January 2008 - Images of Jeremiah

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Like Fire in the Bones: Looking for the Prophetic Word in Jeremiah

by Walter Brueggemann

Fortress, Minneapolis, 2006. 255 pp. $35.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-8006-3561-9.

Walter Brueggemann breathes life into the ancient words of the biblical prophet by recasting Jeremiah for a contemporary audience. Using the 9/11 attacks as an analogy for the destruction of Jerusalem, he offers insight into the critical office of prophecy as a means of transformation and hope in our time.

Interfaces

edited by Barbara Green

By focusing on indepth analysis of specific biblical characters, this series offers an alternative to com­mentaries on biblical books. Each volume is designed for a unique exploration of scriptural texts.

Jeremiah: Preacher of Grace, Poet of Truth

by Carol Dempsey

Interfaces. Michael Glazier, Collegeville, 2006. 124 pp. $14.95. ISBN 978-0-8146-5985-4.

Four Times Peter: Portrayals of Peter in the Four Gospels and at Philippi

by Richard J. Cassidy

Interfaces. Michael Glazier, Collegeville, 2006. 154 pp. $14.95. ISBN 978-0-8146-5178-0.

“As Those Who Are Taught”: The Interpretation of Isaiah from the LXX to the SBL

edited by Claire Mathews McGinnis and Patricia K. Tull

Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2006. 342 pp. $39.95. ISBN 978-1-58983-103-2.

In 1990, the Society of Biblical Literature’s Book of Isaiah Seminar undertook the task of broad­ening the scope of contemporary interpretation of the book through a comprehensive look at the historical methods of exegesis and commentary over the past two millennia. Scholars seek to ensure that the distinctiveness of both Christian and Jewish interpretations are fully outlined, to garner an appreciation of the interpretive work done, and to locate current scholarship in the con­text of the history of interpretation.

Hearing the Old Testament in the New Testament

edited by Stanley E. Porter

Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2006. 342 pp. $29.00. ISBN 978-1-58983-109-2.

How did NT authors make rhetorical use of OT texts? Are our interpretations of these references similar to the perspectives of first century listeners? Which versions of the HB were most frequently cited in NT texts? These and other questions are explored in essays presented at the 2003 H. H. Bingham Colloquium in NT at McMaster Divinity College in Ontario.

New Currents Through John: A Global Perspective

edited by Francisco Lozado, Jr. and Tom Thatcher

Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2006. 248 pp. $29.95. ISBN 978-1-58983-201-5.

In 1957, John A. T. Robinson delivered a ground-breaking presentation on the emerging and radi­cally different methods of research in Johannine literature. This volume offers a comparable cri­tique of Robinson’s work, as new methods have once again emerged in studies of John. The “new” Johannine scholarship is characterized by greater methodological diversity and the addition of glob­al perspectives. Contributors of these essays take care to reflect the continuity as well as the depar­tures that distinguish contemporary scholarship.

Rereading Paul Together: Protestant and Catholic Perspectives on Justification

edited by David E. Aune

Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2006. 270 pp. $24.99. ISBN 978-0-8010-2840-3.

This series of essays from a 2002 colloquium at the University of Notre Dame represents a continua­tion of ecumenical efforts begun with the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (Eerdmans, 2000) between the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church. This volume explores the doctrine of justification and its significance for the contemporary church.

1 and 2 Thessalonians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary

by Ben Witherington III

Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2006. 286 pp. $30.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-2836-1.

Ben Witherington explores the ways in which Paul may have used the Greco-Roman rhetoric of the time in his writing of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. While acknowledging that there is a place for contemporary ideas in rhetorical analysis, he insists on the importance of framing the text in the rhetorical structures of the first century.

The Reality of Apocalypse: Rhetoric and Politics in the Book of Revelation

edited by David L. Barr

Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2006. 248 pp. $29.95. ISBN 978-1-58983-218-3.

The fruit of over a decade of scholarly debate, these essays from the SBL Seminar on the Apoca­lypse: The Intersection of Literary and Social Methods explores the reality of the concept of Apocalypse during the time when the book of Revelation was formed. Contributors take an indepth look at methods used to analyze the his­torical and social context of Revelation, and how these impact contemporary interpretations.

Engaging the Bible: Critical Readings from Contemporary Women

edited by Choi Hee An and Katheryn Pfisterer Darr

Fortress, Minneapolis, 2006. 360 pp. $29.99. ISBN 9780-8006-3565-7.

Christian churches face increasingly diverse con­texts and congregations. The question of how best to serve and communicate the gospel mes­sage in these multicultural settings is of critical importance to pastors in the twenty-first century. The Anna Howard Shaw Center hosted a lecture series, “A Mosaic of Voices,” in 2003–04, involving female scholars from diverse cultural, ethnic, and theological perspectives. Contributors outline alternative analytical methodologies and present culturally diverse perspectives on scriptural interpretation.

Presidential Voices: The Society of Biblical Literature in the Twentieth Century

edited by Harold W. Attridge and James C. VanderKam

Society of Biblical Literature, Atlanta, 2006. 342 pp. $39.95. ISBN 978-1-58983-259-6.

This volume of Presidential addresses delivered at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature since its founding in 1880 captures pivotal moments in the development of biblical studies as well as in the history of the SBL.