Fr. 66.00

Contemporary Introduction to the Bible - Sacred Texts and Imperial Contexts

English · Paperback / Softback

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Explore a timely introduction to the formation of the Bible in its historical and modern contexts
 
In the newly revised Second Edition of A Contemporary Introduction to the Bible: Sacred Texts and Imperial Contexts, accomplished scholars and authors Colleen M. Conway and David M. Carr deliver a rigorous, accessible, and up-to-date introduction to the Bible. The textbook places the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament in the broader context of world history, with a special focus on the empires that influenced the Bible's formation. Readers are introduced to the academic study of the Bible through a range of scholarly approaches.
 
Readers benefit from the inclusion of:
* A thorough introduction to the Bible in its ancient contexts, from the emergence of Israel's earliest traditions to the writing and reshaping of the Bible amidst Assyrian Babylonian, Persian, Hellenistic and Roman empires.
* The most up-to-date work in the field, seamlessly integrated into every chapter
* A wealth of pedagogical features including study questions, bibliographies, timelines, and illustrations
* An unparalleled coverage of both fundamental topics and cutting-edge issues, resulting in a truly outstanding textbook.
 
Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students studying religion, history, sociology, and philosophy, A Contemporary Introduction to the Bible: Sacred Texts and Imperial Contexts, Second Edition will also earn a place in the libraries of religious scholars and researchers seeking a one-stop reference to the Bible in its ancient and modern context.

List of contents

List of Figures xi
 
List of Maps xv
 
List of Boxes xix
 
Preface xxi
 
Acknowledgments xxiii
 
List of Abbreviations xxv
 
Overview of the Historical Period xxvii
 
Timeline xxix
 
Prologue: Orientation to Multiple Bibles and Multiple Translations 1
 
1 Studying the Bible in Its Ancient Context(s) 19
 
Chapter Overview 19
 
Why History Is Important in Studying the Bible 20
 
The Geography and Major Characters of the Biblical Drama 24
 
Major Periods in the Biblical Drama 28
 
Multiple Contexts, Multiple Methods 30
 
Looking Forward to the Big Picture 32
 
Chapter One Review 33
 
Resources For Further Study 33
 
Appendix: Israel's History and Empires 34
 
2 The Emergence of Ancient Israel and Its First Oral Traditions 35
 
Chapter Overview 35
 
Imagining Early Israel 36
 
Problems in Reconstructing Early Israel 42
 
Traces of the Most Ancient Israelite Oral Traditions in the Bible 47
 
The Oral Background of Genesis 48
 
Focus Text: The Song of Deborah 54
 
The Creation of "Israel" Through Cultural Memory of Resistance to Domination 56
 
Chapter Two Review 57
 
Resources for Further Study 58
 
3 The Rise of Writing and Echoes of Past Empires in Monarchal Israel 59
 
Chapter Overview 59
 
Imagining Early Monarchal Israel 60
 
The Rise of the Israelite Monarchy and Resistance to It 62
 
Influence of Ancient Empires on Early Israel's Monarchy and Writings 66
 
Echoes of Near Eastern Royal Theology in the Royal and Zion Psalms 69
 
Echoes of Texts from Earlier Empires in Writings Attributed to Solomon 75
 
Focus Text: The Speech of Lady Wisdom in Proverbs 8 81
 
Echoes of Texts from Past Empires Elsewhere in the Bible 82
 
Focus Text: The Garden of Eden Story (Gen 2:4-3:24) 87
 
Conclusion 92
 
Chapter Three Review 93
 
Resources for Further Study 93
 
4 Narrative and Prophecy Amidst the Rise and Fall of the Northern Kingdom 95
 
Chapter Overview 95
 
Setting the Stage: The Rise of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Its Texts 96
 
Ancient Near Eastern Prophecy 105
 
Amos, a Southern Prophet Preaching Justice and Doom to the North 106
 
Hosea, the Northern Prophet, Calling for Israel's Devotion to Yahweh Alone 108
 
Micah, a Southern Prophet, Predicting Judgment for Judah and Jerusalem 115
 
Isaiah's Vision of Hope for Jerusalem/Zion Embedded in the Book of Isaiah 118
 
The Use and Reuse of Biblical Traditions 123
 
Focus Text: Contrasting Prophetic Visions of Zion's Future 124
 
Chapter Four Review 125
 
Resources for Further Study 126
 
5 Torah and Other Texts Written in the Wake of the Assyrian Empire 127
 
Chapter Overview 127
 
Religious and Textual Reform Amidst the Downfall of Assyria 128
 
The Deuteronomic Torah of Moses and the Phenomenon of Hybridity 135
 
Historical Texts Infused with the Theology and Values of Deuteronomy 139
 
Jeremiah's Prophecy of Judgment on Zion 145
 
Focus Text: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 149
 
New Scriptures in the Twilight of Judean Monarchy 152
 
Chapter Five Review 153
 
Resources for Further Study 154
 
6 Bible for Exiles: Promise and Story in the Neo-Babylonian Empire 155
 
Chapter Overview 155
 
The Neo-Babylonian Destruction of Jerusalem and Exile 156
 
Forced Labor for Exiles Under Nebuchadnezzar 160
 
The Exilic Editions of Biblical Books 163
 
Ezekie

About the author

Colleen M. Conway is Professor of Religion at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ and executive editor of the journal Biblical Interpretation. She has published widely in the areas of gender criticism, biblical masculinity studies, reception history of the Bible, and the Gospel of John.

David M. Carr is Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Union Theological Seminary in New York. He is an internationally renowned scholar on the formation of the Bible, trauma studies and the Bible, and sexuality and the Bible.

Summary

Explore a timely introduction to the formation of the Bible in its historical and modern contexts

In the newly revised Second Edition of A Contemporary Introduction to the Bible: Sacred Texts and Imperial Contexts, accomplished scholars and authors Colleen M. Conway and David M. Carr deliver a rigorous, accessible, and up-to-date introduction to the Bible. The textbook places the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament in the broader context of world history, with a special focus on the empires that influenced the Bible's formation. Readers are introduced to the academic study of the Bible through a range of scholarly approaches.

Readers benefit from the inclusion of:
* A thorough introduction to the Bible in its ancient contexts, from the emergence of Israel's earliest traditions to the writing and reshaping of the Bible amidst Assyrian Babylonian, Persian, Hellenistic and Roman empires.
* The most up-to-date work in the field, seamlessly integrated into every chapter
* A wealth of pedagogical features including study questions, bibliographies, timelines, and illustrations
* An unparalleled coverage of both fundamental topics and cutting-edge issues, resulting in a truly outstanding textbook.

Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students studying religion, history, sociology, and philosophy, A Contemporary Introduction to the Bible: Sacred Texts and Imperial Contexts, Second Edition will also earn a place in the libraries of religious scholars and researchers seeking a one-stop reference to the Bible in its ancient and modern context.

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