Literary analysis has stimulated discussion in many areas, generated excitement among scholars, and offered new ways of studying the Bible for a wide variety of readers. The works chosen exhibit why literary criticism has grown from a "passing fad" to a, hopefully, lasting part of Old Testament research. The format of this collection seeks to address two very basic areas. Biblical studies both introduce and implement critical methodologies. Scholars choose approaches and then use them to explain texts. Therefore at least two articles appear for each literary approach in the sections below. One article has been chosen to help the reader define an individual type of literary analysis. Subsequent articles then use the methodology to explain an Old Testament text. In this way both an approach's theoretical and practical value can be judged. - Editor's preface.

The approach to biblical interpretation known as "form criticism" has changed markedly at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Front-ranking experts here survey the contemporary landscape of form criticism and explore significant patterns and trends now emerging in the field. Together these essays point to the continuing dynamism and vitality of form-critical theory as a significant tool for reading the Bible. Contributors: Bob Becking Ehud Ben Zvi Erhard Blum Sue Boorer Martin J. Buss Antony F. Campbell Michael H. Floyd Hyun Chul Paul Kim Won Lee Tremper Longman III Roy F. Melugin Martti Nissinen David L. Petersen Margaret S. Odell Thomas Romer Martin Rosel Marvin A. Sweeney Patricia K. Tull Raymond C. Van Leeuwen

"The Sick List is about menace, about a menace (Gordon), and is written in the voice of a menace. It reads like one of the pen-portraits of surreal ultra-violence in Bernhard's Gargoyles, where education turns out to be the most deceitful panacea of all." -- Katharine Craik In this novel, an unnamed academic in an unnamed contemporary university, relates his obsession with his tutor, Gordon. He pores over the increasingly bizarre mis-readings in Gordon’s annotations in a strange selection of stolen library books. Is Gordon unraveling a mystery? Or is his own mind unraveling? Meanwhile, an epidemic of catatonia breaks out; academics are found slumped and unconscious at their desks. Is reading itself the cause of this sickness? Is the only escape to return to illiteracy? Witty, moving, and beautifully written, The Sick List plays with the dividing line between deploring and exemplifying what it most despises. Inspired by the work of the Austrian novelist Thomas Bernhard, it considers how the minds of educated people are moulded by both the breadth of literary culture and the narrowness of academic institutions. "The Sick List operates on the far side of literature." -- John Schad Beyond Criticism Editions is the reincarnation of the Beyond Criticism book series, originally published by Bloomsbury and now part of Boiler House Press' own experiments with the radical new forms that literary criticism might take in the 21st century.

"This book will make the case for multiple, diverse kinds of analysis to be taught in the high school English classroom. In addition to showing what written analysis looks like "in the wild," the authors will provide readers with a framework of fundamental analytical skills for instruction. Importantly, Marchetti and O'Dell will advocate for framing analytical writing around students' (of all levels and abilities) passions and expertise. And just as they do in their previous Heinemann book, Writing with Mentors, they will share resources for bringing many different kinds of analytical writing into the classroom"--

This anthology presents the results of the Second International Colloquium of the Narratology Research Group (Hamburg University). It engages in the exploration of approaches that broaden Narratology's realm. The contributions illustrate the transcendence of traditional models common to Narratology. They also reflect on the relevance of such a 'going beyond' as seen in more general terms: What interrelation can be observed between re-definition of object domain and re-definition of method? What potential interfaces with other methods and disciplines does the proposed innovation offer? Finally, what are the repercussions of the proposed innovation in terms of Narratology's self-definition? The innovative volume facilitates the inter-methodological debate between Narratology and other disciplines, enabling the conceptualization of a Narratology beyond traditional Literary Criticism.

Contributors to this volume explore the theoretical issues at stake in recent changes in form criticism and the practical outcomes of applying the results of these theoretical shifts to the Book of the Twelve. This volume combines self-conscious methodological reflection with practical examination of specific texts in an effort to demonstrate the practical consequences of theoretical decisions and the value of certain methodological stances.

Do you struggle to connect the dots between the Bible and your life? While Christians instinctively want to apply Scripture, we encounter difficulties that can discourage us and diminish our engagement with God’s Word. Indeed, biblical application has suffered in various ways in the church—everything from neglect to abuse to contempt. Responding to such challenges, Beyond Chapter and Verse provides a biblically based rationale for the practice of application and then proposes a biblically consistent method for application. The book is substantive but accessible, relevant for believers generally as well as preachers. It begins by sketching the broad theological context of Bible application, relating it to the gospel generally and to sanctification specifically. The heart of the study then synthesizes key Old and New Testament passages relative to the process of application. Building on this foundation, the book sets forth a sensible approach for arriving at legitimate applications of Scripture. A rich assortment of positive and negative case studies illustrates the method, motivating believers to apply the Scriptures for themselves.

"A miracle, an instant classic." -- Slavoj Žižek, philosopher The tragedy is done, the tyrant Macbeth dead. The time is free. But for how long? As Macduff pursues dreams of national revival, smaller lives are seeding. In the ruins of Dunsinane, the Porter tries to keep his three young boys safe from the nightmare of history. In a nunnery deep in Birnam Wood, a girl attempts to forget what she lost in war. Flitting between them, a tortured clairvoyant trembles with the knowledge of what's to come. A collaboration between two of the world's most eminent Shakespeare scholars, "Macbeth, Macbeth" is a unique mix of creative fiction and literary criticism that charts a new way of doing both, sparking a whole new world from the embers of Shakespeare's original tragedy. "Macbeth, Macbeth" weaves a thread that enrichens the original classic with the manic energy of Tristram Shandy, the grim intensity of Crime and Punishment, and the existential absurdity of Waiting for Godot. "A thrilling re-imagination of Shakespeare’s darkest play." -- Lucy Bailey, theatre director "Shakespeare, I suspect, would have been delighted." -- Don Paterson, poet Beyond Criticism Editions is the reincarnation of the Beyond Criticism book series, originally published by Bloomsbury and now part of Boiler House Press' own experiments with the radical new forms that literary criticism might take in the 21st century.