The people of whom the biblical texts speak often feel love or hate; they articulate their sadness, lamentation or joy; they burn with anger or jealousy; they show fear or pity. It regularly becomes clear that these representations of emotions are of central importance for the theological intention of the texts. 1 Samuel describes the love between David and Jonathan. The book of anniversaries pays special attention to the happiness of the parents. The Gospel of Mark tells of the fear of those around Jesus. In Matthew, Jesus threatens his audience with "wailing and gnashing of teeth." And the book of Acts underscores the unanimity that reigns in early Christianity. With this finding, biblical studies are faced with the task of dealing with the mentioned aspects of the texts exegetically. The contributions in this volume therefore show ways of analyzing the meaning of emotions in biblical texts.
