Biblical Studies Notebook (BSN)

Introducing BibComs

Dr Karl Möller — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:08:47 +0000

Returning visitors will have noticed that the Biblical Studies Notebook has been dormant for quite some time now. I still intend to add posts sometime in the not too distant future, but in the meantime I am developing a sister blog, called BibComs, which is going to offer information on biblical commentaries. Due to my particular area of interest, the Old Testament is likely to receive most of the attention, but I certainly do not intend to overlook the New Testament either. Currently, however, my focus is entirely on Exodus, as I am in the process of developing a module on this book. It’s still in its early stages, but feel free to take a look at BibComs.

Filed under: Internet tools/resources

Tryggve N. D. Mettinger, The Eden Narrative: A Literary and Religio-historical Study of Genesis 2–3

Dr Karl Möller — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:35:01 +0000

Bibliographical details:
Mettinger, T. N. D. (2007). The Eden Narrative: A Literary and Religio-Historical Study of Genesis 2–3. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns.

Publisher’s information:
‘The arrival of a new monograph by Tryggve Mettinger is an occasion for scholarly delight. Mettinger is one of the finest biblical scholars in the world.’ – Ronald Hendel (University of California at Berkeley)

‘Mettinger “inverts our world,” and he does so with sustained and compelling erudition.’ – Brian B. Schmidt (University of Michigan

In a book marked by unusually readable yet academic style, Mettinger transforms our knowledge of the story of Eden in Genesis. He shows us a story focused on a divine test of human obedience, with human disobedience and its consequences as its main theme. Both of the special trees in Eden had a function: the tree of knowledge as the test case, and the tree of life as the potential reward for obedience. Mettinger adopts a two-tiered approach. In a synchronic move, he undertakes a literary analysis that yields striking observations on narratology, theme, and genre in the text studied. He defines the genre as myth and subjects the narrative to a functional analysis. He then applies a diachronic approach and presents a tradition-historical reconstruction of an Adamic myth in Ezekiel 28. The presence of both wisdom and immortality in this myth leads to a discussion of these divine prerogatives in Mesopotamian literature (remember Adapa and Gilgamesh). The two prerogatives demarcated an ontological boundary between the divine and human spheres. Nevertheless, the Eden Narrative does not evaluate the human desire to obtain knowledge or wisdom negatively.

A piece of fresh, original scholarship in accessible form, this book is ideal for courses on creation, primeval history, the Bible and literature, and the Bible and the ancient Near East.

Tryggve N. D. Mettinger is Professor Emeritus of Hebrew Bible at Lund University, Sweden. He is the author of a number of monographs on topics such as kingship, divine names, aniconism, and the dying god. He has served as visiting professor at a number of institutions in Europe, Israel, South Africa, and the U.S. He is a member of the Royal Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, Stockholm, and an Honorary Member of the British Society of Old Testament Studies.

Table of contents:
Acknowledgments … ix
Preface … xi
Abbreviations … xv

1. Introduction … 1
1.1. The Agenda of the Present Study … 1
1.2. One or Two Trees? A Survey of Opinions … 5

2. A Narratological Analysis of the Eden Narrative … 12
2.1. Unifying Elements … 13
2.2. Time and Location … 14
2.3. Scenes and Plot … 16
2.4. Characters … 29
2.5. Focalization (Point of View) and Voice … 32
2.6. Narrator and Characters: Omniscience and Restricted Knowledge … 34
Summary and Conclusions … 41

3. The Theme of the Eden Narrative … 42
3.1. “Theme” in Literary Theory … 42
3.2. The Theme of the Eden Narrative … 47
Summary and Conclusions … 63

4. The Genre and Function of the Eden Narrative … 65
4.1. The Genre of the Eden Narrative … 66
4.2. Excursus: Structuralist Approaches … 74
4.3. The Nature of Genre and How Genre Works … 76
4.4. The Eden Narrative versus the Chaos Battle Drama of Creation … 80
Summary and Conclusions … 83

5. Traces of a Tradition: The Adamic Myth in Ezekiel 28 … 85
5.1. The Contents of the Adamic Myth … 87
5.2. Wisdom and Immortality in the Adamic Myth … 90
5.3. The Innovations of the Eden Poet (Genesis 2–3) … 94
Summary and Conclusions … 97

6. Wisdom and Immortality in Adapa and Gilgamesh … 99
6.1. The Myth of Adapa and the South Wind … 100
6.2. The Gilgamesh Epic … 109

7. Synthesis … 123
7.1. The Two Main Traditions Alloyed … 124
7.2. The Conceptual Framework … 126
7.3. Date and Literary Integrity … 134

References … 136

Indexes
Index of Authors … 156
Index of Scripture … 160
Index of Other Ancient Sources … 163
Index of Terms, Mainly Literary … 165

	Review
	In Chapter 1, Mettinger outlines the main aims of his study of the Eden narrative in Genesis 2–3 as identifying the theme of the narrative and determining whether the author used an earlier story that was then turned into something new. He goes on to review some earlier views about the central idea of the passage, including those of: Hermann Gunkel: expulsion from the garden, Claus Westermann: why are humans, though created by God, limited by, suffering and sin? Gordon Wenham: a paradigm of sin, of what happens whenever man disobeys God, Gerhard von Rad: human hubris and its consequences, Odil Hannes Steck: the root of evil is the human endeavour to form their own existence autonomously, James Barr: how human immortality was almost gained but was in fact lost, Terje Stordalen: a story about the impossibility of having both knowledge and life, Ellen van Wolde, Lyn M. Bechtel: a story about human maturation, and Phyllis Trible: life and death. This is followed by a survey of scholarly views on the trees in the garden, i.e. the question of whether the story originally contained one tree or two. Scholars who have concluded, on the basis of perceived inconsistencies in the narrative, that the tree of life is a secondary addition include Karl Budde, Hermann Gunkel, Claus Westermann, Howard N. Wallace, Christoph Dohmen and David Carr. Those who have argued, albeit for various reasons and on the basis of different perceptions of the development and theme of the narrative, that the tree of life does have an essential place in the text include Paul Humbert, Odil Hannes Steck, James Barr, Terje Stordalen and Konrad Schmid. A minority of scholars (e.g. Eduard Nielsen and Jutta Krispenz) have argued for the tree of life as the original tree, regarding the tree of knowledge as a later addition.
	In the second chapter, Mettinger then turns his attention to a narratological analysis of the Eden narrative. As part of this he looks at unifying elements such as recurrent motifs and inclusios (which suggest that Genesis 2–3 is a meaningful whole), at time and location (which indicate a cosmic ‘world apart’, i.e. outside the ordinary realm), scenes and plot (with the latter being understood as being focused on a divine test concerning the issue of obedience to the commandment), characters, and focalization/point of view (noting that the Eden story is told from an objective, detached, outside point of view) and voice (which is described as ‘extradiegetic’ because events are narrated from ‘above’). Special attention is devoted to the question of the knowledge of the narrator vis-à-vis that of the characters, with Mettinger concluding that the narrator is omniscient but not necessarily ‘omnicommunicative’, whereas the human characters come across as ignorant (for instance, they do not appear to have had any knowledge about the tree of life or the fact that they were passing a test). His narratological analysis leads Mettinger to conclude that: the Eden narrative is a well-structured, unified whole, the plot focuses on a divine test of obedience to God, which is about the demarcation of the human world from the divine, with knowledge being understood as a divine prerogative, both trees are required in that one is the test, with the other being the reward, the narrator, God and the reader know about both trees, whereas the human characters are ignorant with respect to the tree of life.
	The theme of the Eden narrative then becomes the focus of chapter 3. Mettinger here begins with some general considerations on the notion of theme in literary theory, focusing on the work of theorists like Monroe Beardsley, Gerald Prince and others, before analyzing the theme of the Eden narrative itself. The possibilities he discusses include: Death versus immortality Mettinger notes that ‘the two inclusios …, the tree of life and creation out of dust, strike a note of human transitoriness and the possibility of immortality that was never realized’ (p. 47), only to conclude, however, that although the issue of death versus immortality is an essential part of the narrative, it is not its central theme. The test of obedience: disobedience and its consequences Following the lead of Gerhard Lohfink, John Van Seters and Eckart Otto, Mettinger here points to the Yahwist’s indebtedness to the Deuteronomistic covenant theology, which is exemplified in the motifs of the divine commandment and the divine test. He concludes that ‘the Deuteronomistic notion of law is here repristinated to the divine commandment, addressed in illo tempore to the first human couple in the garden of Eden’ (p. 57, italics removed). Theodicy Employing the Deuteronomistic emphasis on the connection between acts and their consequences, the text indicates that the state of affairs in the real world is a perversion of what it was intended to be. ‘While the [Deuteronomistic History] supplies an etiology for the loss of the land, the Eden Narrative serves as an etiology for the loss of the Garden of Bliss’ (p. 59, italics removed). Mettinger then moves on to present some conclusions concerning the trees, which are both required, the tree of knowledge as the test case and the tree of life as the potential reward in case the human couple had passed the test. And he offers some brief comments on the kind of knowledge the tree was supposed to provide, such as (1) the acquisition of human qualities (e.g. adult maturity, human independence and self-determination), (2) sexual consciousness, (3) ethical knowledge, or (4) universal knowledge.
	Mettinger concludes the chapter by defining the subject of the Eden narrative as ‘the divine test of obedience to the commandment’; the theme is understood as ‘disobedience and its consequences’, and the thesis of the passage is said to be ‘obedience to the commandment leads to life, disobedience to death’ (p. 64).
	Chapter 4, in turn, is devoted to the genre and function of the narrative.
	.… to be continued …


	You may also be interested to read the review by Howard N. Wallace, published in the Review of Biblical Literature.

Buy this book from Amazon. Or perhaps you may be looking for some other titles in biblical studies.

Posted in Adapa and the South Wind, Covenant theology, Death, Deuteronomistic theology, Disobedience, Divine commandment, Divine test, Eden narrative, Eden, garden of, Genre, Gilgamesh Epic, Immortality, Myth, Narrative criticism, Obedience, Theodicy, Tree of knowledge, Tree of life, Wisdom Tagged: Genesis, Genesis 2–3, KM review, Mettinger Tryggve N. D.

Andreas Schüle, Der Prolog der hebräischen Bibel: Der literar- und theologiegeschichtliche Diskurs der Urgeschichte (Genesis 1–11)

Dr Karl Möller — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:30:27 +0000

Bibliographical details:
Schüle, A. (2006). Der Prolog der hebräischen Bibel: Der literar- und theologiegeschichtliche Diskurs der Urgeschichte (Genesis 1–11). Abhandlungen zur Theologie des Alten und Neuen Testaments, vol. 86. Zurich: TVZ.

Publisher’s information:
Die biblische Urgeschichte erzählt nicht nur von Anfängen, sie ist ein Anfang – derjenige des Alten Testaments, der Hebräischen Bibel. Gemäß der These dieser Studie erfolgte die literarische und theologische Arbeit an der Urgeschichte im Bewusstsein, dass es sich um den Prolog zu einem Textcorpus aus Tora, Propheten und Schriften handelt. Ein diskursiver Durchgang durch Gen 1–11 zeigt die Auseinandersetzung der verschiedenen Stimmen der Urgeschichte (Priesterschrift und nichtpriesterliche Texte) insbesondere mit den prophetischen und weisheitlichen Traditionen, die schließlich im Rahmen des Tanak kanonisiert wurden.

Auch in anderer Hinsicht erweist sich die Urgeschichte als Prolog: Es finden sich Einflüsse mythologischer Traditionen mesopotamischer und griechischer Provenienz. Dies wird dahingehend interpretiert, dass die Autoren der Urgeschichte die literarischen Traditionen Israels und Judas gezielt in den Kontext antiker Literatur zu integrieren suchten.

Andreas Schüle, Dr. phil. Dr. theol. habil., Jahrgang 1968, ist Professor für Altes Testament und biblische Hermeneutik am Union Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education Richmond, Virginia.

Table of contents:
0. EINLEITUNG … 1
0.1 DIE ANFÄNGE DER WELT UND DER BEGINN EINES BUCHES … 1

0.2 ÜBERGREIFEND HERANGEZOGENE LITERATUR … 6

1. ZUR FORSCHUNGSGESCHICHTE … 11
1.1 DAS FORSCHUNGSGESCHICHTLICHE PROBLEM DES JAHWISTEN … 11
1.1.1 Die Frage nach dem Werden einer literarischen Quelle und die Urgeschichte … 11
1.1.2 Unabhängigkeit oder Intertextualität? – Die literarische Einordnung
von J in den Entstehungsprozess des Pentateuch … 14
1.1.3 Modifikationen der Quellen- und Redaktionshypothesen zu J … 20
1.1.4 J als Kommentar zur priesterlichen Urgeschichte … 24
1.1.5 Zusammenfassung … 31

1.2 DIE KOMPOSITION DER URGESCHICHTLICHEN STOFFE IM RAHMEN EINER ERGÄNZUNGSHYPOTHESE … 32

1.3 LITERATUR … 40

2. DIE GENEALOGISCHE THEOLOGIE DER PRIESTERSCHRIFT …43
2.1 DIE TOLEDOTFORMEL UND DER PRIESTERLICHE TEXT … 43

2.2 DIE PRIESTERLICHE GENESIS ALS GESCHICHTSBUCH … 51

2.3 DIE URGESCHICHTE ALS TEIL DER PRIESTERLICHEN GENESIS … 54

2.4 DIE GLIEDERUNGSEBENEN DER PRIESTERLICHEN URGESCHICHTE … 57

3. DIE NATÜRLICHE THEOLOGIE DER PRIESTERSCHRIFT … 59
3.1 ALLGEMEINE MERKMALE NATÜRLICHER THEOLOGIE … 59

3.2 NATÜRLICH-THEOLOGISCHE ELEMENTE DER PRIESTERLICHEN URGESCHICHTE …62
3.2.1 Der Text von Gen 1,1–2,3 … 65
3.2.2 Die mythische Rede vom Anfang und von der Menschenschöpfung …67
3.2.3 Die Urgeschichte als Einweisung in die Tora … 74

3.2.3.1 Terminologische Assoziationen … 74
3.2.3.2 Fortschreitende Konkretion … 79
3.2.3.3 Sachliche Entsprechungen … 81

3.3 DAS VERSTÄNDNIS DES MENSCHEN ALS BILD GOTTES … 84
3.3.1 Hermeneutische Vorüberlegung … 84
3.3.2 Ebenbildlichkeit und Bilderpolemik … 86
3.3.3 Das Bilderkonzept der Inschrift vom Tell Fekheriye … 89
3.3.4 Die Personwerdung des Menschen als Bild Gottes … 91

Exkurs: Individualisierung im Alten Testament … 97

3.4 GOTTES FERNE UND DIE KOSMISCHE ORDNUNG … 102

3.5 DAS DOMINIUM TERRAE UND SEINE AUFHEBUNG … 106

3.6 DER KÖNIGLICHE MENSCH? DIE IMAGO DEI IM VERGLEICH MIT PSALM 8 … 117
Exkurs: Der «überlegend-entscheidende Mensch» (maliku amelu) in neubabylonischer Tradition … 121

4. DIE PROPHETISCHE THEOLOGIE DER PRIESTERSCHRIFT … 125
4.1 WELLHAUSENS TRENNUNG VON PROPHETISCHER UND PRIESTERLICHER ÜBERLIEFERUNG … 125

4.2 NEUERE FORSCHUNGSPERSPEKTIVEN … 126

4.3 SCHÖPFUNG ALS WORTGESCHEHEN … 130

4.4 GOTTES ATEM ALS GRENZE DES CHAOS … 134

4.5 ZWISCHENREFLEXION I: DER PROLOGCHARAKTER VON GENESES 1,1–2,3 … 137

4.6 LITERATUR ZU K. 2–4 … 138

5. VON ADAM UND EVA ZU KAIN: DIE WEISHEIT UND IHRE FOLGEN … 149
5.1 DIE MENSCHEN IN EDEN … 149
5.1.1 Der Text von Gen 2,4–3,24 … 149
5.1.2 Synchrones und diachrones Textprofil … 152
5.1.3 Gen 2–3 und die Erzählung vom Urmenschen im Garten Eden … 156
5.1.4 Das Bild wird Mensch … … 161

5.1.4.1 Die Erschaffung Adams im Garten und die Herstellung eines Kultbildes … 161
5.1.4.2 Der Mensch und sein Gegenüber … 168
5.1.4.3 Der Mensch und seine Weisheit … 174

5.2 DIE KAIN-ÜBERLIEFERUNG … 178
5.2.1 Der Text (Gen 4) … 178
5.2.2 Die Kainerzählung als weisheitliche Reflexion auf das Werden des
Gewaltmenschen … 180

5.2.2.1 Die Verwandlung Kains … 181
5.2.2.2 Exkurs: Gen 4,7 und die stoische Affektenlehre … 189

5.2.3 Die literarische und theologische Interdependenz der Eden- und
der Kain-Erzählung … 191

5.2.3.1 Die Personifizierung der Sünde (4,7) und die Folgen für Eva … 195

5.2.4 Die siebenfache Rache für Kain und das priesterliche Tötungsverbot
(Gen 9,5f.) … 199

5.2.4.1 Gottes Präsenz und das Tat-Folge-Prinzip … 201

5.2.5 Zwischen Gottesgarten und Wüstenland: das Leben in Eden als Aufgabe des Menschen … 204
5.2.6 Die Überleitung zur Flutgeschichte: der Kainstammbaum als Genealogie des Gewaltmenschen … 207

5.3 ZWISCHENREFLEXION II: DER PROLOGCHARAKTER DER EDEN-ERZÄHLUNG … 210

5.4 LITERATUR ZU K. 5 … 213

6. DIE ENGELEHEN UND DIE EPOCHALISIERUNG DER URGESCHICHTE … 219
6.1 DER TEXT UND DIE THEMEN VON GEN 6,1-4 … 219

6.2 DER RELIGIONSGESCHICHTLICHE HINTERGRUND VON GEN 6,1-4 … 222

6.3 SCHÖPFUNG ALS ANTHROPOGONIE … 232

6.4 DIE BEGRENZUNG DER MENSCHLICHEN LEBENSDAUER AUF 120 JAHRE … 237

6.5 GOTTES GEIST UND DAS LEBEN … 239

6.6 LITERATUR ZU K.6 … 244

7. DIE SINTFLUTGESCHICHTE … 247
7.1 SYNOPSE DES PRIESTERLICHEN UND NICHT-PRIESTERLICHEN TEXTS VON GEN 6,5–9,17.28 … 247

7.2 DIE STRUKTUR DER PRIESTERLICHEN SINTFLUTGESCHICHTE … 254

7.3 DAS LITERARGESCHICHTLICHE VERHÄLTNIS VON PRIESTERLICHEM UND NICHT-PRIESTERLICHEM TEXT … 258

7.4 DAS THEOLOGISCHE PROFIL DER PRIESTERLICHEN FLUTGESCHICHTE … 260
7.4.1 Die degenerierte und die restaurierte Welt … 260
7.4.2 Die Taxonomie des Lebens: Fleisch, Seele, Geist … 269

7.5 DIE NICHT-PRIESTERLICHEN TEXTE … 271
7.5.1 Die erste Bearbeitungsschicht … 271

7.5.1.1 Die Flut als Strafe … 274
7.5.1.2 Die Gerechtigkeit Noahs und das böse Herz … 280
7.5.1.3 Noah als Gegenfigur zu Hiob … 284
7.5.1.4 Der Sinn des Opfers … 287
7.5.1.5 Reinheit … 291

7.5.2 Die zweite Bearbeitungsschicht … 292

7.5.2.1 Korrekturen zur Schöpfungsordnung (7,13-17a) … 293
7.5.2.2 Gottesgeist als Lebensatem (7,21-22) … 295
7.5.2.3 Exkurs: Das Problem der Chronologien in Gen 6–9 … 299

8. DIE FLUTERZÄHLUNG UND DAS PROPHETISCHE GESCHICHTSBILD … 303
8.1. DIE PRIESTERLICHE REZEPTION … 303
8.1.1 Gewalt auf der guten Erde. Die Begründung der Sintflut … 303
8.1.2 Zerstreuung (Gen 9,19) – die Umwertung eines Begriffs prophetischer Gerichtspredigt … 311
8.1.3 Noahbund und Neuer Bund … 316

8.2 DIE NICHT-PRIESTERLICHE REZEPTION … 320
8.2.1 YHWHs Reue … 320
8.2.2 YHWH und die mythische Götterwelt … 323
8.2.3 Die Götterwelt im Wandel … 328
8.2.4 Das alte Herz bleibt – Gen 8,20-22 als weisheitliche Kritik am prophetischen Weltbild … 335

8.3 ZWISCHENREFLEXION III: DER PROLOGCHARAKTER DER FLUTGESCHICHTE … 345

8.4 LITERATUR ZU K. 7 U. 8 … 348

9 DIE VÖLKERGESCHICHTE … 355
9.1 DIE VERFLUCHUNG KANAANS … 355
9.1.1 Der Text von Gen 9,20-27 … 355
9.1.2 Die Gliederungsfunktion des Texts als Zäsur zwischen Urzeit und
Völkergeschichte … 355
9.1.3 Die Brüder- als Völkerbeziehungen … 360
9.1.4 Gen 9,20-27 und die deuteronomistische Bannideologie … 364
9.1.5 Israel zwischen Kanaanäern und Großmächten … 366

9.2 DIE VÖLKERTAFEL … 367
9.2.1 Die ethnische Darstellung der Völkerwelt … 372
9.2.2 Die Nimrodepisode … 374
9.2.3 Die zweite Semitenliste (Gen 11,10-26) … 376

10. DIE BABELERZÄHLUNG ALS ABSCHLUSS DER URGESCHICHTE … 379
10.1 DER TEXT VON GEN 11,1-9 … 379

10.2 DIE BEDEUTUNG DER BABELERZÄHLUNG ALS MYTHOS … 380

10.3 DIE NARRATIVE STRUKTUR VON GEN 11,1-9 … 384

10.4 SPRACHVERWIRRUNG ODER ZERSTREUUNG? DIE FRAGE NACH DEM DIACHRONEN TEXTPROFIL … 386

10.5 DER VERLUST DER EINEN SPRACHE … 389
10.5.1 Sprach- und Textsemantik … 389
10.5.2 Sprache als Einheitsmerkmal … 392

10.6 DIE EINBETTUNG DER BABEL-ERZÄHLUNG IN DIE URGESCHICHTE … 394
10.6.1 Motivische Verbindungen mit Gen 2–3 … 395
10.6.2 Motivische Verbindungen mit Gen 4 … 397
10.6.3 Texte des Anfangs: Die Gibborim, Nimrod und die Entstehung der Völker in Babel … 400
10.6.4 Die Babelerzählung im Kontrast zur priesterlichen Sicht der Völkerwelt … 402
10.6.5 Der Ausgang der Sintflut und die Zerstreuung der Menschheit …403

10.7 STÄDTEBAU ALS SKLAVENARBEIT? BABELERZÄHLUNG UND ÄGYPTISCHE GEFANGENSCHAFT … 406

10.8 WELTREICH UND MENSCHHEIT – DIE BABELERZÄHLUNG ALS SUMME GESCHICHTLICHER ERFAHRUNG … 410

10.9 AUSWERTUNG: SUGGESTIVE HETEROGENITÄT ALS MERKMAL DER BABELERZÄHLUNG … 416

10.10 DIE FRAGE DER LITERARGESCHICHTLICHEN EINORDNUNG … 419

10.11 LITERATUR ZU K. 9 U.10 … 421

11. ABSCHLUSS … 425

REGISTER … 431
SACHREGISTER … 431
STELLENREGISTER … 437

You may also be interested to read my review, published in the Review of Biblical Literature.

Posted in Adam, Anthropogony, Breath of life, Cain, Canaan (character), Chronologies, Covenant, new, Covenant, Noahic, Creation, Documentary hypothesis, Dominium terrae, Eden, Eve, Flood story, Genealogies, God, transcendent, Humankind, Imago dei, Individualism, in the OT, J, Language, confusion of, Noah, P, Priestly writer, Primeval history, Sacrifices, Sin, personified, Spirit of God, Table of nations, Theology, natural, Theology, prophetic, Torah, Tower of Babel, Violence, Wisdom, Yahwist Tagged: Genesis 11:1-9, Genesis 11:10-26, Genesis 1:1–2:3, Genesis 1–11, Genesis 2:4–3:24, Genesis 4, Genesis 4:7, Genesis 6:1-4, Genesis 6:5–9:17, Genesis 8:20-22, Genesis 9:19, Genesis 9:20-27, KM review, Psalm 8, Schüle Andreas

Philip R. Davies, Whose Bible Is It Anyway?

Dr Karl Möller — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:57:01 +0000

Bibliographical details:
Davies, P. R. (2004). Whose Bible Is It Anyway? 2nd ed. London: T & T Clark International.

Publisher’s information:
Can religious writings make sense to any reader who does not accept the reality of the deities to which they refer? Do Christians understand the Old Testament better than the Jews understand their Bible?

The Bible, argues this book, may belong to the Church or synagogue as an instrument of religious practice, but as an object of academic study it belongs to the world as a whole, and so can function in theory and practice as a secular discourse.

Whose Bible is it Anyway? shows how a genuinely academic discourse – one that distances itself from received canons of interpretation – about biblical writings can:

expose a subtext of deceit within the Creation narratives;
re-conceptualize the relationship between Abraham and his deity;
reveal lament psalms as texts of oppression; and
identify the death of Daniel’s God.

A new chapter for this edition evaluates how the film Monty Python’s Life of Brian contributes to ‘Life of Jesus’ research.

Here is a challenge to conventional biblical scholarship and a bid to define and establish a genuine academic discipline of biblical studies.

Philip Davies is Professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield. He is well known for his publications on Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls and is author of the highly acclaimed In Search of Ancient Israel.

Table of contents:
Preface to the Second Edition … 7
Acknowledgments … 8
Abbreviations … 9

Chapter 1
About this Book … 11
Chapter 2
Two Nations, One Womb … 17
Chapter 3
What Is a Bible? … 56
Chapter 4
Who to Believe? … 81
Chapter 5
Male Bonding: A Tale of Two Buddies … 95
Chapter 6
‘Take It to the Lord in Prayer’: The Peasant’s Lament … 114
Chapter 7
Daniel Sees the Death of God … 127
Chapter 8
Life of Brian Research … 142

Bibliography … 156

You may also be interested to read the review by Dale Patrick, published in the Review of Biblical Literature.

Buy this book from Amazon. Or perhaps you may be looking for some other titles in biblical studies.

Posted in Abraham, Academy, Bible, Biblical theology, Canon, Church, Eve, Faith, Historical Jesus, Monty Python, Life of Brian, Non-confessional interpretation, Postmodernism, Psalms of lament, Scripture, Theology, Truth Tagged: Daniel, Davies Philip, Genesis 11:1–25:11, Genesis 1–2, Genesis 2–3

R. J. Coggins and J. L. Houlden (eds), A Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation

Dr Karl Möller — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:58:55 +0000

Bibliographical details:
Coggins, R. J., and J. L. Houlden, eds. (1990). A Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation. London: SCM Press.

Publisher’s information:
‘… attractively produced, and is likely to remain a standard work of its kind for a number of years to come. Preachers who do not want to be stranded on the shores of yesteryear will find much of benefit in its pages.’ (Scottish Journal of Theology)

‘A wonderful treasure store! … every library should have a copy and if you borrow one you will want to keep it for further exploration.’ (Theological Book Review)

‘… a well presented reference book, pleasing to use, for which serious students of the Scriptures will return devout thanks. The range is impressively wide … everything one could reasonably expect is included. The entries are generously cross-referenced, and each is followed by sensible suggestions for further reading. Some enthusiasts may even find the book fascinating bedside reading.’ (Methodist Recorder)

‘Only now that this volume is in our hands do we perceive that for purposes of undergraduate and seminary training this is precisely what we have longed for. It is certainly a book to use, but it is also a book to enjoy.’ (Expository Times)

R. J. Coggins and J. L. Houlden both taught at King’s College, London.

Buy this book from Amazon. Or perhaps you may be looking for some other titles in biblical studies.

Posted in Biblical interpretation Tagged: Coggins Richard J., Houlden J. L.

David J. A. Clines, The Bible and the Modern World

Dr Karl Möller — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 11:12:09 +0000

Bibliographical details:
Clines, D. J. A. (2005). The Bible and the Modern World. Corr. ed. Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press.

Publisher’s information:
In the world of scholarship, the Bible is usually viewed as an ancient book, a product of the past, an inheritance, a heritage; it is essentially a book with origins. These lectures adopt an opposite starting point: that the Bible is in the modem world, a physical object strewn about the world of today, an in-print book that real people are reading at this very minute.

So the focus here is not on the origins of the Bible but on its reception, not on what its authors may have intended it to mean, but on what its readers today take it to mean. In conversational style, David Clines enquires after the Bible and the Academy, the Bible and Culture, the Bible and the Public, the Bible and the Church – and offers his own reflections and admonitions.

THIS IS A CORRECTED REPRINT OF THE 1997 EDITION.

David J. A. Clines is Professor of Biblical Studies in the University of Sheffield, and a noted Old Testament scholar. He is the author of The Theme of the Pentateuch, Job 1–20, What Does Eve Do to Help? and Other Readerly Questions to the Old Testament, and Interested Parties: The Ideology of Writers and Readers of the Hebrew Bible, among others, and editor of The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew.

Table of contents:
Preface … 7

Chapter 1
The Bible and the Academy … 9
Chapter 2
The Bible and Culture … 32
Chapter 3
The Bible and the Public … 57
Chapter 4
The Bible and the Church … 82

Bibliography … 102
Index … 110

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Posted in Academy, Bible, Biblical interpretation, Church, Culture Tagged: Clines David J. A.

Marc Zvi Brettler, How to Read the Bible

Dr Karl Möller — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:07:26 +0000

Bibliographical details:
Brettler, M. Z. (2005). How to Read the Bible. Philadelphia, PA: Jewish Publication Society.

Publisher’s information:
In his new book, master Bible scholar and teacher Marc Brettler argues that today’s contemporary readers can only understand the ancient Hebrew scripture by knowing more about the culture that produced it. And so Brettler unpacks the literary conventions, ideological assumptions, and historical conditions that inform the biblical text and demonstrates how modern critical scholarship and archaeological discoveries shed light on this fascinating and complex literature.

Brettler surveys representative biblical texts from different genres to illustrate how modern scholars have taught us to ‘read’ these texts. Using the ‘historical-critical method’ long popular in academia, he guides us in reading the Bible as it was read in the biblical period, independent of later religious norms and interpretive traditions. Understanding the Bible this way lets us appreciate it as a fascinating text that speaks in multiple voices on profound issues.

In his afterword, the author discusses how the historical-critical method can help contemporary Jews relate to the Bible as a religious text in a more meaningful way.

‘At last, a book that successfully bridges the gap between the discoveries of biblical scholarship and the needs of contemporary readers! How to Read the Bible is an extraordinary book – both erudite and accessible.’ – Carol Meyers, Mary Grace Wilson Professor in the Department of Religion, Duke University

‘An introduction to the Hebrew Bible I can recommend with enthusiasm and confidence. Marc Brettler’s new book is a model of educational clarity, judicious discussions, and critical analysis. He is an authoritative guide into the Bible’s many genres, stylistic intricacies, and religious teachings.’ – Michael Fishbane, Nathan Cummings Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Chicago

‘Brettler offers a discussion that is explicitly and specifically concerned for Jewish faith, but his work will be instructive for others as well, especially Christians who struggle with the same issue[s]. Brettler’s contribution is a welcome one, reflecting deep learning, judicious judgment, and shrewd interpretation.’ – Walter Brueggemann, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary

‘Marc Brettler’s How to Read the Bible is a marvelous and unique introduction to the Bible for contemporary readers. In a clear and readable style Brettler helps us understand the Bible in its own context, clarifying its world view and religious sensibility and opening up the cultural context and historical background of the age in which it was born. Brettler shows the way that modern biblical scholarship can help us understand and appreciate the foundational book of Jewish civilization.’ – Barry W. Holtz, Theodore and Florence Baumritter Professor of Jewish Education, Jewish Theological Seminary

A GUIDE TO READING THE BIBLE THROUGH THE EYES OF ITS WRITERS

This book is the first ‘Jewishly sensitive’ introduction to the historical-critical method of interpreting the Bible. Unlike other such introductory texts, the Bible that this book speaks about is the Jewish one – with the three-part TANAKH arrangement, the sequence of books found in modern printed Hebrew editions, and the chapter and verse enumerations used in most modern Jewish versions.

Marc Zvi Brettler received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University, where he is now Dora Golding Professor of Biblical Literature and chair of the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. His main areas of research are religious metaphors and the Bible, biblical historical texts, and women and the Bible. He is the author of several books and co-editor of The Jewish Study Bible.

Table of contents:
Preface … ix
Abbreviations … xiii

1. Reading as a Jew and as a Scholar … 1
2. What Is the Bible, Anyway? … 7
3. The Art of Reading the Bible … 13
4. A Brief History of Israel … 19
5. With Scissors and Paste: The Sources of Genesis … 29
6. Creation vs. Creationism: Genesis 1–3 as Myth … 37
7. The Ancestors as Heroes … 49
8. Biblical Law: Codes and Collections … 61
9. Incense Is Offensive to Me: The Cult in Ancient Israel … 73
10. ‘In the Fortieth Year … Moses Addressed the Israelites’: Deuteronomy … 85
11. ‘The Walls Came Tumbling Down’: Reading Joshua … 95
12. ‘May My Lord King David Live Forever’: Royal Ideology in Samuel and Judges … 107
13. ‘For Israel Tore Away from the House of David’: Reading Kings … 117
14. Revisionist History: Reading Chronicles … 129
15. Introduction to Prophecy … 137
16. ‘Let Justice Well Up like Water’: Reading Amos … 149
17. ‘They Shall Beat Their Swords into Plowshares’: Reading (First) Isaiah … 161
18. ‘I Will Make This House like Shiloh’: Reading Jeremiah … 173
19. ‘I Will Be for Them a Mini-Temple’: Reading Ezekiel … 185
20. ‘Comfort, Oh Comfort My People’: The Exile and Beyond … 199
21. ‘Those That Sleep in the Dust … Will Awake’: Zechariah, Apocalyptic Literature, and Daniel … 209
22. Prayer of Many Hearts: Reading Psalms … 219
23. ‘Acquire Wisdom’: Reading Proverbs and Ecclesiastes … 231
24. ‘Being But Dust and Ashes’: Reading Job … 243
25. ‘Drink Deep of Love!’: Reading Song of Songs … 257
26. ‘Why Are You So Kind … When I Am a Foreigner?’: Reading Ruth vs. Esther … 267
27. The Creation of the Bible … 273
Afterword: Reading the Bible as a Committed Jew … 279

Notes … 285
Sources Cited … 339
Index of Subjects … 361
Index of Biblical Passages and Other References … 372

You may also be interested to read the review (in French) by Pierre Keith, published in the Review of Biblical Literature.

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Posted in Apocalyptic, Cult, Historical criticism, History, of Israel, Ideology, royal, Jewish interpretation, Law, Old Testament, Prophets/prophecy, Source criticism Tagged: 1 Chronicles 1, 1 Chronicles 20, 1 Chronicles 5, 1 Kings 16, 1 Kings 17–22, 1 Kings 1–12, 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel 1–2, 2 Chronicles 33, 2 Chronicles 35, 2 Chronicles 7, 2 Kings 17–25, 2 Kings 1–9, 2 Samuel, Amos, Brettler Marc Zvi, Daniel 12, Daniel 1–6, Daniel 8–9, Deuteronomy, Ecclesiastes 10, Ecclesiastes 12, Ecclesiastes 1–3, Ecclesiastes 7–8, Esther, Exodus 19–24, Ezekiel 16, Ezekiel 1–11, Ezekiel 23, Ezekiel 33–40, Ezekiel 48, Ezra 9–10, Genesis, Genesis 12–50, Genesis 1–3, Haggai 2, Isaiah 10–11, Isaiah 13, Isaiah 1–2, Isaiah 20, Isaiah 31, Isaiah 40–41, Isaiah 44–45, Isaiah 49, Isaiah 51, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 55, Isaiah 63, Isaiah 6–7, Jeremiah 1, Jeremiah 15, Jeremiah 17, Jeremiah 20–21, Jeremiah 25–26, Jeremiah 28, Jeremiah 3, Jeremiah 31, Jeremiah 36, Jeremiah 52, Job, Joshua, Judges, Leviticus 16, Nehemiah 13, Nehemiah 8, Proverbs 1, Proverbs 10, Proverbs 22–23, Proverbs 3, Proverbs 30–31, Proverbs 6–7, Psalm 1, Psalm 118, Psalm 24, Psalm 3, Psalm 53, Psalm 6, Psalms 14–15, Ruth, Song of Songs, Zechariah 1–2, Zechariah 5, Zechariah 7–8

W. Dennis Tucker, Jr., Jonah: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text

Dr Karl Möller — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:20:12 +0000

Bibliographical details:
Tucker, W. D., Jr. (2006). Jonah: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text. Baylor Handbook on the Hebrew Bible Series. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press.

Publisher’s information:
‘In the crowded genre of biblical commentaries, this series will surely find a niche among students and pastors who need more lexical, morphological, and syntactical help than most commentaries today offer. Tucker’s volume reflects a remarkable amount of erudition and hard work, and the appearance of his volume bodes well for the series.’ – Bill T. Arnold, Asbury Theological Seminary

Dennis Tucker (Ph.D. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Associate Professor of Christian Scriptures at George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University.

Table of contents:
Preface … xi
Abbreviations … xiii
Introduction … 1

Jonah 1:1-3 … 11
Jonah 1:4-6 … 18
Jonah 1:7-12 … 25
Jonah 1:13-16 … 39
Jonah 2:1-10 … 45
Jonah 2:11 … 61
Jonah 3:1-4 … 62
Jonah 3:5-9 … 70
Jonah 3:10 … 81
Jonah 4:1-4 … 83
Jonah 4:5-7 … 90
Jonah 4:8-11 … 96

Glossary … 105
Bibliography … 109
Author and Subject Index … 115

You may also be interested to read my review, published in the Review of Biblical Literature.

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Posted in Discourse analysis, Hebrew language tools Tagged: Jonah, Tucker W. Dennis Jr.

August H. Konkel and Tremper Longman III, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs

Dr Karl Möller — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:52:36 +0000

Bibliographical details:
Konkel, A. H., and T. Longman III. (2006). Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, vol. 6. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House.

Table of contents:
Contributors to Volume 6 … vi
General Editor’s Preface … vii
Abbreviations … ix
Transliteration and Numbering System … xiii

Job … 1

Ecclesiastes … 251

Song of Songs … 339

Buy this book from Amazon. Or perhaps you may be looking for some other titles in biblical studies. Or visit the following link for further information on the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary.

Posted in Biblical commentaries Tagged: Ecclesiastes, Job, Konkel August H., Longman Tremper III, Song of Songs

Cornerstone Biblical Commentary (Tyndale House)

Dr Karl Möller — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:42:54 +0000

These evangelical commentaries are based on the New Living Translation (NLT), which is included. They are aimed at students, ministers and laypeople, who they seek to provide with exegetical and theological knowledge that enables them to better understand and apply God’s word. Commentaries feature an introduction to the biblical book that discusses the usual issues (e.g. author, date, audience, textual history, literary style, themes, theological concerns, etc.). There are outlines of the books, bibliographies, notes on the translation and the section-by-section commentary.

Old Testament volumes:

Genesis, Exodus, John N. Oswalt and Allen P. Ross, 2008
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, David W. Baker, Dale A. Brueggemann and Eugene H. Merrill, 2009 (forthcoming)
Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, August H. Konkel and Tremper Longman III, 2006
Psalms, Proverbs, Mark D. Futato and George M. Schwab, 2009 (forthcoming)
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Larry L. Walker and Elmer A. Martens, 2006
Minor Prophets: Hosea – Malachi, Andrew E. Hill and Richard D. Patterson, 2008

New Testament volumes:

Matthew, Mark, David L. Turner and Darrell L. Bock, 2006
Luke, Acts, Allison A. Trites and William J. Larkin, 2007
The Gospel of John, 1–3 John, Philip W. Comfort, Wendell C. Hawley and Grant R. Osborne, 2007
Romans, Galatians, Gerald L. Borchert and Roger Mohrlang, 2007
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1–2 Thessalonians, Philemon, Philip W. Comfort, Peter H. Davids and Harold W. Hoehner, 2008
1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, Linda Belleville, Jon Laansma and J. Ramsey Michaels, 2009 (forthcoming)

Visit the following link for information about other commentary series.

Posted in Biblical commentaries Tagged: 1 John, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 John, 2 Thessalonians, 2 Timothy, 3 John, Acts, Amos, Baker David W., Belleville Linda, Bock Darrell L., Borchert Gerald L., Brueggemann Dale A., Colossians, Comfort Philip W., Davids Peter H., Deuteronomy, Ecclesiastes, Ephesians, Exodus, Futato Mark D., Galatians, Genesis, Habbakuk, Haggai, Hawley Wendell C., Hebrews, Hill Andrew E., Hoehner Harold W., Hosea, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Job, Joel, John, Jonah, Konkel August H., Laansma Jon, Lamentations, Larkin William J., Leviticus, Longman Tremper III, Luke, Malachi, Mark, Martens Elmer A., Matthew, Merrill Eugene H., Micah, Michaels J. Ramsey, Mohrlang Roger, Nahum, Numbers, Obadiah, Osborne Grant R., Oswalt John N., Patterson Richard D., Philemon, Philippians, Proverbs, Psalms, Romans, Ross Allen P., Schwab George M., Song of Songs, Titus, Trites Allison A., Turner David L., Walker Larry L., Zechariah, Zephaniah