Whose Bible is it Anyway

(Paperback, 2nd edition)

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Description

Philip Davies argues that the Bible may belong to the church or synagogue as an instrument of religious practice, but as an object of academic study it belongs to the world as a whole and as such can function in theory and practice as a secular discourse. A number of exegetical studies suggests that a genuinely academic discourse about biblical writingsone that distances itself from received canons of interpretationcan expose a subtext of deceit within the Creation narratives, re-conceptualize the relationship between Abraham and his deity, reveal lament psalms as texts of oppression, and identify the death of Daniel's God. In a new chapter, Davies evaluates how the film Monty Python's Life of Brian contributes to "life of Jesus" research. Here is a challenge to conventional biblical scholarship and a bid to define and establish a genuine academic discipline of biblical studies.

Reviews

"...Davies appears to be addressing a more advanced scholar. His book is as timely and controversial now as it was when he write it, and if you haven't read it yet, you should."- George Aichele, The Bible and Critical Theory, Vol. 1, Number 3, 2005

Author Bio

Philip R. Davies is Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield, UK.