The Artistic Dimension: Literary Explorations of the Hebrew Bible

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This volume presents a collection of essays aimed at further integration of literary analysis in the study of the Hebrew Bible. In three sections, Bodner studies a range of texts in order to illustrate that literary analysis has value for exploring numerous issues in the discipline, including text-critical problems, the Deuteronomistic History, and Chronicles. Beginning with a discussion of how literary analysis is a vital, yet neglected, component of textual criticism, Bodner then offers a sustained engagement with one particular section of the Hebrew Bible, the so-called "ark narrative" of 1 Samuel 4-6. Other areas of the Hebrew Bible are subsequently explored, including a sample of the historiographic material in the Deuteronomistic History and a lengthy text from the book of Proverbs. Part four turns to the often neglected books of 1 & 2 Chronicles, illustrating how the Chronicler's work is a congenial site for literary study. The assembled essays petition for a heightened awareness of the artistic achievement of the Hebrew Bible and illustrate that literary thinking is a necessary component for biblical interpretation.

Reviews

This volume contains a number of innovative and exciting readings of biblical texts, and would contain much to interest any student, pastor, or scholar. -- David J. Fuller, McMaster Divinity College, Canada * Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament *
Bodners volume will be of particular interest to biblical scholars working in the narratives of the Deuteronomistic History and Chronicles. His attention to textual detail and thoroughgoing presentation of secondary literature are balanced with a characteristic, refreshing sense of vibrancy and humor. His analyses help the reader to catch a sense of the exciting possibilities that this great work of art still hold (1). * The Journal of Religion *

Author Bio

Keith Bodner is Professor of Religious Studies at Crandall University in New Brunswick,Canada. He holds PhD degrees in biblical studies (University of Aberdeen) and English Literature (University of Manchester). He serves on the editorial board of the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, and is a former section chair (Bakhtin and the Biblical Imagination) for the Society of Biblical Literature. His 2008 book 1 Samuel: A Narrative Commentary was awarded the R. B. Y. Scott Award from the Canadian Society of Biblical Studies, and his most recent book is Jeroboam's Royal Drama (2012).