Showing papers on "Exegesis published in 2019"

Glory in the Letter of Paul to the Romans : purity, honor and eschatology

Abstract: of Thesis Document control If you require this document in an alternative format please email Academic.Services@ed.ac.uk or telephone 0131 651 4990. Date last reviewed: 15.05.15 K:\AAPS\D-AcademicAdministration\02-CodesOfPractice,Guidelines&Regulations\24-MainReferencesCopiesPolicies\01Current\Assessment BOE SCC & Feedback\Forms\ThesisAbstract See the Postgraduate Assessment Regulations for Research Degrees: https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/pgr_assessmentregulations.pdf Name of student: Walter Daniel Jackson UUN S1404526

History and exegesis in the Itinerarium of Bernard the Monk (c.867)

Abstract: This article presents a re-evaluation of the ninth-century Itinerarium Bernardi monachi franci, which describes the journey of the monk Bernard to Jerusalem and the Holy Places. Challenging traditional perceptions of the work, as a straightforward narrative of travel, this article argues that a more contextual reading of the source and its topography, with respect to ninth-century exegetical and liturgical culture, identifies the Itinerarium as a text closely linked to exegetical explorations of the themes of penitence and just rule. It concludes that an examination of the motifs of the Old Testament world kingdoms and themes of Christian triumph within the work identifies Bernard as a writer engaged in an attempt to incorporate the world of Islam within a Christian salvific worldview and the eventual promise of redemption.

Making Sense of the Soul’s Numbers. Middle Platonist Readings of Plato’s Divisio Animae

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to show that a new approach to Middle Platonist technical exegesis is both necessary and profitable, for it can shed light on the deep philosophical and methodological background of Middle Platonist exegesis as a whole. Through the exegesis of Plato’s divisio animae, the Middle Platonists wanted to establish specific ways of both demonstrating and conceiving Plato’s authority also in the field of harmonics. In particular, I shall take into account Platonists such as Plutarch, Theon, Nicomachus, and Severus, in order to show that: a) the Middle Platonist exegesis of Plato’s divisio animae is chiefly based on a literalist approach to Plato’s text, which is exploited in such a way as to make good technical sense of Plato’s divisio animae; b) in this way, Middle Platonists sought to establish Plato’s authority in the field of harmonics; c) this conception of authority is however controversial, for some Platonists (e.g., Theon) regarded him as the founder of very specific technical notions, while others (such as Plutarch, Nicomachus, and Severus) considered him the first to have established the general framework of Greek harmonics.

Justification by faith in Galatians 2.15-21: An exegetical study

Abstract: This research seeks to examine the Pauline concept of justification by faith in Galatians 2.15-21. In this text, the apostle Paul presents justification by faith through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ as the essence of the gospel message. Galatians 2: 15-21 is a text replete with exegetical, semantic and theological difficulties. Therefore, the author of this research seeks to deal with the subject from a detailed exegetical study of Galatians 2.15-21. The main purpose is to discover and expose what the apostle Paul actually said about justification by faith in Galatians 2.15-21. The basic assumption of this investigation is that believers in the Pauline understanding are "declared righteous" and "members of the covenant people of God" based on the fulfillment of God's promise by faithfulness or faithful obedience of Jesus Christ. The faithful work of Christ is the necessary and sufficient condition for the justification of believers. Through his obedient life and death, Jesus Christ fulfilled the Torah and the prophets (Mt 5.18; Lk 24.44). The inheritance he attained, according to the covenant of the law (= Old Covenant), is now possessed by the believers of the New Covenant according to God's promise to bring justification to everyone by the seed of Abraham. In seeking justification before God through the temporal and conditional alliance of the law (Gl 3.23-4.7, Hb. 8.13), Paul's opponents were in truth, excluding themselves from the one in whom they could be found acceptable. That, because it is under the law is, for those who violate it, equivalent to the curse (Gl 3.10). In the New Covenant, however, all blessings have Christ and his obedience as the sole basis for qualifying us as heirs. In addition, those who inherit the blessing of justification live by the faithfulness of the Son of God and know the reality of Christ living in them (Gl 2.20; 5.13-6.10). The Spirit of Christ nourishes and leads the initial response of faith in the gospel to a continual life of faithfulness to God (2.20) and service to others in love (Gl 5.6,13,14). Consequently, the status of the justified (Gl 2.16,21) is never separated from the internal renewal (Gl 2.19-20).

Reading the Bible Theologically

Abstract: Theological interpretation of the Bible is one of the most significant debates within theology today. Yet what exactly is theological reading? Darren Sarisky proposes that it requires identification of the reader via a theological anthropology; an understanding of the text as a collection of signs; and reading the text with a view toward engaging with what it says of transcendence. Accounts of theological reading do not often give explicit focus to the place of the reader, but this work seeks to redress this neglect. Sarisky examines Augustine's approach to the Bible and how his theological insights into the reader and the text generate an aim for interpretation, which is fulfilled by fitting reading strategies. He also engages with Spinoza, showing that theological exegesis contrasts not with approaches that take history seriously, but with naturalistic approaches to reading.

Reading Psalm 112 as a “Midrash” on Psalm 111

Abstract: Psalms 111 and 112 are “twin” poems displaying similar characteristics such as the superscript הללו יה , an acrostic form, and shared vocabulary. Surprisingly, the shared characteristics are noted, but the poems often interpreted in isolation. Ps 111 is classified as a hymn or a song of thanksgiving and Ps 112 as a wisdom poem. The prominent presence of so-called “wisdom terminology” in Ps 112 plays a major role in its classification, while the presence of similar terminology in Ps 111 is ignored. The present study engages in an intertextual reading of the two poems. They are read as an intentional, artistic literary composition. Following Michael Fishbane’s notion of inner-biblical exegesis, I argue that Ps 112 is an intentional “midrash” on Ps 111, and that the pair should be read as a composition in the context of the late Torah-wisdom redaction of the Psalter in general and Book V of the Psalter in particular. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2019/v32n2a19

A relevance-theoretical perspective on the question of why Jesus never wrote a book

Abstract: Many reasons have been given for why Jesus never wrote anything. Some have argued that this was because he, or his audience, was illiterate; some that it was because Jewish rabbis only gave oral te...

Interpreting texts and the matter of context: Examples from the Book of Ruth

Abstract: This article aims to explore the matter of context in biblical exegesis and interpretation. Several exegetical approaches are discussed, namely, text-immanent, intertextual comparison, reader-response criticism, which is subdivided into feminist and postcolonial studies, and historical criticism. The pros and cons of each approach will also be indicated. The Book of Ruth (RB) is subjected under all of these forms of exegesis in order to illustrate how a single text can be interpreted in various, even divergent ways, depending on the approach chosen by the exegete. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article aims to explore the matter of context in biblical exegesis and interpretation. It examines the biblical Book of Ruth by employing literary and theological theories. Different interpretations are illuminated according to the methodology chosen by the exegete.

Writing and (not) reading the Torah (and contrasting texts) in the book of Isaiah

Abstract: On the basis of Edgar Conrad’s pioneering exegesis of the intra-textual function of the expression ספר התורה‎ and similar expressions in the Pentateuch, published in the Journal for the Study...

The crown of virginity, paradise regained: A study of Jerome's ascetic exegesis in a selection of his works

Abstract: This article explores, in the first place, Jerome’s creation of pro-virginal propaganda in a selection of his treatises and letters, through the employment of scriptural justification by means of ascetic exegesis and rhetorical strategies. The study focuses, in particular, on his Epistulae 22 and 130, both addressed to virgins, and his treatise Adversus Iovinianum . Jerome interpreted and deployed carefully selected biblical texts and employed classical rhetorical conventions to construct his ascetic ideal mainly based on sexual renunciation. The article argues that by extolling the virginal body through metaphorical figurations and careful textualisation, this ‘apostle of virginity’ aimed to create, in the first instance, for ascetically minded virgins, a means of achieving perfection and union with God, and receiving the awards of heaven. The analysis of the selected works and of Jerome’s ascetic exegesis, however, also reveals some significant markers, indicating his own carefully disguised quest for personal redemption and regaining paradise.

The Philosophy of Halal Science Concept in Al-Qur’an: A Study of Thematic Exegesis

Abstract: Philosophy of science in general is divided into three types, which is natural science, social sciences and applied sciences. In fact there are also Islamic scholars who place the science of tauhid as the main factor for avoiding the modern science’s thought such as saintism, rationalism and empiricism and that can effect the philosophy of Islamic science. This includes the field of halal science which is a branch of philosophy of Islamic science. Furthermore, the impacts of science and technology on the theory and application of halal science has led to some polemics in the community including genetically modified food (GMF), biotechnology risk in plants, halal slaughtering using machines, wool or lecithin based on animal or human resources, the use of elements pigs and derivatives in various products, alcohol (alcohol and ethanol) in food and more. Hence, research on philosophy of halal science is important. Therefore, this paper has three objectives. First, identify the philosophy of halal science. Second; analyze the verses of the Qur'an on the philosophy of halal science and the third; to build the philosophy of halal science based on the Qur'an which is the main source and remains relevant. This literature study found that there are three important elements that must exist in the philosophy of halal science namely tauhid as the main support, wahyu as a reference source and third role and values of humankind in the philosophy of Islamic science in managing and using halal science products.

Kim jest oblubieniec w przypowieści o dziesięciu pannach (Mt 25,1-13)? Między tradycyjnymi i współczesnymi próbami zrozumienia

Abstract: The main aim of the article is to compare carefully the intricated history of the exegesis of the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Mt 25:1-13) with the modern attempts to understand it, using the historical criticism. In fact, the historical criticism shows a number of problems concerning the critica textus, as well as the difficult process of edition, which influenced the understanding of the parable over the centuries. But the most important question, that resonates with the article, is the identity of the bridegroom: is he Jesus himself or the personification of the social injustice?

İBÂDÎ TEFSİRLERDE HÂRİCÎ İZLER (Himyânu’z-Zâd Örneği)

Abstract: The first sect that emerged in the history of Islamic thought is the Khāridjite. The Khāridjites were divided into different subgroups by the time, and only the Ibādite sect of them has continued to exist to the present day. Nowadays, the Ibādite scholars claim that they are not a subgroup of the Khāridjites. Attafayyish is a character, in the region of Algeria, who revitalised the IIbādites again. It is crucial for the scholars who assess and evaluate the related religious sect to examine the works of Attafayyish. For this reason, a valid evaluation of the IIbādites as a subgroup of the Khāridjites is based on a reading of Attafayyish who is a reference for the subject matter. Attafayyish has three works in the field of exegesis. The first exegesis is called Himyān-al-zād ilā dār-al-ma‘ād. This work, as an IIbādite exegesis, is an exhaustive study which includes traditions, authentic or not, Isra’iliyyat in abundance and long, wearisome philological analyses. The claim which introduces the IIbādites as a moderate sect is based on a comparison of the other Khāridjite subgroups. Of course it would not be just to claim that the IIbādites are as firm, violent and restless as the other Khāridjite subgroups such as Azāriqa. But on the other hand, it is difficult to claim that they have not any relationship with the Khāridjites. In our study we have observed that the IIbādites’ interpretation of some topics such as faith-act, grave sins, denouncing someone as infidel and views about companions is parallel to the Khāridjites’ comments.

‘Einer Frau gestatte ich nicht, dass sie lehre‘ (1 Timotheus 2:12): Exegese – Hermeneutik – Kirche

Abstract: This article is an exercise in combining the exegesis, hermeneutical issues and application of 1 Timothy 2:12 in ecclesial contexts where this prohibition is still taken seriously as a Pauline injunction or, at least, as part of the canon of the Church. It surveys representative proposals in New Testament studies of dealing with this least compromising assertion regarding the teaching of women in early Christianity. It discusses the hermeneutical issues involved in exegesis and application and how one should relate this prohibition to other New Testament references to women and their role in the early Christian communities. In closing, the article discusses whether and how this assertion can still be relevant in contemporary contexts when and where women have a very different role in society and church.

Locke’s Influence on the Exegesis of Peirce, Hallett, and Benson

Abstract: When Locke died in 1704, he had written paraphrases and notes on five of the epistles traditionally ascribed to Paul: Galatians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Romans, and Ephesians. At the time of his death his work on Galatians was already in the hands of the printer, and both Galatians and the work on the other epistles appeared posthumously. Commentaries on books of the Bible in the form of paraphrases and notes were not new with Locke. It was already a popular fashion and continued to be so after Locke’s death. Three writers in particular carried on Locke’s work by writing paraphrases and notes on those New Testament epistles on which he had not commented. All three were dissenting ministers, and all three departed from orthodoxy in important points of doctrine. They were James Peirce, Joseph Hallett, who completed Peirce’s work on the Epistle to the Hebrews, and George Benson. All three of them were learned and scholarly writers, and all of them held pastoral office in dissenting congregations.

A Jew for Roman Tastes: The Parting of the Ways in Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho from a Post-Colonial Perspective

Abstract: This article offers a new and distinctly Roman perspective on Trypho the Jew in Justin's Dialogue. While generations of scholars have debated whether Trypho was a historical Jew, who engaged in a real dialogue with Justin, or rather a literary construct invented by the author for Christian readers, I apply post-colonial theory and argue that Justin constructed Trypho for a Roman audience, whether "pagan" or Christian. Trypho highlights by his Otherness the Roman character of Christianity and thus helps to position the new religion firmly at the center of the empire. The article offers a close reading of Trypho's prominent features, namely 1) his circumcision, which is analyzed in the context of Antonius Pius's new legislation on this Jewish rite following the Bar Kokhba Revolt, 2) Trypho's insistence on ethnicity and exclusivism, which is evaluated in view of Roman stereotypes concerning Jewish xenophobia, and 3) his recourse to detailed Bible exegesis, which is interpreted in view of Roman philosophers' disdain for exegesis as a spiritually sterile activity. On all these accounts Trypho the Jew emerges as deviant and rather more Greek than Roman. He and Marcion the "Gnostic" are relegated to the eastern provinces of the empire and serve as mirror images of what Justin considers as authentic, authoritative, and distinctly Roman Christianity.

The Sons of God in Genesis 6:1–4: Analysis and History of Exegesis

Abstract: The Sons of God in Genesis 6:1–4 studies the meaning and function of the narrative in Genesis 6:1–4 about the ‘sons of God’ who beget offspring with the ‘daughters of men’. In the exegesis of this passage, the expression ‘sons of God’ constitutes the axis around which the whole story turns: is the narrative referring to heavenly beings or to earthly beings, who, for one reason or another, can be qualified as ‘sons of God’? These two main lines of exegesis split into four approaches: the so called ‘angels-interpretation’, the ‘mighty ones-interpretation’, the ‘Sethites-interpretation’, and the ‘divine beings-interpretation’. The study concludes that there is insufficient grounds to argue in favour of approaches which consider the ‘sons of God’ to be human beings, be it potentates or Sethites. The angels-interpretation appears to be a too specific solution. The best solution is the exegesis which explains the expression ‘sons of God’ as referring to heavenly beings not otherwise specified, a wording that might refer to ‘other gods’, as well. This interpretation presents the theological difficulty that it appears to be in conflict with a mainstream of monotheism in the Old Testament, which does not accept other gods next to YHWH. Comparison with other texts within the Old Testament results in the observation that the ‘sons of God’ in almost all other occurrences function as a ‘contrasting device’ to emphasise the uncomparable greatness of YHWH. Read in such a way, Genesis 6:1–4 offers a narrative which uses contemporary motives in a polemic sense. In accordance with a part of the history of exegesis of this passage, it is suggested that Genesis 6:1–4 alludes to the origin of idolatry, which is depicted as an illegitimate means to make a connection between heaven and earth.

Charakterystyczne cechy egzegezy Pisma Świętego św. Tomasza z Akwinu

Abstract: St. Thomas of Aquinas was not only a formidable philosopher and theologist, but also he was a tireless exegete of the Holy Scripture. He wrote comments on the books of both the Old and New Testament. His exegesis has several traits. It is constructed around two fundamental rules: the analogy of Catholic faith and the analogy of Biblical faith. Furthermore it contains a typical to the Medieval exegesis – scholastic, patristic and theological lineament.

The Hermeneutics of Miracle: Evolution, Eloquence, and the Critique of Scientific Exegesis in the Literary School of tafsīr. Part I: From Muḥammad ʿAbduh to Amīn al-Khūlī

Abstract: One of the earliest and more enduring modern critiques of scientific exegesis of the Qur'an (al-tafsīr al-ʿilmī) emerges out of the literary school of tafsīr. First advanced by Amīn al-Khūlī in the...

“Christum qui est Hædus Iudaeis, Agnus Nobis”: A Medieval Kabbalistic Response to the Patristic Exegesis on Exodus 23:19*

Abstract: * Some of the ideas in this article were presented on several occasions: a lecture at the conference on the Study of the Bible in the Middle Ages, at Oxford University, February 2017; a seminar lecture at the Department of Religion, at Princeton University, October 2017 (sponsored by the Program in Judaic Studies); a seminar lecture at the Center for Medieval and Early Modern Studies, at Stanford University, October 2018; a lecture presented at the Medieval Studies Colloquium, at Yale University, October 2018; and a seminar lecture at the Rhetoric Department, at University of California, Berkeley, December, 2018. I would like to thank all the participants of these conferences and seminars for their valuable remarks. In particular, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Daniel Boyarin, Lesley Smith, Ayelet EvenEzra, Martha Himmelfarb, Ra‘anan Boustan, Ariel Mayse, and Micha Perry for their valuable comments following my lectures. Finally, I want to thank the anonymous readers of this article and to Yehuda Liebes, Gideon Bohak, Israel Yuval, Yosef Schwartz, and Joel Hecker for their numerous suggestions and comments, which are incorporated in this final version of the article. This article was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Lady Davis Fellowship Trust at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Erudizione de’ confusi by Yedidya ben Moshe Recanati, a Late Renaissance Italian Translation of Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed

Abstract: In 1581, Yedidya ben Moshe Recanati—who lived in San Marino and Pesaro, in the North‑eastern regions of Italy—wrote an Italian translation (in Hebrew characters) of the Guide of the Perplexed, based on the Hebrew version by Samuel Ibn Tibbon. According to his words in the introduction, this work was destined for Jewish students who, thanks to the translation of difficult words and expressions of Maimonides’ book, could address Jewish and especially non‑Jewish scholars, in order to have further explanations, in particular on scientific matters. Yedidya Recanati was a brilliant and prolific scholar, though almost completely unknown; actually, his rich literary production—biblical exegesis, epistolography, lexicography and translations from and into Hebrew, besides scattered Halakhic response has never been printed. The translation of the Guide, whose title is Erudizione de’ confusi, is the evidence of the persistent importance of Maimonides’ work within Italian Judaism, even in a period of growing defiance toward rationalistic philosophy.

Marian Typological and Symbolic Imagery in Patristic Christianity

Abstract: For well over half of the more than two thousand years of Christian history, Mary was viewed as much through the lens of Old Testament exegesis as through those brief passages in the New Testament that mention her, which is to say that the dominant mode of speaking about and understanding her was typological or figural. Epithets such as ‘the new Eve’ (Gen. 1–3), ‘Jacob’s ladder’ (Gen. 28:10–16), ‘burning bush’ (Ex. 3:1–8), ‘fleece of Gideon’ (Judg. 6:37–40), ‘ark’ (2 Kgs 6.14–23), ‘bridal chamber’ (Ps. 18:6), ‘tower of ivory’ (Song of Songs 7:4), ‘rod of Jesse’ (Isa. 11:1), and many more were once deeply significant to all Christians, from the most erudite of theologians to the simplest of faithful. This chapter examines the origins, nature, and significance of Marian typology and symbolism in the Patristic period with the aim of providing the contemporary reader with the necessary exegetical and hermeneutic keys for a fuller understanding of the original significance of this elaborate imagery.

İsmail Cerrahoğlu’nun Tâbiîn Dönemi Tefsiri ve İsrâiliyat Literatürüne Bakışının Analizi

Abstract: The first period of the post-sahabah (companions of the prophet Muhammed) period (65-135 a. h.) in the Islamic literature is the period of tabi’in (successors of sahabah). Chronologically, its proximity to the period of risalah makes the views of the scholars of the period - often as a reference - valuable. In this period, in which the traces of intellect-narration balance change in favor of the intellect can be seen, the influence of other religions and cultures, especially Judaism, entered an upward trend. There are those who criticize this literature called “Israiliyyat in the Qur’an exegesis” as well as those who criticize it as a whole. The subject of the research in this context is Ismail Cerrahoglu’s approach in his two-volume-book named The History of the Qur’an Exegesis to the exegesis and Israiliyyat in tabi’in period. Cerrahoglu has an important place in the exegesis studies in Turkey. When Cerrahoglu examines the subject, he discusses the leading exegesis schools and a few of commentators of the period in detail. However, that part was excluded as we think it is out of the scope of this study. In this study, with the document analysis method, the Qur’an exegesis and Israiliyyat literature in the tabi’in period will be examined. Also, in order to contribute to the comprehension of the research subject, sahabah exegesis and tabi’in exegesis will be compared.