Henning Graf Reventlow - Böcker

'As its title indicates, this volume is an extended bibliographical essay concerning the major questions arising from attempts to present an Old Testament theology in the twentieth century. It begins with a brief look at earlier nineteenth-century attempts to write a distinctive Old Testament theology on the basis of an historical-critical approach to the Old Testament. It then proceeds to note the great change that emerged after the First World War and the revitalizing of interest in the subject, partly by way of a response to the ideological struggle over the Old Testament. Two major issues dominated scholarly approaches; the first concerned the conflicting, and ultimately unresolved attempt to find a basis for presenting a systematic approach to the religious ideas of the Old Testament. The second major issue, epitomized in the work of G. von Rad, has been the attempt to use history as the primary category and to set out a theology on the basis of a history of salvation. Professor Reventlow is not concerned to establish any final resolution of these major problems, though a number of criticisms of their strength and weaknesses are noted. Altogether this is a quite indispensable guide for anyone concerned with the question of Old Testament theology' (R. E. Clements, reviewing the original German edition in Society for Old Testament Studies Book List).

R. E. Clements, Samuel Davidson Professor of Old Testament in the University of London, King's College, wrote of the German original in the Society for Old Testament Study Book List:'This is a companion to the author's survey of the main lines of discussion concerning Old Testament theology in the twentieth century. It deals with the wider issues of the relationship between the two Testaments and of the search to establish a distinctive biblical theology which will relate as a whole to systematic theology and the ongoing life of the church. It is essentially a bibliographical essay, setting out the main themes of secondary literature section by section. Without attempting to provide solutions to the questions raised, it notes the course of the debate and shows how scholars have developed their arguments. Major topics dealt with include typology, promise and fulfilment, the nature of biblical Israel and the structure of the canon. A lengthy concluding essay surveys recent attempts to revive the ideal of a biblical theology and to establish new guidelines for it. A great wealth of information is brought together in this, as in its companion volume, so that the two together make up an indispensable guide and platform for the opening up of further debate.'

This book continues a series of volumes containing the papers read at an annual conference held in turn by Tel Aviv and Bochum in the course of a co-operation between the Lester and Sally Entin Faculty of Humanities, Chaim Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies, the Department of Bible of Tel Aviv University and the Faculty of Protestant Theology in the University of the Ruhr, Bochum, since 1985. As a collection the book focuses on the important role religious views have played in critical moments during Jewish and Christian history. It argues for the significance that the role religious beliefs play in political and economic decision-making and the formation of worldviews; as well as demonstrating common convictions held by both Jewish and Christians that can be used as a foundation to find similar answers to actual problems. Focusing on the conference held in March 2005 at Tel Aviv, the book contains a collected biography of the literature quoted as well as a list of standard abbreviations.

This collection of papers arrives from the eighth annual symposium between the Chaim Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies of Tel Aviv University and the Faculty of Protestant Theology of the University of Ruhr, Bochum held in Bochum, June 2007. The general theme of the Decalogue was examined in its various uses by both Jewish and Christian traditions throughout the centuries to the present.Three papers deal with the origin of the Decalogue: Yair Hoffman on the rare mentioning of the Decalogue in the Hebrew Bible outside the Torah; E. L. Greenstein considers that already A. ibn Ezra doubted that God himself spoke in the Ten Commandments and states that more likely their rhetoric indicates it was Moses who proclaimed the Decalogue; A. Bar-Tour speaks about the cognitive aspects of the Decalogue revelation story and its frame.The second part considers the later use of the Decalogue: G. Nebe describes its use with Paul; P. Wick discusses the symbolic radicalization of two commandments in James and the Sermon on the Mount; A. Oppenheimer explains the removal of the Decalogue from the daily Shem'a prayer as a measure against the minim's claim of a higher religious importance of the Decalogue compared to the Torah; W. Geerlings examines Augustine's quotations of the Decalogue; H. Reventlow depicts its central place in Luther's catechisms; Y. Yacobson discusses its role with Hasidism.The symposium closes with papers on systematic themes: C. Frey follows a possible way to legal universalism; G. Thomas describes the Decalogue as an "Ethics of Risk"; F. H. Beyer/M. Waltemathe seek an educational perspective.

This volume publishes the symposium papers of a joint conference held in Bochum, Germay in 1990 between the University of Tel Aviv, Israel, and the University of the Ruhr, Bochum. The aim of the conference was to show that the close cooperation of Jewish and Christian biblical scholars can help both sides to a deeper understanding of their common biblical heritage. This collection focuses in particular on the theme of 'Justice and Righteousness'. This volume is also a Festschrift for Benjamin Uffenheimer, who was instrumental in forming the symposium.

This collection of papers arrives from the eighth annual symposium between the Chaim Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies of Tel Aviv University and the Faculty of Protestant Theology of the University of Ruhr, Bochum held in Bochum, June 2007. The general theme of the Decalogue was examined in its various uses by both Jewish and Christian traditions throughout the centuries to the present. Three papers deal with the origin of the Decalogue: Yair Hoffman on the rare mentioning of the Decalogue in the Hebrew Bible outside the Torah; E. L. Greenstein considers that already A. ibn Ezra doubted that God himself spoke in the Ten Commandments and states that more likely their rhetoric indicates it was Moses who proclaimed the Decalogue; A. Bar-Tour speaks about the cognitive aspects of the Decalogue revelation story and its frame. The second part considers the later use of the Decalogue: G. Nebe describes its use with Paul; P. Wick discusses the symbolic radicalization of two commandments in James and the Sermon on the Mount; A.Oppenheimer explains the removal of the Decalogue from the daily Shem'a prayer as a measure against the minim's claim of a higher religious importance of the Decalogue compared to the Torah; W. Geerlings examines Augustine's quotations of the Decalogue; H. Reventlow depicts its central place in Luther's catechisms; Y. Yacobson discusses its role with Hasidism. The symposium closes with papers on systematic themes: C. Frey follows a possible way to legal universalism; G. Thomas describes the Decalogue as an "Ethics of Risk"; F. H. Beyer/M. Waltemathe seek an educational perspective.

The existence of evil in the world represents one of the most complex problems for those who believe in God. Here, a range of Jewish and Christian contributors examine the issue of evil in the Bible and its impact on Judaism and Christianity from a variety of perspectives. For example, how has Jewish mysticism explained evil, and what were Luther's thoughts on the topic? The dialogue between specialists from different fields allows a broad overview of this problematic issue.

The volume contains the contributions to a symposium in which specialists in different fields worked together in the attempt to throw by their cooperation more light on the conditions - theological convictions and worldview, political climate, influence of state officials, educational institutions and churches - which were influential in the development of biblical studies in the second half of the 19th century. The discussion originated with a special problem: the thesis of William Farmer, one of the co-editors of the volume, that the appointment of Heinrich Julius Holtzmann, who defended the priority of the gospel of Mark as the oldest synoptic gospel, to the New Testament professorship in Strasbourg in 1872 was the result of a direct intervention of the emperial chancellor Bismarck in the context of the kulturkampf, who wished thereby to weaken the Roman Catholic position defending the supremacy of the chair of St Peter by the authority of the gospel of St Matthew (Mt 16,18). The question belongs in the broader context of the presuppositions of Bible exegesis in the second half of the 19th century. As both editors agreed that the matter is not yet finally settled, it seemed to be essential for coming to deeper insights into the conditions under which biblical exegesis was enacted in the 19th century to broaden the scenery and to include other aspects that might throw more light on a period widely unknown to many scholars belonging to the present generation. Therefore specialists of different fields joined a symposium in order to elucidate from their respective viewpoints and interests basic themes and methods of biblical exegesis, scientific theology and the relations between state and university in the 19th centruy, especially during the period of the second Reich. But the themes were not restricted to this special area. They included also a wider outlook into the first half of the century and across the borders of Germany into other European countries. So the volume contains a collection of essays which have in common that all of them contribute to a better knowledge of the inner and outer conditions which formed climate and results of Biblical interpretation in the period.

These papers were presented to a unique conference held in Israel in December 1985, sponsored by Tel Aviv University and the University of Bochum in the Federal Republic of Germany. Discussion of Christian and Jewish exegesis in historical perspective was not only mutually illuminating, but also laid the foundations for a new level of Jewish-Christian dialogue. The papers presented in this volume are: H. Graf Reventlow, Humanist Exegesis: The famous Hugo Grotius. Y. Hoffman, The Technique of Quotation as an Interpretative Device. D. Flusser, Past and Future according to the Creative Exegesis of the Hebrew Bible in Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews. P. Carny, Uniqueness And Particularity in Philo's Exegesis. J.S. Levinger, Maimonides' Exegesis of the Book of Job. M. Banitt, Exegesis and Metaphrasis. A. Touitou, Courants et contre-courants dans l'exTgFse biblique juive en France au moyen Gge. R. Liwak, Literary Individuality as a Problem of Hermeneutics. M. Dubois, Mystical and Realistic Elements in the Exegesis and Hermeneutics of Thomas Aquinas. H. Smolinsky, The Bible and its Exegesis in the Controversies about Reform and Reformation. J. Wallmann, Martin Luther's Judaism and Islam. C. Frey, The Function of the Bible in Recent Protestant Ethics. B. Uffenheimer, Trends in Modern Jewish Biblical Research. K. Raiser, A New Reading of the Bible? Ecumenical Perspectives from Latin America and Korea.

This volume brings together Jewish and Christian scholars with perspectives on Creation in the Bible (Tanakh, Old Testament, New Testament), in ancient Egypt and Israel, and at Qumran, as well as contemporary theological, philosophical and political issues raised by the biblical, Jewish and Christian concepts of creation.

This volume contains papers from the third symposium held by the University of Tel Aviv, Israel, and the Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany, with the aim of furthering dialogue between Jewish and Christian biblical scholars. The papers examine the ways in which political issues and events are reflected in the Bible and in the postbiblical literature, the term 'theopolitics' expressing the conviction of both communities that the politics of human life have always been and continue to be subject to the rule and providence of God. The hope of the symposium is that through examination of the ways in which Jews and Christians have reflected upon political and ethical theories there may arise new possibilities for better mutual understanding.

This is the fourth volume in the series of collaborations between the Department of Bible in Tel Aviv University, Israel, and the Faculty of Theology in the University of the Ruhr, Bochum, Germany. This symposium, held in Bochum in 1995, discussed a topic important for both communities of believers, starting with the Bible and tracking its role through the different stages of the respective tradition-histories. This time the theme was eschatology. The participants engaged in a lively discussion (from the Jewish side) on messianism and Zionism, Qumran, Mishnah and Kabbalah, and (from the Christian side) on the Bible, recent Protestant ethics and systematic theology. The volume concludes with the report of a panel discussion on the essence of eschatology in Jewish and Christian thinking: is it a spiritualized idea or a material expectation for the world?