Elisha and the End of Prophetism
By (Author) Wesley J. Bergen
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Sheffield Academic Press
1st May 1999
United Kingdom
Professional and Scholarly
Non Fiction
Judaism
Criticism and exegesis of sacred texts
222.54092
Hardback
200
300g
The stories of Elisha the prophet have received scant attention in recent years, perhaps because they are so enigmatic. This study places the Elisha material firmly within the narrative of Genesis-2 Kings, and examines the effect these stories have on the reader's perception of the role of the 'prophet'. Using the narratological theories of Mieke Bal, David Jobling and others, Bergen shows that the Elisha stories present prophetism in a negative light, confining prophets to a rather limited scope of action in the narrative world.
Wesley J. Bergen is Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Religion, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas.