Kategoria BISAC: Religion >> Biblical Studies - Exegesis & Hermeneutics

Murray Rae argues that the practice of contemporary biblical hermeneutics has been radically impaired by a widespread allegiance to a series of problematic assumptions about history. He offers a theological account of what history is, centred on the categories of creation and divine promise, and proposes that it is within this theological conception of history that the Bible may be understood on its own terms. History and Hermeneutics is both critical and constructive, identifying the crucial problems and proposing a way forward. The ecclesial reading of Scripture and the value of...

In the past twenty-five years, New Testament scholars have drawn on the social sciences, especially anthropology and sociology, to develop a variety of new perspectives on early Christianity. David Horrell here gathers together the classic works in this field, including essays by, for example, John Barclay, Philip Esler, Wayne Meeks, Luise Schottroff and Gerd Theissen. For each selection, David Horrell provides a short introduction and suggestions for further reading. He also provides an introduction outlining the development and future prospects of the discipline.An excellent reference...

Emphasizing meaning as "effect" rather than merely "message," Mark Allan Powell shows how biblical texts may legitimately take on multiple meanings in a variety of contexts. The first part of the book uses examples drawn from popular literature and culture to engage in a practical way the kinds of questions that scholars bring to their study of the Bible. The second part is devoted to approaching the Gospel of Matthew as a work of literature that readers may enter--and be affected by--as they might any other kind of text. The third part is an extended study of one passage from Matthew's...

Challenging the traditional meaning of Scripture is not easy, even in the face of issues that call into question those traditional interpretations. In these reflections, Walter Brueggemann says that the Bible, as the live word of the living God, will not submit to the accounts we prefer to give it. The Bible's inherent, central evangelical proclamation has greater and more permanent authority than our inescapably provisional interpretations. William Placher notes that taking the Bible most seriously means struggling to understand its meaning as well as affirming its truth. And Brian Blount...

Biblical criticism faces increasing hostility on two fronts: from biblical conservatives, who claim it is inherently positivistic and religiously skeptical, and from postmodernists, who see it as driven by the falsities of objectivity and neutrality. In this magisterial overview of the key factors and developments in biblical studies, John Barton demonstrates that these evaluations of biblical criticism fail to do justice to the work that has been done by critical scholars over many generations. Traditional biblical criticism has had as its central concern a semantic interest: a desire to...

This first volume in an exciting new series for laity provides an accessible study of some of the Bible's most important themes. Respected author W. Eugene March traces the understanding of key themes through the Old and New Testaments, such as God, covenant, and sin, and demonstrates their importance for Christian life today. Discussion questions are included in each chapter to enhance the usefulness of this book for church study groups.

Is the Bible infallible as some churches claim? Is it a historical document or a piece of literature, as scholars suggest? This helpful new book offers a brief introduction to the question of biblical authority, using essays by sixteen scholars who use the Bible as the word of God in their own religious tradition and scholarship. After William Brown introduces the basic issues of biblical authority, each scholar presents a different, but sympathetic, view from his or her own perspective. Included are traditional Reformed, Lutheran, Wesleyan, Catholic, Jewish, and Orthodox views; recent...

This book is the result of a collaborative effort on the part of a group of outstanding theologians, historians, and biblical scholars within the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature. Clarifying for themselves and others the distinctive character of feminist interpretation, they continue the process of liberating the word that concerns the whole church.

This important book provides a sampling of liberation theology's use of biblical texts, relating it to the "standard" methods of interpretation in Europe and America. Divided into four sections, the book sets out contemporary readings of the parable of Jesus influenced by a liberationist perspective; identifies the biblical and theoretical foundations of liberation theology, comparing them with the dominant exegetical paradigm in the first world; explores the way in which liberation exegesis affects reading the canonical accounts of Jesus; and argues that liberation theology cannot be seen...

In this book, J. Benton White surveys the many Protestant approaches to the Bible and then focuses on the issues raised by modernist and fundamentalists in the twentieth century. He gives special attention to the Protestants' struggle with the question of how the Bible should be understood. By doing this, he helps individuals examine this crucial question and allows them to draw their own conclusions. White focuses on Martin Luther's affirmation of the "Protestant principle" of the Bible alone, then follows debate up to the present.

Respected scholar David Petersen provides a systematic and comprehensive introduction to the prophetic literature. Petersen takes into account the major advances in current research as he examines both the literature of the latter prophets (Isaiah-Malachi) as well as the Hebrew texts that describe the work and words of Israel's earlier prophets (e.g., Elijah and Elisha in 1 & 2 Kings).

Daniel Patte argues here that when male European-American scholars interpret the Bible to produce a universally legitimate reading, they silence the Bible itself. Their reading practices exclude feminist, African American, and other so-called "minority" readings, as well as the interpretations of conservative and liberal laity. He further claims that ethical accountability requires recognizing that all exegesis consists of bringing critical understanding to ordinary readings, especially faith interpretations. Patte concludes that biblical studies must affirm the legitimacy of diverse...

This volume introduces the reader to the most important methods of biblical criticism. It serves as an indispensable handbook for the work of students approaching biblical studies for the first time and for the professional interpreter of scripture who wants to understand the latest currents in biblical scholarship.

"We would be naive to think that we can hear these narratives with the same clarity that the first hearers did. An equal naivete, however, would be to suggest that we have no access to their situation, or that it is irrelevant to know how the texts originally functioned. One way to proceed is to juxtapose narratives with issues faced by the people of God in the context to which the narratives were addressed. To lay contextual issues alongside narrative should enable illumination of the text, and give breadth and depth to the results of one's interpretation. This approach has the advantage...