Holiness and Ministry: A Biblical Theological of Ordination is a response to the call of the World Council of Churches for renewed theological reflection on the biblical roots of ordination to strengthen the vocational identity of the ordained and to provide a framework for ecumenical dialogue. The volume is grounded in the assumption that the vocation of ordination requires an understanding of holiness and how it functions in human religious experience. The goal is to construct a biblical theology of ordination, which is embedded in broad reflection on the nature of holiness. The study of holiness and ministry interweaves three methodologies. First, the History of Religions describes two theories of holiness in the study of religion, as a dynamic force and as a ritual resource, which play a central role in biblical literature and establish the paradigm of ordination to Word and Sacrament in Christian tradition. Second, the study of the Moses in the Pentateuch and the formation of the Mosaic Office illustrate the ways in which the two views of holiness model ordination to the prophetic word and to the priestly ritual. And, third, Canonical Criticism provides the lens to explore the ongoing influence of the Mosaic Office in the New Testament literature. Holiness and Ministry is a resource for candidates of ordination to discern their call-experience and to establish professional identity within individual traditions of Christianity, while also providing a resource for ecumenical dialogue on the nature and purpose of Christian ordination.

The second installment of Thomas B. Dozeman’s authoritative commentary on the book of Joshua   Following the Pentateuch in the traditional canon, the book of Joshua chronicles the conquest of the Canaanite nations, the distribution of the newly acquired land to the twelve tribes of Israel, and Joshua’s death at the conclusion of the covenant ceremony at Shechem. The second half of the book traces the development of a burgeoning pan-Israelite identity as the tribes receive territorial assignments, form a political league, and unite in the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel.   In the second volume of his two-volume commentary on the book of Joshua, Thomas B. Dozeman provides an overview of critical debates surrounding the composition of the book, its function in relationship to the Pentateuch and the Former Prophets, and the role of geography in ancient literature. He shows how the book of Joshua originated as an independent Samarian myth of tribal conquest and land distribution, and outlines how it evolved into its role as an Israelite origin story. Complete with a thorough introduction and a new translation of these twelve chapters, this volume explores how the book of Joshua employs the twin themes of genealogy and geography to underscore both unity and difference among the tribes, conveying ancient Israelite beliefs about ownership, identity, and power.

Methods for Exodus is a textbook on biblical methodology. The book introduces readers to six distinct methodologies that aid in the interpretation of the book of Exodus: literary and rhetorical, genre, source and redaction, liberation, feminist, and postcolonial criticisms. Describing each methodology, the volume also explores how the different methods relate to and complement one another. Each chapter includes a summary of the hermeneutical presuppositions of a particular method with a summary of the impact of the method on the interpretation of the book of Exodus. In addition, Exodus 1-2 and 19-20 are used to illustrate the application of each method to specific texts. The book is unique in offering a broad methodological discussion with all illustrations centered on the book of Exodus.

The present volume contains a collection of articles from an international conference in Zurich that brought together leading voices from North America, Europe, and Israel to evaluate the present state of research on the composition of the Pentateuch. The aim of the conference was to clarify differences in methodology and to identify points of convergence in the present state of pentateuchal research as a basis for further discussion. "The essays in this volume provide important insights about the way toward a better understanding of the Pentateuch's literary development." Angela Roskop Erisman in Journal of the American Oriental Society 133.3 (2013), p. 551-553

Methods for Exodus is a textbook on biblical methodology. The book introduces readers to six distinct methodologies that aid in the interpretation of the book of Exodus: literary and rhetorical, genre, source and redaction, liberation, feminist, and postcolonial criticisms. Describing each methodology, the volume also explores how the different methods relate to and complement one another. Each chapter includes a summary of the hermeneutical presuppositions of a particular method with a summary of the impact of the method on the interpretation of the book of Exodus. In addition, Exodus 1-2 and 19-20 are used to illustrate the application of each method to specific texts. The book is unique in offering a broad methodological discussion with all illustrations centered on the book of Exodus.

An acknowledged expert on the Hebrew Bible, Thomas Dozeman offers a fresh translation of the Hebrew and Greek texts of the book of Joshua and explores the nature, function, and causes of the religious violence depicted therein. By blending the distinct teachings of Deuteronomy and the Priestly literature, Dozeman provides a unique interpretation of holy war as a form of sacred genocide, arguing that, since peace in the promised land required the elimination of the populations of all existent royal cities, a general purging of the land accompanied the progress of the ark of the covenant. This essential work of religious scholarship demonstrates how the theme of total genocide is reinterpreted as partial conquest when redactors place Joshua, an independent book, between Deuteronomy and Judges. The author traces the evolution of this reinterpretation of the central themes of religious violence while providing a comparison of the two textual versions of Joshua and an insightful analysis of the book's reception history.

The destruction of the Egyptian army in the Book of Exodus is the primary story of salvation for Israel and center stage is a portrait of God in combat. Indeed, the annihilation of the enemy is commemorated by a victory hymn with the words of praise, "Yahweh is a warrior!" Such unleashing of divine power with militaristic imagery and nationalistic motives has long caught the attention of scholars. In God of War, Thomas B. Dozeman examines ancient Israel's confessions of divine power in the exodus. He interprets the story of the exodus as liturgy that undergoes change as Israelite worship was transformed through the experience of exile. The reinterpretation of the exodus, he argues, was achieved through additions to the story and not through the writing of new versions. Dozeman proposes that additions to Exodus were intended to modify plot structure and character interactions, creating, in the process, a new understanding of divine power. What began as a liturgy of the Day of Yahweh, celebrating God's triumph over Pharaoh at sea and kingship in the land, evolved into an extended account of salvation history, in which the life of faith becomes a wilderness march with divine kingship in the land a hope for the future. Through this process of literary and cultic change, divine power is also transformed; once perceived as static and independent, it becomes a more dynamic and interdependent force in the world. Combining the insights of literary and historical interpretation, this study elucidates the idea of divine power and makes a significant contribution to resurgent research on the Pentateuch as a whole.

In this volume Thomas Dozeman presents a fresh translation of the Hebrew text of Exodus along with a careful, critical interpretation of its central themes, literary structure, and history of composition. He explores two related themes in the formation of the book of Exodus: the identity of Yahweh, the God of Israel, and the authority of Moses, the leader of the Israelite people. / Dozeman clarifies the multiple literary genres within the text, identifies only two separate authors in the books composition, and highlights the rich insights that arise from the comparative study of the ancient Near Eastern literary tradition. Also treating the influence of Exodus in the history of Jewish and Christian interpretation, Dozemans comprehensive commentary will be welcomed by Old Testament scholars.