Mapping Myths of Biblical Interpretation

Mapping Myths of Biblical Interpretation

Author: Richard Walsh

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 2001-03-01

Total Pages: 196

ISBN-13: 9781841272054

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Walsh explores the role that myth has played in the interpretation of the Bible. He sees myth as an empowering, structuring story used either for good or ill and either consciously or unconsciously controlling our world views. Walsh looks for both the empowerment and the marginalization effected by myth as he follows the word through its myriad meanings ('Grasping Proteus'), its use in various disciplines ('Procrustean Mythographers'), its distinctive uses in biblical interpretation ('Mything the Bible'), and, finally, the mythic character of interpretation itself ('The Myth of Interpretation'). The concluding chapter, 'Behind the Mythic Curve', muses on the difficulty of knowing the myths by which we live and reflects hopefully on the possibility of play among the myriad myths in a postmodern, pluralist world.


Book Synopsis Mapping Myths of Biblical Interpretation by : Richard Walsh

Download or read book Mapping Myths of Biblical Interpretation written by Richard Walsh and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2001-03-01 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Walsh explores the role that myth has played in the interpretation of the Bible. He sees myth as an empowering, structuring story used either for good or ill and either consciously or unconsciously controlling our world views. Walsh looks for both the empowerment and the marginalization effected by myth as he follows the word through its myriad meanings ('Grasping Proteus'), its use in various disciplines ('Procrustean Mythographers'), its distinctive uses in biblical interpretation ('Mything the Bible'), and, finally, the mythic character of interpretation itself ('The Myth of Interpretation'). The concluding chapter, 'Behind the Mythic Curve', muses on the difficulty of knowing the myths by which we live and reflects hopefully on the possibility of play among the myriad myths in a postmodern, pluralist world.

Reading Ecclesiastes

Reading Ecclesiastes

Author: Mary E. Mills

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-05-15

Total Pages: 185

ISBN-13: 1351906615

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Reading Ecclesiastes explores the literary style and themes of the Book of Ecclesiastes, investigating its overall theological messages and the cultural perspectives which readers bring to bear on their act of reading. Examining the meaning found in Ecclesiastes through the use of two important contemporary reading methods - narrative criticism and cultural exegesis - Mary E. Mills breaks new ground. Highlighting the range of theological meaning attached to the book of Ecclesiastes as a result of treating the text as a form of narrative and a story told in the first person, this innovative book will appeal to all those interested in narrative criticism, literary studies and interpretation and Wisdom tradition and the ancient world more widely, as well as biblical scholars.


Book Synopsis Reading Ecclesiastes by : Mary E. Mills

Download or read book Reading Ecclesiastes written by Mary E. Mills and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-05-15 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reading Ecclesiastes explores the literary style and themes of the Book of Ecclesiastes, investigating its overall theological messages and the cultural perspectives which readers bring to bear on their act of reading. Examining the meaning found in Ecclesiastes through the use of two important contemporary reading methods - narrative criticism and cultural exegesis - Mary E. Mills breaks new ground. Highlighting the range of theological meaning attached to the book of Ecclesiastes as a result of treating the text as a form of narrative and a story told in the first person, this innovative book will appeal to all those interested in narrative criticism, literary studies and interpretation and Wisdom tradition and the ancient world more widely, as well as biblical scholars.

Desiring Divinity

Desiring Divinity

Author: M. David Litwa

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2016-10-03

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 0190627433

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Perhaps no declaration incites more theological and moral outrage than a human's claim to be divine. Those who make this claim in ancient Jewish and Christian mythology are typically represented as the most hubristic and dangerous tyrants. Their horrible punishments are predictable and still serve as morality tales in religious communities today. But not all self-deifiers are saddled with pride and fated to fall. Some who claimed divinity stated a simple and direct truth. Though reviled on earth, misunderstood, and even killed, they received vindication and rose to the stars. This book tells the stories of six self-deifiers in their historical, social, and ideological contexts. In the history of interpretation, the initial three figures have been demonized as cosmic rebels: the first human Adam, Lucifer (later identified with Satan), and Yaldabaoth in gnostic mythology. By contrast, the final three have served as positive models for deification and divine favor: Jesus in the gospel of John, Simon of Samaria, and Allogenes in the Nag Hammadi library. In the end, the line separating demonization from deification is dangerously thin, drawn as it is by the unsteady hand of human valuation.


Book Synopsis Desiring Divinity by : M. David Litwa

Download or read book Desiring Divinity written by M. David Litwa and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016-10-03 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perhaps no declaration incites more theological and moral outrage than a human's claim to be divine. Those who make this claim in ancient Jewish and Christian mythology are typically represented as the most hubristic and dangerous tyrants. Their horrible punishments are predictable and still serve as morality tales in religious communities today. But not all self-deifiers are saddled with pride and fated to fall. Some who claimed divinity stated a simple and direct truth. Though reviled on earth, misunderstood, and even killed, they received vindication and rose to the stars. This book tells the stories of six self-deifiers in their historical, social, and ideological contexts. In the history of interpretation, the initial three figures have been demonized as cosmic rebels: the first human Adam, Lucifer (later identified with Satan), and Yaldabaoth in gnostic mythology. By contrast, the final three have served as positive models for deification and divine favor: Jesus in the gospel of John, Simon of Samaria, and Allogenes in the Nag Hammadi library. In the end, the line separating demonization from deification is dangerously thin, drawn as it is by the unsteady hand of human valuation.

How the Gospels Became History

How the Gospels Became History

Author: M. David Litwa

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2019-08-06

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 0300249489

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A compelling comparison of the gospels and Greco-Roman mythology which shows that the gospels were not perceived as myths, but as historical records Did the early Christians believe their myths? Like most ancient—and modern—people, early Christians made efforts to present their myths in the most believable ways. In this eye-opening work, M. David Litwa explores how and why what later became the four canonical gospels take on a historical cast that remains vitally important for many Christians today. Offering an in-depth comparison with other Greco-Roman stories that have been shaped to seem like history, Litwa shows how the evangelists responded to the pressures of Greco-Roman literary culture by using well-known historiographical tropes such as the mention of famous rulers and kings, geographical notices, the introduction of eyewitnesses, vivid presentation, alternative reports, and so on. In this way, the evangelists deliberately shaped myths about Jesus into historical discourse to maximize their believability for ancient audiences.


Book Synopsis How the Gospels Became History by : M. David Litwa

Download or read book How the Gospels Became History written by M. David Litwa and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2019-08-06 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compelling comparison of the gospels and Greco-Roman mythology which shows that the gospels were not perceived as myths, but as historical records Did the early Christians believe their myths? Like most ancient—and modern—people, early Christians made efforts to present their myths in the most believable ways. In this eye-opening work, M. David Litwa explores how and why what later became the four canonical gospels take on a historical cast that remains vitally important for many Christians today. Offering an in-depth comparison with other Greco-Roman stories that have been shaped to seem like history, Litwa shows how the evangelists responded to the pressures of Greco-Roman literary culture by using well-known historiographical tropes such as the mention of famous rulers and kings, geographical notices, the introduction of eyewitnesses, vivid presentation, alternative reports, and so on. In this way, the evangelists deliberately shaped myths about Jesus into historical discourse to maximize their believability for ancient audiences.

Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture

Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture

Author: Douglas S. Earl

Publisher: Penn State Press

Published: 2010-06-23

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 1575066319

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The book of Joshua has been received and used as Christian Scripture throughout Christian history. The challenge today, however, is how Christians should appropriately continue to read Joshua as Scripture, not least in the light of well-known historical and ethical difficulties with the narrative. In Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, Douglas Earl draws on conceptual resources offered by recent anthropological approaches to myth and combines this with a close literary reading of the text, in order to argue that Joshua is misconstrued when it is treated as a historical account of conquest. Instead, in its ancient Israelite context Joshua functioned to reshape accepted norms of community identity, as reflected in the book of Deuteronomy, by forming a new “cultural memory.” Furthermore, Earl reconsiders the traditional notion of the “spiritual sense” of Scripture in terms of a rich account of symbol and also makes use of the narrative hermeneutics of Paul Ricoeur. The result is a fresh and unexpected reading of Joshua as Christian Scripture that develops the original function of the narrative in a way that resonates with classic premodern readings and is also challenging to contemporary Christian understandings of identity and faithfulness.


Book Synopsis Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture by : Douglas S. Earl

Download or read book Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture written by Douglas S. Earl and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2010-06-23 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book of Joshua has been received and used as Christian Scripture throughout Christian history. The challenge today, however, is how Christians should appropriately continue to read Joshua as Scripture, not least in the light of well-known historical and ethical difficulties with the narrative. In Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture, Douglas Earl draws on conceptual resources offered by recent anthropological approaches to myth and combines this with a close literary reading of the text, in order to argue that Joshua is misconstrued when it is treated as a historical account of conquest. Instead, in its ancient Israelite context Joshua functioned to reshape accepted norms of community identity, as reflected in the book of Deuteronomy, by forming a new “cultural memory.” Furthermore, Earl reconsiders the traditional notion of the “spiritual sense” of Scripture in terms of a rich account of symbol and also makes use of the narrative hermeneutics of Paul Ricoeur. The result is a fresh and unexpected reading of Joshua as Christian Scripture that develops the original function of the narrative in a way that resonates with classic premodern readings and is also challenging to contemporary Christian understandings of identity and faithfulness.

Let the Reader Understand

Let the Reader Understand

Author: Edwin K. Broadhead

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2018-03-22

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 0567674061

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This book honors the extraordinary contribution of Elizabeth Struthers Malbon to biblical studies. In the opening chapter, Werner Kelber places Malbon's work within the larger context of critical reflection, from antiquity to the modern era, on the role and function of discourse. Kelber locates Malbon's approach squarely within the framework of modernity and concludes that her "supremely creative achievement has been the employment of modern, narrative critical tools with a view toward uncovering the fecundity of the gospel of Mark.†? Drawing from and conversing with Professor Malbon's extensive publications, each of the five sections engages a theme from her works, focusing particularly on the Gospel of Mark. This tribute includes meaning as narrative, issues in methodology, studies in characterization, narrative readings of specific texts, and aesthetic and political readings. Contributors include: Werner H. Kelber; R. Alan Culpepper; Kelly R. Iverson; Mikeal C. Parsons; David Barr; David J.A. Clines; Robert C. Tannehill; J. Cheryl Exum; Heidi Hornik and Richard Walsh.


Book Synopsis Let the Reader Understand by : Edwin K. Broadhead

Download or read book Let the Reader Understand written by Edwin K. Broadhead and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-03-22 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book honors the extraordinary contribution of Elizabeth Struthers Malbon to biblical studies. In the opening chapter, Werner Kelber places Malbon's work within the larger context of critical reflection, from antiquity to the modern era, on the role and function of discourse. Kelber locates Malbon's approach squarely within the framework of modernity and concludes that her "supremely creative achievement has been the employment of modern, narrative critical tools with a view toward uncovering the fecundity of the gospel of Mark.†? Drawing from and conversing with Professor Malbon's extensive publications, each of the five sections engages a theme from her works, focusing particularly on the Gospel of Mark. This tribute includes meaning as narrative, issues in methodology, studies in characterization, narrative readings of specific texts, and aesthetic and political readings. Contributors include: Werner H. Kelber; R. Alan Culpepper; Kelly R. Iverson; Mikeal C. Parsons; David Barr; David J.A. Clines; Robert C. Tannehill; J. Cheryl Exum; Heidi Hornik and Richard Walsh.

Contextualizing Gender in Early Christian Discourse

Contextualizing Gender in Early Christian Discourse

Author: Caroline Vander Stichele

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 2009-08-30

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 0567030369

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This new textbook outlines a gender-critical perspective on the New Testament and other early Christian writings.


Book Synopsis Contextualizing Gender in Early Christian Discourse by : Caroline Vander Stichele

Download or read book Contextualizing Gender in Early Christian Discourse written by Caroline Vander Stichele and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2009-08-30 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new textbook outlines a gender-critical perspective on the New Testament and other early Christian writings.

What Christians Believe about the Bible

What Christians Believe about the Bible

Author: Don Thorsen

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2012-08-15

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1441238735

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Christians talk frequently about the Bible, yet they do not always have an informed and wide-ranging understanding of varied Christian views about its nature. Don Thorsen and Keith Reeves combine their biblical and theological knowledge to create such a unique introduction to the Bible. This book not only provides an introduction to the interpretation of the Bible but also to the history and theological understanding behind it, equipping students to think critically about their own tradition's approach to Scripture. It is perfect as a supplemental textbook in both introductory biblical studies and theology courses, but it will also be of interest to adult education classes.


Book Synopsis What Christians Believe about the Bible by : Don Thorsen

Download or read book What Christians Believe about the Bible written by Don Thorsen and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2012-08-15 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christians talk frequently about the Bible, yet they do not always have an informed and wide-ranging understanding of varied Christian views about its nature. Don Thorsen and Keith Reeves combine their biblical and theological knowledge to create such a unique introduction to the Bible. This book not only provides an introduction to the interpretation of the Bible but also to the history and theological understanding behind it, equipping students to think critically about their own tradition's approach to Scripture. It is perfect as a supplemental textbook in both introductory biblical studies and theology courses, but it will also be of interest to adult education classes.

Plots of Epiphany

Plots of Epiphany

Author: John B. Weaver

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter

Published: 2013-02-06

Total Pages: 348

ISBN-13: 3110915618

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Past scholarship on the prison-escapes in the Acts of the Apostles has tended to focus on lexical similarities to Euripides' Bacchae, going so far as to argue for direct literary dependence. Moving beyond such explanations, the present study argues that miraculous prison-escape was a central event in a traditional and culturally significant story about the introduction and foundation of cults - a story discernable in the Bacchae and other ancient texts. When the mythic quality and cultural diffusion of the prison-escape narratives are taken into account, the resemblance of Lukan and Dionysian narrative episodes is seen to depend less on specific literary borrowing, and more on shared familiarity with cultural discourses involving the legitimating portrayal of new cults in the ancient world.


Book Synopsis Plots of Epiphany by : John B. Weaver

Download or read book Plots of Epiphany written by John B. Weaver and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2013-02-06 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Past scholarship on the prison-escapes in the Acts of the Apostles has tended to focus on lexical similarities to Euripides' Bacchae, going so far as to argue for direct literary dependence. Moving beyond such explanations, the present study argues that miraculous prison-escape was a central event in a traditional and culturally significant story about the introduction and foundation of cults - a story discernable in the Bacchae and other ancient texts. When the mythic quality and cultural diffusion of the prison-escape narratives are taken into account, the resemblance of Lukan and Dionysian narrative episodes is seen to depend less on specific literary borrowing, and more on shared familiarity with cultural discourses involving the legitimating portrayal of new cults in the ancient world.

The Bible in Film — The Bible and Film

The Bible in Film — The Bible and Film

Author: J.Cheryl Exum

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2021-10-18

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 9047409876

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Biblical scholars and students are finding the role of the Bible in film an increasingly absorbing and rewarding topic. There are films that retell biblical narratives and there are films that allude to the Bible or otherwise build on or appropriate biblical themes and images. The eleven lively and provocative articles in this volume explore both types of film, showcasing the cinema's impact on the perception of the Bible in modern culture. Originally published as issue 1-2 of Volume 14 (2006) of Brill's journal Biblical Interpretation. For more details on this journal, please click here.


Book Synopsis The Bible in Film — The Bible and Film by : J.Cheryl Exum

Download or read book The Bible in Film — The Bible and Film written by J.Cheryl Exum and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2021-10-18 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biblical scholars and students are finding the role of the Bible in film an increasingly absorbing and rewarding topic. There are films that retell biblical narratives and there are films that allude to the Bible or otherwise build on or appropriate biblical themes and images. The eleven lively and provocative articles in this volume explore both types of film, showcasing the cinema's impact on the perception of the Bible in modern culture. Originally published as issue 1-2 of Volume 14 (2006) of Brill's journal Biblical Interpretation. For more details on this journal, please click here.