Full Description
A comprehensive manual for anyone wishing to become competent in reading and understanding the Scriptures of the Judeo-Christian tradition. The chapters of this book introduce the reader to all aspects of biblical studies. They guide the reader through the maze, from 'Venturing In' to 'Negotiated Reading'. There are sections on, for example, considering the self-consciousness of the reader/interpreter, the interaction of the tradition with the text of Scripture through the ages, the various literary genres together with the principal forms within the larger biblical documents, ways of reading the text in the modern and post-modern periods, how the academic reading of Scripture and the church reading interact, the relation between competent reading of the sacred text and the preparation and delivery of the sermon, the place of dialogue in the interpretive process. The conclusion sums up the discussion throughout the book and focuses the issues for a competent reading of the Bible and related writings.
Student-friendly features include, at the end of each chapter: --An Objective, summarizing the content and objective of the chapter 12-14 lead questions with act as in-depth study exercises--Full bibliography and suggestions for further reading
Contents
Part I Venturing Out in Biblical Studies: Know Your Self; Method from Within; Language, Speech and Text; A Call for "Conversions"; Living in Meaning. Part II Respecting Traditions Critically: Limiting the Number of Documents - Canonicity; Handing Down the Text - Transmission; Intended Sense in Other Words - Translation; Setting Faith-Boundaries - Doctrine. Part III Warp and Woof of Biblical Literature: Types and Texture of Literature I - The Hebrew Bible; Appendices: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha; The Dead Sea Scrolls; Types and Texture of Literature II - The Greek Scriptures of the Early Church; Appendix Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha. Part IV Reading as Interpreting: The Inter-Act of Reading; Research and Insight; "Modern" Ways of Reading the Ancient Texts; "Postmodern" Ways of Reading the Ancient Texts. Part V Communicating the Outcome: The Notion of a Reading Community; Reading Communities - The Academy, The Faith Community; Ethical Fruit of Biblical Studies; Sermon and Dialogue. Part VI Conclusion: Competent to Read the Sacred Text.
