Biblical Interpretation

A Defense of Literal Days in the Creation Week

by Robert McCabe

In this article I argue that the days of the creation week were intended to be normal days of 24 hours. In support of... more In this article I argue that the days of the creation week were intended to be normal days of 24 hours. In support of this view, I set forth five reasons for taking the days in Genesis 1:1–2:3 as  literal days. In addition, I respond to four arguments against the traditional understanding of the creation days.

"Are You For Us, Or For Our Adversaries?": A Feminist and Postcolonial Interrogation of Joshua 2-12 for the Contemporary Church

by Carolyn Sharp

Terminating Samson: the Sarah Connor Chronicles and the Rise of New Biblical Meaning

by Robert Myles

in 'Relegere: Studies in Religion and Reception', 2011

The Terminator films (1984–2009) incorporate a number of theological and biblical themes, which are further developed... more The Terminator films (1984–2009) incorporate a number of theological and biblical themes, which are further developed in the franchise’s recent expansion into a television series, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009). This article explores how the series appropriates biblical material and motifs, terminating them from their original contexts and adjusting them to create new meanings. After a brief survey of the biblical subtext of the franchise, the article focuses on one episode of the series, "Samson and Delilah," which echoes the story of Samson, to analyse its explicit and implicit retellings of the biblical narrative and to explore the wider implications of this appropriation in the context of apocalyptic science fiction.
http://relegere.org

Dandy Discipleship: A Queering of Mark's Male Disciples

by Robert Myles

in the 'Journal of Men, Masculinities, and Spirituality', 2010

While conventional readings of the Bible unambiguously presume the normativity of heterosexuality and binary... more While conventional readings of the Bible unambiguously presume the normativity of heterosexuality and binary categories of gender, this article challenges such modern assumptions by purposefully and strategically re-reading three Markan discipleship texts “sexually.” By combining a socio-rhetorical approach with queer and gender criticism as informed primarily by the work of Marcella Althaus-Reid, the re-readings attempt to penetrate through existing homophobic and erotophobic interpretations. Particular attention is also given to the ways in which the gender and sexuality of the male disciples has been constructed and can be problematized in both the world behind the text and the world in front of the text. http://www.jmmsweb.org/

On the Exegetical Function of the Abraham/Ravens Tradition in Jubilees 11

by Cory Crawford

Harvard Theological Review 97 (2004): 91-97.

Review of: Gary Yamasaki, Watching a Biblical Narrative: Point of View in Biblical Exegesis

by Juan Carlos Ossandón

Published in 'Annales Theologici' 22 (2008) 485-486

Die Stellung der 114. Psalmes in Qolasta (Draft, for discussion only!)

by Ionut Daniel Bancila

Ahab, Bar Kokhba, Muhammad, and the Lying Spirit: Prophetic Discourse before and after the Rise of Islam

by Michael Pregill

Isra’iliyyat, Myth, and Pseudepigraphy: Wahb b. Munabbih and the Early Islamic Versions of the Fall of Adam and Eve

by Michael Pregill

Movere sensum disciplinaliter. Zoomorphic symbolism and theory of knowledge in Eriugena, Periphyseon, IV 751c-752c

by Stefano Perfetti

in M.C. Pacheco-J. Meirinhos (eds.), Intellect et imagination dans la Philosophie Médiévale / Intellect and Imagination in Medieval Philosophy / Intelecto e imaginaçao na Filosofia Medieval [Actes du XIe Congrès International de la SIEPM, Porto du 26 au 31 août 2002], Brepols, Turnhout 2006, vol. II, pp. 841-853.

Exploring Politics and Priesthood Associated with Deuteronomic Historian's Foundational Covenants

by Michele Stopera Freyhauf

This paper was written in fulfillment of my Master of Arts Degree at John Carroll University.

This paper explores the foundational covenants of the Deuteronomic Historian and how they were re-interpreted to... more This paper explores the foundational covenants of the Deuteronomic Historian and how they were re-interpreted to promote a political agenda by the ruling priestly group - Levites, Zadokites, and the Aaronites.

The Harlot Shall Be Burned with Fire: Biblical Literalism in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo By Sarah Sentilles

by Feminism and Religion

Published at the Feminism and Religion Project

(spoiler alert)
Against my better judgment, this past weekend I went to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,... more (spoiler alert)
Against my better judgment, this past weekend I went to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, directed by David Fincher who’s best known for Fight Club and The Social Network. I didn’t like the book; it unsettled me that a novel filled with sexual violence against women—a novel that seems to take pleasure in the violence, to offer it up for readers to consume—became such a sensation. But I’m a sucker for a trailer and a good soundtrack, and I was curious, so I bought a ticket.

The plot revolves around a missing girl and the serial killer believed to have murdered her who uses the Bible like a handbook. He takes passages from Leviticus—21:9 for example: The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire—and enacts them on women’s bodies. On Jewish women’s bodies.

Please click here to continue reading this article at Religion Dispatches.
Sarah Sentilles is a scholar of religion, an award-winning speaker, and the author of three books including A Church of Her Own: What Happens When a Woman Takes the Pulpit (Harcourt, 2008) and Breaking Up with God (HarperOne, 2011). She earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale and a master’s of divinity and a doctorate in theology from Harvard, where she was awarded the Billings Preaching Prize and was the managing editor of the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. At the core of her scholarship, writing, and activism is a commitment to investigating the roles religious language, images, and practices play in oppression, violence, social transformation, and justice movements. She is currently at work on a novel and an edited volume that investigates the intersections of torture and Christianity.

tags: Bible, biblical literalism, david fincher, fight club, film, girl with the dragon tattoo, leviticus, misogyny, Phyllis Trible, rape, the social network Feminist Theology, Rape Culture, Review, Sexual Violence, Bible, Fiction, Film









on a novel and an edited volume that investigates the intersections of torture and Christianity.

Son of Man: An Updated Gospel Story of Jesus Set in South Africa by Michele Stopera Freyhauf

by Feminism and Religion

Originally posted at the Feminism and Religion Project

Son of Man is an updated story of the life of Jesus set in the fictional State of Judea that is modern day South... more Son of Man is an updated story of the life of Jesus set in the fictional State of Judea that is modern day South Africa – complete with warlords and child soldiers. It could easily be mistaken for modern day Rwanda or Darfur with its modern issues and political overtones. Roger Ebert stated, “The secret of the movie is that it doesn’t strain to draw parallels with current world events – because it doesn’t have to.” The director draws parallels between the gospels and 21st century Africa. According to Dartford-May, “we wanted to look at the Gospels as if they were written by spin doctors and to strip that away and look at the truth.” The director “captures the rhythms of African life in both rural settings and sprawling townships.” “Feather-clad young angels offer an eerie echo and reminder of Africa’s lost generations.”

The movie also sticks with what Eric Snider calls “Traditional African trial music, dance, and costumes” as a type of worship or or allusion to Jesus’ godhood. Judea is in flux; warlords and corruption take center stage. Poverty, violence, and oppression affect the all of the people. The key idea is that Jesus is a freedom fighter – one that fights injustice and oppression. The director does not emphasize “Jesus’ divinity so much as his leadership, good sense and compassion.” Jesus is not violent and his followers, most of whom were former child soldiers, are encouraged to respond non-violently, which goes against their upbringing and training.


According to Roger Moore, Jesus “speaks Xhosa and teaches his followers not just the basics – tolerance, forgiveness – - but also fairness, as well as decrying drug companies that price their wares out of the reach of those they could save.” The one particular scene that really emulates the character of Jesus effectively is when Jesus is talking to his followers. He is using language that brings the beatitudes to mind, however this version is updated to address present day issues, which include the aforementioned drug companies as well as the oppression of people by other nations. It calls evil by its rightful label. In fact his statements that “address political violence and ‘protectionism’” are relevant today. In fact, you could assume that he stands with the current Occupy movement and the 99% who are affected by corporate greed as well as hegemonic control and corruption.

Continue reading: http://feminismandreligion.com/2012/01/12/son-of-man-an-updated-gospel-story-of-jesus-set-in-south-africa-by-michele-stopera-freyhauf/

Tags → Christianity, Catholicism, Politics, Ethics, Resistance, Activism, Mariology, General, Catholic Church, Women and Ministry, Feminism, Women in the Church, Redemptive Suffering, Theology, Scripture, Social Justice, Art, Review, Ecojustice, Jesus, Race and Ethnicity, Women and Community, Human Rights, Power relations, Women's Agency, Postcolonialism, Children, Military, Family, Bible, Community liberation theology, politics, Michele Stopera Freyhauf, Mary, South Africa, oppression, Occupy Movement, Rwanda, Darfur, Son of Man, Africa's lost generation, political corruption, warlords, gospel, beatitudes

A Horrific Bible Story - and Why I Read It by Dirk von der Horst

by Feminism and Religion

Originally published on the Feminism and Religion Project

There are smart, and there are polemical, ways to think about religiously-motivated violence. As someone who spent his... more There are smart, and there are polemical, ways to think about religiously-motivated violence. As someone who spent his seminary years thinking about Christian anti-Semitism, I was taken aback by the simplistic account of religious violence offered by Sam Harris some years back:

“Religion is the one area of our discourse in which people are systematically protected from the demand to give good evidence and valid arguments in defense of their strongly held beliefs. And yet these beliefs regularly determine what they live for, what they will die for and—all too often—what they will kill for. Consequently, we are living in a world in which millions of grown men and women can rationalize the violent sacrifice of their own children by recourse to fairy tales” (The Case Against Faith). In response, I’d like to explore some reasons I continue to engage with violent biblical stories, taking Judges 11:29-40, the story of Jephthah, who sacrifices his daughter in fulfillment of a vow, as an example.

No one has an innocent history

Biblical Historical Narrative According to the Structure of Ancient Semitic King Lists

by Pavel Cech

presented at THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST IN THE 12th-10TH CENTURIES BCE: CULTURE AND HISTORY, 2010 INTERNATIONAL MEETING - University of Haifa, 2-5 May 2010: img2.timg.co.il/forums/1_140950488.pdf

Elio Jucci, Interpretazione e storia nei Pesharim qumranici, BeO 1987

by Elio Jucci

"Interpretazione e Storia nei ‘Pesharim’ di Qumran", in Bibbia e Oriente 154, XXIX, 1987, 163-170 (Comunicazione al Convegno della E.A.J.S., Berlino, Luglio 1987).

Evaluating the Candidacy of Amenhotep II as the Exodus-Pharaoh

by Douglas Petrovich

This paper originally was published as a peer-reviewed article in The Master's Seminary Journal 17/1 (Spr 2006): 81–110. The present version of the paper is renamed, updated, and expanded. The original title was, "Amenhotep II and the Historicity of the Exodus Pharaoh".

For those willing to entertain the idea of ancient Israel's presence and burdened subjugation in Egypt as being... more For those willing to entertain the idea of ancient Israel's presence and burdened subjugation in Egypt as being historically plausible, the question arises as to who this unnamed pharaoh might be, and why he remained unnamed. By comparing the biography of the exodus-pharaoh with the reign of Amenhotep II, the pharaoh who would have sat upon Egypt's throne at the time (based on a proper synchronization of Israelite and Egyptian history), one is able to evaluate whether this pharaoh fits the many detailed requirements that must be true of the exodus-pharaoh. It probably is safe to say that this paper represents the most thorough effort yet attempted to identify the exodus-pharaoh with a historical ruler of Egypt.

Paradigm Shifts: The Philosophical Hermeneutics of Friedrich Schleiermacher

by William R. Osborne

Midwestern Journal of Theology 10.2 (2011): 62-74.

This paper seeks to understand Schleiermacher's contribution to philosophical hermeneutics by studying (1) the... more This paper seeks to understand Schleiermacher's contribution to philosophical hermeneutics by studying (1) the historical context that shaped him, (2) the philosophical thought that undergirds his system, (3) Schleiermacher's hermeneutical method, (4) his legacy, and (5) Schleiermacher's place within evangelical interpretation of the Bible.

From Eden to Babylon; Reading Gen 2-4 as a Paradigmatic Narrative

by Cynthia Edenburg

Pre-publication version of the paper published in Pentateuch, Hexateuch, or Enneateuch: Identifying Literary Works in Genesis Through 2 Kings (eds. Thomas Dozeman, Thomas Römer and Konrad Schmid; Society of Biblical Literature Ancient Israel and Its Literature Series; Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011), 155-67.

Whatever sources may lie behind the narratives in Gen 2-4, it is recognized that these chapters have undergone... more Whatever sources may lie behind the narratives in Gen 2-4, it is recognized that these chapters have undergone purposeful editing designed to impose continuity and thematic coherence. Notwithstanding, there is still much debate about their purpose within their specific context in the primeval history. This essay addresses these matters by examining how Gen 2-4 might be read as paradigmatic texts relating to exile. Read together, Gen 2-4 illustrate how exile is the inevitable consequence of violating YHWH's basic demands of compliance with his injunctions and upholding essential social norms. I suggest that the placement of these narratives together at the opening of the primeval history was intended to provide a key for understanding the unfolding of the Pentateuchal narrative. In addition, I consider how technical aspects of scroll production contribute to understanding their placement. Moreover, in as much as they foreshadow the conclusion of the DtrH in 2 Kgs 25:21, they play a central role constructing a thematic frame for reading Gen – Kgs as an Enneateuch or Primary History. This view holds implications not only for understanding the purpose of Gen 2-4, but for the historical context of their composition. In addition, I engage the question of whether the concept of an Enneateuch is a deliberate literary construct, or whether it is a reading strategy for uncovering a significant message within a set authoritative scrolls.

Elio Jucci - Il pesher un ponte tra il passato e il futuro

by Elio Jucci

Elio Jucci, Il ‘Pesher’. Un Ponte fra il Passato e il Futuro, in Henoch VIII, 1986, 321-338

Sintesi - Résumé

Le pesher dans ses deux formes (pesharim continus et pesharim thémathiques) est une des... more Sintesi - Résumé

Le pesher dans ses deux formes (pesharim continus et pesharim thémathiques) est une des documents les plus significatifs de l'activité herméneutique de la communauté de Qumran.
On renvoie à un etude successive l'examen dètaillé des techniques interpretatives, alors que cet article se propose de mettre en évidence que le pesher se fonde sur deux tendences dynamiquement présentes dans l'activité de la communauté de Qumran. Il s'agit soit de la conscience de vivre dans des temps décisifs soit de l'intérêt pour le futur et sa prévision, dans l'observation attentive des signes des temps.
Les témoignages de Flavius Josêphe et de la littérature qumranienne nous révèlent quelques méthodes employées pour chercher à pénetrer les mysthères de la nature, dans le dessein complexif d'une connaissance systématique: d'abord, l'étude des textes sacrés, plus particulièrement des prophètes; ensuite, le calcul des dates significatives; puis l'astrologie et enfin l'interpretation des songes. La deuxième prémisse sur laquelle se fonde le pesher consiste dans l'importance fondamentale de l'Ecriture dans la vie de la communauté, comme objet d'étude, recherche de Dieu, observation de la loi et, en dérnière analyse, comme fondament de la communauté et vérification de sa propre essence: l'Ecriture parle de la communuaté et celle-ci veut se démontrer conforme à l'Ecriture. Une analyse des passages de 1QpAbacuc VI,15-VII,5; VII,7-8,10,14; II,1-10 démontre comment les facteurs précedemment nommés, tels que la tension ver le futur et la fidélité absolue à l'Ecriture, s'entremélent et finissent par constituer le pesher et montre clairement quelle était l'autoconscience des interprètes; à l'application des techniques herméneutiques doit s'accompagner une forme d'inspiration, d'illumination, le don de l'esprit d'interpretation. Les fonctions du scribe e du charismatique se fondent dans un même personnage.
D'après l'autoconscience des interprètes de Qumran, d'apres l'analyse du lexique (par ex. raz mystère, pesher présage, réalité pressentie), des concepts et des images (en effet l'Ecriture est comme un présage, un songe, un message à decoder), on peu conclure que le pesher continue la tradition de Daniel.