Download or read book The Characters of Elijah and Elisha and the Deuteronomistic Evaluation of Prophecy written by Roy L. Heller and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This study looks at the prophets Elijah and Elisha in the books of Kings charting a two-fold characterization that portrays these prophetic figures in both positive and negative lights. In the narratives of Kings Elijah and Elisha often parallel other prophetic figures from Israel's history: they perform miraculous signs, they speak in the name of God, and they pronounce judgments upon the nation of Israel for its idolatrous worship. There are, however, other stories which have troubled readers and scholars alike: Elijah's cowardly running from the threats of Jezebel, his self-pitying complaint to God the he was the only true Israelite left, and Elisha's cursing a group of little boys who, in turn, are slaughtered by two female bears. Scholars have traditionally ignored or belittled the negative stories of the prophets, seeing them as either late additions to the biblical text or as minor, unimportant stories that can easily be dismissed. Heller, however, argues that the dual characterization of Elijah and Elisha reflects an ambivalent attitude that the narrator of Kings has toward prophecy as a whole, an attitude that is reflected in the Book of Deuteronomy itself. This forces readers of the biblical text to pose the question; "how may Israel best know and follow God?" The stories of Elijah and Elisha make the answer clear: the words and lives of the prophets are a possible way for God to reveal how Israel is to live, but those words and lives must always be considered with a degree of suspicion and must always be evaluated in light of the clear and straightforward teaching of Deuteronomy."--

Download or read book The Characters of Elijah and Elisha and the Deuteronomic Evaluation of Prophecy written by Roy L. Heller and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-01-11 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Roy L. Heller looks at the prophets Elijah and Elisha in the books of Kings charting a two-fold characterization that portrays these prophetic figures in both positive and negative lights. In the narratives of Kings Elijah and Elisha often parallel other prophetic figures from Israel's history: they perform miraculous signs, they speak in the name of God, and they pronounce judgments upon the nation of Israel for its idolatrous worship. There are, however, other stories which have troubled readers and scholars alike: Elijah's cowardly running from the threats of Jezebel, his self-pitying complaint to God that he was the only true Israelite left, and Elisha's cursing a group of little boys who, in turn, are slaughtered by two female bears. Scholars have traditionally ignored or belittled the negative stories of the prophets, seeing them as either late additions to the biblical text or as minor, unimportant stories that can easily be dismissed. Heller, however, argues that the dual characterization of Elijah and Elisha reflects an ambivalent attitude that the narrator of Kings has toward prophecy as a whole, an attitude that is reflected in the book of Deuteronomy itself. This forces readers of the biblical text to pose the question; “how may Israel best know and follow God?” The stories of Elijah and Elisha make the answer clear: the words and lives of the prophets are a possible way for God to reveal how Israel is to live, but those words and lives must always be considered with a degree of suspicion and must always be evaluated in light of the clear and straightforward teaching of Deuteronomy.

Download or read book Reliable Characters in the Primary History written by Paul J. Kissling and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 1996-05-01 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume challenges the assumptions that modern readers tend to make about four of the Hebrew Bible's most prominent heroes. Using a form of reader-response theory, Kissling examines the assumption that these characters are primary vehicles of the narrator's point of view. In three of the four cases it is concluded that traditional idealistic assumptions do not do justice to the textual evidence in its final form. The work calls upon the reader to consider the subtlety of the means used in portraying these heroes and gives evidence for the decidedly negative aspects in their portrayals.

Download or read book Life Land and Elijah in the Book of Kings written by Daniel J. D. Stulac and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-12-10 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using a canonical-agrarian approach, Stulac demonstrates the rhetorical and theological contribution of the Elijah narratives to the Book of Kings.

Download or read book The Scandal of Pentecost written by Wolfgang Vondey and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2023-10-19 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through a systematic analysis of the conflicts emerging when the public church encounters the public world, The Scandal of Pentecost argues that the public advent of the church stands in continuity with the public scandal of the incarnate and crucified Christ. The book traces the contours of this scandal in the confrontation of the dominant ruling hermeneutic of authority with a Christian hermeneutic of resistance. This highlights the brokenness of the human condition manifested by the church in the drunkenness of the disciples, the speaking in other tongues, the baptism with the Spirit, the empowerment of the flesh, and its public witness to a scandalized world. The effects of the scandal transform both the disciples' individual and communal witness and their public recognition as the church. Through the lens of a symbolic hermeneutic, the public witness of the church at Pentecost reveals a Christian scandal of anthropological proportions: with the outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh the church emerges as the symbol of humanity.

Download or read book Remapping Biblical Studies written by Stephanie Buckhanon Crowder and published by SBL Press. This book was released on 2023-09-29 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For decades, scholars of African, African American, Asian, Asian American, Latino/a/x, and Native American heritage have employed their intellect, histories, and lived experience as a means to produce new and courageous scholarship and imagine greater in the Society of Biblical Literature. This volume celebrates the thirty years of service of SBL’s Committee on Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Profession (CUREMP), a vital body in SBL dedicated to advancing the representation and work of racial and ethnic minoritized scholars in biblical studies. The volume includes the presidential addresses of groundbreaking scholars Brian K. Blount, Fernando F. Segovia, Vincent L. Wimbush, and Gale A. Yee. Gay L. Byron, Ahida Calderón Pilarski, Leslie D. Callahan, Jin Young Choi, Gregory L. Cuéllar, Jacqueline M. Hidalgo, Tat-siong Benny Liew, Velma E. Love, Andrew Mbuvi, Raj Nadella, Janette H. Ok, Angela N. Parker, Abraham Smith, Yak-hwee Tan, and Ekaputra Tupamahu provide reflections and responses that honor those who have led the way and point in new directions for future generations of scholars.

Download or read book Abraham s Silence written by J. Richard Middleton and published by Baker Academic. This book was released on 2021-11-16 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is traditional to think we should praise Abraham for his willingness to sacrifice his son as proof of his love for God. But have we misread the point of the story? Is it possible that a careful reading of Genesis 22 could reveal that God was not pleased with Abraham's silent obedience? Widely respected biblical theologian, creative thinker, and public speaker J. Richard Middleton suggests we have misread and misapplied the story of the binding of Isaac and shows that God desires something other than silent obedience in difficult times. Middleton focuses on the ethical and theological problem of Abraham's silence and explores the rich biblical tradition of vigorous prayer, including the lament psalms, as a resource for faith. Middleton also examines the book of Job in terms of God validating Job's lament as "right speech," showing how the vocal Job provides an alternative to the silent Abraham. This book provides a fresh interpretation of Genesis 22 and reinforces the church's resurgent interest in lament as an appropriate response to God.

Download or read book Power Politics and Prophecy written by Roy Heller and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2006-09-01 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Power, Politics, and Prophecy is an examination of the view of prophetic experience and prophetic institutions by the writers of Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomistic History (Joshua—2 Kings). The thesis of the book is that the Deuteronomic writers consistently hold two different and competing views on prophecy in tension: § Prophecy is a valid and true means by which God communicates the divine will and intention to people. § Prophecy is a highly ambiguous and dangerous phenomenon and, because of its essential subjective nature, should be treated with a high degree of suspicion in all cases. These views are meticulously intertwined in the narratives about the character of Samuel and both are absolutely central for the meaning of the narrative and of its portrayal of the prophet. From beginning to end, Samuel is clearly understood by the writers as fulfilling the promise of Deuteronomy 18 as the Mosaic prophet, one who serves as the primary intermediary between the divine and human realms. Yet, unlike the sympathetic readings offered by some commentators, Samuel is obviously not an unambiguously positive character.

Download or read book A Rhetorical Analysis of the Elijah Elisha Stories Within the Deuteronomistic History written by Yue-Ming Joseph Chang and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 734 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Polemics and Praise written by Janis Jaynes Granowski and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 506 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Mantle of Elijah written by Terence Collins and published by Burns & Oates. This book was released on 1993 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides an introduction to current trends in the study of the biblical prophets. It surveys the growing volume of work that has been on the redactional analysis of individual books and represents the first attempt to bring together these different strands of redaction criticism and to evaluate the effect they have had on our appreciation of the prophetical books as a distinct genre. The opening chapter deals with the methodology of redaction criticism as applicable to the prophetical books. The author then looks at the redactional history of each of the individual books in turn. The closing chapters consider the implications this approach has for our appreciation of these books and the aims of the writers who created them. In particular, the author draws attention to the literary nature of the image of The Prophet conveyed in the books about prophets.

Download or read book Elisha s Profile in the Book of Kings written by Keith Bodner and published by . This book was released on 2013-07-25 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Elisha's Profile in the Book of Kings uses the tools of literary criticism to read the Elisha narrative as an integral component of the Deuteronomistic History compiled in the aftermath of the Babylonian invasion and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. From his investiture in 1 Kings 19 to his final cameo in 2 Kings 13, Elisha the prophet has one of the most extensively-narrated careers in Israel's royal history. During a particularly dark and contested era where the corrupt northern kings hold sway, Elisha enters the ideological battleground and boldly raises his voice and performs remarkable signs to stem the tide of injustice and religious inconstancy. Empowered by a double portion of his master Elijah's spirit, Elisha is a double agent who continues the task of dismantling the Omride dynasty. Moving between the international stage and more domestic locales, Elisha travels widely and interacts with a host of characters from virtually every socio-economic category, visiting foreign capitals and cities under siege as well as wealthy homes and obscure villages. With actions that range from feeding a multitude to mind-reading and raising the dead, Elisha's performance eclipses that of his master and ensures a lasting place in ancient Israel's prophetic heritage.

Download or read book Elisha and the End of Prophetism written by Wesley J. Bergen and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 1999-05-01 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The stories of Elisha the prophet have received scant attention in recent years, perhaps because they are so enigmatic. This study places the Elisha material firmly within the narrative of Genesis-2 Kings, and examines the effect these stories have on the reader's perception of the role of the 'prophet'. Using the narratological theories of Mieke Bal, David Jobling and others, Bergen shows that the Elisha stories present prophetism in a negative light, confining prophets to a rather limited scope of action in the narrative world.

Download or read book The Elusive Prophet written by Johannes de Moor and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2021-10-01 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Israelite prophets as historical persons, as literary characters and as anonymous artists. Whereas modern methods of literary analysis have brought the artistic qualities of the books of the Prophets increasingly into focus during the past century, various modes of deconstruction have made the historical prophets themselves an ever more elusive phenomenon. Passages in the Old Testament describing their work and experiences are not read as biography anymore, but as literary fiction intended to picture the prophets as heroes of faith. The real ‘prophets’ were the anonymous artists who were responsible for the final editing of the legacy of the historical prophets and who often used the authority of their predecessors to promulgate their own theological views. This volume brings together studies about this theme by members of the British and Dutch societies for Old Testament study. Attempts to recover some of the biographical data and authentic experiences of the prophets alternate with penetrating analyses of the theological depth and stylistic virtuosity of the prophetic books.The volume will be particularly useful to all those interested in the interpretation of the prophetic books of the Old Testament.

Download or read book The Place is Too Small for Us written by R. P. Gordon and published by Eisenbrauns. This book was released on 1995 with total page 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The title of this volume is, of course, taken from 2 Kgs 6:1, where the prophetic group about Elisha point out that their accomodation is too cramped. It seemed an apt comment on the capacity of any proposed volume to house and adequate representation of the work that has recently been done on Israelite prophecy. To this I now have to add the all-too-ironic confession that the so-called pre-classical prophets (including Elisha and his colleagues) could not be accomodated in the present volume. Let no one complain about being misled by the subtitle when the title is so honest ... there are thirty-six items of varying legnth, and they divide almost equally between journal articles and excerpts from volumes (some of thes of composite authorship). Naturally, they represent one individual's selection from within his personal reading, and this itself accounts for only a fraction of the vast scholarly output on the prophets, whether since 1875 or since 1975 ... It will be apparent at several places in the volume that I take with great seriousness the study of Near Eastern (non-Israelite) prophecy as background to the Israelite phenomenon, so that the first short section (The Near Eastern Background") was unavoidable."--Editor's preface.

Download or read book Gleanings From Elisha His Life and Miracles written by A.W Pink and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2015-11-29 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: That Which Occupies the central and dominant place in what the Spirit has been pleased to record of the life of Elisha is the miracles performed by and connected with him. Far more miracles were wrought by him or were granted in answer to his prayers than any other of the Old Testament prophets.The character of Elisha's mission and ministry was in thorough keeping with Israel's condition at that time. The very fact that these miracles were needed indicates the state into which Israel had fallen. A.W Pink unfolds the life and miracles of Elisha in 30 power packed Chapters of this famous Prophet of God.

Download or read book Life Land and Elijah in the Book of Kings written by Daniel J. D. Stulac and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2020-12-10 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, Daniel J. D. Stulac brings a canonical-agrarian approach to the Elijah narratives and demonstrates the rhetorical and theological contribution of these texts to the Book of Kings. This unique perspective yields insights into Elijah's iconographical character (1 Kings 17-19), which is contrasted sharply against the Omride dynasty (1 Kings 20-2 Kings 1). It also serves as a template for Elisha's activities in chapters to follow (2 Kings 2-8). Under circumstances that foreshadow the removal of both monarchy and temple, the book's middle third (1 Kings 17-2 Kings 8) proclaims Yhwh's enduring care for Israel's land and people through various portraits of resurrection, even in a world where Israel's sacred institutions have been stripped away. Elijah emerges as the archetypal ancestor of a royal-prophetic remnant with which the reader is encouraged to identify.