A detailed analysis of Job discusses its structure, imagery, concepts, motifs, themes, and language.

What has hermeneutics to do with ecology? What texts, if any, come to mind when you consider what the scriptures might say about environmental ethics? To help readers think critically and clearly about the Bible's relation to modern environmental issues, this volume expands the horizons of biblical interpretation to introduce ecological hermeneutics, moving beyond a simple discussion about Earth and its constituents as topics to a reading of the text from the perspective of Earth. In these groundbreaking essays, sixteen scholars seek ways to identify with Earth as they read and retrieve the role or voice of Earth, a voice previously unnoticed or suppressed within the biblical text and its interpretation. This study enriches eco-theology with eco-exegesis, a radical and timely dialogue between ecology and hermeneutics. The contributors are Vicky Balabanski, Laurie Braaten, Norman Habel, Theodore Hiebert, Cameron Howard, Melissa Tubbs Loya, Hilary Marlow, Susan Miller, Raymond Person, A

The "Earth Bible" is an international project, including volumes on ecojustice readings of major sections of the Bible. The basic aims of the Earth Bible project are: to develop ecojustice principles appropriate to an Earth hermeneutic for interpreting the Bible and for promoting justice and healing for Earth; to publish these interpretations as contributions to the current debate on ecology, ecoethics and ecotheology; to provide a responsible forum within which the suppressed voice of Earth may be heard and impulses for healing Earth may be generated. The project explores text and tradition from the perspective of Earth, employing a set of ecojustice principles developed in consultation with ecologists, suspecting that the text and/or its interpreters may be anthropocentric and not geocentric, but searching to retrieve alternative traditions that hear the voice of Earth and value Earth as more than a human instrument. The lead article in Volume V is a reflection in responses to the ecojustice principles employed in the hermeneutic of the project. Several articles offer insights into New Testament texts that seem to devalue Earth in favour of heaven. The final article by Barbara Rossing challenges the popular apocalyptic notion that in the new age Earth will be terminated. A feature of this volume is a dialogue between Norman Habel, who argues that John One seems to devalue Earth, and two respondents, Elaine Wainwright and Vicky Balabanski (who is coeditor of this volume with Norman Habel). 1

In this volume scholars from around the world read the story of the Earth in major Wisdom Traditions using the ecojustice principles outlined in Volume 1, 'Readings from the Perspective of Earth'. These readings uncover a range of fresh perspectives about Earth in seeking to discover where the voices of Earth are suppressed or heard in the Wisdom texts. Some texts reveal an ecokinship between Earth and Wisdom. Texts from Job challenge a cosmic model that gives priority to heaven over Earth. Still others challenge the mandate to dominate in Genesis 1.28. In many texts, Wisdom provides a vehicle for a new kinship with Earth. Comtributors include Jenny Wightman, Hendrik Viviers, Carole Fontaine, Izak Spangenberg, Alice Sinnott, Willie van Heerden, Katherine Dell, Dale Patrick, Marie Turner and Laura Hobgood-Oster.

In this volume, scholars from around the world read the story of Earth in key texts from the Psalms and the Prophets.Their readings challenge popular understandings of the Chaoskampf myth, the theophany of Psalm 29 and the New Earth in Isaiah 65. Re-readings of Ezekiel expose the cruelty of divine justice extended to the natural world. Several articles by indigenous writers sensitive to the voice of Earth bring new insights to the potential meaning of texts like Psalm 104. Contributors include Lloyd Geering, Russell Nelson, William Urbrock, Laurie Braaten, Keith Carley, Anne Gardner, John Olley, Gunther Wittenberg, Kalinda Stevenson, Peter Trudinger, Arthur Walker-Jones, Norman Charles, Howard Wallace, Geraldine Avent, Madipoane Masenya and Abotchie Ntreh.

A series of articles by scholars from around the world reading the story of Earth in Genesis in the light of the ecojustice principles enunciated in Volume One, 'Readings from the Perspective of Earth'. These readings uncover how Earth may be valued or de-valued, given a voice or denied a voice, dominated or served, depending on the orientation of the text. In Genesis 1, for example, the intrinsic worth of Earth is highlighted in the 'revealing' of Earth's presence but negated when humans are given the right to 'subdue' it. In Genesis 9 the text begins with the Earth community terrified by, and alienated from, humans but ends with all the Earth Community-and Earth itself-bound together equally in a covenant.

This volume introduces the hermeneutical approach and ecojustice principles developed by the Earth Bible project team. Following this approach, biblical scholars illustrate how a reading of the biblical text from the perspective of Earth yields fresh insights. Though the text may seem anthropocentric, these studies are able to retrieve evidence of the living voice and intrinsic value of Earth. It is an approach that can be harmonized with other recognized critical approaches to the Bible, from historical criticism to ecofeminist criticism. The texts chosen are from many parts of the Bible (Psalms, Prophets, Gospels, Romans, Revelation) and the intertestamental literature (Tobit and Wisdom of Solomon).>

In this volume, Norman Habel takes on the humbling task of writing a commentary on such a classic work as the book of Job--a text that is complex and unclear at many points.

The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.

As the global climate crisis worsens, many churches have sought to respond by instituting a movement to observe a liturgical season of creation. Scholars who have pioneered the connections between biblical scholarship, ecological theology, liturgy, and homiletics provide here a comprehensive resource for preaching and leading worship in this new season. Included are theological and practical introductions to observance of the season, biblical texts for its twelve Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, and astute commentary to help preachers and worship leaders guide their congregations into deeper connection with our imperiled planet

Norman C. Habel examines the theology of land as it is reflected in the Old Testament. He identifies six separate ideologies in the Bible: Royal, agrarian, theocratic, ancestral, household, and immigrant. This study has special pertinence for our times.

The book of Job, which deals with deep-seated conflict between the integrity of God and the integrity of man and belongs to a group of writings known as wisdom literature, surpasses any of its known Babylonian or Egyptian forerunners in the beauty of its poetic discourses and in its insight - the poet struggles to probe the meaning of life, especially life where suffering and injustice prevail for no apparent reason.

This well-written introduction to the method of literary criticism gives the reader an awareness and appreciation of the rich diversity of thought found in the Old Testament. The student is shown how to identify the elements of structure, style, form, language, and composition in the books of the Old Testament. Norman Habel demonstrates how literacy criticism works with examples which are familiar and well-suited for a beginner's level of study. The literary features of Genesis 1-9 are fully explored, then the author focuses on the importance of the Yahwist and priestly sources for the whole Pentateuch. This book's explanation of techniques used in the process of literary criticism will be valuable to both student and professor.

A commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations aimed at the advanced lay reader or pastor, with the goal of applying the meaning of the Biblical text to contemporary issues and concerns.

What has hermeneutics to do with ecology? What texts, if any, come to mind when you consider what the scriptures might say about environmental ethics? To help readers think critically and clearly about the Bible's relation to modern environmental issues, this volume expands the horizons of biblical interpretation to introduce ecological hermeneutics, moving beyond a simple discussion about Earth and its constituents as topics to a reading of the text from the perspective of Earth. In these groundbreaking essays, sixteen scholars seek ways to identify with Earth as they read and retrieve the role or voice of Earth, a voice previously unnoticed or suppressed within the biblical text and its interpretation. This study enriches eco-theology with eco-exegesis, a radical and timely dialogue between ecology and hermeneutics. The contributors are Vicky Balabanski, Laurie Braaten, Norman Habel, Theodore Hiebert, Cameron Howard, Melissa Tubbs Loya, Hilary Marlow, Susan Miller, Raymond Person, Alice Sinnott, Kristin Swenson, Sigve Tonstad, Peter Trudinger, Marie Turner, Elaine Wainwright, and Arthur Walker-Jones. Paperback edition is available from the Society of Biblical Literature (www.sbl-site.org)