[Re]Reading Again: A Mosaic Reading of Numbers 25

Guided by the metaphor of the art form known as a mosaic, this book advocates a pluralistic approach to biblical studies. Rees argues that the text itself can be described as a ''mosaic'', with each new reading adding to the mosaic. Interpretation is therefore both observation and invention, or contribution.When [re]reading the text, one cannot but be aware of what has been seen before, even if it at first may seem unfamiliar. He thus rejects the idea of a definitive reading. Examining Numbers 25, Rees argues that the various methods employed to interpret this text (narrative, feminist, postcolonial as well as a more ''traditional'' historical-critical reading) enable us to see different things as we read from different places. A further analysis of the book''s interpretative history, including the rewritten histories of Josephus and Philo, allows us to discover that creativity has forever been a part of the reading process. Moving on to explore the contributions of more recent commentators, Rees concludes that an embrace of diversity, of collegiality, may well point to a new future in Biblical Studies.>

About the author

Anthony Rees is Research Fellow at the Centre for Public and Contextual Theology of Charles Sturt University, Australia.

Product details

• Authors: Anthony Rees
• Assisted by: Claudia V. Camp (Editor), Andrew Mein (Editor)
• Publisher: T. & T. Clark Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 29.01.2015
• EAN: 9780567554369
• ISBN: 978-0-567-55436-9
• No. of pages: 208
• Series: Playing the Texts; Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Te; Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Te; Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies; Playing the Texts
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Christianity; RELIGION / Christianity / General, RELIGION / Biblical Studies / General, Christianity, Criticism and exegesis of sacred texts, Biblical exegesis & hermeneutics