Biblical Studies Research Articles

Argumentation and the interpretation of religious texts

Abstract The interpretation of religious texts is an area of research in which rhetoric and the use of arguments play a central role. The analysis of the persuasive message expressed in many biblical passages, the reconstruction of the implicit messages conveyed by the texts, and the justification of an interpretation are questions that concern directly argumentation studies. The pragmatic dimension of arguments, the instruments developed for bringing to light implicit assumptions and conclusions, and the methods for justifying an interpretative claim can be important resources for biblical studies and applications that can open new research paths. This introduction outlines the crossroad between the two fields and the possible directions of future inquiry.

New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures, volume 2: A response to Ronald Charles, Sean Hannan and Mona Tokarek LaFosse

In a joint session at the 2022 annual meeting of the Canadian Society for Patristic Studies and the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies, Mona Tokarek LaFosse assembled a panel of reviewers to engage with the texts presented in the second volume of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures (Eerdmans, 2020). This article is a response to those papers by Tony Burke, the editor of the volume. The response addresses a number of themes raised by the reviewers, including the selection and arrangement of the texts, their troubling depictions of race and gender, the role of orality in their creation, and how the texts can be used in the classroom.

I. Biblical studies

I. Biblical studies

I. Biblical studies

I. Biblical studies

I. Biblical studies

I. Biblical studies

I. Biblical studies

I. Biblical studies

‘I am black and beautiful’: Body-talk toward redefining the identity of black girls using Contextual Bible studies on Song of Songs 1.5–17

Interpretation of a text can either justify power relations and subordination or become a tool for empowerment. While some explain that the speaker is admitting a unique quality in Song 1:5, others think it is an affirmation of identity. This paper presents the views of young Ghanaian girls in two Senior High Schools. A contextual reading of the Song of Songs 1.5–17 is used to present strategies for self-empowerment, confidence, and creativity. Drawing from Africa Agenda 2063, it proposes ways to clarify beliefs about oneself and empower young people to tell their stories about their bodies. When Africans read the Bible, they also look for ways for redefining, rethinking, and re-living in an African community so that they can express their identity better.

Reminiscences of Rosemary Radford Ruether

I came to know Rosemary Radford Ruether in our later teaching and writing careers. She taught theology for some years at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, while I was teaching biblical studies at San Francisco Theological Seminary, and later we shared 10 retirement years at Pilgrim Place in Claremont. Rather than speaking in general about her impact on me and on feminist theology in our generation, I want to share three stories of my experiences of her to show you something of her character, priorities, and accomplishments.

Rationale and design of the Heart-to-Heart study: A church-based intervention to reduce blood pressure in African Americans

Heart-to-Heart (H2H) is a church-based behavioral cluster randomized trial to measure the effectiveness of a lifestyle education program for reducing blood pressure (BP) in African American adults with uncontrolled BP. Design and implementation of this study were informed by our ALIVE pilot study conducted with church pastors and leaders using a community-based participatory research methodology. The current study employs a cross-over design in which all participants receive two 6-month programs in different orders: the intervention arm receives the H2H program first, followed by a financial education program, and the comparator arm receives the programs in the reverse order. Approximately 34 churches will be randomized with the aim of including at least 272 participants across churches. The H2H program consists of 24 weekly dietitian-led diet and lifestyle virtual education sessions, 12 Bible studies taught by the church pastor reinforcing positive dietary behaviors from a biblical perspective, daily self-monitoring of BP, and, as needed, one-on-one support from a community health worker to assist with medication adherence. The Money Smart program consists of 14 financial education sessions and 12 Bible studies teaching the biblical basis of good financial management over a 6-month period. The primary outcome measure is systolic BP at 6 months with a follow-up at 12 months. Secondary outcome measures include medication adherence, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet adherence, self-efficacy for hypertension self-care, social support for eating a healthy diet, hypertension and nutrition knowledge, beliefs about medicines, barriers to medication use, depression, and financial knowledge and behaviors.

Of seduction and male abuse: Exploring the less-talked-about using Tamar’s stratagem (Gn 37–38)

Gender-based violence has often been framed and perceived as exclusively a women’s issue. As a result, terms such as ‘violence against women’ and ‘gender-based violence’ have often been understood and used interchangeably. In the fight and campaign against gender-based violence, men have been reckoned to be the most common culprits behind fuelling violence against women. While indeed to a large extent men are the perpetrators of gender-based violence, little attention, however, has been paid to at least two things: the loose usage of the term ‘gender’ as if exclusive of men, as well as the violence that some men suffer at the hands of some women. It was the thrust of this article to bring on the table the less-talked-about sexual abuse that some men suffer at the hands of some young women using Tamar’s trapping of Judah as an entry point into the discussion. Using a socio-anthropological approach, the article argued that the behaviour of some young women towards men older than themselves through manipulating their sexual weakness is a form of gender-based violence that calls for a redress.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The theme of gender-based violence is by definition of multidisciplinary interest. This contribution highlighted the less-talked-about abuse of men, which is also of significance within multiple disciplines including biblical studies, social anthropology, theology, cultural studies and even history.

Dosa yang Mendatangkan Maut dan Dosa yang Tidak Mendatangkan Maut: Analisa berdasarkan konteks Dosa dalam buku 1 Yohanes

The understanding of sin that leads to death and sin that does not lead to death in 1 John. 5:16, 17 is still a topic of debate among Bible scholars. Various opinions, both based on theological interpretations and biblical studies, have emerged to find out the definitions of these two types of sins. Further discussion to understand this verse is needed to gain more thorough understanding. By using several aspects of the exegesis method, the author tries to find out the meaning of sin that leads to death and sin that does not lead to death. The emphasis of this study is on the analysis of sin in the book of 1 John specifically in 2:1 and 3:8 and then compares it with the contents of 5:16, 17. The results of the discussion prove that a sin that leads to death is a condition in which a person commits a sin but does not come by faith in Jesus who is the Mediator and in a situation where a person knowingly commits a sin or acts in violation of God's law continuously. These two conditions will lead to death. while sin that does not bring death is a condition in which a believer who, in his life's journey, could have committed a sin but then came and confessed it before God. That person will get forgiveness from Allah and he will not experience eternal death.

Christopher R. Seitz. Essays on Prophecy and Canon

Christopher R. Seitz. <i>Essays on Prophecy and Canon</i>

John Goldingay. The Theology of Jeremiah: The Book, the Man, the Message

The Theology of Jeremiah brings refreshing clarity to a biblical book many Christians find confusing, contradictory, or overwhelming. In this new book, Goldingay compiles the conclusions from his recent NICOT commentary in an accessible, straightforward, and succinct account of Jeremiah’s history, message, theology, and life.Do not let its length fool you: this book clearly demonstrates Goldingay’s meticulous study of Jeremiah’s scroll (using Goldingay’s designation) and its historical context. Although Goldingay does not interact with secondary literature in this book, a discerning reader cannot deny his familiarity with the scholarly debates within Jeremiah studies. This book will undoubtedly shine in introductory undergraduate courses that exposit Jeremiah and in Bible studies as an introduction to Jeremiah, although supplemental interaction with specific texts would need to be developed by the instructor. Goldingay’s beliefs about the Jeremiah scroll shape the way that he presents his material. First, Goldingay approaches Jeremiah with the belief that the scroll was purposefully arranged to communicate specific theological truths exemplified by the prophet Jeremiah and his message. Second, Goldingay prioritizes Jeremiah’s original context and message in his interpretation. Third, Goldingay believes that the First Testament (to borrow his vocabulary), including the Jeremiah scroll, is informative to Christian practice, ethics, and theology today. Therefore, Goldingay’s The Theology of Jeremiah presents the Jeremiah scroll as a coherent theological unit and details its historical, religious, and cultural circumstances in order to help readers understand the importance of Jeremiah’s message for Christian living and belief.Goldingay divides his chapters into two sections with different focuses. The first four chapters discuss the Jeremiah scroll’s structure, themes, stories, and message. Here, Goldingay asserts that Jeremiah and Baruch are responsible for the bulk of the material but that the prophet’s disciples assembled and arranged his work in a theologically coherent manner soon after the destruction of Jerusalem. Because of this, he believes the scroll voices the exiled communities’ enduring confession that they were indeed unfaithful to God but that they also believed in God’s promises revealed to Jeremiah. Goldingay spends two of these four chapters fleshing out a detailed outline of the Jeremiah scroll. Overall, the structure Goldingay offers his readers strikes the perfect balance of being uncomplicated, yet detailed-oriented. As he works through his outline, Goldingay draws out the prominent themes of each section and discusses ways these themes reappear throughout the scroll. This section of the book uses Goldingay’s specialization in intertextuality to illuminate some of Jeremiah’s influences or allusions and draw out a historic perspective of who Judeans understood God to be and how God related to his people in the past. Additionally, this section also discusses the important historical events that inform God’s word for the people of Judah. Goldingay’s outline is primarily thematic, so some of the scroll’s climactic events or well-known designations for blocks of material may not appear here. However, patient readers will find that Goldingay discusses many of these in the second part of his book.Goldingay’s second section highlights the theological currents that run throughout the Jeremiah scroll, synthesizes them, and brings them into conversation with modern systematic categories. These chapters discuss who God is, how God interacts with his people, what sin is, the purpose and mission of a prophet, as well as humanities’ and God’s relationship with the future. In each of these chapters, Goldingay allows Jeremiah’s testimony preserved in the scroll to present its own account. He then explores how Jeremiah’s theology should inform categories from Christian systematic theology at the end of each chapter. Goldingay’s theological observations prove to be quite informative and help readers more deeply develop some of the images the scroll provides for thinking about God’s people (i.e., as a household or a domain) and sin (i.e., as corruption or shame). Although it is entirely clear that Goldingay draws extensively from the scroll throughout this section, his theological treatment of the text fluctuates in its citation consistency, occasionally leaving the reader to hunt down passages on their own.There is much to be praised about this book; it is no small feat to study the Jeremiah scroll and develop such a comprehensive and detailed, yet concise, outline and theological overview. Dr. Goldingay has dealt carefully with its testimony and reflected deeply on its theology. If I were to suggest one change, I would ask that he include a few excurses to tackle difficult theological themes directly. His audience would greatly value his input on topics such as the nature of repentance for human perpetrators of violence or injustice like Jehoiakim or Zedekiah, God naming himself as Judah’s enemy (Jer 21:5), and God’s prohibition of Jeremiah’s intercessory prayers for Judah.

David L. Mathewson. Voice and Mood: A Linguistic Approach

David L. Mathewson. <i>Voice and Mood: A Linguistic Approach</i>

Moral Injury and the βασιλικός of John 4:46–54

Abstract Still emerging from infancy, the developing field of trauma theory called “moral injury” (MI) has opened fresh vistas for biblical studies. Scholars are now beginning to employ MI theory as an interpretive frame of reference to biblical scenes depicting high intensity scenarios where moral values are challenged. Surprisingly, engagement of MI theory to the Fourth Gospel has yet to be done despite its specified portrayal of individual scenes of mental suffering. Attempting to fill the void, this article examines and appropriates recent MI research to propose a fresh reading of a significant, yet often overlooked, Johannine narrative of trauma: the βασιλικός (“royal official”) of John 4:46–54. Perhaps plagued by parental guilt over his dying son and tensions caused by a career forcing him to hold in balance conflicting Jewish and gentile sensibilities, the article engages insights borrowed from MI theory, posing a horizontal reading of the text that sheds light on this father’s inner trauma. In doing so, it invites similar sufferers today to rely on the Jesus in whom the βασιλικός sought relief.

Bruce K. Waltke and Ivan D.V. De Silva. Proverbs: A Shorter Commentary

Bruce K. Waltke and Ivan D.V. De Silva. <i>Proverbs: A Shorter Commentary</i>

New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures, volume 2: A panel review

The canonical texts of the New Testament are well known and studied, but the variety and number of extant early Christian noncanonical texts, also known as New Testament Apocrypha, have not been as widely recognized. Thanks to the stellar work of numerous translators and the editorial work of Tony Burke, many more of these texts are now available with introductions in English translation through two volumes (soon to be three) of New Testament Apocrypha: More Noncanonical Scriptures. In the series of articles in this special section of Studies in Religion, three early Christian scholars (Ronald Charles, Sean Hannan and Mona Tokarek LaFosse) review the second volume of the series, published by Eerdmans in 2020, which is followed by a detailed response by Tony Burke. The reviews and response were originally presented at a joint session at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies and Canadian Society of Patristic Studies/Association canadienne des études patristiques in May 2022. The reviews and response encourage scholars of religion to consider how these ancient texts might contribute to larger contemporary conversations around coloniality, diversity, pedagogy and storytelling, demonstrating the value of collaborative scholarship.

Grotesque bodies in the book of Job: A psychoanalytic perspective

Job is suffering from illness without understanding it. His impairment and exclusion render him disabled in an abled, gloating but threatened society for which he is the laughing stock despite his exceptional piety. His psychic and spiritual breakthrough comes when God makes him reflect on and in the mirror of the wild and disorderly bodies of the two monstrosities, Behemoth and Leviathan, elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible exemplifying chaos, but now unexpectedly celebrated. Even as possible relief thanks to light-hearted humour these grotesque bodies emancipate the object of body-politics by subverting the centre of certainty and power. In this study the Bakhtinian critique of the ‘monologisation’ of the human body and its experience promised to be fruitfully combined with psychoanalytic insights about imprisoned body-images to enrich the relevance of the book of Job.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The interface of biblical hermeneutics and exegesis with other research fields in the social sciences and humanities such as psychoanalytic theory and literary criticism expanded the horizon of insight for all parties involved, not only for biblical studies.

The Resurrection of Jesus: Apologetics, Polemics, History by Dale C. Allison Jr.

Reviewed by: The Resurrection of Jesus: Apologetics, Polemics, History by Dale C. Allison Jr. Glenn B. Siniscalchi dale c. allison jr., The Resurrection of Jesus: Apologetics, Polemics, History (New York: T&T Clark, 2021). Pp. xi + 403. Paper $47.95. Dale Allison's published works on the historical Jesus have always been rigorous, thought-provoking, and accessible. In his latest installment, A. clarifies, expands, and strengthens most of his earlier thoughts on the historical approach to the resurrection of Jesus in much greater detail. NT critics and other inquirers who are dedicated to understanding the academic study of Christian origins and the rise of resurrection faith must engage the intricacies of A.'s latest book in order to push forward any meaningful developments in this controversial area of NT studies. The book covers a dizzying array of arguments and reflections related to the standard discussion points that are dedicated to the credibility of Jesus's resurrection (i.e., the burial of the crucified Jesus, the discovery of his empty grave, the series of after-death communications, and the disciples' willingness to die for their newfound faith). A.'s expansive pedagogy is on full display throughout the book, showing a variety of creative and defensible ways to think about the origins of the Jesus movement. For instance, he accepts most aspects of the traditional evidence but also includes the historicity of Jesus's prophetic predictions of his own resurrection from the dead. There is also great emphasis placed on the apocalyptic expectations that characterized Jesus's ministry and how they affected the original meanings that were assigned to the after-death experiences. "Resurrection," then, was the best category that was used by the first percipients to explain and describe the metanormal experiences of the Easter Jesus. These provocative contentions and conclusions notwithstanding, a major theme in A.'s book is that historical investigations into earliest Christianity cannot be of service to the ambitions of Christian apologists and their primary interlocutors, the secular skeptics. In A.'s consistently held view, both camps unjustifiably stretch the shape of historical reason in support of their predetermined convictions. Instead, historical methods and conclusions are very limited in what they can accomplish. According to A., the first strata of evidence for the resurrection may include, for instance, the sequence of postmortem appearances to the disciples and other unbelievers (cf. 1 Cor 15:3–8), but one can easily invoke certain controversial studies in religious studies, historiography, the philosophy of religion, biblical studies, and parapsychology, in order to understand or even modify common understandings of what the first percipients saw and experienced. In effect, believing in the bodily resurrection does not necessarily entail the supernatural reanimation of Jesus's cadaver (the latter view has been endorsed by William Lane Craig, Gary Habermas, Michael Licona, and N. T. Wright, among a host of other well-known supporters). I can decipher at least two important reasons why A. is hesitant to accept the common verdicts that are upheld by Christian apologists. The first reason is presented toward the beginning of the book and is candidly discussed in lucid detail: his background beliefs are multifaceted, fluid, and even inconsistent in a critical approach to the biblical texts. Worldviews are indeed difficult to pinpoint within a person's mind and psychological outlooks, but we should agree with A. in acknowledging that people frequently observe and interpret texts and other artifacts from the past in radically different ways. Worldviews simply cannot be reduced to belief in an omnipotent, personal God who will probably act in human history within a religiously charged context. We hold to many unrecognized beliefs about psychology [End Page 349] and philosophy that often shade our interpretations and intuitions related to historical investigations. The second reason is due to the information overload, hyper-pluralism, and fragmented nature of contemporary biblical studies as it relates to the historical quests for Jesus. A. is thoroughly immersed in this world, and he emphasizes the difficulty of arriving at certain conclusions in the attempt to decide whether the evidence points decidedly in favor of Jesus's physical resurrection. Because I found myself agreeing with most of A.'s newest book, I can no...

You Shall Not Bow Down and Serve Them: The Political Economic Projects of Jesus and Paul by Richard A. Horsley

Reviewed by: You Shall Not Bow Down and Serve Them: The Political Economic Projects of Jesus and Paul by Richard A. Horsley Clair Mesick richard a. horsley, You Shall Not Bow Down and Serve Them: The Political Economic Projects of Jesus and Paul (Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2021). Pp. 236. $29. In You Shall Not Bow Down and Serve Them, Richard Horsley argues that Jesus and Paul have been misunderstood as merely "religious" figures. Instead, both are deeply embedded in their economic and political contexts and work toward the creation of an alternative economic model in opposition to Roman oppression. The book is divided into four parts: an introduction on methodology; analysis of Jesus's mission; analysis of Paul's project; and, finally, several chapters sketching out what both can offer a modern era dominated by global capitalism. Horsley's introduction is methodological, identifying and deconstructing assumptions that have governed much of the field of biblical studies. For instance, while biblical studies has operated with a post-French-Revolution division of religion, politics, and economics, H. argues that the biblical texts themselves contain no distinction among the three. Likewise, H. breaks down "print-cultural" assumptions, clarifying that biblical "texts" were received more through oral communication and performance than the dissemination of physical writings. H. follows this introduction with a chapter that surveys the biblical corpus on justice: some texts call for radical economic justice (Amos, Isaiah); many merely call for reforming existing economic structures (Deuteronomy); and a few even provide divine justification for exploitative economic systems (2 Samuel). Horsley dedicates the next four chapters to Jesus. His key argument—starting from the requests in the Lord's Prayer to "give us this day our daily bread" and "forgive our debts"—is that Jesus's proclamation of the kingdom of God is about economic subsistence through mutual aid rather than religious wisdom or apocalyptic prediction. H. situates Jesus's proclamation within a background of exploitation, taxation, and economic pressures on the Jewish people under priestly and political leaders (chap. 3). In that light, Jesus's ministry appears less a matter of an otherworldly kingdom of God than a renewal of the covenant community through social-economic solidarity (chap. 4). Likewise, Jesus's rejection of the priestly leaders, scribes, and Pharisees ought to be understood not as opposition to Judaism but as a condemnation of the temple-state's exploitation and economic extraction from the people (chap. 5). The sixth through eighth chapters treat Paul's alternative communities in the Roman Empire. In one of the most incisive chapters of the book, H. argues that both economic and sociological studies of the NT have been riddled with methodological problems (chap. 6). Economic scholarship has imported capitalist assumptions into its study of the Roman Empire, but H. makes the case that ancient Rome was no true market economy but rather a [End Page 358] political economy ruled by the demands and coercion of the empire. Likewise, prior sociological research—influenced by anti-Marxist sociological models in the 1970s—presented Roman society as a coherent system in which different socioeconomic roles and occupations all fit into a cohesive whole. The reality, however, was far more governed by inequality, poverty, and the exploitation of the many by an extremely wealthy few. Building on this foundation, H.'s next chapters present the early Christ movement as an alternative to the domination and exploitation of the Roman imperial order, turning first to Acts (chap, 7) and then to economic solidarity in the letters of Paul (chap, 8). Horsley's final section addresses contemporary implications. This section frames global capitalism as a new form of empire, the Bible as a tool of empire, and the field of biblical studies as complicit in empire (chap. 9). H. contrasts this with the biblical texts themselves. He traces the critique of empire and the call to political-economic-religious solidarity through the Hebrew Bible (chap. 10) and NT (chap. 11) and concludes in the latter half of chap. 11 with a call to create alternative communities in resistance to the empire of global capitalism. Not all will agree with the interpretive decisions that H. makes. One example is the use of Acts...