Description
Book SynopsisThe field of New Testament studies often appears splintered into widely different specializations and narrowly defined research projects. Nevertheless, some of the most important insights have come about when curious men and women have defied disciplinary boundaries and drawn on other fields of knowledge in order to gain a more adequate view of history. The essays in Bridges in New Testament Interpretation offer surveys of the current scholarly discussion in areas of New Testament and Christian origins where cross-disciplinary fertilization has been decisive and describe the role that interdisciplinary 'bridges,' especially as led by Richard A. Horsley, have played. Topics include the socioeconomic history of Roman Palestine; the historical Jesus in political and media contexts; communication media, orality, and social context in the study of Q; the Gospels in the context of oral culture, performance, and social memory; reading Paul’s letters in the context of Roman imperial culture; the narrativization of early Christianity in relation to the ancient media environment; and the role of power in shaping our understanding of history, as evident in 'people’s history;' the historical agency of subordinate classes; and the role of public and 'hidden transcripts' in contexts shaped by power relations. Essays also address the role of the interpreter as engaged with the social and political concerns of our time. The sum is even greater than the parts, presenting a powerful argument for the value of further exploration across interdisciplinary bridges.
Trade ReviewThis volume is altogether welcome. For many years now Richard Horsley has been engaged in the task of political criticism. This he has always done with one eye on the ancient world and the other on the modern and postmodern worlds. The volume not only sets such work wonderfully in context but also advances, in its own right, many of its various prongs. I cannot think of a better tribute to his life and his work. For political criticism, moreover, this work is simply indispensable. -- Fernando F. Segovia, Oberlin Graduate Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, Vanderbilt Divinity School
The wide ranging intellect, focused passion, and keen imagination that characterize Richard A. Horsley’s scholarship generate and energize the authors of these essays. Conceptualized and introduced with Neil Elliott’s methodological insight and care, this volume advances the conversation about biblical studies that is self-aware and constructive. Activists and contemplatives, historians and theologians, scholars and preachers will find much to inspire and motivate them in this collection. -- Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, Dean, Seminary of the Southwest
The essays in this volume engage and advance Richard Horsley’s interdisciplinary approach to a political exegesis of the New Testament on a wide range of topics, including people’s history, social memory, economics, media, conflict, and power, to name a few. It is a fitting tribute to an activist scholar who has changed the landscape of New Testament studies by provoking a conversation about the social and political history and significance of the Jesus and Pauline tradition in ways that has invited the contributions of others. -- Raymond Pickett, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary
Table of ContentsCrossing Bridges, Crossing Boundaries: Introducing the Volume Neil Elliott 1.Women in the Early Christian Stories: Serving and Served, Rural and Urban, in Occupied and Pacified Provinces Antoinette Clark Wire 2.The Jesus Movement in Historical Context: Attempt at a Comparative Social History Gerd Theissen 3.Who Are the Q Scribes? Questioning the Village Scribes Hypothesis Alan Kenneth Kirk 4.Betwixt Past and Present: Jesus and John in Tradition, Text, and History Rafael Rodríguez 5.The Apostle Paul and the Spiral of Roman Violence James R. Harrison 6.Minding the Gaps: Reflecting on the Fantasy of People’s History in the Study of Christian Origins Davina C. Lopez 7.Communication in Context: Jesus Movements and the Construction of Meaning in the Media World of the First Century Holly E. Hearon 8.When Bridges Fail Us: Studying Economic Realities in the New Testament World Neil Elliott 9.The Intellectual and Social Impact of an Engaged Scholar: Richard A. Horsley’s Legacy Noelle Damico 10.Taking the Measure of Richard A. Horsley’s Scholarly Achievement Werner H. Kelber
