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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Christianity > The Bible > Bible readings or selections
An investigative study into where, how and why Luke interacts with
Isaiah. References to Isaiah occur at key points in the narrative,
typically introducing the mission of main characters and outlining
or summarising the overall plot, suggesting that Luke utilises
Isaiah as part of his interpretive framework. The overarching theme
drawn from Isaiah appears to be the servant's mission to bring
salvation to all people (Isa 49:6). Luke's careful selection and
radical interpretation of Isaianic texts highlights surprising
aspects of this theme. These include the nature and scope of
salvation, the necessary suffering role of the Messiah and its
connection with the proclamation of salvation, and the unexpected
response to the message by Israel and the nations. Mallen's study
rehabilitates the importance of the servant motif for Luke, not in
terms of atonement or as a christological title but rather in
supplying the job description for Jesus' messianic mission and that
of his followers.
*Uses both a narratological and historical-critical method to read
these specific passages of Jeremiah *Demonstrates that the story of
Jeremiah and Zedekiah is not the typical god prophet/bad king story
found in much of prophetic literature and the Deuteronomic History
*Provides an intertextual reading of the passages which connects
Jeremiah to other figures in the Old Testament The book offers a
narratological and intertextual reading of Jeremiah 37:1-40:6, a
text that features the dynamic interaction between the prophet
Jeremiah and King Zedekiah in the context of events surrounding the
fall of Jerusalem. While there have been many literary studies of
biblical texts, there has been little such work on the narratives
in the book of Jeremiah. This fact is surprising since the
Jeremianic stories are narrated in a lively and sophisticated
manner and contain complex characters and vivid dialogue and
action, reminiscent of texts in the Primary History which have
received much more literary attention. Roncace's book begins to
uncover the richness of the prophetic narratives in Jeremiah. The
study focuses on issues of characterization and point of view as
well as the text's connections with other passages in the book of
Jeremiah and those beyond it, particularly the Deuteronomistic
History. Roncace argues that the text develops complex images of
both Zedekiah and Jeremiah. It is not a story of the good prophet
and the bad king; times as chaotic and confusing as the final days
of Jerusalem do not call for a black-and-white story. Rather the
text invites both sympathy and criticism for Jeremiah and Zedekiah.
Jeremiah is the embattled prophet of God; yet at times he appears
deceptive and manipulative, more concerned about his own well-being
than that of the people, and his message can be ambiguous and in
the end is not fully correct. Zedekiah, for his part, appears
receptive to Jeremiah's word and protects the prophet from others
who would harm him; yet he is too irresolute to take any action to
save the city. The ambiguity in the portrayals of both figures is
further developed by intertextual connections. Jeremiah can be
compared to Moses, the Rabshakeh, Daniel, Joseph, Samuel, Nathan,
and Micaiah, while Zedekiah can be compared to the monarchs that
correspond to these figures (Pharaoh, Hezekiah, Saul, David, and
Ahab).
Classic IVP series now rejacketed and retypeset
This work investigates the social dynamics within the Corinthian
community and the function of Pauls argumentation in the light of
those dynamics. The models of Victor Turner and Mary Douglas,
cultural anthropologists, guide the inquiry. Gordon concludes that
the conflict in 1 Corinthians 7 arose as the result of two
antithetical views of the root metaphor, In Christ all are children
of God, no male and female. One group supported a kinship system
based on patrilineal marriage and hierarchical community
structures. A second group demanded that an egalitarian sibling
relationship should order the community. Paul attempts to persuade
both factions that their commitment to each other and to him is
primary. His arguments encourage each group to reconsider the
absoluteness of its stance and to learn to live with ambiguity.
Nelson Estrada examines the apostles' transformation of status from
followers to leaders in Acts 1-2. He challenges the common view
that Acts 1:12-14 is the preparation for the coming of the Spirit
in Acts 2, and that the sole purpose of Acts 1:15-26 is to set the
number of the aposties at twelve-in line with Jesus' prophecy in
Luke 22:30. Instead, Estrada reads Acts 1:12-14 and 1:15-26 as
primarily propagandistic in nature. He argues that these pericopes
promote the leadership integrity of the apostles by attempting to
win the support of the women disciples and Jesus' family and then,
through Judas' excommunication, extirpation, and replacement, to
win that of the 120 disciples.
For God alone my soul in silence waits.... In these reflections on
Psalm 62 Margaret Guenther provides the foundation for a time of
reflection and retreat without ever leaving home. The book s first
chapter introduces us to ways of making a retreat wherever we are,
at a place apart or in the midst of our daily lives. Guenther then
offers eight meditations on Psalm 62, with its themes of waiting on
God s presence with patience, trust, and expectation. She explores
the images the psalm evokes of longing, silence, waiting, safety,
enemies, and God as a rock and refuge. As in all her books,
Guenther finds new ways to explore these ancient themes with the
wit and practicality of an accomplished storyteller. These eight
meditations can be read consecutively over the course of a single
day or weekend, or spaced over time with periods of reflection in
between. Each meditation ends with ideas for further prayer and
pondering. My Soul in Silence Waits is one of our series of Cowley
Cloister Books: smaller format, gift edition books designed for
meditative and devotional reading.
This study explores the dynamics of violence within John's Gospel,
focusing on the portrayal of the character of Jesus. It offers an
understanding of the Johannine Jesus that counters the traditional
model of a serene figure who maintains sovereign control over his
environment. Establishing the prevalence of material indicating
opposition to Jesus, it argues that his experience and perception
of victimization are key to his identity. Furthermore, it is
suggested that Jesus colludes with his victimizers, raising the
issue of who is responsible for his betrayal and death. Drawing on
the disciplines of victimology, literary criticism and liberation
theology, the work comprises targeted exegesis of substantial
portions of the Gospel, revealing the prominence of the theme of
violence and raising a number of christological questions.
Using features of the narrative-critical method, this book offers
an innovative approach to a notable phenomenon in the book of Acts:
the conversion of entire households to the Christian faith. When
viewed against the household mission of the seventy(-two)
messengers in Luke, the stories of Cornelius, Lydia, the Roman
jailer and Crispus comprise a pattern of evangelistic activity that
provides a common framework for their interpretation. Repetition
and variation of the pattern offer important clues for the way each
story functions within the wider context of Acts, opening up new
lines of interpretation as well as new levels of unity/disunity
between the Lukan writings.
Exegetical study of Proverbs 10:1-22:16. Proverbs are neither
statements of this-worldly cause and effect nor universally
applicable doctrines of divine order. Rather, a proverb's meaning
and 'truth' are conditioned by the context. The author delimits
sections which the editor(s) of the collection consciously grouped
together in their present sequence. He then examines how these
literary arrangements both influence the meaning of the individual
proverbs and determine their function in context. Indexes of names,
passages and subjects are included.
Life has its rhythms. We all need to be able to cope with its ebb
as well as its flow. We have to survive its darkness as well as its
light. We face dry times as well as times of richness. To survive
this intricate pattern, we need to have an overriding rhythm of
prayer. We need to know that whatever is happening, we are loved by
God, and in him we live and move and have our being. "This updated
gift edition of one of David Adam's most popular books features
new, specially commissioned drawings."
Against the majority opinion, this study argues that the Lukan
Parable of the Talents (Lk 19.11-28) is a story about the use and
abuse of power. The parable is also the story of those who suffer
adverse consequences when they oppose unjust power structures. This
suppression of challenge to oppressive structures evidenced in the
Parable of the Pounds fits a pattern that operates in other parts
of the Lukan Gospel. We meet it, for example, in the arrest and
killing of John the Baptist by Herod, and in the arrest and
crucifixion of Jesus. The Parable of the Pounds can be seen as a
paradigm for the stories of those characters in the Lukan Gospel
who 'lose their pound' when they challenge an oppressive structure,
where 'pound' becomes a metaphor for what one has that can be
potentially taken away by those in a position of power. This study
argues that this pattern of 'taking away the pound' is also seen
within stories of women characters who resist patriarchal ideals
and expectations. The Parable of the Pounds is used as a lens
through which to view the characterizations of Lukan women. New
lenses provide new opportunities for perception. This study
explores what is opened up by this way of viewing the text. In
particular, it explores the ways in which the dynamic of the
Parable of the Pounds gives insight into the dynamic operating in
the Lukan women's characterizations. LNTS
How could the Apostle Paul maintain in his first letter to the
Christians in Corinth that all their ancestors were baptized into
Moses at the Red Sea / exodus event (10:2), and how could he
tolerate some of them having themselves baptized again on behalf of
the dead (15:29)? Answers to these puzzling questions can be found
in early Jewish sources now located both in Greek and Hebrew, all
here translated.
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