situation, and he does with "primordial" elements, a notion centripetally attracting such themes as sacred-secrecy, wisdom traditions, priesthoods, and most especially family bonding. Brown's affinity with primordial dynamics generates this book's extended account of how he sees them developing within Josephâs personal spirituality and community leadership all, again, framed by Smith family ties, evolving capacities for death conquest, religious protest, and ever ongoing cosmic possibilities. * Douglas J. Davies, Mormon Studies Review *...its approach is thought-provoking and creative, and parts of it can break new ground in understanding the work of Joseph Smith. * Kent P. Jackson, Birmingham Young University, BYU Studies Quarterly *I found Joseph Smith's Translation stimulating. Brown weaves his way through the wide variety of the texts Smith produced to identify common threads of metaphysical transformation and communal ascent. For those with an esoteric bent, he provides satisfying ways of understanding Joseph Smith's scriptural contributions. Samuel Morris Brown has "translated" Joseph Smith for the reader in a way we have not seen before. * Cheryl Bruno, Association for Mormon Letters *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction: Language, Time, and the Human Cosmos Nineteenth-Century Contexts Smith's Goals and Aspirations Smith's Approach Implications SECTION ONE INTRODUCTION: CONTEXTS Chapter 1. The Quest for Pure Language Chapter 2: The Nature of Time Chapter 3: Human and Divine Selves SECTION TWO INTRODUCTION: TEXTS Chapter 4: The Task of the Book of Mormon: To Save the Bible, First You Must Kill It Chapter 5: Rereading the Bible: Joseph Smith's New Translation Chapter 6: The Egyptian Bible and the Cosmic Order Chapter 7: The Transcendent Immanent Temple Epilogue BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible brings together 37 essential essays written by leading international scholars, examining crucial points of analysis within the field of feminist Hebrew Bible studies. Organized into four major areas - globalization, neoliberalism, media, and intersectionality - the essays collectively provide vibrant, relevant, and innovative contributions to the field. The topics of analysis focus heavily on gender and queer identity, with essays touching on African, Korean, and European feminist hermeneutics, womanist and interreligious readings, ecofeminist and animal biblical studies, migration biblical studies, the role of gender binary voices in evangelical-egalitarian approaches, and the examination of scripture in light of trans women''s voices. The volume also includes essays examining the Old Testament as recited in music, literature, film, and video games. The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible charts a cuTrade ReviewThis collection is a veritable who's who in biblical scholarship—Adele Reinhartz, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Esther Fuchs, Carol Meyers, to name just a few. Eco-feminist poet Anne Elvey pushes the disciplinary horizons with her expansive essay. Kudos to the editor for this valuable volume. * waterwomensalliance.org *diverse and thought-provoking * ROSALIE Ní MHAOLDOMHNAIGH, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament *... Scholz has collated multivalent voices whose essays "offer conceptual and exegetical ways forward" (lii); thus contributors present insightful ideas for future explorations, offering multiple jumping-off points rather than final says. * Megan Fullerton Strollo, Union Presbyterian Seminary *The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible is an important collection, with essays that will benefit specialists and generalists alike. * John W. Herbst, Reading Religion *The Handbook includes interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, interreligious, and artistic readings of biblical texts, connecting feminist, womanist, queer, and otherwise gender-just biblical scholarship to racism, classism, homophobia, heteronormativity, phallogocentrism, geopolitics, sexual violence, and environmental degradation. * Carol J.Dempsey, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Contributors Introduction PART 1 THE IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION ON FEMINIST BIBLICAL STUDIES 1 Biblical Interpretation and Kyriarchal Globalization 2 The Bible and Human Rights from a Feminist Perspective 3 Catholic Androcentric Bible Translations as Global Missionary Tools? 4 Feminist Bible Translations in African Contexts 5 Queer Bible Readings in Global Hermeneutical Perspective 6 Sexual Diversity and Bible in Africa 7 Empire and Feminist Biblical Interpretation in Korea 8 Reading the Bible from Below in the Era of Globalization 9 Toward an African Feminist Ethics and the Book of Proverbs 10 Lament as Womanist Healing in Times of Global Violence PART 2 THE IMPACT OF NEOLIBERALISM ON FEMINIST BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION 11 Neoliberal Feminist Scholarship in Biblical Studies 12 Justifying (Feminist) Biblical Studies in a Neoliberal Age 13 European Feminist Biblical Scholarship in the Neoliberal Era 14 Neoliberalism and Queer Theory in Biblical Readings 15 Biblical Border Slippage and Feminist Postcolonial Criticism 16 On the Development of a Feminist Biblical Hermeneutics of Migration PART 3 THE IMPACT OF (DIGITAL) MEDIA CULTURES ON FEMINIST BIBLICAL EXEGESIS 17 The Bible, Women, and Video Games 18 Gaming with Rahab and the Spies 19 Ecofeminist Biblical Hermeneutics for Cyborgs and the Story of Jezebel 20 Sexuality, Stoning, and Supersessionism in Post-World War II Biblical Epic Films 21 Noah Narratives, Gender Issues, and the Hollywood Hermeneutic 22 Mediating Dinah>'s Story in Film 23 Exploring Biblical Women in Music 24 Hagar in Nineteenth-Century Southern Women>'s Novels 25 Bathsheba in Contemporary Romance Novels 26 Teaching the Bible and Popular Media as Part of Contemporary Rape Culture PART 4 THE EMERGENCE OF INTERSECTIONAL FEMINIST READINGS 27 Gender and the Heterarchy Alternative for Re-Modeling Ancient Israel 28 Retrieving the History of Women Biblical Interpreters 29 A Queer Critique of Looking for 's Voices 32 Feminist Egalitarian Biblical Interpretation and the Christian Right 33 Animal Studies, Feminism, and Biblical Interpretation 34 A Multidimensional Approach in Feminist Ecological Biblical Studies 35 Sarah and Hagar in Art and Interfaith Dialogue 36 Norwegian Muslim and Christian Feminists Reading the Hagar Narratives 37 Intertextual Femininity in the Book of Proverbs and the Dao de Jing Index of Biblical References

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Book SynopsisThis collection of leading scholars presents reflections on both wisdom as a general concept throughout history and cultures, as well as the contested nature of the category of Wisdom Literature. The first half of the collection explores wisdom more generally with essays on its relationship to skill, epistemology, virtue, theology, and order. Wisdom is examined in a number of different contexts, such as historically in the Hebrew Bible and its related cultures, in Egypt and Mesopotamia, as well as in Patristic and Rabbinic interpretation. Additionally, wisdom is examined in its continuing relevance in Islamic, Jewish, and Christian thought, as well as from feminist, environmental, and other contextual perspectives. The second half of the volume considers Wisdom Literature as a category. Scholars address its relation to the Solomonic Collection, its social setting, literary genres, chronological development, and theology. Wisdom Literature''s relation to other biblical literature (law, history, prophecy, apocalyptic, and the broad question of Wisdom influence) is then discussed before separate chapters on the texts commonly associated with the category. Contributors take a variety of approaches to the current debates surrounding the viability and value of Wisdom Literature as a category and its proper relationship to the concept of wisdom in the Hebrew Bible. Though the organization of the volume highlights the independence of wisdom as concept from Wisdom Literature as a category, seeking to counter the lack of attention given to this question in the traditional approach, the inclusion of both topics together in the same volume reflects their continued interconnection. As such, this handbook both represents the current state of Wisdom scholarship and sets the stage for future developments.Trade ReviewThis volume of the Oxford Handbook series serves as an excellent entry into current conversations and debates surrounding wisdom and the wisdom tradition in the Hebrew Bible. Contributors come from a variety of vantage points, ranging from those who defend the traditional designation of wisdom as a genre to those who view this as an artificial designation imposed on disparate texts by modern scholarship. But the chapters are of consistently high quality while also still being highly readable. Scholars will come away from these chapters with much to debate, and students will gain a solid understanding of both the history and the current state of wisdom scholarship. * Brandon R. Grafius, Review of Biblical Literature *The Handbook contains a cornucopia of delights to readers, with such rich contentions as 'Proverbs invites its readers and learners to frolic in the pursuit of wisdom'. * John Jarick, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament *The Handbook contains a cornucopia of delights to readers, with such rich contentions as 'Proverbs invites its readers and learners to frolic in the pursuit of wisdom'. * John Jarick, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament *Table of Contents1. Wisdom and Wisdom Literature: Past, Present, and Future Will Kynes (Samford University) PART I. THE CONCEPT OF WISDOM IN THE HEBREW BIBLE 2. Advice: Wisdom, Skill, and Success Jacqueline Vayntrub (Yale Divinity School) 3. Epistemology: Wisdom, Knowledge, and Revelation Annette Schellenberg (University of Vienna) 4. Virtue and Its Limits in the Wisdom Corpus: Character Formation, Disruption, and Transformation William P. Brown (Columbia Theological Seminary) 5. Theology: Creation, Wisdom, and Covenant Raymond C. Van Leeuwen (Eastern University) 6. Order: Wisdom, Retribution, and Skepticism Ludger Schwienhorst-Schönberger (University of Vienna) PART II. THE CONCEPT OF WISDOM IN RELATED CULTURES 7. Wisdom in Egypt Joachim Quack (Heidelberg University) 8. Mesopotamian Wisdom Literature Yoram Cohen (Tel Aviv University) and Nathan Wasserman (Hebrew University) 9. Wisdom in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Early Jewish Interpretation Arjen Bakker (University of Oxford) 10. Wisdom in Dialogue with Greek Civilization Michael C. Legaspi (Penn State University) 11. Wisdom in the New Testament Mariam Kamell Kovalishyn (Regent College) 12. Wisdom in Patristic Interpretation: Scriptural and Cosmic Unity in Athanasius' Exegesis of Proverbs 8:22 Susannah Ticciati (King's College London) 13. Wisdom in Rabbinic Interpretation Amram Tropper (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) PART III. THE CONCEPT OF WISDOM IN THE MODERN WORLD 14. Wisdom in the Qur'an and the Islamic Tradition U. Isra Yazicioglu (St. Joseph's University) 15. Wisdom in Jewish Theology Jonathan Schofer (University of Texas-Austin) 16. Wisdom in Christian Theology Paul S. Fiddes (University of Oxford) 17. Personified Wisdom and Feminist Theologies Christine Roy Yoder (Columbia Theological Seminary) 18. Wisdom in Nature Norman Habel 19. The Pervasiveness of Wisdom in (Con)texts John Ahn (Howard University School of Divinity) PART IV. THE CATEGORY OF WISDOM LITERATURE 20. Solomon and the Solomonic Collection Katharine J. Dell (University of Cambridge) 21. The Social Setting of Wisdom Literature Mark Sneed (Lubbock Christian College) 22. Literary Genres of Old Testament Wisdom Markus Witte (Humboldt-University in Berlin) 23. The Chronological Development of Wisdom Literature Markus Saur (University of Kiel) 24. Theology of Wisdom Tremper Longman III (Westmont College) PART V. WISDOM LITERATURE AND OTHER LITERATURE 25. Wisdom Influence John L. McLaughlin (University of St. Michael's College) 26. Law and Wisdom Literature Jonathan P. Burnside (Bristol University) 27. History and Wisdom Literature Suzanna R. Millar (University of Edinburgh) 28. Prophecy and Wisdom Literature Mark J. Boda (McMaster Divinity College) 29. Apocalyptic and Wisdom Literature Bennie H. Reynolds III (Milsaps College) PART VI. TEXTS 30. Proverbs Samuel E. Balentine (Union Presbyterian Seminary) 31. Ecclesiastes Tova L. Forti (Ben Gurion University of the Negev) 32. Job Scott C. Jones (Covenant College) 33. Song of Songs Anselm C. Hagedorn (University of Osnabrück) 34. Wisdom Psalms W. H. Bellinger, Jr. (Baylor University) 35. Ben Sira Benjamin G. Wright (Lehigh University) 36. Wisdom of Solomon James Aitken (University of Cambridge) and Ekaterina Matusova (University of Tübingen) 37. The Pursuit of Wisdom at Qumran: Assessing the Classification

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Book SynopsisFrom the simple and beautiful language of the prose tale, to the verbal fireworks of the dialogue between Job and his friends, to the haunting beauty of the poem on wisdom and the sublime poetics of the divine speeches, this book provides an intense encounter with the aesthetic resources of Hebrew verbal art. In this brilliant new study, Carol Newsom illuminates the relation between the aesthetic forms of the book and the claims made by its various characters. Her innovative approach makes possible a new understanding of the unity of the book of Job; she rejects the dismantling of the book by historical criticism and the flattening of the text that characterizes certain final form readings.Trade ReviewThis book offers an insightful reading of Job and conceptually advances the understanding of modes of expression of Iraelite religious thought. * Old Testament Abstracts *This approach results in a extraordinary reading of Job, both methodologically and substantively. Newsom does not pretend to resolve all the interpretive cruxes, but to put the conversation on a firm footing, and she succeeds admirably.... readers who engage Job under her guidance will find themselves grappling indirectly with its moral and even its pastoral implications. This is the kind of interpretation that gets to the heart of the matter and makes a real difference--criticism in the best sense of the word. * Anglican Theological Review *Carol Newsom's magnificent analysis of the book of Job from the perspective of modern hermeneutics, and propelled by the theme of the moral imagination, is destined to become a classic. Her deft handling of the interpretive tradition, her choice of guides--e.g., Mikhail Bakhtin, Wayne Booth, Emmanuel Levinas, Paul Ricoeur, Martha Nussbaum, Alasdair MacIntyre--and her engagement with the biblical text in all its complexity are a joy to behold. * James L. Crenshaw, Robert L. Flowers Professor of the Old Testament, Duke University *Carol Newsom's study of Job is an insightful and provocative reading of that most difficult of biblical books. By combining literary-critical and postmodern methodologies, she significantly advances our interpretation of the book of Job, solving many problems that earlier treatments have not. This is a major and substantial contribution, lucid in both argument and style. Future work on Job will have to begin where Newsom leaves off. * Michael D. Coogan, Editor, The New Oxford Annotated Bible, The Oxford History of the Biblical World, and The Oxford Companion to the Bible *Carol Newsom's new book raises the level of discourse on the discourse of the Book of Job to a higher plane. Rarely has such literary sophistication been applied to a Biblical text with such clarity and moment. We are led to read the different parts of Job and the different voices given expression within them in dialogue with each other, without privileging one over the other. Drawing (ever critically) on the work of Bakhtin and several other theorists and critics, Newsom makes a powerful argument for an active reading of Job that is intensely engaged both textually and morally. No serious reader of Job will pass over Newsom's book, and no reader of the book will ever be the same. Readers may well find it, as I did, a milestone in their education. A tour de force and a major contribution to Biblical interpretation. * Edward L. Greenstein, Professor of Bible, Tel Aviv University *Table of ContentsCONTENTS; ABBREVIATIONS; CONCLUSION; NOTES; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Jewish Book Council Nahum M. Sarna Memorial Award in ScholarshipThis book explores the reception history of the most important Jewish Bible commentary ever composed, the Commentary on the Torah of Rashi (Shlomo Yitzhaki; 1040-1105). Though the Commentary has benefited from enormous scholarly attention, analysis of diverse reactions to it has been surprisingly scant. Viewing its path to preeminence through a diverse array of religious, intellectual, literary, and sociocultural lenses, Eric Lawee focuses on processes of the Commentary''s canonization and on a hitherto unexamined--and wholly unexpected--feature of its reception: critical, and at times astonishingly harsh, resistance to it. Lawee shows how and why, despite such resistance, Rashi''s interpretation of the Torah became an exegetical classic, a staple in the curriculum, a source of shared religious vocabulary for Jews across time and place, and a foundational text that shaped the Jewish nation''s collective identity.The book takes as its larger integrating perspective processes of canonicity as they shape how traditions flourish, disintegrate, or evolve. Rashi''s scriptural magnum opus, the foremost work of Franco-German (Ashkenazic) biblical scholarship, faced stiff competition for canonical supremacy in the form of rationalist reconfigurations of Judaism as they developed in Mediterranean seats of learning. It nevertheless emerged triumphant in an intense battle for Judaism''s future that unfolded in late medieval and early modern times. Investigation of the reception of the Commentary throws light on issues in Jewish scholarship and spirituality that continue to stir reflection, and even passionate debate, in the Jewish world today.Trade ReviewHis work is [written] from a palpably interdisciplinary angle. From this point of view, it uncovers an entire cultural world that until now had only been known in bit and pieces. Hence, this book is of great importance for the understanding of an interpretive and theological dynamic and tracing the coming into existence of cultural modalities of knowledge transmission in late medieval times. * Dov Schwartz, Shnaton: An Annual for Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies *This lucid and comprehensive book should be found in every library of Judaica. It should be studied in courses in the history of Jewish exegesis of Scripture, and it should be on the desk of every teacher, scholar, and student who cherishes the third most important book in the Jewish sacred canon. * Mayer I. Gruber, The Review of Rabbinic Judaism *Lawee's masterful book is really two works in one. The second is the more academically novel, but the first is both stunningly impressive and of greater interest to RBL readers. * Aaron Koller, Society of Biblical Literature *... in every way remarkable, expressed in rich language, at times subtle in thought and informed by theories of hermeneutics beyond the basic requirements of the history of Jewish commentaries, yet always clearly expressed. * Jean-Pierre Rothschild, Revue des études juives *The study is ambitious in its scope, thoroughly researched and authoritative, judicious in its evaluations and extremely well written... The story of the Commentary's modern reception remains to be told, Lawee has certainly done an excellent job in tracing its vicissitudes during the centuries of the late Middle Ages. This is a remarkable story and Lawee has told it well. It is a demanding read, but an enlightening and rewarding one. * Barry Dov Walfish, Journal of Jewish Studies *It is very unusual for a scholar to identify a subject of manifestly great importance that has barely been addressed, but Eric Lawee has succeeded in doing so...We owe Lawee a debt of gratitude for his sweeping, learned, and original contribution to our understanding of how this classic text achieved its well-deserved renown. * David Berger, Yeshiva University, Tradition *An important work to be able to appreciate the impact of Rashi's biblical exegesis on posterity and to understand a good deal of medieval and modern Jewish exegesis. * Carlos del Valle Rodriguez, Iberia Judaica *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Notes on Translations and Editions Introduction: Rashi's Commentary on the Torah: Canonical and Classic Part 1. Toward Canonicity Chapter 1. Conundrums of the Commentary: Contours of a Classic Chapter 2. Rashi's Commentary: Receptions, 1105-1527 Chapter 3. Interpreting the Interpreter: Supercommentarial Receptions in Ashkenaz and Sefarad Part 2. Resisting Readers Chapter 4. "Ridiculousness and Risibility": Rationalist Criticism in an Eastern Mediterranean Key Chapter 5. Rationalism Versus the Rashi/Rabbinic Axis: Pseudo-Rabad's Book of Strictures Chapter 6. Aaron Aboulrabi and "The Straight One": Between "Girls' Fantasies" and "Sweet Midrash" Part 3 Commentary Triumphant Chapter 7. Competing Canons: Rashi's Commentary in a Late Medieval Battle for Judaism's Soul Afterword: Rashi's Commentary on the Torah in Modern Times Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBiblical prophecy involves more than words: it is always also embodied. After assessing the prevalence, implications, and origins of a logocentric model of biblical prophecy, Anathea E. Portier-Young proposes an alternative, embodied paradigm of analysis that draws insights from disciplines ranging from cognitive neuroscience to anthropology.Portier-Young provides a new, embodied paradigm of analysis for biblical prophecy, offering tools for academics and students to study a wide range of texts with new emphasis on the body. If offers a broadly-based account of prophetic embodiment. The author first assesses the prevalence, implications, and origins of a logocentric model of biblical prophecy, then proposes an alternative, embodied, and interdisciplinary paradigm. She argues that embodied religious experience and affect are not merely antecedent or coincidental to prophetic mediation but are both means (how mediation occurs) and objects (part of what is mediated).While Portier-Young''s

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Book SynopsisHebraism in Religion, History, and Politics is an investigation into Hebraism as a category of cultural analysis within the history of Christendom. Its aim is to determine what Hebraism means or should mean when it is used. The characteristics of Hebraism indicate a changing relation between the Old and New Testaments that arose in Medieval and early modern Europe, between on the one hand a doctrinally universal Christianity, and on the other various Christian nations that were understood as being a ''new Israel''. Thus, Hebraism refers to the development of a paradoxically intriguing ''Jewish Christianity'' or an ''Old Testament Christianity''. It represents a ''third culture'' in contrast to the culture of Roman or Hellenistic empire and Christian universalism. There were attempts, with varying success, during the twentieth century to clarify Hebraism as a category of cultural history and religious history. Steven Grosby expertly contributes to that clarification. In so doing, the possibility arises that Hebraism and Hebraic culture offer a different way to look at religion, its history, and the history of the West.Trade ReviewGrosby (emer., Clemson Univ.) fulfills his commitment to narrow the meaning of the term Hebraism to define a culture alongside classicism and Christianity, within Christendom, and to determine whether Hebraic culture emerges as useful heuristically to understanding post-Reformation history. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * J. A. Young, Edinboro University of PA, CHOICE *Table of Contents1: Cultural History and Hebraism: An Overview of Some Problems 2: Hebraism: The Third Culture 3: Reading the Talmud in Prison 4: The Territorial Contamination of the Blood 5: Conclusion: The Axial Age, Pluralism, and Hebraism References

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Book SynopsisHow did the New Testament writers and the earliest Christians come to adopt the Jewish scriptures as their first Old Testament? And why are our modern Bibles related more to the Rabbinic Hebrew Bible than to the Greek Bible of the early Church?The Septuagint, the name given to the translation of the Hebrew scriptures between the third century BC and the second century AD, played a central role in the Bible''s history. Many of the Hebrew scriptures were still evolving when they were translated into Greek, and these Greek translations, along with several new Greek writings, became Holy Scripture in the early Church.Yet, gradually the Septuagint lost its place at the heart of Western Christianity. At the end of the fourth century, one of antiquity''s brightest minds rejected the Septuagint in favor of the Bible of the rabbis. After Jerome, the Septuagint never regained the position it once had. Timothy Michael Law recounts the story of the Septuagint''s origins, its relationship to the Hebrew Bible, and the adoption and abandonment of the first Christian Old Testament.Trade ReviewLaw should be commended for complicating conservative and fundamentalist theologies of scripture vis-à-vis his discussion of the Septuagint ... Law has opened an important conversation about the relevance of the Septuagint today (especially for American Christianity) and wisely points to the past and the east for interlocutors. * James Covington, Journal of Religion *It is a gripping tale, beautifully told, and should be of profound interest to any reader of the Jewish or Christian BibleTimothy Michael Law has written the first introduction to the LXX that can be read by people outside the guild. It is a remarkable book, full of fascinating detail that I cannot evoke in a short review, a book that tells a rich story that no reader of the Bible can afford to ignore. * Kevin Hart, Los Angeles Review of Books *a splendid work... I haven't found any book so interesting and enjoyable in years * Sir Fergus Millar, Camden Professor of Ancient History (Emeritus), Oxford, and Fellow of the British Academy *Table of ContentsTable of Contents ; 1 Why this Book? ; 2 When the World Became Greek ; 3 Was There a Bible before the Bible? ; 4 The First Bible Translators ; 5 Gog and his Not-so-Merry Grasshoppers ; 6 Bird Droppings, Stoned Elephants, and Exploding Dragons ; 7 E Pluribus Unum ; 8 The Septuagint behind the New Testament ; 9 The Septuagint in the New Testament ; 10 The New Old Testament ; 11 God's Word for the Church ; 12 The Man of Steel and the Man who Worshipped the Sun ; 13 The Man with the Burning Hand vs. the Man with the Honeyed Sword ; 14 A Postscript ; Notes ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe Death of Scripture and the Rise of Biblical Studies examines the creation of the academic Bible. Beginning with the fragmentation of biblical interpretation in the centuries after the Reformation, Michael Legaspi shows how the weakening of scriptural authority in the Western churches altered the role of biblical interpretation.Trade ReviewThis fascinating study, arising out of a PhD dissertation, focuses ostensibly on obscure German critic Johann David Michaelis (1717-1791), but tells the wider story of the changes in academic perspectives on the Bible over the last few centuries very well. * Dr Lee Gatiss, Churchman *Table of ContentsChapter One: From Scripture to Text ; Chapter Two: Bible and Theology at an Enlightenment University ; Chapter Three: The Study of Classical Antiquity at Gottingen ; Chapter Four: Michaelis and the Dead Hebrew Language ; Chapter Five: Lowth, Michaelis, and the Invention of Biblical Potry ; Chapter Six: Michaelis, Moses, and the Recovery of the Bible ; Conclusion ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index ; Index of Biblical References

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Book SynopsisMost scholars believe that the numerous similarities between the Covenant Code (Exodus 20:23-23:19) and Mesopotamian law collections, especially the Laws of Hammurabi, which date to around 1750 BCE, are due to oral tradition that extended from the second to the first millennium. This book offers a fundamentally new understanding of the Covenant Code, arguing that it depends directly and primarily upon the Laws of Hammurabi and that the use of this source text occurred during the Neo-Assyrian period, sometime between 740-640 BCE, when Mesopotamia exerted strong and continuous political and cultural influence over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and a time when the Laws of Hammurabi were actively copied in Mesopotamia as a literary-canonical text. The study offers significant new evidence demonstrating that a model of literary dependence is the only viable explanation for the work. It further examines the compositional logic used in transforming the source text to produce the Covenant CTrade ReviewAn excellent repository of research on the CC Covenant Code and the LH Laws of Hammurabi. In sum, this work is controversial in the best sense of the word: it will surely stimulate debate on the comparative method in studying not only the CC and LH but other texts as well. * The Catholic Biblical Quarterly *...intriguing... * Bruce Wells, Saint Joseph's University *...the value of Wright's contribution cannot be overestimated. He offers the scholar in the field a valuable tool for further work which includes all the relevant sources, thoroughly discussed and analyzed. He conveniently outlines the issues and problems involved in the study of the Covenant's Code, while highlighting the main discussions and solutions. Finally he also provides a thorough review of the vast literature in the field, again for the convenience of the reader. * Strata *Wright has made a major contribution to our understanding of the composition of CC even if one accepts only the barest bones version of his thesisEL.No account of the history of CC's composition will any longer be able to be written without reference to and deep engagement with Wright's work, whether one agrees with him or not. Such is the mark of the truly meaningful contributions to scholarship, and Wright's book undoubtedly belongs in such a class.'? * Review of Biblical Literature *Table of Contents1. Introduction: The Basic Thesis and Background ; Part I: Primary Evidence for Dependence: Sequential Correspondences and Date ; 2. The Casuistic Laws ; 3. The Apodictic Laws ; 4. Date and Opportunity for the Use of Hammurabi's and Other Cuneiform Laws ; Part II: Compositional Logic of the Covenant Code ; 5. Debt-Slavery and the Seduction of a Maiden (Exodus 21:2-11; 22:15-16) ; 6. Homicide, Injury, Miscarriage, Talion (Exodus 21:12, 18-27) ; 7. Child Rebellion, Kidnapping, Sorcery, Bestiality, Illicit Sacrifice (Exodus 21:12-17; 22:17-19) ; 8. The Goring Ox and Negligence (Exodus 21:28-36) ; 9. Animal Theft, Crop Destruction, Deposit, and Burglary (Exodus 21:37-22:8) ; 10. Animal Injury, Death, and Rental (Exodus 22:9-14) ; 11. The Themes and Ideology of the Apodictic Laws (Exodus 20:23-26; 21:1; 22:20-23:19) ; 12. Redactional Growth in the Apodictic Laws and the Covenant Code's Relationship to the Exodus Narrative ; 13. Conclusions

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Book SynopsisThrough countless retellings, from the Talmud to Archibald MacLeish and since, the story of Job has become a fixture in the cultural imagination of the West. In this study, Susan E. Schreiner analyzes interpretations of the Book of Job by Gregory the Great, Maimonides, Thomas Aquinas, and particularly John Calvin. Reading Calvin's interpretation of Job against the background of his most important medieval predecessors, Schreiner shows how central Job is to Calvin's struggles with issues of creation, the problem of evil, the meaning of history, and the doctrine of providence. For Calvin and his predecessors, Schreiner argues, the concept of intellectual perception is the key to an understanding of Job. The texts she examines constantly raise questions about the human capacity for knowledge: What can the sufferer who stands within history perceive about the self, God, and reality? Can humans truly perceive the workings of providence in their personal lives or in the tumult of history? Are evil and injustice a reality that we must confront before finding wisdom? In her final chapter, Schreiner turns to the wide array of twentieth-century interpretations of Job, including modern biblical commentaries, the work of Carl Jung, and literary transfigurations by Wells, MacLeish, Wiesel, and Kafka. The result is a compelling demonstration of how the history of exegesis can yield vital insights for contemporary culture.

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Book SynopsisThe place of the Law and its relationship to religious observance and faith is a contested topic in the study of both the Old and New Testament. In Law and Religion, members of the Erhardt Seminar group provide an insight into the debate, probing key topics and offering new contributions to the subject. Their essays are grouped into three sections, focussing in turn on the Law''s place in Israelite religion, in the Jesus tradition, and in Paul and the Apostolic tradition. Thus, the foundation of the connection between law and religion in ancient Israel is explored, along with the decisive influence of the Deuteronomic reform and the radical new understanding now emerging of the later development in Judaism of the New Testament Period. So, also, the contemporary challenge to the conventional picture of Jesus and the Law is addressed, the attitude of Paul is shown in new light, and post-Pauline developments are examined. Readers will find in this symposium a refreshing breadth of opinionTrade Review'This is a most important collection which will be significant for biblical ethics as well as for the narrower questions of law, and deserves to be widely known' - Expository Times 'These essays. touch on three areas which are in the centre of scholarly debate at present, and together make a useful contribution to all three' - Morna D. Hooker, in Epworth Review 'It can be said that none of these thirteen papers is second rate, many are lively and original, and all are highly informative.' - P.S. Cameron, in Scottish Journal of Theology 'New light is shed especially on the Jewish context of Jesus' ministry, but there is valuable work on the Old Testament, Qumran, John, Paul and Luke-Acts. A theme common to most of the book is the varied ways in which law might be understood, and the need to suspect simple interpretations. Of interest to graduate students and specialists, but also useful to ministers, undergraduates and intelligent college students.' - Walter Houston, in Theological Book ReviewTable of ContentsAbbreviations Introduction Part I. The law in Israelite religion 1. God as 'judge' in Ugaritic and Hebrew thought - Adrian Curtis, Lecturer in Old Testament Studies 2. Law in Old Israel: Laws Concerning Adultery - Arnold A. Anderson, Senior Lecturer in Old Testament Studies 3. 'A Perpetual Statute Throughout Your Generations' - Roger Tomes, Lecturer in Old Testament Studies at Northern College 4. The Temple Scroll: A Law Unto Itself? - George J. Brooke, Lecturer in Intertestamental Literature 5. Jewish Law in the Time of Jesus: Towards a Clarification of the Problem - Philip S. Alexander, Nathan Laski Senior Lecturer in Post- Biblical Jewish Studies Part II The law in the Jesus tradition 6. All Foods Clean: Thoughts on Jesus and the Law - Barnabas Lindars SSF, Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis 7. Jesus' Demonstration in the Temple - Richard Bauckham, Reader in the History of Christian Thought 8. Q, the Law and Judaism - Christopher Tuckett, Lecturer in New Testament Studies 9. Christ and the Law in John 7-10 - George J. Brooke Part III The law in Paul and the apostolic tradition 10. Paul and the Law in Recent Research - F.F. Bruce, Emeritus Professor in the University of Manchester 11. Paul and the Law in Romans 5-8; an Actantial Analysis - Barnabas Lindars SSF 12. The Status of Law in the Letter to the Ephesians - Martin Kitchen, Chaplain to the Manchester Polytechnic 13. Law and Custom: Luke-Acts and Late Hellenism - F. Gerald Downing, Vice-Principal of the Northern Ordination Course Notes Index of References Index of Modern Authors

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Book SynopsisMultiple essays on the Psalms by the influential Psalms exegete, Erhard Gerstenberger.

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Book SynopsisTranslation, Jewish philosophy, and social and cultural historyTrade ReviewThe intertwined goals of this ambitious monograph by Hughes (Univ. of Buffalo--SUNY) are expressed in the work's full title: to discern patterns that connect three discrete subjects--Bible, philosophy, and translation--and to explore their contributions to the development of Jewish identity. The author's success results largely from his creativeapproach, first by making his centerpiece the analysis of Bible translation within the context of Jewish philosophy. Second, he selects seven individuals from six distinct periods and cultures, each of whom has been a worthy subject for at least one book-length study; among them are Saadya Gaon, Maimonides, and Franz Rosenzweig. He then allows these individuals to converse, as it were, with each other, jarringly out of chronological order but with surprisingly productive results. Thus, not only can one study Rosenzweig (late 19th-early 20th century) in terms of the influence of Saadya (tenth century).... But one can also see Saadya himself in a new light (or, many new lights) through the lens of Rosenzweig. This is not a book for the beginner or even for the expert who is faint of heart. But for those with the requisite background and fortitude, it offers rich intellectual rewards. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and researchers/faculty. --ChoiceL. J. Greenspoon, Creighton University, December 2011"Shows how Bible translation strategies verify claims about the constant need for self-making that are usually associated with existentialism, claims about the constructedness of 'tradition' that are usually associated with postmodernism, and claims about the need to construct 'tradition' that are usually associated with cultural theorists." —Martin Kavka, Florida State University"Translation, as Hughes perceives it, becomes a major cultural monument rather than merely a philological exercise in transferring the semantics and syntax of one language into those of another." —Kalman Bland, Duke University"This is not a book for the beginner or even for the expert who is faint of heart. But for those with the requisite background and fortitude, it offers rich intellectual rewards." —ChoiceTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments 1. Introductory and Interpretive Contexts2. The Forgetting of History and the Memory of Translation3. The Translation of Silence and the Silence of Translation: The Fabric of Metaphor4. The Apologetics of Translation5. Translation and Its Discontents6. Translation and Issues of Identity and TemporalityConclusions: Between SpacesNotesBibliographyIndex

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