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Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey
by Richard Hess
Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, 2007. 432 pp. $34.99. ISBN 978-0-8010-2717-8.
Often there is a caustic split between archaeology and biblical studies, and at times the effects of this division seeps into the fields of religious studies and theology. This argumentative schism has continued into the third millennium, but hopefully this new era and its developing scholarship will help to resolve many of the perplexing differences or at least widen the grounds for amicable academic conversation. Richard Hess makes an admirable step in this direction with this volume, which aims to survey the plethora of sources and research methods for the study of ancient Israelite religion.
Israelite Religions walks through the chronological periods of the ancient Near East, focusing primarily on sound interpretations of religious practices found in the western area of the region (Israel, Syria, and Jordan). The survey begins with a lengthy discussion of academic approaches to studying religion, and is followed by discussion of previous interpretations of Israelite religion in particular. This overview of prior scholarship lays the foundation for subsequent chapters, which focus on major archaeological sites in Israel and the Near East and their possible connections with the biblical text.
Hess’ survey synthesizes, in a very readable manner, essential archaeological sites and artifacts, as he reviews scholarly discussion of their connection with the biblical text. This is not the first time this approach has been taken, but Hess’ work is distinguished by his thorough use of primary and secondary source materials and his accessible presentation of technical matters. In addition to presenting excellent sources, he places the opinions and arguments of select scholars side by side as he discusses their strengths and weaknesses. At times, Hess offers his own thoughts on specific interpretations of the material.
Hess does a commendable job in presenting the data, but there are instances in which his discussion of the material is more focused on, or influenced by, a particular theology. The role of theology in this interdisciplinary conversation is important, but can be problematic for readers desiring a more objective approach. Hess uses the designations b.c. and a.d. instead of b.c.e. and c.e. Some readers may wish to employ information from this book in theological work, but because others will not, the latter would have been better suited. Moreover, because the work discusses the entire geographical region of Israel and significant portions of the Near East, the inclusion of additional maps would make the book easier to follow. The book provides a basic map, which gives the location of eighteen sites, but additional maps would have synthesized the material more effectively, as well as showing the relation of sites to each other in terms of distance and geographical location. Unless the reader knows the location of the sites and is familiar with all regions of Israel and the Near East, external maps will be needed when reading the book.
Hess’ work will serve as a useful resource for exploring interpretations of West Semitic sites in the ancient Near East. It will also be a valuable tool for scholars, seminary students, religious leaders, and laypersons interested in the biblical text, archaeology, and ancient Israelite religion. It is accessible and provides interpretations of archaeological sites, artifacts, and possibly relevant biblical materials. It also includes an extensive list of sources for further study. Hess does an excellent job with a difficult subject.
Theodore W. Burgh
Univ of North Carolina at Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Disability in the Hebrew Bible: Interpreting Mental and Physical Differences.
by Saul Olyan
Cambridge University Press, New York. 2008. 188 pp. $80.00 (cloth). ISBN 978-0-521-88807-3.
This book demonstrates how biblical and related ancient West Asian texts “frequently stigmatize and seek to marginalize disabled persons through their representations, thereby contributing to social differentiation and inequality” (p. 119). Saul Olyan understands disability as a social construction similar to gender. Biblical texts participate in the construction of disability through their classifications of physical and mental differences. Rather than reconstructing the lived experience of the disabled, Olyan focuses on the textual representation of disability. Commendably, Olyan’s study of textual taxonomies of disability and their resulting stigmatization avoids generalizations. For example, he shows that, unlike lameness and blindness, deafness and muteness are not classified as “defects” (mûmîm) that restrict access to cultic space and activities. While many bodily alterations ritually disable a male, circumcision enables a male in this regard. Prophetic utopian visions stigmatize the disabled through comparisons to a desert (e.g., Isa 35:4–10) or associations with other marginalized groups such as the poor and the afflicted.
Olyan’s discussion of classification systems significantly improves our understanding of disability as a social construction in the HB. However, his discussion of classification focuses on non-narrative texts. For Olyan, disability in narrative demonstrates “the magnificent power and agency of Israel’s god” (p. 9). This approach does not account for the complexity of the imagery of disability in certain biblical narratives (such as Samuel) full of disability imagery. Greater attention to narrative would also allow for a more detailed treatment of female infertility and enrich his consideration of disability and gender. Additionally, it would strengthen the book’s correct claim that disability is “ubiquitous” in the HB.
In general, there is no “good news” for the disabled in this book. Olyan does not attempt to find a liberatory or positive theological message regarding disability. He acknowledges texts that contest disability’s stigmatization (e.g., 1 Sam 2:8; Ps 72:4, 12–14; Isa 56:3–7) but notes that they represent a minority position. Neverthe- less, this book is both refreshingly and painfully honest. It demands a serious accounting of scriptural traditions among those who would place disability within a theological framework. I highly recommend this well researched and carefully argued book. Among the growing number of books on disability and the Bible, this volume stands out as especially important.
Jeremy Schipper
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When God Speaks Through You: How Faith Convictions Shape Preaching and Mission
by Craig A. Satterlee
Alban Institute, Herndon, Va., 2008. 182 pp. $17.00. ISBN 978-1-56699-353-1.
The fresh air that Craig Satterlee’s When God Speaks Through You provides is that it is a conversation about preaching. This is not a conventional “how-to book.” It is a book full of sound theory and theology about the art of preaching and listening to sermons. Comments gathered by Satterlee from a group of preachers and listeners make the book a conversation in itself.
Preaching is a series of conversations. There is the conversation with the text itself: How is the text speaking, what is it saying to me and to the people to whom I speak? Then there is the conversation as the sermon is delivered in the assembly. Lastly, there are the multiple conversations as the congregants go beyond the sanctuary. “Holy and Active Listening” is the term Satterlee uses to describe the task of preaching. There is a Zen proverb: “Some things can only be learned by rubbing two people together.” Satterlee successfully rubs the preacher and the hearer together.
Satterlee acknowledges that preaching may be the main event of the worship experience for many people. He locates preaching as one event, albeit an extremely important one, within the context of the whole liturgical event. Satterlee argues that preaching is authoritative, enabling people to step into the redemptive and freeing act of joining Jesus in life, death, and resurrection. He encourages preachers to think about preaching as multiple conversations. When he writes about the authority of the preacher, or the sermon as the experience of Christ, or the various ways a sermon speaks to daily life, he makes use of the perspectives of a group of preachers and listeners. Their comments substantiate his arguments.
Satterlee helps us reflect on the reasons we preach and on the convictions of those to whom we speak. Here is a book that illumines the conversation within the head of a preacher. Here is a book that engages the preacher in conversation with listeners. Here is a book that will perk up the ears of any preacher and help us remember that good preaching begins with active listening. This is an accessible book and can be used as a resource for conversations within a congregation on the function of preaching. Sound, clever, and intriguing—what more can one ask of a book?
Thom Nelson
Farragut Presbyterian Church
Farragut, Tennessee
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