Bibliographical details:
Barton, J. (1996). Reading the Old Testament: Method in Biblical Study. 2nd ed. London: Darton, Longman & Todd. Introduction.
Publisher’s information:
Reading the Old Testament is intended for students who have already learned some of the techniques of biblical study, and would like to explore the wider implications and aims of all the various critical methods currently in use. It provides an independent assessment and comparison of the latest developments against the old, with chapters on form and redaction criticism, canonical studies, biblical structuralism and the relationship of reader to text. The various methods are all applied to Ecclesiastes to illustrate their particular strengths.
The author also seeks to show the value of ‘secular’ literary criticism to our understanding of biblical method and goes on to argue that there are strong similarities between the two approaches. Biblical and literary criticism belong to the humanities, and the texts they handle are meant to be read, not processed.
This new edition of a highly regarded and classic text has been revised and updated to assess the most recent approaches to biblical study, including post-structuralism, post-modernism, semiotics and deconstruction.
‘Theological and literary students will get from this book the clearest possible idea of the present state and prospect of Old Testament criticism.’ – Frank Kermode
‘The work is well informed, its expression clear and attractive; it can be read without previous technical knowledge, and its total point of view carries conviction.’ – James Barr
John Barton is Oriel and Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture at Oxford University. His many books include Oracles of God (DLT).
Table of contents:
Foreword to the Second Edition … xi
Foreword … xiii
Acknowledgements … xv
Abbreviations … xvi
Introduction … 1
1. ‘Literary Competence’ and Genre-Recognition … 8
2. ‘Literary’ Criticism … 20
3. Form Criticism … 30
4. Redaction Criticism … 45
5. An Example: Ecclesiastes … 61
6. The Canonical Approach … 77
7. Canon as Context … 89
8. Structuralist Criticism … 104
9. Biblical Structuralism … 121
10. The ‘New Criticism’ … 140
11. ‘The Text Itself’ … 158
12. The Text and the Reader … 180
13. The Reader in the Text … 198
14. Theory and Textuality … 220
Conclusion … 237
Notes … 247
Bibliography … 273
Index of Modern Authors … 286
Index of Subjects … 290
Index of Biblical References … 292
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