it defines and limits the meaning of selem. Second, the two words are interchangeable; no distinction is discoverable between them. Third, both words are included in Genesis 1:26. However, only selem is used in Genesis 1:27, but the omission of d§mu®t does not diminish the meaning. Preuss, noting the occurrence and semantic field of the verb and noun forms for t...wm√;d defines it as a “copy,” “reproduction” or “image” (Preuss 1997:3.259). The eighth century prophet Isaiah warns the nation of Israel not to pursue lRs‹RÚpAh “the idol” (Is 40:19), since wáøl ...wk√rAo¶A;tt...wäm√;d_hAm...w l¡Ea N...wâyV;mådV;t yTMIm_lRa◊w “to whom will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him?” (Is 40:18). Idols, which are creations of human hands, lack the “likeness” of the divine creator. Isaiah’s comparison is not applicable to the human, who is created in the “image...likeness” of God. The context of Isaiah 40 expresses comfort for God’s people (40:1), whose Lord has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand (40:12), sits enthroned above the circle of the earth (Is 40:22), and is the Everlasting God, Creator of the ends of the earth who does not grow weary or tired (40:28b). Idols do not compare. Feinberg (1972:236) notes the difference between sΩelem, which refers to human essence, and d§mu®t as the aspect of the person that changes. Both concepts evolve from the Greek and Latin father’s distinction between sΩelem, as the physical condition of the human, and d§mu®t which refers to the ethical expression of the divine image emanating from God. Although distinctions between image and likeness are noted, Kidner (2008:55) deduces that the words reinforce one another in Genesis 1:26, since the conjunction is absent

The debilitating duo : shame and guilt in Psalm 32

Understanding the interaction of human and environmental systems requires understanding the religious dimensions to the integration of ecology and society. Research on the significance of religion to environmental problems and of ecological ideas to religion has emerged into a robust interdisciplinary field. One sign of its vitality lies in the methodological arguments over how to conceptualize and assess that significance. Another lies in the diversity of research projects, which appear within most religious traditions, from many geographical contexts, and in several different disciplines. This article introduces major approaches to the field and key questions raised, and then briefly assesses recent work in three broad areas of tradition.

https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev-environ-042610-103728

Religion and Environment

This thesis is a literary study of the female-male pair in the non-P creation narrative (Gen 2:4a–3:24). It develops the notion that the human partnership of the Eden narrative foreshadows the cooperative work of diverse humanity in the task of serving and keeping the earth.

One Becomes Two: The Gender Anthropology of the Eden Narrative and Its Reception Journey

This thesis reports the results of a linguistic and theological investigation of the “one flesh” marriage union concept introduced in Genesis 2:24, and the history of its reception throughout the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament Scriptures, with special focus on its New Testament echoes in Mat. 19, Mar. 10, 1Co. 6 and Eph. 5. The aim was to discover whether this concept provides a fundamental, harmonious foundation for a biblical theology of marriage, and whether the “one flesh” union is, at least subliminally, present in the major marriage (and divorce) passages of the Scriptures. Methods employed include, initially, detailed exegesis of Gen. 2:24, giving attention to linguistic and literary features of the passage in context. Reception history was then used to identify the primary passages in both the Hebrew Bible and New Testament impacted by the Gen. 2:24 “one flesh” marriage concept. These in turn were also subjected to detailed exegesis. The combined data emerging from the study of these passages was then examined from the perspective of biblical theology to determine whether a somewhat unified and harmonious biblical theology of the “one flesh” union can be reasonably constructed. The thesis found that the “one flesh” union concept serves as the foundation for the biblical pattern of an ideal marriage. In addition, the “one flesh” union concept serves as a major foundation for several Hebrew Bible and New Testament passages outlining the ideal relationship between Yahweh and his people. Finally, the thesis concludes by presenting a new biblical framework for marriage, divorce and remarriage which deals in a fresh way with theological implications of concubinage, and issues of possible “biblical” grounds for permissible divorce and remarriage.

/pdf/the-biblical-one-flesh-theology-of-marriage-as-constituted-5epoomwi4l.pdf

The Biblical "One Flesh" Theology of Marriage as Constituted in Genesis 2:24: An Exegetical Study of This Human-divine Covenant Pattern, Its New Testament Echoes, and Its Reception History Throughout Scripture

This thesis comprises an introduction to the life and works of Victorinus of Pettau, a translation of his commentary on the Apocalypse and a select commentary on that work.

A translation of and select commentary on Victorinus of Pettau’s commentary on the Apocalypse

This study demonstrates that the aim of the Bible's wisdom literature is the formation of the moral character of both individuals and the believing community. Brown traces the theme of moral identity and conduct throughout the Old Testament,

Character in Crisis: A Fresh Approach to the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament

Recent studies of the biblical story of creation try to uncover its roots in ancient Near Eastern myths or its compatibility with modern science and ecology. In contrast, this work by William Brown investigates how the various pictures of creation found in Scripture helped shape the ancient faith community's moral character. Bridging the fields of biblical studies and ethics, this interdisciplinary work demonstrates how certain creation traditions of the Old and New Testaments were developed from the community's moral imagination for the purpose of forming and preserving both Israel's and the early church's identity in the world. Bringing to light insights largely overlooked by modern treatments of biblical ethics and creation, The Ethos of the Cosmos ends by recommending the formative power of creation for the contemporary church.

William P. Brown

Papers

Character in Crisis: A Fresh Approach to the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament

The Ethos of the Cosmos: The Genesis of Moral Imagination in the Bible

The Seven Pillars of Creation: The Bible, Science, and the Ecology of Wonder

The Seven Pillars of Creation

Wisdom's Wonder: Character, Creation, and Crisis in the Bible's Wisdom Literature