Full Description
This is the latest in a series of volumes, published about every twenty-five years since 1924, surveying the current state of the academic study of the Old Testament--more often called the Hebrew Bible in scholarly contexts. It is written by leading members of the Society for Old Testament Study, the professional organization for scholars in that field in the UK and Ireland, but with international members too, some of whom have contributed to the volume. It provides academics, students of the Bible, clergy and rabbis, and intelligent general readers, with a snapshot of the main approaches and issues in the study of the Hebrew Bible since (approximately) the year 2000.
There are chapters on specific biblical books in their ancient context, grouped mainly by genre, but also on methodological aspects of biblical studies today, including interdisciplinary perspectives and contemporary questions, such as the Bible in sociological, theological, historical, archaeological, literary, and linguistic perspectives, and the influence of concerns about gender, race, visual culture, and psychology. A particular recent interest is represented by a chapter on the reception history of the Hebrew Bible in the visual arts, music, and literature (including drama and film). The concern throughout, is to encapsulate contemporary currents in interpretation, rather than to put forward the contributors' personal views, but also to suggest how biblical study may or should develop next in these areas. As with previous volumes, what is provided is a view of global scholarship as seen from these islands that will be useful to serious students of the Hebrew Bible throughout the world. As well as describing their field, the contributors also provide substantial bibliographies pointing readers to other modern discussions.
Contents
John Barton: Introduction 1: Nathan MacDonald: The Pentateuch 2: Reinhard G. Kratz: The Narrative Books 3: Anja Klein: Prophetic and Apocalyptic Literature 4: John Jarick: Wisdom Literature 5: Susan Gillingham: Psalms and Poems 6: Carol A. Newsom: The Bible and Early Jewish Literature 7: George J. Brooke: Biblical Canons 8: James K. Aitken: Textual Criticism 9: Kevin J. Cathcart: Philology and Linguistics 10: H. G. M. Williamson: Archaeology 11: Laura Quick: The Ancient Near Eastern Context 12: C. L. Crouch: The History of Israel and Judah 13: Mark Scarlata: Religious Practice in Ancient Israel and Judah 14: Francesca Stavrakopoulou: Visual Cultures of the Hebrew Bible 15: Richard S. Briggs: Theological Interpretation of Scripture 16: Caroline Blyth: Gender and the Hebrew Bible 17: Hugh S. Pyper: Postcolonialist Readings of the Hebrew Bible 18: Eryl W Davies: Ethics in the Hebrew Bible 19: Hilary Marlow: The Hebrew Bible and Ecology 20: Tsaurayi K. Mapfeka: The Hebrew Bible and Race 21: Katherine E. Southwood: The Hebrew Bible and the Social Sciences 22: Ekaterina E. Kozlova: The Hebrew Bible and Psychology 23: Joachim Schaper: Cognitive Science and the Hebrew Bible 24: Deborah Rooke, Holly Morse, and David J. Shepherd: Reception of the Hebrew Bible in Music, Visual Art, Literature, Theatre, and Film 25: Jim West: Translating the Hebrew Bible 26: Paul M. Joyce: Literary Approaches to the Hebrew Bible
