The Art of Biblical Narrative - Alter, Robert Review & Synopsis

 Synopsis

From celebrated translator of the Hebrew Bible Robert Alter, the classic study of the Bible as literature, a winner of the National Jewish Book Award

Renowned critic and translator Robert Alter's The Art of Biblical Narrative has radically expanded our view of the Bible by recasting it as a work of literary art deserving studied criticism. In this seminal work, Alter describes how the Hebrew Bible's many authors used innovative literary styles and devices such as parallelism, contrastive dialogue, and narrative tempo to tell one of the most revolutionary stories of all time: the revelation of a single God. In so doing, Alter shows, these writers reshaped not only history, but also the art of storytelling itself.

Review

Robert Alter is Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley. His translation of the Hebrew Bible has won the PEN Center Literary Award for Translation, and he is translator and author of numerous other books, including The Art of Biblical Poetry. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a recipient of the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime contributions to American letters, he lives in Berkeley, California.Winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought

"A groundbreaking study that encourages us to look beneath the theological surface of the biblical text to glimpse its beating heart."-Jonathan Kirsch, Los Angeles Times

"[An] admirable book....It is truly extraordinary that such familiar tales as those of Joseph and David should acquire so much detail and color, as if perfectly restored."-The New York Times

"The results of [Alter's] work give the Bible a fresh voice for a new generation of readers."-Christian Science Monitor

"This clearly written book should please anyone interested in the fundamentals of storytelling."-The Washington Post

The Art of Biblical Narrative

Since it was first published nearly three decades ago, The Art of Biblical Narrative has radically expanded the horizons of biblical scholarship by recasting the Bible as a work of literary art deserving studied criticism. Renowned critic and translator Robert Alter presents the Hebrew Bible as a cohesive literary work, one whose many authors used innovative devices such as parallelism, contrastive dialogue, and narrative tempo to tell one of the most revolutionary stories of human history: the revelation of a single god.

Renowned critic and translator Robert Alter presents the Hebrew Bible as a cohesive literary work, one whose many authors used innovative devices such as parallelism, contrastive dialogue, and narrative tempo to tell one of the most ..."

The Art of Biblical Poetry

Three decades ago, renowned literary expert Robert Alter radically expanded the horizons of biblical scholarship by recasting the Bible as not only a human creation but a work of literary art deserving studied criticism. In The Art of Biblical Poetry, his companion to the seminal The Art of Biblical Narrative, Alter takes his analysis beyond narrative craft to investigate the use of Hebrew poetry in the Bible. Updated with a new preface, myriad revisions, and passages from Alter's own critically acclaimed biblical translations, The Art of Biblical Poetry is an indispensable tool for understanding the Bible and its poetry.

In The Art of Biblical Poetry, his companion to the seminal The Art of Biblical Narrative, Alter takes his analysis beyond narrative craft to investigate the use of Hebrew poetry in the Bible."

The Art of Bible Translation

In this brief book, award-winning biblical translator and acclaimed literary critic Robert Alter offers a personal and passionate account of what he learned about the art of Bible translation over the two decades he spent completing his own English version of the Hebrew Bible. Alter's literary training gave him the advantage of seeing that a translation of the Bible can convey the text's meaning only by trying to capture the powerful and subtle literary style of the biblical Hebrew, something the modern English versions don't do justice to. The Bible's style, Alter writes, "is not some sort of aesthetic embellishment of the 'message' of Scripture but the vital medium through which the biblical vision of God, human nature, history, politics, society, and moral value is conveyed." And, as the translators of the King James Version knew, the authority of the Bible is inseparable from its literary authority. For these reasons, the Bible can be brought to life in English only by re-creating its literary virtuosity, and Alter discusses the principal aspects of style in the Hebrew Bible that any translator should try to reproduce: word choice, syntax, word play and sound play, rhythm, and dialogue. In the process, he provides an illuminating and accessible introduction to biblical style that also offers insights about the art of translation far beyond the Bible. --! From publisher's description

In this brief book, award-winning biblical translator and acclaimed literary critic Robert Alter offers a personal and passionate account of what he learned about the art of Bible translation over the two decades he spent completing his own ..."

Art Of Biblical Poetry

Analyzes the structure, functions, and metaphors of the poetry in Psalms, Job, Proverbs, and other books of the Old Testament.

Analyzes the structure, functions, and metaphors of the poetry in Psalms, Job, Proverbs, and other books of the Old Testament."

The Art of Biblical History

Deliberately echoing the titles of Robert Alter's seminal 'The art of biblical narrative' and 'The art of biblical poetry', Dr Long engages the issues of the nature of history, the importance of historicity, and modern disagreements over ..."

The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary

One of Newsweek’s Best Books of the Year and winner of the Robert Kirsch Award for Lifetime Achievement. A cornerstone of the scriptural canon, the Book of Psalms has been a source of solace and joy for countless readers over millennia. This timeless poetry is beautifully wrought by a scholar whose translation of the Five Books of Moses was hailed as a “godsend” by Seamus Heaney and a “masterpiece” by Robert Fagles. Alter’s The Book of Psalms captures the simplicity, the physicality, and the coiled rhythmic power of the Hebrew, restoring the remarkable eloquence of these ancient poems. His learned and insightful commentary illuminates the obscurities of the text.

Alter’s The Book of Psalms captures the simplicity, the physicality, and the coiled rhythmic power of the Hebrew, restoring the remarkable eloquence of these ancient poems."

The Wisdom Books: Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes: A Translation with Commentary

First time in paperback: “One of the most ambitious literary projects of this or any age.”—Adam Kirsch, New Republic Here in Robert Alter's bold new translation are some of the most magnificent works in world literature. The astounding poetry in the Book of Job is restored to its powerful ancient meanings and rhythms. The creation account in its Voice from the Whirlwind is beautiful and incendiary. By contrast, a serene fatalism suffuses Ecclesiastes with a quiet beauty, and the pithy maxims of Proverbs impart a worldly wisdom that is satirically shrewd. Each of these books addresses the universal wisdom that the righteous thrive and the wicked suffer in a rational moral order; together they are essential to the ancient canon that is the Hebrew Bible.

Each of these books addresses the universal wisdom that the righteous thrive and the wicked suffer in a rational moral order; together they are essential to the ancient canon that is the Hebrew Bible."

Canon and Creativity

In this illuminating book, one of our foremost literary critics views the much-debated question of the literary canon from an entirely new angle. Robert Alter explores the ways in which a range of iconoclastic twentieth-century authors have put to use the stories, language, and imagery of the paramount canonical text--the Hebrew Bible. Alter makes a compelling case against the prevalent, pejorative notion of the canon as a vehicle of ideological enforcement. He shows instead that canons by nature are surprisingly elastic, providing later writers with imaginative resources even when those same writers rebel against what they conceive as the constraints of the canon. Focusing special attention on Franz Kafka's Amerika, Haim Nahman Bialik's The Dead of the Desert, and James Joyce's Ulysses, Alter brings to bear an unusual perspective, putting into a single frame of discussion three writers from widely different linguistic traditions (German, Hebrew, English) and from disparate cultural settings (Prague, Odessa, Dublin). Alter's close readings of these major modern writers reveal how reference to canonical antecedents can be both surprisingly various and enabling. Examining the diverse modes in which Biblical material becomes interwoven with the fabric of a new work, he also offers new insights into the nature and range of modernism. Critically appreciative rather than polemic in tone, Alter conveys in this thoughtful book a renewed sense of the vitality of literary modernism.

In this illuminating book, one of our foremost literary critics views the much-debated question of the literary canon from an entirely new angle."

The Literary Guide to the Bible

Rediscover the incomparable literary richness and strength of a book that all of us live with an many of us live by. An international team of renowned scholars, assembled by two leading literary critics, offers a book-by-book guide through the Old and New Testaments as well as general essays on the Bible as a whole, providing an enticing reintroduction to a work that has shaped our language and thought for thousands of years.

An international team of renowned scholars, assembled by two leading literary critics, offers a book-by-book guide through the Old and New Testaments as well as general essays on the Bible as a whole, providing an enticing reintroduction to ..."

Biblical Poetry and the Art of Close Reading

Explores the aesthetic dimensions of biblical poetry, offering close readings of poems across the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.

Explores the aesthetic dimensions of biblical poetry, offering close readings of poems across the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament."

Narrative Obtrusion in the Hebrew Bible

Narrators of the Hebrew Bible generally allow their stories to proceed while relying on characters and dialogue to provide necessary information. Paris calls attention to when the story teller “breaks frame” to provide information or direct reader understanding, preventing undesirable construals or interpretations of the story. After surveying the phenomenon in the Hebrew Bible and other ancient Near Eastern literature, Paris focuses on the Deuteronomistic History. Paris argues that attention to narrative obtrusion offers an entry point into the world of the narrator and redefines aspects of narrative criticism.

Paris calls attention to when the story teller “breaks frame” to provide information or direct reader understanding, preventing undesirable construals or interpretations of the story."

The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Narrative

Comprised of contributions from scholars across the globe, The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Narrative is a state-of-the-art anthology, offering critical treatments of both the Bible's narratives and topics related to the Bible's narrative constructions. The Handbook covers the Bible's narrative literature, from Genesis to Revelation, providing concise overviews of literary-critical scholarship as well as innovative readings of individual narratives informed by a variety of methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks. The volume as a whole combines literary sensitivities with the traditional historical and sociological questions of biblical criticism and puts biblical studies into intentional conversation with other disciplines in the humanities. It reframes biblical literature in a way that highlights its aesthetic characteristics, its ethical and religious appeal, its organic qualities as communal literature, its witness to various forms of social and political negotiation, and its uncanny power to affect readers and hearers across disparate time-frames and global communities.

In Biblical Masculinities Foregrounded, edited by Ovidiu Creangă and Peter- Ben Smit, 286–296. ... Images of the Christian Man and Male Spirituality in White Protestant America. ... Stinson , Randy , and Dan Dumas . 2011. A Guide to ..."

How Long Till My Soul Gets it Right?

A tool for overcoming life's obstacles - large and small - this book by psychotherapists Robert and Jane Alter shows how you can unlock your own inner power to heal the psyche and the soul. Using case studies, the authors show how to turn painful moments from the past into stepping stones toward a more fulfilling future. Based on the authors' 20 years of experience as psychologists, this guide is packed with examples and anecdotes to inspire and heal. For readers in need of comfort during difficult times, this book offers an look at how challenging life transitions can be positive growth experiences and opportunities for empowering change.

A tool for overcoming life's obstacles - large and small - this book by psychotherapists Robert and Jane Alter shows how you can unlock your own inner power to heal the psyche and the soul."

The Wisdom Books

"An award-winning author and professor adds a new volume to his series of translations and commentary on the Hebrew Bible, focusing on the rational moral order described in Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. "

"An award-winning author and professor adds a new volume to his series of translations and commentary on the Hebrew Bible, focusing on the rational moral order described in Job, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. ""

Beyond Form Criticism

Semiotics : a brief review of a method and some explanation of procedures / Jean Calloud -- A structural exegesis of Genesis 2 and 3 / Daniel Patte and Judson F. Parker -- A literary approach to the Bible / Robert Alter -- Some observations on the analysis of structure in biblical narrative / Shimon Bar-Efrat -- The plot of the biblical story of Ruth / Barbara Green -- Characterization in biblical narrative : David's wives / Adele Berlin. - The Bible's art of persuasion : ideology, rhetoric, and poetics in Saul's fall / Meir Sternberg -- Isaac, Samson, and Saul : reflections on the comic and tragic visions / J. Cheryl Exum and J. Williams Whedbee -- The grammatical aspect of biblical parallelism / Adele Berlin -- Of broken pots, fluttering birds, and visions in the night : extended simile.

Semiotics : a brief review of a method and some explanation of procedures / Jean Calloud -- A structural exegesis of Genesis 2 and 3 / Daniel Patte and Judson F. Parker -- A literary approach to the Bible / Robert Alter -- Some observations ..."

The Book of Genesis

Understand how it all happened-the fall, the flood, and more. Discover how Genesis' people, promises, and events impact your life today. Get insights into faith, blessings, and God's great plan for you-and the world.

Understand how it all happened-the fall, the flood, and more.The Smart Guide to the Bible: The Book of Genesis helps you discover how the people, promises, and events in the Book of Genesis impact your life today."

King James's Bible

Without an understanding of Biblical stories, readers lose out on much of the richness of English literature, as authors from Milton through T.S. Eliot to Jeanette Winterson draw inspiration from Biblical stories in their own writing. This user-friendly annotated selection of key passages from the King James’s Bible clarifies the key themes, characters, stories and genealogies for students, offering timelines, a bibliography, and a detailed index for quick and easy reference. The original 1984 version, of which this is a revised edition, was written by Bill Stevenson as a response to his students' difficulty with biblical references in literature - a selection from the King James’s Bible that would give the student a notion of what the book contains, including the history of the 1611 text, the strands of imagery that bind the whole together. It gives the student a brief overview of the political, historical and religious contexts of the stories in the Bible as well as a brief history of the different versions of the Bible.

 Alter , Robert (1981) The Art of Biblical Narrative , New York. Alter , Robert (1985) The Art of Biblical Poetry , New York. Alter , Robert (1987a) 'The Characteristics of Ancient Hebrew Poetry ', in R. Alter and K. Kermode, eds, The Literary ..."

On Biblical Poetry

On Biblical Poetry takes a fresh look at the nature of biblical Hebrew poetry beyond its currently best-known feature, parallelism. F.W. Dobbs-Allsopp argues that biblical poetry is in most respects just like any other verse tradition, and therefore biblical poems should be read and interpreted like other poems, using the same critical tools and with the same kinds of guiding assumptions in place. He offers a series of programmatic essays on major facets of biblical verse, each aspiring to alter currently regnant conceptualizations in the field and to show that attention to aspects of prosody--rhythm, lineation, and the like--allied with close reading can yield interesting, valuable, and even pleasurable interpretations. What distinguishes the verse of the Bible, says Dobbs-Allsopp, is its historicity and cultural specificity, those peculiar encrustations and encumbrances that typify all human artifacts. Both the literary and the historical, then, are in view throughout. The concluding essay elaborates a close reading of Psalm 133. This chapter enacts the final movement to the set of literary and historical arguments mounted throughout the volume--an example of the holistic staging which, Dobbs-Allsopp argues, is much needed in the field of Biblical Studies.

 The Art of Biblical Narrative . New York: Basic Books, 1981. Alter , Robert . “How Convention Helps Us Read: The Case of the Bible's Annunciation TypeScene.” Prooftexts 3 (1983): 115–30. Alter , Robert . The Art of Biblical Poetry ."

David's Politics

David’s Politics evaluates what we can learn about politics by studying David's life as presented in the Books of Samuel and the first two chapters of 1 Kings. This book follows his life as a servant to King Saul, a rebel against Saul, and as king, and shows that he has considerable political skill in all three stages.

 Alter , Robert . 1981. The Art of Biblical Narrative . New York: Basic Books. Alter , Robert . 1985. The Art of Biblical Poetry . New York: Basic Books. Alter , Robert . 1992. The World of Biblical Literature. New York: Basic Books."

Job 28 as Rhetoric

This volume argues that Job 28, as Job's words in its present position, has a special rhetorical function within the whole book, and more specifically within the context of chapters 22-31

In Traditions in Transformation: Turning Points in Biblical Faith, 213-46. Edited by Baruch Halpern and Jon D. Levenson. ... Alter , Robert 1981 The Art of Biblical Narrative . London; Sydney: George Allen & Unwin. 1981 “Between Narration ..."

Wom(b)an: A Cultural-Narrative Reading of the Hebrew Bible Barrenness Narratives

In this book Janice Ewurama De-Whyte offers a reading of the Hebrew Bible barrenness narratives. Barrenness was the threat to female honour and the lineage’s continuity. Therefore, the word “wom(b)an” visually underscores the centrality of the productive womb to female identity.

The International Journal of African Historical Studies 28 (1995) 481–508. Alster, Bendt. Proverbs of Ancient Sumer: The World's Earliest Proverb Collections. Bethesda, MD: CDL, 1997. Alter , Robert . The Art of Biblical Narrative ."

Biblical Narrative and the Death of the Rhapsode

Informed by literary theory and Homeric scholarship as well as biblical studies, Biblical Narrative and the Death of the Rhapsode sheds new light on the Hebrew Bible and, more generally, on the possibilities of narrative form. Robert S. Kawashima compares the narratives of the Hebrew Bible with Homeric and Ugaritic epic in order to account for the "novelty" of biblical prose narrative. Long before Herodotus or Homer, Israelite writers practiced an innovative narrative art, which anticipated the modern novelist's craft. Though their work is undeniably linked to the linguistic tradition of the Ugaritic narrative poems, there are substantive differences between the bodies of work. Kawashima views biblical narrative as the result of a specifically written verbal art that we should counterpose to the oral-traditional art of epic. Beyond this strictly historical thesis, the study has theoretical implications for the study of narrative, literature, and oral tradition. Indiana Studies in Biblical Literature -- Herbert Marks, General Editor

Aitken , Kenneth T. " Oral Formulaic Composition and Theme in the Aqhat Narrative . " UF 21 ( 1989 ) : 1-16 . " Word Pairs and Tradition in an Ugaritic ... Alter , Robert . The Art of Biblical Narrative . New York : Basic Books , 1981 ."

Not in God's Name

***2015 National Jewish Book Award Winner*** In this powerful and timely book, one of the most admired and authoritative religious leaders of our time tackles the phenomenon of religious extremism and violence committed in the name of God. If religion is perceived as being part of the problem, Rabbi Sacks argues, then it must also form part of the solution. When religion becomes a zero-sum conceit—that is, my religion is the only right path to God, therefore your religion is by definition wrong—and individuals are motivated by what Rabbi Sacks calls “altruistic evil,” violence between peoples of different beliefs appears to be the only natural outcome. But through an exploration of the roots of violence and its relationship to religion, and employing groundbreaking biblical analysis and interpretation, Rabbi Sacks shows that religiously inspired violence has as its source misreadings of biblical texts at the heart of all three Abrahamic faiths. By looking anew at the book of Genesis, with its foundational stories of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Rabbi Sacks offers a radical rereading of many of the Bible’s seminal stories of sibling rivalry: Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, Rachel and Leah. “Abraham himself,” writes Rabbi Sacks, “sought to be a blessing to others regardless of their faith. That idea, ignored for many of the intervening centuries, remains the simplest definition of Abrahamic faith. It is not our task to conquer or convert the world or enforce uniformity of belief. It is our task to be a blessing to the world. The use of religion for political ends is not righteousness but idolatry . . . To invoke God to justify violence against the innocent is not an act of sanctity but of sacrilege.” Here is an eloquent call for people of goodwill from all faiths and none to stand together, confront the religious extremism that threatens to destroy us, and declare: Not in God’s Name.

Wigoder, Geoffrey, Jewish-Christian Relations since the Second World War, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1988. Chapters 6-9 Alter , Robert , The Art of Biblical Narrative , New York, Basic Books, 1981. Alter , Robert , The Art of ..."

After the Invasion

In the wake of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the displacement of exile, there is a unique story that is told about the remnant left behind after the invasion. The narrative of Jeremiah 40--44 unfolds the challenges and crises of this community who remain in Judah as they negotiate their survival following the catastrophe of Jerusalem's fall. After the Invasion shares the often overlooked, but compelling story that emerges from the five later chapters of Jeremiah. Keith Bodner expertly reveals the assortment of personalities, geographic locations, shifts in point of view, temporal compression, and layers of irony. Primary focused on the narrative design of this text, Professor Bodner proves that these chapters form a creative and sophisticated narrative that make a rich, though perhaps underestimated, contribution to the book of Jeremiah as a whole.

 Alter , Robert . The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary. New York: W. W. Norton, 2008. Alter , Robert . The World of Biblical Literature. London: SPCK, 1992. Alter , Robert . The Art of Biblical Poetry . New York: Basic Books, ..."

George Herbert's Christian Narrative

 Alter , Robert . The Art of Biblical Narrative . New York: Basic Books, 1981. . The Art of Biblical Poetry . New York: Basic Books, 1985. Alter , Robert , and Frank Kermode, eds. The Literary Guide to the Bible. Cambridge: Harvard University ..."

The David Story

The story of David, forceful slayer of Goliath, is plucked from the Bible and molded into a piece of literature that stands on its own--a narrative representation of a human life shaped by the pressures of political life and family, the impulses of body and spirit, and the eventual sad decay of the flesh.

The story of David, forceful slayer of Goliath, is plucked from the Bible and molded into a piece of literature that stands on its own--a narrative representation of a human life shaped by the pressures of political life and family, the ..."

Characters and Characterization in the Book of Samuel

Characters provide the entry point to the story of the books of Samuel, just as they do in all stories. In this book the history of research into characters in Samuel, and the role(s) they play in the text are examined and discussed. The contributors look at the interpretative function of characters in the Samuel stories, and at issues of textual composition and what profiling of characters within the text can add to theories surrounding this issue. Specific characters are also profiled and studied. The character of God is examined: is God kind towards Israel? Is God loving and 'worthy to be praised' 2 Sam 22.4. Characters such as Hannah are examined from the perspective of literary type, as well as Eli as priest and Samuel himself as prophet. All of the major characters within the books are studied, including David and Jonathan, and chapters also treat the minor characters and offer information on their roles in the structure of the text. The contributors provide a range of different approaches to characterization, according to their specific expertise, and provide a thorough handbook to the characters in Samuel and their roles in the literary make-up of the text.

 Alter , Robert . The Art of Biblical Narrative . Rev. ed. New York: Basic Books, 2011. Alter , Robert . ... Alter , Robert . The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel. New York: W. W. Norton, 2000. Amit, Yairah."

Character Complexity in the Book of Ruth

Kristen Moen Saxegaard demonstrates how character complexity generates theological themes in the Book of Ruth. Each character has its specific voice which raises a particular topic. The interaction between the characters elaborates multiple perspectives to these themes, which offer new approaches and alternative answers to the reading of Ruth.

 ALTER , ROBERT . The Art of Biblical Narrative . London : George Allen & Unwin , 1981 . - The Art of Biblical Poetry . Edinburgh : T & T Clark , 1990 . -The World of Biblical Literature . London : Basic Books , 1992 ."

Sexual Politics in the Biblical Narrative

This book is for anyone interested in religious studies and women's studies, as well as for biblical scholars. It offers a feminist oppositional reading of the biblical text. The main argument is that the Bible constructs a fictional universe in which women are shown to be intent on promoting male interests, and, for the most part, appear as secondary characters whose voice and point of view are often suppressed. In their limited roles as mothers, wives, daughters and sisters, women are constructed as male-dependent pawns intent on securing the status of their male counterparts. The Biblical narrative highlights the contribution of women as reproductive agents and protectors of sons. In this challenging collection of essays, Fuchs focuses on type-scenes as a way of demonstrating the mechanisms by which the texts validates male power and superiority. She also deconstructs the Biblical sexual politics by asking whose interest is being served by the 'good' women of the Bible.Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement series, Volume 310.

Beyond Androcentrism, pp. 183-216. Alter , Robert , The Art of Biblical Narrative (New York: Basic Books, 1981). —'How Convention Helps Us Read: The Case of the Bible's Annunciation Type-Scene', Prooftexts 3 (1983), pp. 115-30."

What is Narrative Criticism?

The first nontechnical description of the principles and procedures of narrative criticism. Written for students' and pastors' use in their own exegesis.With great clarity Powell outlines the principles and procedures that narrative critics follow in exegesis of gospel texts and explains concepts such as "point of view," "narration," "irony," and "symbolism." Chapters are devoted to each of the three principal elements of narrative: events, characters, and settings; and case studies are provided to illustrate how the method is applied in each instance. The book concludes with an honest appraisal of the contribution that narrative criticism makes, a consideration of objections that have been raised against the use of this method, and a discussion of the hermeneutical implications this method raises for the church.

Wellek , Rene , and Warren , Austin . Theory of Literature . 3d ed . San Diego : Harcourt , Brace , Jovanovich , 1975 . PART 2 : LITERARY CRITICISM AND BIBLICAL NARRATIVE Alter , Robert . The Art of Biblical Narrative ."

The Hebrew Bible as Literature: A Very Short Introduction

The Hebrew Bible, or Christian Old Testament, contains some of the finest literature that we have. This biblical literature has a place not only in the synagogue or the church but also among the classics of world literature. The stories of Jacob and David, for instance, present the earliest surviving examples of literary characters whose development the reader follows over the length of a lifetime. Elsewhere, as in the books of Esther or Ruth, readers find a snapshot of a particular, fraught moment that will define the character. The Hebrew Bible also provides quite a few high points of lyric poetry, from the praise and lament of the Psalms to the double entendres in the love of poetry of the Song of Songs. In short, the Bible can be celebrated not only as religious literature but, quite simply, as literature. This book offers a thorough and lively introduction to the Bible's two primary literary modes, narrative and poetry, foregrounding the nuances of plot, character, metaphor, structure and design, and intertextual allusions. Tod Linafelt thus gives readers the tools to fully experience and appreciate the Old Testament's literary achievement. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

 The Art of Biblical Narrative . Rev. ed. New York: Basic Books, 2011. Alter , Robert . The Art of Biblical Poetry . Rev. ed. New York: Basic Books, 2011. Auerbach, Erich. “Odysseus' Scar.” In Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in ..."

Victim and Victimizer

This book attempts an interesting exercise in character analysis. It scrutinizes the speeches of Joseph in such a way as to expose the problematic nature of his claims to know God's intentions. While Judah is forced by Joseph's test to choose slavery for the sake of his father's survival, the ironic reversal of Judah's role from victimizer to victim is undercut by the rationale by which he had Joseph sold in order to save him. Unwittingly, Joseph mistakes this rationale as a divine principle that undergirds his suffering and he dreams of domination for the same purpose of survival. He is unaware of Judah's real predicament and this double blindness calls into doubt the coalescence of perspectives of Joseph and the narrator.

This book attempts an interesting exercise in character analysis."

Preaching Mark's Gospel

In a classic case of failing to see the forest for the trees, Jensen, a homiletics professor and author of two works on narrative preaching, says that preachers tend to analyze biblical books to glean the slightest bits of exegetical data, yet miss the thrust of the overarching story they try to convey. Jensen contends that preachers get too caught up in an analytical, left-brained mentality that obscures the power and meaning of the good news story. In these pages Jensen helps us approach Mark's gospel with eyes wide open rather than with microscope in hand. He treats Mark's gospel as a narrative whole and challenges preachers to tell the gospel's story to their congregations. In doing so, Jensen emphasizes the strength of biblical stories. He says that these stories are powerful in and of themselves and that they work without much explanatory help. The problem is that listeners never hear the entire story because it's always told to them in bits and pieces. Jensen's adaptation of what Robert Alter (author of The Art of Biblical Narrative) calls narrative analogy assumes that "... parallel acts or situations are used to comment on each other in biblical narrative." In other words, if Mark told story "B" to flesh out the reality of story "A," then perhaps preachers today can do the same thing in their preaching. Students of Jensen have enthusiastically embraced this approach: "This is great, we never get to hear them (stories) whole " How did it ever occur to us that we could improve on the story of the Prodigal Son, for example, by reducing it to ideas? Richard A. Jensen teaches homiletics at Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, and Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He is best known for his ten-year stint as preacher for the national radio program Lutheran Vespers. He has also produced a television series titled Reflections and one titled Rhapsody.

He says that these stories are powerful in and of themselves and that they work without much explanatory help. The problem is that listeners never hear the entire story because it's always told to them in bits and pieces."

Reading Hebrew Bible Narratives

Reading Hebrew Bible Narratives introduces readers to narrative traditions of the Old Testament and to methods of interpreting them. Part of the Essentials of Biblical Studies series, this volume presents readers with an overview of exegesis by mainly focusing on a self-contained narrative to be read alongside the text. Through sustained interaction with the book of Ruth, readers have opportunities to engage a biblical book from multiple perspectives, while taking note of the wider implications of such perspectives for other biblical narratives. Other select texts from Hebrew Bible narratives, related by theme or content to matters in Ruth, are also examined, not only to assist in illustrating this method of approach, but also to offer reinforcement of reading skills and connections among different narrative traditions. Considering literary analysis, words and texts in context, and reception history, this brief introduction gives students an overview of how exegesis illuminates stories in the Bible.

 Alter , Robert . 1981. The Art of Biblical Narrative . New York: Basic Books. Amit, Yaira. 2000. Hidden Polemics in Biblical Narrative . Leiden: Brill. Arnold, Bill T., and H. G. M. Williamson, eds. 2005. Dictionary of the Old Testament: ..."