The Bible and the Narrative Tradition PDF Download

Author: Konrad Schmid
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674248384
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 449

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Book Description
The authoritative new account of the BibleÕs origins, illuminating the 1,600-year tradition that shaped the Christian and Jewish holy books as millions know them today. The Bible as we know it today is best understood as a process, one that begins in the tenth century BCE. In this revelatory account, a world-renowned scholar of Hebrew scripture joins a foremost authority on the New Testament to write a new biography of the Book of Books, reconstructing Jewish and Christian scriptural histories, as well as the underappreciated contest between them, from which the Bible arose. Recent scholarship has overturned popular assumptions about IsraelÕs past, suggesting, for instance, that the five books of the Torah were written not by Moses but during the reign of Josiah centuries later. The sources of the Gospels are also under scrutiny. Konrad Schmid and Jens Schršter reveal the long, transformative journeys of these and other texts en route to inclusion in the holy books. The New Testament, the authors show, did not develop in the wake of an Old Testament set in stone. Rather the two evolved in parallel, in conversation with each other, ensuring a continuing mutual influence of Jewish and Christian traditions. Indeed, Schmid and Schršter argue that Judaism may not have survived had it not been reshaped in competition with early Christianity. A remarkable synthesis of the latest Old and New Testament scholarship, The Making of the Bible is the most comprehensive history yet told of the worldÕs best-known literature, revealing its buried lessons and secrets.

Author: Frank D. McConnell
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 019507002X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
Until recently, studies of the Bible centered on finding sources for historical knowledge, theological insights, or ethical advice, overlooking the true beauty of the words in the "book of books." This collection of six essays by noted literary critics and biblical scholars--including Harold Bloom, Hans Frei, Frank Kermode, James Robinson, Donald Foster, and Herbert Schneidau--breaks new ground by exploring the Bible as poetry, rhetoric, and narrative. The authors treat such issues involved in biblical narrative as its genesis, its revisionist dynamic, its fictional character, its interpretive nature, and its contradictions, prejudices, and claims. McConnell's lively, readable introduction elucidates and unifies the book's themes.

Author: John Barton
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0143111205
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 642

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Book Description
A literary history of our most influential book of all time, by an Oxford scholar and Anglican priest In our culture, the Bible is monolithic: It is a collection of books that has been unchanged and unchallenged since the earliest days of the Christian church. The idea of the Bible as "Holy Scripture," a non-negotiable authority straight from God, has prevailed in Western society for some time. And while it provides a firm foundation for centuries of Christian teaching, it denies the depth, variety, and richness of this fascinating text. In A History of the Bible, John Barton argues that the Bible is not a prescription to a complete, fixed religious system, but rather a product of a long and intriguing process, which has inspired Judaism and Christianity, but still does not describe the whole of either religion. Barton shows how the Bible is indeed an important source of religious insight for Jews and Christians alike, yet argues that it must be read in its historical context--from its beginnings in myth and folklore to its many interpretations throughout the centuries. It is a book full of narratives, laws, proverbs, prophecies, poems, and letters, each with their own character and origin stories. Barton explains how and by whom these disparate pieces were written, how they were canonized (and which ones weren't), and how they were assembled, disseminated, and interpreted around the world--and, importantly, to what effect. Ultimately, A History of the Bible argues that a thorough understanding of the history and context of its writing encourages religious communities to move away from the Bible's literal wording--which is impossible to determine--and focus instead on the broader meanings of scripture.

Author: Jeffery Donley
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1605508950
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 471

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Book Description
Interpretations of the Bible abound . . . so what should you believe? What’s the real story behind the book that’s sold more copies than any other publication in history? Is the Bible a reliable historical document . . . or just the greatest story ever told? Written by acclaimed Bible historian Jeffery Donley, The Everything History of the Bible Book answers these questions and more. A one-stop resource for everything you need to know about the truth behind the Bible, this fascinating book addresses the following issues: The reliability of divine inspiration The forgotten gospels and their omission from the Bible Existence of documented historical support for Biblical events Accepted, disputed, and completely rejected Testaments De-coding Da Vinci The Shroud of Turin And much, much more! With The Everything History of the Bible Book as your guide, you’ll learn all about the legends, myths, and historical events that inspired the Bible. You’ll come to understand its amazing impact on the past, the present, and the future of mankind. Most important, you’ll find out what it can mean to you - and your world.

Author: Lynn R. Huber
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0567677567
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 717

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Book Description
This volume collects both classic and cutting-edge readings related to gender, sex, sexuality, and the Bible. Engaging the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and surrounding texts and worlds, Rhiannon Graybill and Lynn R. Huber have amassed a selection of essays that reflects a wide range of perspectives and approaches towards gender and sexuality. Presented in three distinct parts, the collection begins with an examination of gender in and around biblical contexts, before moving to discussing sex and sexualities, and finally critiques of gender and sexuality. Each reading is introduced by the editors in order to situate it in its broader scholarly context, and each section culminates in an annotated list of further readings to point researchers towards other engagements with these key themes.

Author: James Barr
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199692882
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 604

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Book Description
The first of three volumes of James Barr's collected essays. Begins with a biographical essay and contains major articles on theology in relation to the Bible, programmatic studies of the past and future of biblical study, and reflections on specific topics in the study of the Old Testament.

Author: Clinton E. Arnold
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1493400428
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description
This accessible reference offers short and to-the-point answers to fifty pressing questions people have about God, the Bible, and Christianity, including - Are there errors or contradictions in the Bible? - Do science and faith conflict? - Is hell a real place? - What will heaven be like? - Is it possible to prove God exists? - Why did Jesus have to die? - Does God hate sex? - Do Christians have to go to church? - and many more This book is for those who want a clear introduction to the essential teachings of Christianity to help them grow in faith and in preparation to share the basics of Christian belief.

Author: John Barton
Publisher: Presbyterian Publishing Corp
ISBN: 066422587X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 218

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Book Description
Biblical criticism faces increasing hostility on two fronts: from biblical conservatives, who claim it is inherently positivistic and religiously skeptical, and from postmodernists, who see it as driven by the falsities of objectivity and neutrality. In this magisterial overview of the key factors and developments in biblical studies, John Barton demonstrates that these evaluations of biblical criticism fail to do justice to the work that has been done by critical scholars over many generations. Traditional biblical criticism has had as its central concern a semantic interest: a desire to establish the "plain sense" of the biblical text, which in itself requires sensitivity to many literary aspects of texts. Therefore, he argues, biblical criticism already includes many of the methodological approaches now being recommended as alternatives to it and, further, the agenda of biblical studies is far less fragmented than often thought.

Author: David A. Lysik
Publisher: LiturgyTrainingPublications
ISBN: 9781568542492
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
"This is a collection of the church's most important contemporary documents on the scriptures. This book gathers together church teachings to guide our reflection on the nature of the scriptures, their interpretation and their application to our times. [from back cover]

Author: Mike Licona
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190264268
Category : Bibles
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
Why are there differences in the stories of the Gospels? Licona turns to Greek classicist Plutarch for an answer, assessing differences that appeared when Plutarch told the same story more than once in his Lives. He suggests the differences in the Gospels often resulted from their authors employing the same compositional devices used by Plutarch.