One Bible, Many Voices : Different Approaches

No single approach to reading the Bible can do justice to its complex history and content. There are as many different ways of understanding Scripture as there were people involved in its composition. Advocating a pluralistic reading that acknowledges the many voices speaking in the Bible, Susan Gillingham offers theological, historical, and literary insights into the compilation of Scripture and the development of biblical studies. Providing one of the most accessible and helpful introductions to the Bible available, this volume clearly outlines the main issues in understanding Scripture and demonstrates, using Psalm 8 as an example, the best method for reading the Bible today.

Susan E. Gillingham is lecturer in theology at Worcester College, Oxford, England. Well known in the field of contemporary biblical studies, she is also the author of The Poems and Psalms of the Hebrew Bible.

Acknowledgements

xii

Preface

xiv

Historical Background 1 The Old Testament c. 1000-167 BCE

xvi

Historical Background 2 The New Testament c. 200 BCE-135 CE

xvii

List of Tables and Figures

xix

Introduction

1

(6)

Part One PLURALITY IN THE MAKING OF THE BIBLE

7

(108)

A Biblical Library? The Smaller Parts of the Greater Whole

9

(18)

The End of the Process: The Bible as a Body of Literature

9

(8)

The Old Testament

10

(4)

The New Testament

14

(3)

The Middle of the Process: The Bible as a Miscellany of Authors

17

(5)

The Old Testament

18

(2)

The New Testament

20

(2)

The Start of the Process: The Bible as a Plethora of Literary Forms

22

(1)

The Old Testament

22

(1)

The New Testament

23

(1)

Towards an Integrated Literary Approach to the Bible

23

(4)

A Biblical Theology? Two Testaments, One Book?

27

(19)

Theological Diversity in the Old Testament Literature

27

(6)

Theological Diversity in the New Testament Literature

33

(5)

The Use of the Old Testament in the New

38

(5)

Towards an Integrated Theological Approach to the Bible

43

(3)

A Biblical Corpus? The Canon and the Boundaries of Faith

46

(26)

The Emergence of a Canon in the Old Testament Collection

46

(8)

The Law

47

(1)

The Prophets

47

(1)

The Writings

48

(6)

The Emergence of a Canon in the New Testament Collection

54

(7)

The Pauline Letters

57

(1)

The Four Gospels

58

(1)

The `Other Works'

59

(2)

The Question of One Biblical Corpus

61

(6)

The Canon of the Orthodox Church

63

(1)

The Canon of the Catholic Church

64

(1)

The Canon of the Protestant Churches

65

(2)

Towards an Integrated Historical Approach to the Bible

67

(5)

A Biblical Text? The Variety of Versions

72

(43)

The Old Testament Text and the Hebrew, Greek and Latin Versions

72

(21)

The Hebrew Text

73

(11)

The Greek Text

84

(4)

Latin Versions

88

(3)

Aramaic Versions

91

(1)

Syriac Versions

92

(1)

The New Testament Text and the Greek, Syriac, Latin and Coptic Versions

93

(7)

Greek Codices and Papyri

95

(4)

Syriac Translations

99

(1)

Coptic Manuscripts

99

(1)

Armenian Versions

99

(1)

Latin Versions

100

(1)

Translating the Bible into English

100

(10)

Towards an Integrated Reading of the Translated Text

110

(5)

Part Two PLURALITY IN THE READING OF THE BIBLE

115

(133)

Theological Approaches to the Bible

117

(27)

Theological Approaches to Reading in the Jewish Tradition

118

(7)

The Samaritan Pentateuch

118

(1)

The Septuagint

118

(1)

The Targums

119

(1)

The Dead Sea Scrolls

119

(1)

Pesher and Midras

120

(5)

Theological Approaches to Reading in the Christian Tradition

125

(18)

Paul

125

(2)

Hebrews

127

(1)

Irenaeus

127

(1)

Clement and Origen

128

(1)

Theodore of Mopsuestia and John Chrysostom

129

(1)

Jerome

130

(1)

Augustine

131

(1)

Gregory the Great

131

(2)

Aquinas

133

(1)

Richard Hooker

134

(1)

Seventeenth-century Approaches

134

(1)

Eighteenth-century Approaches

135

(1)

Karl Barth

136

(1)

Rudolf Bultmann

137

(1)

Biblical Hermeneutics

137

(3)

Liberation Theology

140

(1)

Feminist Theology

141

(2)

Conclusions and Implications

143

(1)

Historical Approaches to the Bible

144

(27)

Different Historical Approaches

145

(12)

The Problem of Myth

146

(2)

The Problem of Contradictions in the Accounts

148

(2)

The Problem of Miracles

150

(1)

The Problem of Religious Language

151

(2)

The Problem of the Historical Jesus

153

(4)

The Diachronic Approach: Six Examples of the Historical-Critical Method

157

(12)

Biblical Criticism

157

(1)

Higher Criticism

157

(1)

Lower Criticism

158

(1)

Source Criticism

159

(3)

Form Criticism

162

(2)

Tradition Criticism

164

(2)

Redaction Criticism

166

(2)

Canon Criticism

168

(1)

Summary

169

(2)

Literary Approaches to the Bible

171

(16)

Different Literary Approaches

171

(5)

The Synchronic Approach: Six Examples of the Literary-Critical Method

176

(9)

Literary Criticism

177

(1)

Semantic Readings of the Text

177

(1)

Linguistic Readings of the Text

178

(1)

Narrative Criticism and Poetic Criticism

179

(1)

Structuralist Criticism

180

(2)

Rhetorical Criticism

182

(1)

Reader-Response Criticism

183

(1)

Holistic Criticism

184

(1)

Conclusions and Implications

185

(2)

The Many Voices in the Pslams

187

(45)

Plurality in the Making of the Psalter

187

(15)

The Psalter as a Collection of Smaller Parts within a Greater Whole

187

(4)

The Psalter as a Diverse Collection of Theologies

191

(4)

The Psalter and the Diversity of Canonical Collections

195

(4)

The Diversity of the Psalter Evidenced through Manuscripts and Versions

199

(3)

Plurality in the Reading of the Psalter

202

(28)

The Psalter and Theological Approaches

202

(1)

Theological Approaches to the Psalms in the Jewish Tradition

202

(6)

Theological Approaches to the Psalms in the Christian Tradition

208

(3)

The Psalter and Historical Approaches

211

(1)

Higher Criticism

211

(3)

Source Criticism

214

(1)

Form Criticism

215

(2)

Tradition Criticism

217

(1)

Redaction Criticism

218

(1)

Canon Criticism

219

(1)

The Psalter and Literary Approaches

220

(1)

Semantic and Linguistic Readings

220

(2)

Poetic Criticism

222

(2)

Structuralist Criticism

224

(1)

Rhetorical Criticism

225

(2)

Reader-Response Criticism

227

(1)

Holistic Criticism

228

(2)

Summary

230

(2)

From Theory to Practice: Readings of Psalm 8

232

(16)

RSV Translation of Psalm 8

232

(1)

Historical Approaches

232

(13)

Lower Criticism

232

(1)

Higher Criticism

233

(1)

Source Criticism

234

(1)

Form Criticism

235

(1)

Tradition Criticism

235

(1)

Redaction Criticism

236

(1)

Canon Criticism

237

(1)

Literary Approaches

237

(1)

Semantic and Linguistic Readings

237

(1)

Poetic Criticism

238

(1)

Structuralist Criticism

238

(2)

Rhetorical Criticism

240

(2)

Reader-Response Criticism

242

(1)

Holistic Criticism

242

(1)

Theological Approaches

243

(2)

Conclusion

245

(3)

Bibliography

248

(23)

Subject Index

271

(4)

Author Index

275

(3)

Bible Reference Index

278

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

One Bible, Many Voices : Different Approaches to Biblical Studies

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials