The Aesthetics of Violence in the Prophets

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Description

This volume explores multiple dimensions of prophetic texts and their violent rhetoric, providing a rich and engaging discussion of violent images not only in prophetic texts and in ancient Near Eastern art but also in modern film and receptions of prophetic texts. The volume addresses questions that are at once ancient and distressingly-modern: What do violent images do to us Do they encourage violent behavior and/or provide an alternative to actual violence How do depictions of violence define boundaries between and within communities What readers can and should readers make of the disturbing rhetoric of violent prophets Contributors include Corrine Carvahlo, Cynthia Chapman, Chris Franke, Bob Haak, Mary Mills, Julia O'Brien, Kathleen O'Connor, Carolyn Sharp, Yvonne Sherwood, and Daniel Smith-Christopher.

Reviews

Originating from a 2006 session at the Society of Biblical Literature, this excellent and timely volume explores the complex synergy among violence, rhetoric, aesthetics and audience impact in the prophets and their contemporary analogues.' -- Religious Studies Review
Overall, this collection of essays is a wonderful contribution to the study of violence in biblical texts... The personal nature of the essays creates a connection between the author and reader that enhances the reader's experience. I highly recommend this book because it will do much for how people teach, preach, and read all of the violent texts in the Bible. -- Reviews in Religion & Theology
[The book] takes violent rhetoric seriously as a powerful datum of the Bible that is substantive and intentional and not as simply an embarrassing side issue...[It]is an invitation to think again about violence in the Biblenot to dismiss it as objectionable and unacceptable, but to recognize it as an inescapable vehicle for saying what must be said in a society narcotized by denial and despair.' Christian Century * Christian Century *

Author Bio

Julia M. O'Brien is Professor of Old Testament, Lancaster Theological Seminary Chris Franke is Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible at the College of St. Katherine in St. Paul, Minnesota