This well-written introduction to the method of literary criticism gives the reader an awareness and appreciation of the rich diversity of thought found in the Old Testament. The student is shown how to identify the elements of structure, style, form, language, and composition in the books of the Old Testament. Norman Habel demonstrates how literacy criticism works with examples which are familiar and well-suited for a beginner's level of study. The literary features of Genesis 1-9 are fully explored, then the author focuses on the importance of the Yahwist and priestly sources for the whole Pentateuch. This book's explanation of techniques used in the process of literary criticism will be valuable to both student and professor.

The study of the Bible has long included a literary aspect with great attention paid not only to what was written but also to how it was expressed. The detailed analysis of biblical books and passages as written texts has benefited from the study of literature in classical philology, ancient rhetoric, and modern literary criticism. This volume of the Lexham Methods Series introduces the various ways the study of literature has been used in biblical studies. Most literary approaches emphasize the study of the text alone—its structure, its message, and its use of literary devices—rather than its social or historical background. The methods described in Literary Approaches to the Bible are focused on different ways of analyzing the text within its literary context. Some of the techniques have been around for centuries, but the theories of literary critics from the early 20th century to today had a profound impact on biblical interpretation. In this book, you will learn about those literary approaches, how they were adapted for biblical studies, and what their strengths and weaknesses are.

This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. Although many conservative scholars have had reservations about biblical criticism since its rise a century ago, Carl Armerding contends that critical rationalism need not be antithetical to belief in a divinely inspired Word of God. Indeed, says Armerding, the evangelical scholar -- mediating the traditional conservative view and the rational critical view of Scripture -- is able to use all the tools of historical, philological, and literary study, while still retaining biblical categories of revelation, inspiration, and history. Armerding applies this synthesis of approaches -- the traditional and the critical -- to four major branches of criticism: literary (or source) criticism, form criticism, structural analysis, and textual criticism. Cautioning against misuse of these critical methods, he demonstrates how each method can be conscientiously used by faithful scholars to enrich their understanding of the Old Testament text. Of great value to scholars, students, and pastors, Armerding's work promises to enrich study of the Old Testament much as George Eldon Ladd's book (The New Testament and Criticism) has enriched study of the New.

The groundbreaking Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible (DTIB) introduced readers to key names, theories, and concepts in the field of biblical interpretation. It has been well received by pastors and students, won book awards from Christianity Today and the Catholic Press Association, and was named the ECPA 2006 Christian Book of the Year. Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament features key articles from DTIB, providing readers with a book-by-book theological reading of the Old Testament. The articles are authored by leading scholars, including Daniel I. Block, Tremper Longman III, J. Gordon McConville, Walter Moberly, Richard Schultz, and Gordon J. Wenham. This handy and affordable text will work particularly well for students in Old Testament/Bible survey courses, pastors, and lay readers.

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.

Mark Gignilliat discusses critical theologians and their theories of Old Testament interpretation in this concise overview, providing a working knowledge of the historical foundation of contemporary discussions on Old Testament interpretation. Old Testament interpretation developed as theologians and scholars proposed critical theories over time. These figures contributed to a large, developing complex of ideas and trends that serves as the foundation of contemporary discussions on interpretation. Mark Gignilliat brings these figures and their theories together in A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism. His discussion is driven by influential thinkers such as Baruch Spinoza and the critical tradition, Johann Semler and historical criticism, Hermann Gunkel and romanticism, Gerhard von Rad and the tradition-historical approach, Brevard Childs and the canonical approach, and more. This concise overview is ideal for classroom use as it provides a working knowledge of the major critical interpreters of the Old Testament, their approach to the subject matter, and the philosophical background of their approaches. Further reading lists direct readers to additional resources on specific theologians and theories. This book will serve as a companion to the forthcoming textbook Believing Criticism by Richard Schultz.

This volume provides an introduction to the changing terrain of contemporary Old Testament Study. The essays orient the reader to all the major sections of Old Testament study, serving also to engage the reader in the work of Old Testament interpretation. The Festschrift in honour of Gene M. Tucker contains sections on the Torah, the Prophets, Writings, and the Context of the books of the Old Testament. The parts work in conjunction to give the reader a guide to the key issues in the history of interpretation of the Old Testament.

Rediscover the incomparable literary richness and strength of a book that all of us live with an many of us live by. An international team of renowned scholars, assembled by two leading literary critics, offers a book-by-book guide through the Old and New Testaments as well as general essays on the Bible as a whole, providing an enticing reintroduction to a work that has shaped our language and thought for thousands of years.

The purpose of this original volume is to illustrate what has been happening recently in Hebrew Bible studies under the influence of developments in literary theory in the last couple of decades. The methods and practice of reader-response criticism and deconstruction, as well as of feminist, materialist and psychoanalytic approaches are represented here by essays from leading Hebrew Bible literary critics. Alice Bach, Robert Carroll, Francisco Garcia-Treto, David Jobling, Francis Landy, Stuart Lasine, Peter Miscall, Hugh Pyper, Robert Polzin, and Ilona Rashkow, together with the two editors, present distinctive and eclectic essays on particular biblical texts, introducing students and scholars to exciting new dimensions of biblical study.

Understanding of the structure of the Old Testament sheds light on its meaning. No one should embark upon the study of an Old Testament text without consulting this indispensable guide.