Hemchand Gossai – författare

This is the first volume to provide a wide range of postcolonial interpretations of and commentaries upon significant texts in the Hebrew Bible. The volume intersects with the work of the key theorists in postcolonial studies such as Fanon, Senghor, Said and Spivak as well as with scholars such as Sugirtharajah, Kwok Pui-lan, and Segovia who have applied this theory to biblical studies. Texts have been chosen specifically for their relevance to postcolonial discourse, rather than seeking to cover each biblical document. This volume is designed to demonstrate how historical criticism, postmodernism, and the important concerns of postcolonial readings may be integrated to obtain an informed explanation of the Hebrew Bible and the writings of early Judaism. The chapters are written by scholars who represent a spectrum of national, indigenous, and diasporic contexts. Taken together these perspectives and the interpretations they yield represent a continued expansion of the manner in which Old Testament texts are read and interpreted through postcolonial lenses, reminding readers that the interpretive trajectories of these texts are almost inexhaustible. As such the volume serves as not only an addition to ongoing scholarship on postcolonialism but also as an expansion of the horizon for dialogue.

This is the first volume to provide a wide range of postcolonial interpretations of and commentaries upon significant texts in the Hebrew Bible. The volume intersects with the work of the key theorists in postcolonial studies such as Fanon, Senghor, Said and Spivak as well as with scholars such as Sugirtharajah, Kwok Pui-lan, and Segovia who have applied this theory to biblical studies. Texts have been chosen specifically for their relevance to postcolonial discourse, rather than seeking to cover each biblical document. This volume is designed to demonstrate how historical criticism, postmodernism, and the important concerns of postcolonial readings may be integrated to obtain an informed explanation of the Hebrew Bible and the writings of early Judaism. The chapters are written by scholars who represent a spectrum of national, indigenous, and diasporic contexts. Taken together these perspectives and the interpretations they yield represent a continued expansion of the manner in which Old Testament texts are read and interpreted through postcolonial lenses, reminding readers that the interpretive trajectories of these texts are almost inexhaustible. As such the volume serves as not only an addition to ongoing scholarship on postcolonialism but also as an expansion of the horizon for dialogue.

This is the first volume to provide a wide range of postcolonial interpretations of and commentaries upon significant texts in the Hebrew Bible. The volume intersects with the work of the key theorists in postcolonial studies such as Fanon, Senghor, Said and Spivak as well as with scholars such as Sugirtharajah, Kwok Pui-lan, and Segovia who have applied this theory to biblical studies. Texts have been chosen specifically for their relevance to postcolonial discourse, rather than seeking to cover each biblical document. This volume is designed to demonstrate how historical criticism, postmodernism, and the important concerns of postcolonial readings may be integrated to obtain an informed explanation of the Hebrew Bible and the writings of early Judaism. The chapters are written by scholars who represent a spectrum of national, indigenous, and diasporic contexts. Taken together these perspectives and the interpretations they yield represent a continued expansion of the manner in which Old Testament texts are read and interpreted through postcolonial lenses, reminding readers that the interpretive trajectories of these texts are almost inexhaustible. As such the volume serves as not only an addition to ongoing scholarship on postcolonialism but also as an expansion of the horizon for dialogue.

This is the first volume to provide a wide range of postcolonial interpretations of and commentaries upon significant texts in the Hebrew Bible. The volume intersects with the work of the key theorists in postcolonial studies such as Fanon, Senghor, Said and Spivak as well as with scholars such as Sugirtharajah, Kwok Pui-lan, and Segovia who have applied this theory to biblical studies. Texts have been chosen specifically for their relevance to postcolonial discourse, rather than seeking to cover each biblical document. This volume is designed to demonstrate how historical criticism, postmodernism, and the important concerns of postcolonial readings may be integrated to obtain an informed explanation of the Hebrew Bible and the writings of early Judaism. The chapters are written by scholars who represent a spectrum of national, indigenous, and diasporic contexts. Taken together these perspectives and the interpretations they yield represent a continued expansion of the manner in which Old Testament texts are read and interpreted through postcolonial lenses, reminding readers that the interpretive trajectories of these texts are almost inexhaustible. As such the volume serves as not only an addition to ongoing scholarship on postcolonialism but also as an expansion of the horizon for dialogue.

An insightful analysis of the biblical story of Abraham and his wife Sarah, showing how its many themes continue to resonate today.The stories of this book are about the permanent interaction between God and humankind. These narratives invite us to witness the manner in which God enters human community in all of its complexities, struggles, challenges, fears, and ultimately hope. Hemchand Gossai not just discussed the large variety of themes within this texts, but also kept an eye on the implications for the Church and contemporary readers. Some experiences, like the barrenness, wilderness and the wrestling with God are described as metaphors. The richness and texture of these metaphors allow the reader to embrace these stories in a way that makes them our stories.

This is an exhaustive and perceptive analysis of the use of mispat and sdq in the Hebrew Bible and in particular the Eighth-Century Prophets. The author focuses on the social critique of these prophets and the role of mispat and sdq in this development. Further, the book offers an insightful exploration of chosen texts and provides a daring platform for the contemporary church to discern the intrinsic connection between worship and social justice.

One of the most lamentable aspects of Christendom’s history has been the long-standing antipathy of some of its members toward persons of the Jewish faith. However, the writer of Mark’s gospel did not intend to promulgate such antipathy. Parker’s groundbreaking re-assessment of how the evangelist applies Jewish scriptures serves to establish the true nature of Mark’s unfavourable depiction of Judaism’s custodians as a theological construct. The overriding purpose behind Mark’s caricature of Jesus’ compatriots was to explain the presence of «faulty» belief, or even unbelief, among a Gentile readership. Subsequent generations have mistakenly given historical credence to Mark’s account of Jesus’s ministry. Regrettably, this has resulted in the erroneous theological legitimization of atrocities against the Jews.

In analyzing the intertextuality between the Genesis and Johannine Prologues, Dr. Lioy maintains that both passages utilize polemical theology to refute distorted views of ultimate reality. Furthermore, he theorizes that the author of the Johannine Prologue deliberately reflected the structure and themes found in the Genesis Prologue to emphasize that the God-man, Jesus Christ, created all things and is a new (spiritual) beginning for all who believe in Him. Ultimate reality is found through faith in the Son.

The relationship between theology and praxis is an important subject that requires further attention from biblical scholars. As the need for social theology or praxis increases, so does the challenge for it to be informed by sound biblical exegesis. This book explores the interplay between theology and praxis using the Christian identity of the elect in 1 Peter as a paradigm.Who are the elect and what is the significance of the identity in 1 Peter? This study employs an exegetical hermeneutical approach to underline the ‘present’ ethical dimension of this identity with its implicit missionary purpose, not only within the first century but also in the twenty-first century as a necessary corollary of the identity. 1 Peter is applied to a twenty-first century context – the Nigerian Anglican Church – to underline the continuing relevance of Scripture and thereby propose ‘conscious’ interaction as a veritable and vital missiological strategy that facilitates ‘reactive’ evangelism with potentials for making theology an independent social variable. Although it makes direct reference to the Nigerian Church, the main argument of this book is applicable anywhere – to be God’s elect is to live no longer as before but in newness of life. This book not only underlines the importance of 1 Peter but also raises important challenges that no ‘living church’ can afford to ignore. It is suitable for use in biblical studies, NT interpretation and applied theology, and African Christian studies, especially on the transition from missions to churches in Nigeria.

A Psycho-Spiritual View on the Message of Jesus in the Gospels explores elements of mysticism in the words of Jesus. Four fields are analyzed with the help of two key concepts of mysticism: presence of the divine and transformation of the self. Analyses, semantic and otherwise, reveal alternative understandings on each of the four fields. Psuchê appears as ‘self’ (‘mind-and-heart’) rather than as ‘life,’ for example, in the Good Shepherd passage (dedicating one’s self), or in the saving and losing logia in Mark 8.35 par, calling for transformation. Pneuma in the Gospels appears both in a definite form and indefinitely: next to the Holy Spirit, there is holy spirit active and present, implying that baptism literally is immersing in holy spirit. Repentance (metanoia) is alternatively to be understood as transformation of the self, and is not necessarily connected to ‘sin.’Finally, the Kingdom of God, in line with theologian Adolf von Harnack, is found to be present (it has approached,êggiken) and is a reality inside (entos) the human being, a mustêrion, apart from its references to the eschaton or to a paradisiacal new world. Parables teach about the Kingdom as a spiritual entity in and around the human being: presence of the divine, closely connected with transformation of the self. These findings open up to a psycho-spiritual understanding of the message (euaggelion) of Jesus.

Dislocation, which involves moving from a familiar place to an unknown place, is a common experience in this era of globalization yet it can cause a deep sense of alienation – people feel invisible, voiceless, and anonymous. A Hermeneutic on Dislocation as Experience: Creating a Borderland, Constructing a Hybrid Identity employs socio-rhetorical criticism from a postcolonial perspective, providing a hermeneutic on the experience of dislocation from the perspective of Asian immigrant women. The author’s focus on Asian immigrant women’s spirituality is interwoven with different texts such as the story of a woman caught in adultery (Jn. 7: 53-8:11), Asian immigrant women’s stories in the novels Dictee and Crossings, and stories of Korean shamans encountered in the author’s ethnographic fieldwork.This book suggests that people who experience dislocation can create a borderland where their own marginality gains power and voice. In that borderland, they are able to construct a hybrid identity as a result of deep engagement with one another. In particular, the author’s fieldwork on Korean shamans reveals how the shamanic ritual itself functions as a borderland, wherein the marginalized Korean shamans gain hybrid identity. A Hermeneutic on Dislocation as Experience is a valuable resource for classes in Asian studies, ethnography, cultural anthropology, biblical spirituality, women’s spirituality, and interdisciplinary courses.

Second Samuel 16:5–14 is an important text for defining the character of both King David and Yahweh, the God of Israel. In this scene, the points of view of the various speakers battle for control of the narrative, attempting in turn to align their perspective with some aspect of what has been revealed earlier about Yahweh in the larger biblical story. Shimei, relative of the dead King Saul, paints David as a murderer and under a divine curse. Shimei presents himself as God’s instrument of truth and vengeance. Abishai, David’s nephew, first paints Shimei as a seditionist worthy of death, and then David as a kind of moral weakling who has lost his previous vigor and resolve. Abishai presents himself as the upholder of God’s Torah, the traditional family and the values that David himself used to espouse. David, when it comes his turn to speak, cuts a middle path between Shimei and Abishai, agreeing and disagreeing with both in turn. He then makes a startling theological declaration about his relationship to Yahweh that has often been taken to be a sign of faith, but which can more easily be read as a sign of his own hubris, which in turn fundamentally shapes the way in which the reader comes to think about Yahweh.

After crossing the Reed Sea, Moses and the Israelites celebrate Yahweh’s victory over the Egyptians in the «Song of the Sea» (Exod. 15:1-18). Much of the song rejoices over their recent deliverance, but its latter portion anticipates what Yahweh would do for his people in the future. Specifically, he will lead them past enemy nations and «plant» them on a mountain. Also included in this context is a reference to «the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established» (v. 17). Commentators throughout the history of interpretation have understood this «sanctuary» as a reference to Solomon’s temple on Mount Zion.However, since the temple was eventually destroyed, equating it with a divinely «established» sanctuary is questionable. Eschatological Sanctuary in Exodus 15:17 and Related Texts argues that the sanctuary mentioned in Exod. 15:17 does not refer to Solomon’s temple or to any other «man-made» structure but to an eschatological sanctuary distinctively established by divine hands. Such an understanding of this sanctuary impacts the theology of the Pentateuch and provides a reference point for predictions of an eschatological temple in the Prophets and the Writings and for references to unconventional temples in the New Testament.

Reading Green: Tactical Considerations for Reading the Bible Ecologically operates on the premise that the Bible itself does not directly address the current ecological crisis and that expecting it to do so is anachronistic, for there was no ecological crisis on the agendas of biblical authors as they penned their works. The true challenge in the field is engaging biblical texts that do not present a positive ecological message (e.g., the stories of the flood and the plagues), or that seem to focus their messages so narrowly on human subjects and their interests that they marginalize or ignore the concerns of the other-than-human creation. To address this issue, this book provides a series of reading strategies which begin with the current ecological crisis. Present areas of interest, such as environmental racism and justice, film criticism, and reception history and exegesis, are employed to construct various approaches to mine the Bible for its contribution in addressing the current ecological crisis.

This book pays special attention to the hermeneutical location where the fig-tree story appears in Mark 11; it is situated between Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and his "Temple incident" in Mark 11. The fig-tree story plays a pivotal role in understanding the stories immediatlely preceding and following it. It reverses the mode of Jesus’ entry from being triumphal to untriumphal, and convinces the first Markan readers to feel at ease in confronting Jesus’ outrage in the Temple. The way in which Jesus entered Jerusalem contradicts the common description of the entry as a triumphant one. Additionally, the story finds a proper solution to the problem of Jesus’ actions in the Temple being shockingly in contrast to his overall character as revealed through the Markan Gospel.

Invoking YHWH in 1 Kings 1–2 argues that invocations of YHWH have a number of functions in 1 Kings 1–2, dependent on the identities of the characters speaking, their relationships, and the narrative contexts in which they participate. This book adopts narrative criticism to undertake a close reading of 1 Kings 1–2 that pays particular attention to how the characters and the narrator use invocations of YHWH and the events in the plot that prompt or result from this language. Invoking YHWH in 1 Kings 1–2 highlights the exegetical importance of invocations of YHWH, which have yet to be engaged thoroughly in the field. Aimed at students and those with an interest in the academic study of the Bible, this book’s focus on invocations of YHWH raises new interpretations of 1 Kings 1–2. This study seeks to encourage scholarly attention toward invocations of YHWH that appear outside of these chapters, with the hope that such research will generate new ways of understanding the function of this language in the Bible.

The central aim of Water as an Image of the Spirit in the Johannine Literature is to propose two sets of indicators that can be used to assess the symbolic reference of water imagery in the Johannine literature. The first set, comprised of five indicators, can be used to decide whether a given instance of water imagery in the Johannine literature represents the Spirit. The other set, comprised of six indicators, can be used to determine whether a given instance of water imagery has a symbolic meaning instead of or in addition to its literal meaning. The validity of these indicators is demonstrated by applying them to six disputed water passages (1 John 5:6–8; Rev. 22:1–2; John 3:5, 4:10–14, 6:35, and 19:34). The author draws on narrative and exegetical methodologies to stage new claims that will incite further debate and discussion regarding the role of water imagery—and symbolic devices more broadly—in the Johannine texts.

The author re-examines the movements in the Hebrew Psalter as a whole, "from laments to praises" and "from psalms of individual to those of community," indicated by Westermann (1977) and Gottwald (1985). In general, these movements are widely observable, however, there are some contradictory data upon closer inspection. Namely, some laments are assembled at the end and in fact many psalms of community appear in the middle. This motivated the author to launch a holistic structural study. In this book, the author demonstrates that the movements are not specified in a linear design but a progressive parallel pattern, crossing over the fivefold doxological division. The movements foreshadowed between Psalms 1 and 2 unfold in the specific psalms-groups and in the tripartite division. Each psalms-group exhibits the movements "from distress (lament) through deepest sorrow to joy (praise)," "from individual (through Israel) to nations," "from present/past to future," "from (the city of) Israel through Sheol/death to Zion," "from Mosaic covenant to Davidic one" and "from the flawed human (Davidic) kingship through Messianic to YHWH’s kingship." The "answer and certainty" of Psalms 1–2 reappear at the end of each group. A psalms-group, Pss 69–87, was selected as an exemplar to demonstrate the regularity of the movements.

The Bible is filled with commands to care for the poor. But how does Scripture envision the people of God becoming a community capable of following those commands? In Formative Feasting, Dr. Michael J. Rhodes argues that meals stand at the heart of Scripture’s strategy for moral formation oriented towards justice and solidarity. To make this case, Rhodes brings together a constructive, theological account of moral formation through practice with rigorous exegesis of the Deuteronomic tithe-meal and Corinthian Lord’s Supper. By drawing on virtue ethics, ritual studies, and socio-economic research on meals in the ancient Near East and Greco-Roman world, Rhodes both demonstrates that these meals intended to transform the individual and corporate character of the communities that practiced them, and uncovers the "mechanics" of moral formation embedded within them. The result is a book that models a partnership between theological ethics and theological interpretation that overcomes the oft-lamented gap between exegesis and ethics, with important implications for contemporary communities of faith.Formative Feasting will be of special interest to researchers, students, and church leaders interested in moral formation and the Bible, as well as those interested in feasting and eating in Scripture. Seminary and college courses focused on issues of food in the biblical world, as well as those exploring the relationship between exegesis and ethics, will find Formative Feasting an essential addition to course readings.

The concept of subordination plays a prominent role in the paranesis of 1 Peter, and it appears too in the context of Christ’s victory over the cosmic powers. It seems to presuppose some kind of given natural and social order in which people must live in their allotted place. But the author also sees his readers’ subordination as conditioned by their status as free people, which he expounds in several passages.This investigation aims to clarify the meaning and relationship of the concepts of subordination and freedom in 1 Peter, with reference to the related idea of order. After an introduction that sets out the issues in detail, the first main section examines the three themes in the wider thought of the first century CE, and the second provides detailed exegesis of the key Petrine texts. A final chapter synthesizes this evidence and draws conclusions regarding the conceptuality of subordination and freedom expressed in the letter. The study presents the idea of "restored order" as a new interpretive key to the teaching and paranesis of 1 Peter and the significant New Testament tradition to which it belongs. It clarifies the important Petrine concepts of subordination and freedom, with that of order, within the letter as a whole and its constituent parts, and it illuminates the exegesis of various disputed texts and passages. Scholars and research students of 1 Peter and the wider New Testament will find here a compelling proposal to stimulate and inform their own engagement with the text.

Literary Allusions in Esther: A Study on the Convergence of Intertexts and Narrative examines the robust intertextual nature of MT Esther. Its textual landscape is filled with a plethora of allusions to other texts scattered throughout the Old Testament canon. While these intertexts have often been identified individually, they have not always been considered a collective whole. By employing a new, eclectic method of exegetical analysis (‘Analogical Convergence’), the author demonstrates one means by which these intertexts complement one another and converge with the authorial intention embedded into MT Esther.In Literary Allusions in Esther, Ron Lindo offers a nuanced and sophisticated engagement with the book of Esther. His survey of proposed ‘intertexts’ in secondary literature is comprehensive yet accessible—a significant resource for Esther scholarship. Lindo’s discussion of method helpfully recognizes the place of authorial intention in many treatments of ‘intertextuality’ in biblical studies, and the links he proposes between Esther and Jeremiah providethe basis for a compelling new account of Esther’s thrust as a story. Literary Allusions in Esther makes important contributions to the field, and should feature in further discussions of the story’s shape and the extent to which it interacts with other texts from antiquity.”—John Screnock, Tutor in Old Testament, Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford That Esther is a work which is composed with allusion to other texts is now increasingly recognized. This work makes an important contribution by establishing a disciplined method for understanding this and how both the surface text and its interaction with other texts in the Old Testament contribute to its meaning. Scholars working on Esther will need to engage with this disciplined and careful work.”—David G. Firth, Old Testament Tutor, Trinity College Bristol

This book provides a literary analysis of New Testament texts on marriage, sex, family, and celibate ideals. It seeks to explore if, how, and eventually to what extent the New Testament favors sexual abstinence. The core of this study consequently consists of fresh perspectives on the issue of sexual abstinence in the New Testament through close readings of 1 Cor 7, Gal 3:28, Matt 19:10–12, and Mark 12:18–27/Matt 22:23–33/Luke 20:27–40, with a keen eye to the many ambassadors of abstinence in the texts—characters exhibiting sexual abstinence given a favorable characterization and function.As a comprehensive literary analysis of these texts from this perspective lacks precedent in contemporary biblical scholarship, the study is a valuable contribution to the ongoing scholarly debate on the biblical views on sex and marriage.

This monograph endeavors to clarify the nature and significance of the impartation of the Holy Spirit in John 20:22. Previous scholarship has produced a confusingly diverse and contradictory array of competing interpretations of this much-debated verse. The present work, which will prove immensely valuable to every scholar, pastor, and serious student interested in this question, carefully walks the reader through the interpretive issues. The book offers a more extensive survey of the history of interpretation of John 20:22 than that found in other works on Johannine pneumatology. It includes extensive exegetical analysis of the related motifs of the glorification of Jesus and eternal life as well as every passage in the Gospel of John mentioning the Spirit. The impartation of the Spirit on Resurrection Day is here clarified in terms of the nature of the gift itself, how this relates to Pentecost, and how this impartation constitutes a momentous step forward in the outworking of God’s unfolding plan in the history of redemption."With this monograph, Adrian Rosen has produced a meticulously researched and immensely valuable analysis of John 20:22 and, more generally, John’s pneumatology. Rosen helpfully highlights the central issues in current scholarly discussion of Johannine pneumatology, including how we should understand Jesus’s glorification in John 7:39 and the nature of the relationship between the life-giving function of the Spirit, so clearly described in John 3–7, the Paraclete promises in John 14–16, and the bestowal of the Spirit in John 20:22. Rosen’s exhaustive research, careful exegesis, and judicious reasoning make this book a must read for all who are interested in the work of the Spirit, the Gospel of John, and the mission of the Church."— Robert Menzies, Director, Asian Center for Pentecostal Theology (www.pentec ost.asia), Kunming, China"The depiction of Jesus imparting the Holy Spirit to his disciples in John 20:22 carries significant implications relating to John’s pneumatology and inaugurated eschatology but has also generated much debate. Writing with clarity and precision, Adrian Rosen provides a careful linguistic and contextual analysis of this challenging passage. He effectively highlights the problems besetting the major interpretations that have been offered and presents a well-argued case for an alternative that deserves careful consideration."— Timothy J. Wiarda, Senior Professor of New Testament Studies, Gateway Seminary

The definition of silence is essential to the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 14:34–35. What did Paul mean when he silenced women in church? In Paul, Women, and the Meaning of Silence, author Alex S. Carr compares the Greek verb Paul used for silence with other ancient Greek sources containing the same term. Through this comparison, he demonstrates consistency within 1 Corinthians and the other Pauline letters. Through comparison with other passages in the New Testament, Carr also demonstrates that these passages do not contradict the type of silence in 1 Corinthians 14.Paul, Women, and the Meaning of Silence further considers cultural and historical contextual issues, including women’s education and speech in the Greco-Roman world. This book will assist Bible scholars, pastors, and theological students in navigating some of key interpretive issues in 1 Corinthians. Scholars seeking to locate primary source material will especially profit. Pastors will find an explanation of various views as they preach and teach on the subject. The book is one of the most extensive discussions of this challenging New Testament passage on women in the church. "In what is possibly the most thorough examination of 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 to date, Alex Carr offers an insightful discussion of the history of research, literary context, historical context, and theological context of this debated text. His knowledge of the topic is vast, his arguments cogent, and his conclusion persuasive. Carr’s research will topple several of the popular theories and become the work with which all future scholarship simply must engage."—Charles L. Quarles, Research Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology; Charles Page Chair of Biblical Theology, Southeastern Seminary "After decades of debate and libraries of books on the ministry of women, Alex Carr’s study shows there are new insights still to be had from examining the biblical texts afresh. Paul, Women, and the Meaning of Silence demonstrates that lexical, literary, historical, and theological factors weigh against Paul’s command in 1 Corinthians 14:34 demanding ‘absolute silence’ of women. Instead, Carr shows that Paul’s command enjoins women to temporary silence during a specific time in the church gathering, namely, during the weighing of prophecies. His findings support the authenticity of the text and shed light on the contribution and participation of women in the first century church and today."—Claire S. Smith, Author of Pauline Communities as ‘Scholastic Communities’: A Study of the Vocabulary of ‘Teaching’ in 1 Corinthians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (2012) "1 Corinthians 14:34–35 at first glance appears to silence all women in church, yet 11:5 permits them to pray and prophesy if their heads are covered. A plethora of approaches has developed both to affirm and deny that this is an irreconcilable contradiction. But Alex Carr deftly guides his readers through the maze of options that scholars have developed, showing there is no contradiction at all. A welcome addition to a crowded field of studies."—Craig L. Blomberg, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of New Testament, Denver Seminary

In this study the methods of social concept criticism, poststructuralism, and social memory theory are innovatively and rewardingly combined with a revalued component of Greimas’ system, the morpho-syntactic and actantial model. Analysis clearly reveals that the Lukan author reconceptualized social memory of the covenant and employed it as a literary device by following a sequence of the Exodus motifs culminating in the altered Exodus goal of covenant service/worship. The Lukan author also employed the reconceptualized covenant as a theological device that provided thematic links in the logical flow of the story, organizing the collective memory of Israel, through which perceived social needs are addressed and a call is issued for a mimetic response to the salvific activity of servant Jesus. The actantial model accurately illustrates the organizing capacity of the covenant, mapping the covenant’s strategic placement and function to structure the plot-episode story and interrelate themes which articulate the servant identity of the Christian community. Researchers and academics alike will engage with this study that demonstrates the organizational capacity of the covenant concept in Lukan compositional design.

In this landmark study of the literary relationship between the gospel of John and the synoptic gospels, Gary Greenberg presents compelling evidence for the existence of a written pre-canonical Alpha gospel that contained almost all of the main episodes in the adult life of Jesus (excluding major speeches, such as discourses, parables, and "I Am" sayings) and which became the written source for the core biography of Jesus in Mark, Luke, John, and Matthew. While Mark used the Alpha gospel with only slight variations, John had profound theological disagreements with it, objecting to its theological message about how to obtain eternal life, the depiction of Jesus, and other matters. This induced him to rewrite the Alpha gospel so that it conformed to his own very different theological agenda. Consequently, John’s gospel functions as a thorough theological critique of Mark, but the changes he introduced made it difficult to see how he and Mark worked from the same written source. By using John’s theological concerns as a filter for reading and understanding what objections John would have with Mark’s Jesus stories, The Case for a Proto-Gospel reverse-engineers the editorial path taken by John and reconstructs the content of the Alpha gospel. Finally, the author discusses the relationship of the other two synoptic gospels to the Alpha gospel, asserting that Luke also knew the Alpha gospel but used Mark as his primary source, and that while Matthew did not know the Alpha gospel, his use of Mark as a primary source ensured that his core biography of Jesus also derived from this earlier source. Overall, Greenberg’s The Case for a Proto-Gospel is a fascinating work that contains ingenious ideas that introduce new possibilities for understanding John and for rethinking its relationship with the Synoptics. The monograph succeeds in highlighting the notable similarities and differences between the gospels, in stimulating discussions about the interpretation of specific Johannine passages, and in raising important questions about the composition of John’s Gospel that can only lead to a deepening of scholarly interest in the topic.Jonathan W. Lo, Review of Biblical LiteratureGreenberg’s massive book will prove to be a useful conversation partner to all who are involved in the study of John’s relation to the synoptics and the larger discussion of the synoptic problem. I especially welcome Greenberg’s attempt to draw the academic community’s attention to the extraordinary complexity of the data involved in the discussion. His ability to illustrate said complexity, even as the hypothesis of Johannine dependence on the synoptics is currently gaining momentum in the field, is why this book is so timely and necessary.Revue Biblique

How should Christians read the Bible to learn about God? This is a perennial issue in Christianity and a variety of answers have of course been given over time. Perhaps the most profound answer to this question in the twentieth century came from Brevard S. Childs, an Old Testament professor, whose ‘canonical approach’ sought to redefi ne how the Bible is used in the Church.Childs’ Canonical Approach: A Critical Assessment provides a fresh study of Childs’ approach from the perspective of biblical studies. It makes two arguments that break new ground. Firstly, it argues that Childs’ approach consists of three main elements that were variously developed and implemented over time: the theory of canonical shaping; the prioritization of the canonical texts; and the search for the Bible’s subject matter. Secondly, it argues that, though rich and informed, these elements are ultimately unjustifiable and thus that the canonical approach is a failure.This book provides an insightful contribution to the ongoing academic debate on Childs’ canonical approach. It is also an excellent primer for students interested in Childs, or who are generally considering how to read the Bible theologically.The ‘canonical approach’ to the Bible pioneered by Brevard S. Childs appeals to many Christians who want to understand Scripture as a coherent and self-consistent work in the form it now has - however it came into being. In this dissenting examination of ‘canonical reading’ Robert Brown shows that it comes at too high a price, obscuring the diversity of Scripture and flattening it out. Those attracted by the approach, as a way of finding positive and constructive teaching in the Bible, will be forced to look critically at its possible drawbacks too. A clear and incisive critique of a much-lauded current fashion in biblical interpretation, seen by many as a way to ‘reclaim’ the Bible for the church.—(John Barton, FBA, Emeritus Oriel & Laing Professor of the Interpretation of Holy Scripture, University of Oxford, and Senior Research Fellow of Campion Hall, Oxford)The task of reuniting biblical studies and theology is a crucial one for both disciplines, at least for those, like Robert Brown, who seek to understand how the scriptures speak to them of God. For many, the work of Brevard Childs has seemed to be the magic bullet, but his work is too often misunderstood by admirer and detractor alike. This careful study addresses these misunderstandings with clarity and precision, offers a much-needed analysis of the central concept of ‘canonical shaping’, and suggests ways forward that unite the synchronic and the historical-critical approaches. It is essential reading for anyone aspiring to do biblical theology in the 21st century.—(Richard Ounsworth, Fellow and Tutor in Scripture at Blackfriars, Oxford)