Reading Of Scripture Research Articles

Imago Dei

This paper examines the close connection between the domain of biblical interpretation and the communal sphere, which is comprised of living data that serves as starting point for scriptural interpretation. The yield of such interpretations serves as an important contribution for a church seeking proactively to address and resolve various urgent concerns in the current context. This essay considers one such crisis needing to be addressed: the issue of human trafficking in East Nusa Tenggara, with specific regard to how female victims of human trafficking have been torn apart by the variegated forms of oppression they have undergone. By looking to Genesis 1:26-27, with its emphasis on the concept of imago Dei, this paper demonstrates just how useful is a postcolonial approach to reading scripture, namely in the case of female victims who are reconsidering the manner in which they regard and understand themselves; no less than are men, women too are created in the image of God and, therefore, have in the sight of God an equality and parity of status with men. Equality and parity become a strong foundation upon which to resist every effort to debase the dignity and value of women. Furthermore, this article highlights the role of the community, namely as an agential collective set to oppose any attempt to rob fellow human beings of their claim, namely as living persons created according to God’s image.

“Shining in the Light of Your Glory”: Finding the Simple Reading of Scripture

AbstractThis essay argues that without allowing for a legitimate extra‐biblical reasoning for the appropriateness of God's “simplicity,” Christians will be compelled biblically to affirm that God, as such, has a body — or at least Christians will have to accept this as a theologically possible reading of Scripture that cannot be ruled out. Barnes first cites ancient philosophical sources that argue that God has no parts but is utterly simple. In Barnes's quick sketch, the main role is given to Plotinus and especially to the summation found in Alcuinus's Didaskalon X.7 (Alcuinus is known also as Albinus). Barnes then examines readings of Israel's Scriptures that indicate the bodiliness of God (YHWH). Most importantly, divine bodiliness comports with the “plain sense” of Scripture. Here he draws upon such works as Benjamin Sommer's The Bodies of God, Stephen Moore's “Gigantic God,” and Tryggve Mettinger's The Dethronement of Sabaoth; and he also makes reference to the work of the Jewish kabbalist scholar Gershom Scholem. Barnes carefully investigates such passages as Exodus 33, in which God is clearly presented as having bodily parts, including a “face.” As Barnes notes, the Fathers’ arguments for why God does not have a body are tied completely to their arguments for why God exists simply.

Reading Race, Reading Scripture: Assessing Recent Historical Works on Race and the Book of Mormon

Reading Race, Reading Scripture: Assessing Recent Historical Works on Race and the Book of Mormon

Synchronic and Diachronic Harmony: St. Irenaeus on Divine Simplicity

AbstractJohn Behr probes the teaching of Irenaeus on divine simplicity. Behr cautions against viewing divine simplicity as a philosophical or theological element that Irenaeus settles prior to his engagement with the scriptural economy of salvation. He warns that to understand Irenaeus’ approach in this way would separate “theology” and “economy” in a manner that supposes that the former does not arise fundamentally from the latter. Behr sets forth briefly the metaphysical principles upheld by the doctrine of divine simplicity. The question that Behr raises, in light of Irenaeus’ approach, is whether divine simplicity merely comes from human speculation, absent the need for biblical revelation; or whether the doctrine is a grammatical rule; or (his Irenaean solution) whether in fact divine simplicity is inseparable from the way that God has revealed himself. Behr argues that the last‐named answer is the only one that could befit Irenaeus. In this light, Behr sets forth the careful exposition of Irenaeus’ doctrine of divine simplicity that has been provided by the patristics scholar Eric Osborn. While Behr is not oblivious to the erudition of Osborn’s account, Behr points out that unlike Osborn, Irenaeus never offers a distinct “refined theism” before proceeding to scriptural revelation. Thus, Behr argues that to understand Irenaeus on divine simplicity will require refusing to impose our categories of thought upon him, and instead carefully tracing the way in which Irenaeus reads Scripture.

Ecofaith: Reading Scripture in an Era of Ecological Crisis

This essay outlines the emerging field of ecological theology (ecotheology) with a primary focus on the methods of ecological hermeneutics developed by biblical scholars, ethicists, and theologians. This relatively new approach to reading ancient sacred texts has emerged in tandem with, and partially as a result of, increased public, political, and scientific consensus on the impacts of anthropogenic global warming and the ranging environmentally related effects (e.g., reduction of biodiversity and ecosystems, deforestation, loss of fertile lands, and so forth). The demands of our current context have challenged scholars to consider how religious anthropocentric worldviews have influenced historical readings of the Bible in ways that have contributed to the crisis and constricted the ecological contours of the ancient text. In order to place these developments within a broader historical context, the first section summarizes the history and trajectory of ecological hermeneutics over the past four decades. The main section of this work outlines and summarizes the different types of reading strategies being considered and debated among scholars today and includes promising examples of ecocritical readings of biblical texts. These readings are based on a constructive and critical engagement of ancient texts in light of the modern environmental challenges.

Reassessing Justin Martyr’s Binitarian Orientation In 1 Apology 33

Abstract Many scholars argue that Justin is either inconsistent or confused in his view of the Spirit in relation to the Logos. The most decisive section in this discussion is 1Apol. 33, where Justin appears to confuse the titles and unify the functions of the Logos and the Spirit. This essay argues that this apparent confusion is conditioned by Justin’s particular christological reading of Isaiah 7:14 in order to meet the demands of his own understanding of the apostolic faith. The interpretation of Isaiah 7:14 is a unique case with multiple external hermeneutical pressures imposing upon his exegesis, including those coming from competing Jewish exegesis, Greco-Roman mythology, and Marcionite interpretations. At the same time, Justin reads scripture within his own Christian community. Justin’s exegesis of Isaiah 7:14 attempts to account for these external pressures by focusing upon the particular Lukan terminology of ‘Power’ rather than ‘Spirit’ in Luke 1:35, which downplays the function of the Spirit in the incarnation in order to demonstrate that the Logos has come in power. This exegetical move exposes him to binitarian allegations, but does not suggest that Justin is, in fact, a binitarian. What this suggests, however, is that in 1Apol. 33 Justin actually resists confusing the Logos and the Spirit even when a text uses the language of ‘Spirit’, because his exegetical concern is focused on the Logos coming in power. Justin’s exegetical treatment of Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:35 reflects the way he is reasoning through the textual and theological complexities of the christological interpretation of scripture and does not suggest that he confuses the functions of the Logos and the Spirit.

Racism, anger and the move towards reconciliation: a modest proposal about returning to a stable base

ABSTRACTRacism is still a scourge of our time. Those who find themselves at the centre of this onslaught carry in their hearts and minds centuries of debilitating prejudice, recognising that their own experience of discrimination is simply another stage in its unfolding history and the ongoing social structure which underpins it. Carrying such weight is bound to have a deleterious effect on their personal lives and determines their responses to any discrimination felt and perceived. Reconciliation is required to heal the wounds inflicted by such false representation. I suggest that the Desert Christians offered insights into this matter and offered remedies for reconciliation, all of which constituted a stable base for self-renewal and a solid foundation in the struggle for social justice. Like twentieth-century liberation theologians, reading scripture encouraged them to be confident about finding ways, both personal and social, to be freed from oppression and anger and to support others who desired the same. Perhaps victims of racist abuse and hatred might look to both phenomena in finding possible ways forward for their predicament.

Spirit Hermeneutics: Reading Scripture in Light of Pentecost by Craig S. Keener

Reviewed by: Spirit Hermeneutics: Reading Scripture in Light of Pentecost by Craig S. Keener Russell Morton craig s. keener, Spirit Hermeneutics: Reading Scripture in Light of Pentecost (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016). Pp. xxvii + 533. $48. Pentecostal/Charismatic expressions of Christian faith are among the fastest growing in the world, particularly in the Global South. Those claiming Pentecostal experiences not only populate the traditional Pentecostal or Charismatic denominations but are also found among "mainline" Protestant and Catholic churches. Yet, for many unfamiliar with Pentecostalism, the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement remains bizarre. How do Pentecostals/Charismatics read Scripture? Do their methods correspond to more traditional exegetical models? Does their expressed dependence on "Spirit" negate sound exegetical practice? Such concerns are addressed in Keener's Spirit Hermeneutics. Originally intended as a contribution to the Pentecostal Manifesto series, K. broadened his scope to compose a stand-alone discussion of Pentecostal hermeneutics. His book is intended for a wide-ranging constituency that includes lay, clerical, and academic readers. It is divided into six parts, with each part further subdivided into individual chapters. Part 1, "A Theological Reading Toward Praxis and Mission," covers the presuppositions and practical application of a Pentecostal reading of Scripture. Pentecostals self-consciously read the Bible through their spiritual experiences. So far, this perspective corresponds to the postmodern recognition that all reading is contextual. Where Pentecostals differ from post-moderns is in Pentecostals' willingness to assert that their readings are inspired by the Holy Spirit. Their approach need not, however, be individualistic. They are also open to "missional readings" that welcome insights from the global Pentecostal community. Thus, in part 2, we encounter "Global Readings." Pentecostalism's greatest strength is outside of North America and Western Europe. Therefore, Pentecostals may be more open [End Page 337] to insights from the Majority World than are scholars trained in primarily Eurocentric contexts. Pentecostals also do not necessarily share a naturalistic worldview and are open to the possibility of miracles (pp. 93-96). This openness, while foreign to Eurocentric thinking, is still acceptable in many parts of the Majority World. Yet, if Pentecostal readings are "spirit inspired," that does not mean they are strictly subjective. In part 3, "Connection with Designated Sense," K. notes that meaning is still important. K. argues for a balanced hermeneutical approach that provides room for both the Spirit and scholarly insights from a variety of perspectives. K. appreciates that "Spirit hermeneutics" can be informed by the debates on the nature of authorial intent, as well as affirming literary and historical perspectives. Nevertheless, Pentecostals assert that their underlying hermeneutical epistemology is informed by the Spirt of God (part 4). This epistemology is both theocentric and Christocentric. It is affirmed by the biblical witness itself and competes with the broader secular worldview, especially in Pentecostals' willingness to accept the reality of the supernatural and/or miraculous. Pentecostals are also sympathetic to the biblical witness, reading the Bible as truth, thereby rejecting the "hermeneutics of suspicion." If the Bible is to be read as truth, what models should be employed for a coherent understanding of the text? In part 5, K. affirms that the Bible itself provides models for its interpretation. For example, it is inappropriate to seek to impose biblical law upon contemporary society. Instead, the Bible is read through the "Law of Faith," exemplified by the biblical authors themselves who looked beyond the words of Scripture to find universal meanings (see Matt 9:13; 12:7 on compassion; and 19:4-6 on marriage). Yet an emphasis on spiritual reading and application can be abused. In part 6, "Whose Charismatic Interpretation?," K. addresses some of the excesses of popular Pentecostal interpretation, such as the "prosperity gospel," which disregards the biblical witness of God's concern for the poor and oppressed. While K. makes a valuable contribution in advancing the dialogue between Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal readers, the book suffers deficiencies. K.'s writing style is at places tedious. Likewise, non-Pentecostals, unaware of the importance of personal story in Pentecostal circles, may be taken aback by K.'s excessive appeals to personal testimony. K. also occasionally strays from a discussion of sound hermeneutics into the polemical, such as in his discussion of...

“Ipsa ructatio euangelium est”

In a curious turn of phrase that he offered to a particular congregation, Augustine claims that a belch became the Gospel: “Ipsa ructatio euangelium est.” The reference comes at the end of a longer digression in Sermon (s.) 341 [Dolbeau 22] about how John the Evangelist, a fisherman, came to produce his Gospel, namely he belched out what he drank in. The use of a mundane word like ructare in an oration concerning a divine being contravenes a rhetorical prohibition known as tapinosis. This kind of speech was prohibited in ancient oratory because it humiliated the subject of the declamation, and this was especially problematic if the subject was divine. According to Augustine’s reading of scripture, if the divine willfully chose to be humiliated in order to teach humility to others by example, then the person delivering a speech about the divine could contravene this oratorical vice. This article argues that Augustine does precisely that in s. 341 by examining the reasons for Augustine’s use of the terms ructare and iumentum. Specifically, it traces their usage in various Latin texts from Cicero to Plautus to the Psalms. It argues that the virtue of humility is manifest in the very language which Augustine deploys all along the way.

The Reformation and the Right Reading of Scripture by Iain Provan

The Reformation and the Right Reading of Scripture by Iain Provan

Psalms of the Faithful: Luther’s Early Reading of the Psalter in Canonical Context by Brian T. German

Reviewed by: Psalms of the Faithful: Luther’s Early Reading of the Psalter in Canonical Context by Brian T. German Brooks Schramm Psalms of the Faithful: Luther’s Early Reading of the Psalter in Canonical Context. By Brian T. German. Studies in Historical and Systematic Theology. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017. 217 pp. This book is the product of the author’s doctoral work at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, under Christopher R. Seitz, who himself has been one of the most prolific and influential students of Brevard S. Childs. The influence of Childs’s original and controversial hermeneutical work in articulating a canonical approach to the Christian Old Testament and Seitz’s appropriation and development of that work are everywhere evident in German’s penetrating new study of Luther’s Dictata super Psalterium (1513–1515). Taking his bearings from James Samuel Preus and Scott H. Hendrix, chiefly in terms of their understanding of Luther’s use of “faithful synagogue” (fidelis synagoga) in the Dictata, German pursues the argument that the generally acknowledged difference in character between the latter part of the Dictata and its earlier portion is attributable—and traceable—to the coercion of the canonical shape of the Psalter itself on Luther as he lectured his way through it in sequential fashion over a two-year period. Chapter 1, “A Fresh Look at Luther,” serves both to sketch the structure and argument of the book as well as to introduce the reader to recent research in contemporary Psalms scholarship that has begun to take strong interest in the final form or canonical shape of the five-book Psalter. It is this latter that gives the book its distinctive methodological character, for in addition to reading Luther’s [End Page 120] Psalms interpretation in light of the influence of Augustine (and Cassiodorus), German is also examining how an aspect of modern critical biblical study can “expand our knowledge of a premodern series of psalm lectures” (21). Chapter 2, “The Origins of the Faithful Synagogue,” focuses on what is the turning-point in the Dictata and in the canonical structure of the Psalter itself, namely, Book III (Pss. 73–89). Analysis of Luther’s treatment of the Asaphite Psalms (Pss. 73–83) in particular, where traditional exegesis had tended to identify the name Asaph with the synagogue, serves to demonstrate that this is the precise point where the concept of “faithful synagogue” becomes both prominent in the lecture series as well as distinctive over against Augustine and Cassiodorus. Chapter 3, “Joining the Faithful Synagogue,” focuses on Luther’s treatment of the remaining Psalms in Book III and in Book IV (Pss. 90–106), showing how the concept of “faithful synagogue” as developed in the Asaphite corpus now exercises hermeneutical influence on Luther’s interpretation of immediately succeeding Psalms. In Chapter 4, “Reading Scripture with the Faithful Synagogue,” German turns to Book V (Pss. 107–150) and explicates “the most immediate hermeneutical implications of Luther’s increasing preoccupation with the Old Testament perspective” (26, 185), the most significant of which is that the interpretive lens of the “faithful synagogue” eventuates for Luther in “a reappraisal of the literal sense of Scripture” (186). In the concluding Chapter 5, “What Does This Mean?,” German summarizes the arguments of the book and states his central claim: “[. . .] the second half of Martin Luther’s Dictata super Psalterium exhibits a noticeably different character than the first half because of (emphasis added) the profound effect that the canonical shape of the Hebrew Psalter had on Luther’s journey from Psalm 1 to Psalm 150” (191). This book is a serious piece of scholarship. Combining methodological sophistication with absolute lucidity, German demonstrates that interaction between critical and pre-critical approaches to the biblical text can yield fresh and compelling insights. Highly recommended for both scholars and motivated students alike. [End Page 121] Brooks Schramm United Lutheran Seminary Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Copyright © 2019 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc

Luther in Russian

Luther in Russian Matthew Heise In April of 1521 the seventeen-year-old future Danish king, Christian III, heard Martin Luther make his bold proclamation before Charles V at the Diet of Worms. Christian was intrigued and became a staunch defender of Luther's views. His dedication to the cause helped introduce Lutheranism into not only Denmark but also Russia.1 In 1552 the Czar of Russia during Christian III's reign, known to history as Ivan the Terrible, invited the Danish king to send skilled tradesmen to Moscow. Seizing the opportunity, Christian III also sent to the theologically curious Czar copies of the Augsburg Confession and Luther's Small Catechism. Shortly thereafter these Lutheran confessions were translated into Russian in a book entitled Articles of the Right Faith.2 Ivan no doubt read the documents with intense interest since they were decidedly critical of the papacy, his arch enemy. Evidently following the old adage that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, he initially permitted the Lutherans to preach freely, but only to ethnic minorities within his empire. The first Lutheran congregation in Russia was formed in 1559 by Germans, Swedes, and Danes working in Moscow.3 In 1576 the Czar went a step further and allowed the Lutherans to construct a church, St. Michael's in Moscow.4 Unfortunately, Ivan's views changed quickly and dramatically. While the exact reason for the Czar's change of heart is unclear, it seems that he suspected that the Lutherans were trying to convert him and his people. Ivan reneged on his promise of free speech to Lutherans and in 1580 ordered the wood-framed St. Michael's to be burned.5 Thereafter, although the Lutheran Church became one of the largest churches in Russia outside of the state-sponsored [End Page 180] Orthodox Church, Luther's writings and other books produced by Lutherans were for centuries only allowed to be printed in the languages of the minorities that were deemed "ethnically Lutheran." That would include the largest group, the Germans, as well as the Finns, Swedes, Latvians, and Estonians.6 However, due to the gradual assimilation of these ethnic minorities within the Russian Empire over time, some attempts were made in the early twentieth century to provide catechisms in Russian to those who were no longer proficient in their original language.7 For example, a translation of Luther's Small Catechism from German into Russian was published in 1913 in Warsaw, at that time part of the Russian Empire. It contained the five standard parts, as well as the morning and evening prayers, table prayers, and the table of duties. An added section contained a general confession of sins, a prayer for use before the scripture readings, and a general prayer, including petitions for Czar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, the surviving and former czarina Maria Fedorovna along with Prince Michael, Nicholas' brother. During World War I, German was forbidden in the Russian Empire, so church documents and possibly some other Lutheran books were also translated into Russian as that was the only language allowed.8 A Russian Lutheran hymnal from 1915 is showcased today in downtown St. Petersburg's Lutheran cathedral, St. Mary's. The success of the atheist-inspired Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 eventually led to bans on the import of Christian literature, not to mention on any attempt at translations of Luther into Russian.9 All Lutheran congregations in Russia were forcibly closed by 1939.10 However, in the late 1980s an opening for religious freedom occurred during Mikhail Gorbachev's experimental program of glasnost (openness). Finding little impediment, Lutherans cautiously began re-establishing old congregations. With the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, the demand for translations of Luther and Lutheran materials increased sharply. In 1992 the Michigan-based Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF) entered the newly established Russian Republic with the hope of restoring Lutheran literature to a land that had once hosted a fairly robust Lutheran church. Now that ethnic Russians could legally belong to any church and given that historically ethnic [End Page 181] Lutheran minorities had become more comfortable with the Russian language, LHF explored how it could provide Luther's...

Why is Simeon Dancing? The Unity of Exegesis, Theology and Devotion in the Work of Bonaventure

Why is Simeon Dancing?The Unity of Exegesis, Theology and Devotion in the Work of Bonaventure William Hyland (bio) INTRODUCTION Bonaventure (1274) is generally regarded as one of the central representatives of the earliest phases of Franciscan scholasticism, and as a mystical theologian and ecclesiastical statesman of the first rank. Despite this acknowledgement, Bonaventure's significant work as a biblical exegete has witnessed relative neglect from scholars.1 While Bonaventure's academic exegesis is noted by Gilbert Dahan and others as important, particularly the Old Testament commentaries,2 his exegetical writings have received far less scholarly attention than his other works. In recent years, the English translations of Bonaventure's academic commentaries on Luke, John and Ecclesiastes have begun to spur interest in this aspect of his corpus in the Anglophone world.3 Led by the work of the Franciscan Fr. Robert Karris, these translations hopefully will lead to more attention being given to the exegetical aspect of Bonaventure's work, and to its importance in reception history.4 Bonaventure's academic exegesis was by no means done in isolation from his theological and devotional concerns. While it is important to understand the various purposes and audiences of his work in different genres, they can and must be seen as mutually enriching each other. This is in stark contrast to what is so often the case today, where strict boundaries between academic exegesis and theology, and both of these areas and writings usually classified as "devotional," are still all too evident. This perpetuates what Ryan Brandt has aptly described as a bifurcation and polarization of "the otherwise inseparable realties of academic reading and personal reading of Scripture."5 But for Bonaventure, there is ultimately no separation of the work of the exegete from the spiritual guide, nor the theologian from the mystagogue. Ilia Delio has written eloquently of Bonaventure's "propensity for integration, uniting faith and reason, intellectual and spiritual, speculative and symbolic, knowledge and love."6 For Bonaventure, all genres were seen as the opportunity to pursue the imperative of seeking wisdom and living out the imitation of Christ, and while each genre had a specific purpose and to some degree particular methodology, they ultimately interweave and enrich one another in order to engage and [End Page 267] integrate all the grace-illuminated faculties of human experience in pursuit of holiness. In order to apprehend the fullness of Delio's suggestion about integration in Bonaventure's work, it is necessary to include the way Bonaventure did his academic exegesis, and how this exegesis is reflected in his "devotional" works. Such an investigation illuminates the goal of integration of devotion and exegesis with theology, and presents the Seraphic Doctor as a much-needed model of how this spiritual unity of purpose can be recovered and achieved. In order to illustrate this approach of Bonaventure, the present article analyzes Bonaventure's exegesis of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, along with the closely-related Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an episode found in Luke 2: 22–39. The particular focus will be on how Bonaventure treats the elderly Simeon and Simeon's canticle, known in Latin as the Nunc Dimittis. This topic is an appropriate choice to illuminate Bonaventure's exegetical method for several reasons. Firstly, the episode plays an almost unique role in the later medieval devotional tradition, forming as it does, along with the Finding of Christ in the Temple at the age of Twelve, one of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, but also one of the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary. This complexity of the episode reflects that while the parents of Jesus are marveling at Simeon's words, the elderly man then prophetically indicates doleful things in Mary's future; as Robert Karris remarks, "In a stage whisper Luke announces the Cross."7 Secondly, in his commentary on Luke, Bonaventure himself will assert the unique importance of Simeon's canticle as an expression of the gospel, "the most brief capsulation of the evangelical story (totius evangelicae historiae quaedam brevissima comprehensio)."8 In this way he also will explain the appropriateness of Simeon's song in the daily prayer of the Church. Thirdly, this...

Light that Conquers the Darkness

Oscar Romero’s homilies on the transfiguration of Jesus offer a unique window into his way of reading Scripture as a churchman seeking to bring the gospel to bear on his historical moment. For Romero, the light that shone in the face of Jesus on the mountain must shine through the church in the dark places of the world as the church follows the same road as its Lord: the road that ends in glory but first endures the cross.

The Substance of Psalm 24: An Attempt to Read Scripture after Brevard S. Childs by Philip Sumpter

The Substance of Psalm 24: An Attempt to Read Scripture after Brevard S. Childs by Philip Sumpter

Literary Forms/Techniques & Methods of Study

Literary Forms/Techniques & Methods of Study Thomas Hieke, Christopher T. Begg, and Paul R. Redditt 85. David Tuesday Adamo, "The Extent to which [the] OTSSA Journal (OTE) Reflects the Indigenous African Culture and Tradition from 2001-2016," OTE 31 (2018) 42-65. This article examines the journal cited in its title for the period in question in order to determine the extent to which articles published in the journal reflect indigenous African culture and tradition. In carrying out his investigation, A. examines each volume of OTE available to him for the above years to ascertain the percentage of articles published in each that do reflect that perspective. Even though OTSSA is an African organization and its journal belongs to and is published [End Page 27] in Africa by Africans who live in Africa, can one, A. asks, truly say that it exemplifies African OT studies as compared with Eurocentric OT studies? At a time when scholars all over the world are taking seriously the indigenous approach to the study of the Bible (OT), can one, A. further asks, truly say that OTE is taking African OT studies or African contextual approaches seriously? The objective of A.'s article in raising these questions is basically to challenge OT scholars who, irrespective of color, have the advantage of living, studying, and lecturing in Africa to take African OT studies seriously. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 86. Aryeh Amihay, "Biblical Myths and the Inversion Principle; A Neoconstructionist Approach," JBL 137 (2018) 555-79. The postmodern turn in the humanities is now at a point that requires response and revision to certain deconstructionist trends. As a case study, A's article examines the inversion principle formulated by Claude Lévi-Strauss vis-à-vis Yair Zakovitch's analysis of mirror narratives on the basis of three examples. In the first example, the mirror narratives of two destructions in Genesis are shown to be better explained by the inversion principle. A.'s second example considers aspects of the Mesopotamian flood hero Utnapishtim that have been divided in subsequent Jewish traditions between Enoch and Noah. The third example focuses the transformation of the myth of the sacrificial son in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These three examples lead A. to the following conclusions: (1) that other myths, particularly in Genesis, should be reconsidered in light of the inversion principle; (2) that the principle is crucial for the reception history of narratives as seen in the development of the protagonist of the flood narrative in Second Temple Judaism; and (3) that intentional adaptations are also susceptible to the subconscious changes that occur in the intercultural journeys of myth, as described by Lévi-Strauss. [Adapted from published abstract—P.L.R.] 87. [Exodus 2; 1 Kings 22] Collin Cornell, "Brevard Childs and the Treasures of Darkness," Scottish Journal of Theology 71 (2018) 33-51. Contemporary biblical studies is populated by "comparativists" and "theological interpreters," i.e., by scholars who read the Bible either in the context of ancient artefacts or in that of Christian theology. These camps relate to one another mostly by feuding—or by mutual avoidance. The late OT theologian Brevard Childs is usually taken as a champion of the theological interpretation approach, and hence as reinforcing one side of the disciplinary divide. Under certain conditions, however, Childs advocated a use of ancient artefacts ("the treasures of darkness") in reading Scripture theologically. C.'s article seeks to reactivate this latter possibility within Childs's interpretative program on the basis of two case studies: the first by Childs himself when he uses the Sargon legend to interpret Exodus 2; and the second a reprise of Childs's approach using the Mesha inscription to interpret 1 Kings 22. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 88. Philip R. Davies, "Literary-Historical Exegesis as a Social Science," Scripture as Social Discourse, 29-36 [see #716]. In this essay, D. is especially interested in the contributions that both archaeology and the sociological subdiscipline of "social memory" can make to exegetical scholarship [End Page 28] concerning ancient Israel and the ideological construction of "Israel" in the Hebrew Bible. Like many others...

The Preaching of the Master: Thomas Aquinas’s University Sermons on Happiness

ABSTRACTThe single task of the Parisian masters of the thirteenth century was to read Scripture, a task they performed by way of the famous legere, disputare, praedicare. Although intimately connected these three are rarely studied in relation to each other. Thomas Aquinas’s sermons on the beatitudes (Matthew 5. 1–10) can be compared to his commentary on Matthew and the Summa Theologiae. This opens up a new perspective on the sermons, addressing some of the questions they raise. The edition of Aquinas’s sermons by Louis Bataillon is instrumental in performing this task and will therefore be considered in greater detail. The present article seeks to contribute to Medieval Sermon Studies by way of a more theological approach and to present to theologians the importance of a greater appreciation for the sermons of the masters.

Transformative Readings of Sacred Scriptures: Christians and Muslims in Dialogue ed. by Simone Sinn, Dina El Omari, Anne Hege Grung

Reviewed by: Transformative Readings of Sacred Scriptures: Christians and Muslims in Dialogue ed. by Simone Sinn, Dina El Omari, Anne Hege Grung Mark Nygard Transformative Readings of Sacred Scriptures: Christians and Muslims in Dialogue. Edited by Simone Sinn, Dina El Omari, and Anne Hege Grung. Leipzig, Germany: Evangelische Verlangsanstalt 2017. 193 pp. We Lutherans, with our theologically-driven interest in the mystery that occurs between Word and hearer, will find this book a compelling read. Fruit of a Christian-Muslim conference organized by the Lutheran World Federation in 2016, it invites fresh thought on how a written text deemed sacred becomes a transformative power in the lives of believers and society. It is fresh because we find ourselves considering testimony by believers of another faith [End Page 235] that they, too, experience this phenomenon—fresh because proponents on both sides seem affected by direct living contact with their respective sola scriptura—fresh because the resulting insights gained and offered from both sides seem worthy contributions to life and thought in the contemporary world. If this seems a bit "edgy," it is probably because it calls for openness to contributions by unfamiliar scriptures, and because emphasis on the immediacy of scriptural contact risks sidelining more studied orthodox positions and opinions. This 62nd volume of the LWF Documentation series consists of an introduction and fifteen essays by seventeen scholars, both Muslim and Christian, from eight countries, mostly European. Their work represents actual presentations coordinated by two European institutions, the Faculty of Theology at the University of Oslo and the Center for Islamic Theology of the University of Münster, Germany. The essays are grouped into three sections. The first, entitled "Reading Sacred Scriptures in Dialogue," addresses the main theme of how Christians and Muslims might think about and helpfully share their scriptural insights with each other. The second and third sections, "Transformative Readings of the Qur'an" and "Transformative Readings of the Bible," offer examples of the theme played out in the context of particular passages or concerns. The richness and variety of these essays exceed what can be properly explored here, but some brief examples might pique one's interest. Oddbjørn Liervik's essay on handling problematic texts takes an example from each side—hell for Christians, and use of the sword for Muslims—to show how both faiths have violent passages requiring special attention. Christians find themselves applying an "ethical critique" (20ff) and Muslims, a "moral enrichment" (24ff), to humanize such verses through an "ethical concern for the vulnerable human being" (27). Mouhanad Khorchide provocatively entitles his article "The Authors of the Qur'an are Still Alive: The Qur'an as an Act of Communication." Surprisingly, almost incarnationally, he includes the actual "actions and life plans" (96) of Qur'anic reciters in God's own revealing act. Safet Bektovic suggests that "many Western European societies meet Islamic principles of social justice better than many of the existing Sharia-based Islamic societies" (84), and Jerusha Lamptey looks to taqwa, or piety, as more definitive [End Page 236] of faith than identity within any given religion (73–74). Asmaa El Maaroufi-Ulzheimer develops a Qur'anically based ethical approach to animals, and Martin Kopp uses climate change to demonstrate an approach to topics not included in the biblical worldview. Every essay presents new surprises and insights that will provoke valuable discussion among Christians and Muslims alike, not only scholars interested in hermeneutical questions, but also the reflective faithful as well. If there's anything lacking, it is the kind of expectation of the alien work of God Lutherans call Law. While Marianne Kartzow looks for "destabilizing and transformative potential" (173), the expectations of newness through reading scriptures tend to be relatively domesticated—non-eschatological and socially appropriate. Kenneth Mtata is not the only one to ask for something like "deliberate predetermination of the boundaries of the positive changes … that are possible" (159). Perhaps Clare Amos' characterization of the Bible as a "dialogue partner" (155) is too mild for a vigorous doctrine of revelation. Mark Nygard Bowdon, North Dakota Copyright © 2019 Johns Hopkins University Press and Lutheran Quarterly, Inc.

Prayer after Augustine: A Study in the Development of the Latin Tradition by Jonathan Teubner

Reviewed by: Prayer after Augustine: A Study in the Development of the Latin Tradition by Jonathan Teubner Adam Ployd Jonathan Teubner Prayer after Augustine: A Study in the Development of the Latin Tradition Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018 Pp. viii + 257. $88.00. The word "after" in the title of Jonathan Teubner's Prayer after Augustine ought not to be read as meaning simply "subsequent to" or "chronologically following." Rather, it should evoke the more substantial sense of "in the footsteps of" or "in the manner of." Teubner's monograph on prayer in the Augustinian tradition is not so much about how the practice or theory of prayer developed in the centuries immediately following the death of Augustine—although he devotes careful work to unearthing the legacy of Augustine in the writings of Boethius and Benedict—as it is about the way theological tradition is transmitted and adapted, the "kinematics," as he puts it. From this multi-layered study emerges an astute rendering of Augustine's understanding of prayer, a new approach to the early Augustinian tradition independent of the perennial Pelagian focus, and a theory of tradition that challenges the reigning options in modern theological ethics. The historical meat of Teubner's study is divided into two parts, each with four chapters. Part I examines how Augustine's understanding of prayer develops diachronically in his writings. Chapter One, "Learning to Pray," examines Augustine's earliest works, especially the Soliloquia, De moribus, and De magistro. Through these texts Teubner traces the development of Augustine's understanding of prayer from a Platonic reaching of the ratio toward God to a reflexive turning inward upon oneself as unknown. In Chapter Two, "Prayer as Acceptance of Time," Teubner demonstrates how Augustine comes to reject a view of immediate ascent in favor of an eschatologically fulfilled ascent whose temporal delay cultivates a purified desire through a life of patience in time. This argument develops through readings of De vera religione and De sermone Domini in monte that highlight the practices of scripture reading and communal prayer that embody and enliven [End Page 152] this theory. Chapter Three, "Prayer as Reception of the Other," fleshes out this vision of purifying prayer by unpacking Augustine's understanding of the totus Christus. Highlighting Augustine's use of the verb induere, Teubner focuses on the Enarrationes in Psalmos, through which he illustrates how prayer is both the means for incorporation into the totus Christus and the fruit of such incorporation, as Christian existence becomes defined by a dialectic of desire and patience nurtured by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Part I concludes with Chapter Four, "Prayer as the Hope of Wisdom," in which Teubner comes to Ep. 130 and the De trinitate. His reading turns upon two terminological pairs—scientia/sapientia and deprecari/precari—which he reads as mutually informing. Deprecari represents the prayer for purification while precari signifies the desire for participation in God. Scientia pairs with deprecari inasmuch as it is linked with the humility of Christ's incarnation, the very humility that Christians must take on (induere) if they are to reach the sapientia for which they desire (precari). Thus, Teubner concludes his analysis of Augustine's approach to prayer by highlighting not only the tension of desire and patience but also the virtue of hope that sustains the Christian within that life-long tension that is the life of prayer. In Part II, Teubner traces the influence of this Augustinian approach to prayer within the writings of Boethius and the Rule of St. Benedict. Each figure receives two chapters, one for what Teubner terms "Augustinianism 1" and another for "Augustinianism 2," categories he describes in the introduction: "Augustinianism 1 refers to the citation, reference, and particular allusion to a writing from Augustine's pen. . . . Augustinianism 2 is the use of certain general orientations and constellations of thought from Augustine without necessarily sharing specific doctrinal positions" (15). In chapter 5, "The Augustinianism 1 of the Opuscula sacra," Teubner argues that "Boethius' very mode or practice of inquiry is influenced by Augustine's use of prayer in De trinitate and Ep. 130" (128). That is to say, following Augustine, Boethius emphasizes the nature of prayer...

PERBEDAAN RELIGIUSITAS DAN MOTIVASI BERPRESTASI PADA MAHASISWA UNIVERSITAS ISLAM NEGERI UIN MAULANA MALIK IBRAHIM MALANG

<p>Religiosity is a religious appreciation and depth of trust expressed by daily worship, prayer, and reading of scripture. Religiosity can give a positive role to achievement motivation for the student. Correct understanding of his religion and the constant practice of his religious beliefs that will distinguish someone from others. Without a true understanding and practice of his religious beliefs, a necessity will form skilled individuals, initiative, leadership, responsible, honest, disciplined, loyal, optimistic, passionate and tolerant. Religious perspectives can play a positive role in relation to the achievement that the student will achieve in completing his education through understanding and belief in his religion. The higher the person's religious level the easier it will be for them to better complete their duties and responsibilities and to strive for difficulties in the face of religious values.</p><p><em><strong>Keywords: religiosity; achievement motivation</strong></em></p>