This powerful collection of essays focuses on the representation of God in the Book of Ezekiel. With topics spanning across projections of God, through to the implications of these creations, the question of the divine presence in Ezekiel is explored. Madhavi Nevader analyses Divine Sovereignty and its relation to creation, while Dexter E. Callender Jnr and Ellen van Wolde route their studies in the image of God, as generated by the character of Ezekiel. The assumption of the title is then inverted, as Stephen L. Cook writes on 'The God that the Temple Blueprint Creates', which is taken to its other extreme by Marvin A. Sweeney in his chapter on 'The Ezekiel that God Creates', and finds a nice reconciliation in Daniel I. Block's chapter, 'The God Ezekiel Wants Us to Meet.' Finally, two essays from Christian biblical scholar Nathan MacDonald and Jewish biblical scholar, Rimon Kasher, offer a reflection on the essays about Ezekiel and his God.

This title includes essays on the reception history of the book of "Ezekiel", arising from the work of the SBL section "Theological Perspectives on the Book of Ezekiel". "Ezekiel" has long been considered the most difficult of all the prophetic books to understand. The prophet's bizarre visions, extraordinary behaviour, and extravagant imagery have perplexed and fascinated readers for more than 2,500 years. The prophet has had an impact not only on theology and the life of Church and Synagogue, but also on culture, art and architecture. The volume brings together 15 new essays on "Ezekiel's" impact by leading scholars, and they focus on a range of different parts of the book and periods of reception. Historically they cover the reception of "Ezekiel" from the New Testament to the present day, and include both Jewish and Christian readings of the book. Methodologically, they offer a wide sample of the different approaches to reception/history of interpretation current in contemporary biblical studies. Over the last 30 years this pioneering series has established an unrivaled reputation for cutting-edge international scholarship in Biblical Studies and has attracted leading authors and editors in the field. The series takes many original and creative approaches to its subjects, including innovative work from historical and theological perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and more recent developments in cultural studies and reception history.

Since the rise of critical biblical study in the nineteenth century there has been a revolution in the way that we interpret the Bible and in the methods we employ to facilitate our reading. Professor John Barton has been a major recent influence upon such developments and this volume, written by friends, former doctoral students and colleagues, reflects upon his contribution. A generation of scholars has engaged with, adopted and further developed Professor Barton's nuanced and careful explication of method, as exemplified particularly in his book Reading the Old Testament: Method in Biblical Study. This volume is a tribute to his pioneering influence upon our field. The book divides into two parts. In the first, 'Revisiting Older Approaches', older methods in biblical studies such as source criticism and textual criticism are reviewed, both as methods and in relation to worked examples. In the second part, entitled 'Breaking the Mould', newer types of criticism such as sociological, feminist and post-colonial readings are explored, again in relation to particular texts and examples. The book asks questions about the benefits and shortcomings of the methodological tools in our biblical critical tool-box and about the way texts are themselves brought to life in ever fresh interpretative and often interdisciplinary contexts. An array of distinguished contributors comes together in this volume to pay tribute to the honorand and to explore from a diversity of angles that ever intriguing, ever 'new' book - the Bible.

This powerful collection of essays focuses on the representation of God in the Book of Ezekiel. With topics spanning across projections of God, through to the implications of these creations, the question of the divine presence in Ezekiel is explored. Madhavi Nevader analyses Divine Sovereignty and its relation to creation, while Dexter E. Callender Jnr and Ellen van Wolde route their studies in the image of God, as generated by the character of Ezekiel. The assumption of the title is then inverted, as Stephen L. Cook writes on 'The God that the Temple Blueprint Creates', which is taken to its other extreme by Marvin A. Sweeney in his chapter on 'The Ezekiel that God Creates', and finds a nice reconciliation in Daniel I. Block's chapter, 'The God Ezekiel Wants Us to Meet.' Finally, two essays from Christian biblical scholar Nathan MacDonald and Jewish biblical scholar, Rimon Kasher, offer a reflection on the essays about Ezekiel and his God.

Ezekiel has long been considered the most difficult of all the prophetic books to understand. The prophet's bizarre visions, extraordinary behaviour, and extravagant imagery have perplexed and fascinated readers for more than 2,500 years. The prophet has had an impact not only on theology and the life of Church and Synagogue, but also on culture, art and architecture. The volume brings together 15 new essays on Ezekiel's impact by leading scholars, and they focus on a range of different parts of the book and periods of reception. Historically they cover the reception of Ezekiel from the New Testament to the present day, and include both Jewish and Christian readings of the book. Methodologically, they offer a wide sample of the different approaches to reception/history of interpretation current in contemporary biblical studies.

The book begins with a thorough introduction to the main critical questions that arise in connection with the book of Ezekiel. It covers the historical-critical agenda but also includes newer approaches and questions, such as psychological issues and the notion that Ezekiel should be regarded as a 'character' within the book. The emphasis is on the insight that many different kinds of questions may illumine a text like Ezekiel. The commentary treats each of the chapters of the book of Ezekiel in turn. The chapter-by-chapter commentary summarizes the main themes of the chapter and raises the main critical issues that arise in relation to the chapter, before proceeding to detailed exegesis.