Showing papers on "Exegesis published in 2022"

The Inheritance of Human Traits in the Qur’an Based on the Scientific Interpretation of Zaghlūl Rāghib Muḥammad an-Najjār

Abstract: This article aims to analyze the inheritance of human traits in the Qur’an, specifically at Surah An-Nisa verse 1, based on the scientific interpretation of Zaghlūl an-Najjār. This study discusses Zaghlūl an-Najjār because he is a geologist and Muslim scholar who has written many books related to science in the Qur’an. The type of this study was qualitative research with a descriptive method. Primary data were obtained through library research related to the works of an-Najjār and interpretations of the Qur’an and hadith, while articles and books were used as secondary data. The employed research approaches were the character approach to study the history, ideas, and socio-historical conditions of Zaghlūl an-Najjār, the exegesis approach to study the content of the Qur’an, and the scientific approach to understand and reveal the meaning of the verses of the Qur’an. This study concludes that the inheritance of human traits in the Q.S. An-Nisa’ verse 1 according to Zaghlūl an-Najjār is in the words “al-nafs al-wāḥidah” (one soul), which means all humans come from the first created creatures, namely Adam. Likewise, the creation of Eve is explained in the words “wa khalaqa minhā zaujahā” (and We created his wife from himself).

Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 527

Abstract: The formation of the OT canon and its literature continues to capture the curiosity and creativity of scholars. Studies in recent decades have seen it as a matrix of supplementing prior texts, composing new texts that respond to them or include/modify their content, and a mutual editorial alignment in the direction of a unified corpus. Isaiah and the Twelve is a collection of essays presented at a colloquium in 2016 at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, which explores such developments in the two corpora as five categories: (1) Isaiah and the preexilic portions of the Twelve; (2) Isaiah and the later layers of the Twelve; (3) development of shared themes; (4) a special lecture concerning the goal of exegesis in the church; and (5) a synthetic conclusion.In the first section, Franz Sedlmeier studies connections between Hosea and Isaiah. The naming of children and other thematic connections likely show dependence on Isaiah by Hosea. These connections afford a link between the major prophets and the Twelve, suggesting editorial alignment of Hosea and intentional placement. Uwe Becker probes the social critiques of Amos and Isaiah, concluding that neither those of Isa 5 or 10 are authentic to Isaiah but are incorporations of Amos’s material. They are incomprehensible without the subsequent call narrative in chapter 6, suggesting a Sitz in Literatur instead of a Sitz im Leben. James Nogalski argues that Zion as wife/mother and as city in Isa 40–66 and Zeph 3:11–20 stem from the common Persian milieu albeit with important differences and that direct borrowing is difficult to validate, though the editors of the corpora likely had mutual awareness.In the second section, Burkard M. Zapff concludes that the redactors of the Twelve selected texts from Deutero-Isaiah and recontextualized them. The dearth of such references is due to Deutero-Isaiah’s highly situated framework. Richard J. Bautch offers a coherent reading of Zech 11 by tracing intertextual development of “the shepherds” and “breaking” from Isa 10, Neh 10, and Jer 11:1–17. James Todd Hibbard, after exploring potential connections between Zech 14 and Isa 56–66, opines that the important differences between the developments of themes do not support dependence. Christopher B. Hays furthers his thesis about the Josianic origin of Isa 24–27 by intertextual comparison with Zephaniah (excluding 3:9–20). Verbal parallels between the two are specific and impressive, reflecting the late seventh century BC and perhaps common authorship.In the third section, Joachim Eck studies reverberations of the Song of the Vineyard (Isa 5:1–7) in Isaiah (7:23–25; 27:2–6) and Micah (1:6; 7:1–7 and 8–20). Later authors use the song either to emphasize retributive (and repeated) judgment from Yhwh or the possibility of repentance and prosperity. Carol J. Dempsey argues that the portrayal of divine kingship in Isaiah and the Twelve reflects the androcentrism and approval of retributive justice of its time, which must be removed from the modern practice of leadership if the world is to avoid destruction. Archibald L. H. M. van Wieringen identifies the text-immanent reader in the Oracles against the Nations in Isaiah, Amos, and Zephaniah as a self-critique of Jerusalem. Therefore, a more functional label for these texts is “Oracles of Self- Criticism Using the Nations and Jerusalem/Zion.” Hugh Williamson traces the development of the Day of Yhwh in Isaiah and the Twelve, concluding that the progression in both corpora is adequately explained by internal developments rather than external dependency.In the fourth section, Rudolf Voderholzer argues that the church needs the benefits of the medieval fourfold hermeneutic, albeit in a modern form that recognizes the use of historical exegesis. Eck notes in the fifth section the broad agreement that the material shared between Isaiah and the Twelve does not stem from their historical personages. Such material was incorporated both by redactional activity and ongoing theological conversations.Isaiah and the Twelve offers a fine sampling of scholarly discussion of intertextuality and the growth of the biblical corpus. Explanation of texts by developments and interconnectedness within the inner-biblical tradition is a welcome trend, and the higher threshold for claims of dependency manifests a maturing methodology. Perhaps the most instructive essays are those by Bautch and van Wieringen, whose contributions most clearly offer an exegetical payout. The syntheses of Nogalski and Williamson also warrant mention, as they dialectically illuminate commonalities and differences in the expression of their respective themes.Nonetheless, issues remain. First, one notes the diverse use of terminology (reference, allusion, echo, citation, use, etc.) without established criteria despite recent refinements in the literature. Authors who describe complex textual interdependency between Isaiah and the Twelve tend to speak more of “references” (e.g., Eck), whereas the more methodologically reserved (e.g., Nogalski) favor explanations via common milieu or “echoes.” The problem of validation comes to the fore. An essay devoted to method and terminology would have helped immensely. Second, questions of dependency require relative dating of redactional layers, an enterprise boasting marked disagreement and divergent rationales. This inhibits the synthesis of any two essays. Third, Christian interpreters must always ponder the point at which criticism undermines scriptural authority. Dempsey’s feminist critique of divine kingship is an extreme case where divine retribution excludes itself from modern application forthwith. Less extreme are contentions concerning the editorial history of superscriptions or the whole book of Micah from its inception. Such aspects of criticism are not inherently un-Christian, but the requisite metaphysical preconditions and consequences must be carefully considered in each case. Finally, the plausibility/persuasiveness of theories vary greatly. Grand redactional theories have appeal but also a higher burden of proof than exegesis of discrete textual units.Isaiah and the Twelve provides an interesting conversation partner for those interested in the complex unity of scripture. Gone are the days of explaining a textual unit without recourse to the growing biblical corpus/theological milieu. Agree or disagree, interaction with the new model of redaction criticism demands a deeper appreciation of scripture’s diverse modes of expression and of the multifaceted prophetic vision that speaks to all ages.

OUP accepted manuscript

Abstract: Abstract While the unnamed creatures of Exeter Book Riddle 13 have been read as ‘chickens’ since the early twentieth century, this solution has never fully satisfied either the narrative description or the cryptic puzzles of this short verse text. In this article, I propose a new solution, the Old English word SCEAPHEORD (‘flock of sheep’), which fulfils the various clues of the riddle and fits more satisfactorily among the quadruped cluster of neighbouring Riddles 12, 14 and 15. Far from settling the meaning of the text, this new solution opens the riddle to a range of interpretative possibilities. Following previous critical work on the role of medieval riddles in teaching interpretative practice, I will demonstrate that the riddle invites readings of the wandering sceapheord on several discrete levels, in a process analogous to fourfold biblical exegesis: the literal (a flock of sheep), the historical (allusions to biblical Eden, following Patrick Murphy) and the anagogical (images of renewal and salvation). A fourth, moral level of interpretation is revealed through attention to the riddle’s letter-games and etymological puns, which, in the Isidorean tradition, portray human language as reflective of material reality. By emphasizing this relationship between the textual and the real, the poem encourages monks to apply their skills of exegetical analysis to their daily labour (represented by the ubiquity of sheep-rearing in the early medieval English economy). While celebrating the spiritual meaning of individual acts of manual labour, Riddle 13 also reinforces the moral and theological importance of collective monastic work.

OUP accepted manuscript

Abstract: Gerhard Bowering has been for more than four decades a leading figure in the study of Sufism and Qurʾānic exegesis. Following a preface and listing of Bowering’s publications, this Festschrift by former students and colleagues contains 19 articles on themes familiar from Bowering’s own work: (i) The Quran and Early Islam, (ii) Sufism, Shiʿism, and Lettrism, (iii) Philosophy, and (iv) Literature and Culture. There are three dedicated chapters on Shiʿism and several edited works and translations throughout the book. In ‘Scholarship and folklore?’ (pp. 3–24), Mareike Koertner, focusing on the earliest biographers of the Prophet’s sīra, compares the accounts of his hijra by ʿUrwa b. al-Zubayr (d. 94/713) and Wahb b. al-Munabbih (d. ca. 725), chosen as representative of, respectively, the ‘scholarly’ and ‘unauthenticated’ biographical traditions. The former group consists of individuals who transmitted Prophetic ḥadīth, and the latter mainly...

The Civil Code of Andrés Bello and the exegetical movement in Colombia

Abstract: This paper is interested in the reception of the civil code of Andrés Bello in Colombia during the second half of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century. Likewise, it relates the above to the emergence of the Colombian exegetical movement, close to –as well as different– from the movement of French commentators on the Civil Code of 1804, a movement that will be called, pejoratively in the 20th century, as “exegesis”. Now, this work is justified by the importance of articulating, due to the potentialities that this allows, the legal history with the comparative law, remembering that both disciplines had common origins. This is so, to understand law historically, it is necessary to understand it as a product of cultures in constant communication, in such a way that comparative analysis, in our view, appears as necessary for history, and vice versa. We hope then that the reader can observe that exegesis, if we may use this word, was not homogeneous throughout the Western Hemisphere, but there are still points in common regarding some of its most important postulates. Understanding this movement happens, we believe, by recognizing the similarities and differences with other previous, concomitant, and subsequent movements.

OUP accepted manuscript

Abstract: The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series is aimed primarily at students, pastors, and Christian leaders, emphasizing theological exegesis passage by passage and some form of theological reflection that varies from one author to another. David Beldman, associate professor at Redeemer University in Ontario, has written extensively on theological interpretation, especially of the book of Judges. In this volume, he provides not only a commentary on the chapters of Judges but a coherent theological reading of the complete book. The series’ audience is explicitly Christian, and Beldman sets the ‘goal of hearing the divine address’ (p. 5), without becoming homiletic. Thus forewarned, non-Christian readers should not be surprised by reference to ‘Postfall human existence’ (p. 191), or potentially more discomforting descriptions of Second Temple Judaism (p. 239): ‘Over the course of the centuries leading up to Jesus, rather than taking up their calling as a channel of blessing they become...

Introduction to the Tafsir of Tabari. Translation from Arabic and Commentary. Part 1

Abstract: This publication presents the first part of the commented translation into Russian of the Introduction (muqaddima) to the tafasir “Jami‘ al-bayan ‘an ta’wil al- Qur’an” [The Comprehensive Exposition of the interpretation of the Qur’an] by Muhammad ibn Jarir at- Tabari (839–923). This multi- volume work is one of the first complete written commentaries on the Qur’an. For many centuries it has had unquestionable authority among Muslim theologians and religious scholars in Islamic studies. In the Introduction to the tafsir for the first time in history of Muslim science, is detailed the theory and methodology of Qur’anic exegesis. This exposition became the basis for all subsequent Sunni interpretations of the Muslim Holy Scripture. The presented part contains translation of the preface, which describes the importance, goals and objectives of tafsir, as well as of the first two chapters devoted to the Arabic language as the language of the Qur’an and to the words “that coincide in the speech of the Arabs and the languages of other peoples”.

History, Scripture, and Authority in the Carolingian Empire

Abstract: This book offers a detailed analysis of the work of the ninth-century historian Frechulf of Lisieux. Completed c. 830, Frechulf’s Histories comprise a vast account of the world from its creation through to the seventh century. Despite the richness of the source, it has long been overlooked by modern scholars. Two factors account for this neglect: Frechulf’s narrative stops over two centuries short of his time of writing, and was largely a compilation of earlier, late antique histories and chronicles. It is, however, the lack of ostensibly ‘contemporary’ or ‘original’ material that makes the text so typical, not only of Carolingian historiography but also of ninth-century theological literature more broadly. In examining Frechulf's historiographical compendium, this book challenges a dominant paradigm within medieval studies of understanding history-writing primarily as an extension of politics and power. By focusing instead on the transmission and reception of patristic knowledge, the compilation of authoritative texts, and the relationship between the study of history and scriptural exegesis, it reveals Frechulf's Histories to be an unexpectedly rich artefact of Carolingian intellectual culture.

Inscribing Persian in the Arabic Cosmopolis

Abstract: Scholarly discourse on the Persianate tends to focus on the influence of Persian in Iran and further east, and often occludes the way in which the Persian language is inflected and present in the Arabic cosmopolis further west. Similarly, the formation of ‘Islamic classics’ and scholarly genres including exegesis tends to ignore the role of Persian works (and texts produced in a Persianate context). Through a case study of Qur’ānic exegesis in Persian and its reception west of Iran, we demonstrate how Persian is inscribed into the Arabic cosmopolis such that the development of post-classical exegesis should place these works alongside the major Arabic classics of al-Ṭabarī, al-Thaʿlabī and al-Basīṭ; in effect, we contend the study of Qur’ānic exegesis cannot ignore the study of Persian exegesis. Through examining rare manuscripts, we show how scholars read, copied and promoted Persian tafsir in Arabophone contexts. Not only does this study follow up on and test some earlier scholarly works dealing with the circulation of Persian translations of the Qur’ān and its commentaries as well as the scholarly impact of the Persians further west, it indicates the contribution of Persian exegesis to a normative understanding of the Islamic exegetical traditions at the heart of the madrasa.

Polygamy: Uncovering the effect of patriarchal ideology on gender-biased interpretation

Abstract: Polygamy, which was practiced without limitations in the past, had been restricted to four wives after the arrival of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. However, some scholars have different views on this issue, supposedly influenced by the literal and cultural background of patriarchal tradition on treating women as the object of polygamy. This article attempts to examine the construction of patriarchal interpretation in a gender-biased interpretation, its factors and its implications. This study adopts a qualitative approach and employs a content analysis approach. Interviews with relevant scholars are also used to explore in-depth information regarding this subject. The object of research is based on a full set (30 juz/chapters) of 11 books of tafsir written in Indonesia. These books are Tafsir Al-Furqan, Tafsir Quran, Adz-Dzikra: Terjemah dan Tafsir al-Quran, Al-Quran dan Terjemahnya, Tafsir Quran Karim, Tafsir al-Azhar, Tafsir Rahmat, Tafsir al-Quran al-Majid an-Nur, Tafsir al-Mishbah, Al-Quran and its Exegesis of the Department of Religion, and Tafsir al-Hijri. This study found that women have been exploited through polygamy practices. Our findings show that biased gender interpretation, especially because of the patriarchal mindset, brought a greater impact on the Quranic interpretation. This study suggested that reinterpretation towards Quranic verses particularly dealing with gender issues needs to be strengthened in accordance with justice and humanistic values.Contribution: This article offered two approaches for the study of the Quran in order to establish gender equality and justice in marriage practice. Firstly, the adaptive and humanistic interpretations of the Quran need to be strengthened and should raise common consciousness in Muslim society. Secondly, there is a need to study the Quran in an integrative, holistic and hermeneutical understanding of the Quranic text. This method can explore the deepest meaning of the Quran so it can rise gender-sensitive, humanist and moderate interpretations.

Supersessionism: Admit and Address Rather than Debate or Deny

Abstract: Supersessionism, in the sense of advancing upon and thereby replacing an anterior tradition, is intrinsic to both Jewish and Christian identity. The move forward is to acknowledge it rather than debate or deny it, and then to determine how its presence does not preclude positive roles for the superseded group. Because Christian supersessionism is today a primary interest in inter-religious dialogue, this article focuses on how it has been and might be approached. Attempts to deny supersessionism in the New Testament must be based in hermeneutics since historical-critical exegesis cannot secure this conclusion. Today, interest in Christian supersessionism is driven not only by theological concerns but also factors concerning identity, including the role of messianic Judaism in Church communities; approaches to Zionism, the “scandal of particularity,” ethnic identity, and debates over cultural appropriation.

A (Presumably Chinese) tantric scripture and its Japanese exegesis: the Yuqi Jing 瑜祇經 and the practices of the Yogin

Abstract: ABSTRACT The Yuqi jing [Sūtra of the Yogin] is often listed as one of the most important scriptures of Tantric Buddhism in East Asia, but its content and contribution to the esoteric system have so far been little understood. Traditionally regarded as a translation by Vajrabodhi, it was probably compiled in China in the late eighth century. The role that it played in Chinese Buddhism, however, remains unclear. In medieval Japan on the other hand, the scripture appears to have been rediscovered and enjoyed great fortunes. Medieval interpreters intervened on the text by articulating novel conceptual associations, often expressed through curious imagery. At the same time, a new type of initiatory abhiṣeka informed by the sūtra emerged, which engendered a distinctive discourse on the yogic identities pursued by a tantric practitioner. What spurred such sudden interest in the Yuqi jing in medieval Japan? What did Japanese exegetes read into the text? This article addresses these issues by exploring ‘canonical’ commentaries and unpublished initiatory documents that have recently come to light in temple archives.

OUP accepted manuscript

Abstract: This book is volume 19 of the Alexandrian Bible, a translation of the Greek text of the Septuagint with introduction and notes. The book is divided into two main sections, an extensive introduction and a translation/annotation, which provides commentary on the Septuagint text of the Song of Songs. The introduction comprises fourteen sections. The first, ‘The Exegesis of the Song of Songs Today’, gives a brief overview of current discussions of the Song’s date, the gender of its author, the debate over its literary unity, the search for a plot, the continuing literal vs. allegorical debate, proposed parallel literary texts or ‘intertexts’, and the Song among other books of the Bible. As Auwers observes, there is no agreement among commentators concerning these topics. The second section looks at the title of the Song and its position in the biblical corpus. Section three looks at various proposed divisions of the text. In section four, ‘The Movement of the Text’, Auwers looks at whether there is a narrative plot in the Song, giving a brief history of research, and discusses the repetitions in the poem and the way that it mirrors itself. In section five, ‘The Texts’, Auwers discusses the Hebrew text, including those found at Qumran, the Septuagint/Greek manuscripts and old versions, the ancient Latin version and its revision by Jerome, the Coptic versions, and ‘Our Greek Text’, which notes that he translates the text of the A. Rahlfs edition (1935), noting main divergencies in the great uncials (Sinaiticus = S, Vaticanus = B, Alexandrinus = A, Venetus = V) and the fragmentary manuscripts Ra 952, Ra 838, and Ra 825 (p. 65, cf. p. 60). Section six looks at ‘The Greek Text and its Hebrew Model’, focusing on the ‘additions’ in the Septuagint version of the Song which were perhaps already in the model used by the translator, the Hebrew Vorlage, deviations in vocalization, and the divergent divisions of the Song in the LXX. Section seven looks at the ‘Date and Place of the Greek Translation’, particularly as it relates to the kaige group, a group of anonymous translators and revisers thought to be active in first century ce Palestine. Section eight looks at ‘The Vocabulary of Translation’, discussing ‘traditional’ vocabulary, consistency and inconsistency in lexical options (though the ‘translator is generally constant in the choice of lexical equivalents’, p. 80), choices that are surprising, words that are unique to the Song and not found elsewhere in the LXX, Greek words of Semitic origin, transliterations, vegetation vocabulary, names of animals, anatomical vocabulary, vocabulary of love, and names of loved ones. In section nine, ‘The Syntax of Translation’, Auwers notes that the translation is often word for word, following the Hebrew syntax as closely as possible, and sometimes mechanical. He also discusses its treatment of verbal forms, as well as the article. Section ten looks at ‘The Poetics and the Style of the Translation’, whilst section eleven discusses ‘The Linguistic Profile of the Translator’. Section twelve, ‘The Interpretive Choices of the Translator’, looks at the translator’s avoidance of elucidation in obscure passages, the question of whether the translator attempted to allegorize, eroticize, or employ biblical intertextuality, and their apparent ‘neutrality’ in translation. Section thirteen looks at ‘The Reception of the Song of Songs’ in ancient Judaism, in the New Testament and Church Fathers, in the Syriac domain, in the Greek domain, and in the Latin domain. In the Greek domain, special attention is given to Origen, Methodius of Olympus, Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory of Nyssa, Evagrius Ponticus, Nilus of Ancyra, Philo of Carpasia, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Theodoret of Cyrus/Cyrrhus, Pseudo-Athanasius, and exegetical ‘chains’. In the Latin domain, special attention is given to Tertullian, Cyprian, Victorinus of Pettau/Poetovio, Reticius of Autun, Gregory of Elvira, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Julian of Eclanum, Justus of Urgell, Gregory the Great, and Apponius. Section fourteen, ‘The Didascalia’, looks at speakers and interlocutors, the Didascalia of Alexandrinus, the Didascalia of Manuscripts 161 and 248, the Didascalia of Sinaiticus, the apparent Latin Didascalia, the Didascalia of Venetus, divergencies between the Didascalia with regards to the speaker, whether they are of Jewish or of Christian origin, reading the Song as a wedding song, and reading the Song as a drama. The introduction ends with the section ‘The Drama of the Song of Songs’, which is a complete translation of the Song of Songs, accompanied by the Didascalia of Sinaiticus, the gaps of which have been filled in from Greek manuscripts 46 and 631 and the didascalia transmitted by the Latin manuscripts of Stuggart (W) and Fribourg (F). The second half of the book is devoted to Auwers’s commentary on the LXX of the Song, including translation and annotation.

Al-qur'an reception in rural community traditions: living qur'an study in samong village, pemalang regency

Abstract: This study seeks to explore the reception of the Koran in the Samong Village Community, Ulujami District, Pemalang Regency, Central Java. The approach in this study uses the phenomenology of Edmund Husserl. This research is a field study with the type of qualitative research, the results of this study conclude that the Samong community's Al-Qur'an Reception there are three receptions namely exegesis, aesthetics, and functional. The Qur'an is exegesis received by the Samong community, the indicator is the public's understanding of the Qur'an which is applied in daily behavior. The aesthetic reception of the Samong community is evidenced by the presence of accessories in the Samong community's house in the form of calligraphy and a prayer room in the Samong area. This is an understanding that the Koran is the holy book which contains aesthetic value. Functional reception of the Koran, understanding that the Koran has magical powers so that it is used as an instrument in mystical rituals

Fights and Flights: Two Underrated ‘Alternatives’ to Dominant Readings in tafsīr

Abstract: Does Q. 2:178 legislate retaliation for murder? Was Abraham commanded to chop up some birds according to Q. 2:260? This paper examines two cases in which a dominant view in Muslim exegesis has existed alongside an alternative that is minimised or criticised, while arguably being a closer fit to the text and context of the verse. The first, a ‘historicist’ reading of the qiṣāṣ verse (Q. 2:178), was picked up and advocated by the influential Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328), yet it has even less of a footprint in exegetical works subsequent to him. The second, a ‘naturalist’ reading of the birds verse (Q. 2:260) advanced by Abū Muslim al-Iṣfahānī (d. 322/934), has been adopted by some modern exegetes and translators, but largely dismissed as strained and contrary to consensus. As well as charting the reception of these competing views, I analyse them comparatively, phrase by phrase, and argue that these alternatives are more plausible, and indeed fruitful, than the commonly accepted interpretations. The juxtaposition of these cases invites closer examination of key hermeneutical concepts in the tafsīr tradition.

Stoic Allegoresis: The Problem of Definition and Influence

Abstract: Controversy has been rife over the extent to which Stoic hermeneutical efforts can be categorized as “allegorical.” This paper shows that much of the disagreement arises from incommensurate definitions of allegoresis and that modern categories frequently fail to do justice to the idiosyncrasies of the Stoic perspective. Thus, this article demonstrates the usefulness of distinguishing between allegory, allegoresis, exegesis, and rationalization when classifying Stoic interpretations. Subsequently, it is argued that Stoic etymologies and exegetical comments should not be adduced as evidence against Stoic allegoresis, which further should not be anachronistically viewed in terms of the modern opposition between allegory and symbol.

Evolving creation: an ismaili muslim interpretation of evolution

Abstract: This article presents a constructive Shīʿī Ismaili Muslim engagement with Neo-Darwinian evolution. By drawing on Ismaili metaphysics and hermeneutics, I argue that Ismailis can affirm evolution without exceptions due to four features of contemporary and historical Ismaili thought. First, Aga Khan III (d. 1957), the 48th hereditary Ismaili Imam, integrated Neo-Darwinian evolution with his theological views. Likewise, the present Imam Aga Khan IV (b. 1936) teaches that there is no conflict between Islam and scientific truth because God's creative act is eternal and continuous. Second, Ismaili Neoplatonic metaphysics is compatible with evolution because it situates all natural processes as guided by the Universal Soul without a need for miracles. Third, the common descent of all life lends further support to the Ismaili belief in an unbroken lineage of hereditary Imams since the origins of life on earth. Fourth, the Quranic story of Adam's creation poses no hermeneutical issue because Ismaili scholars read the Adam story symbolically through esoteric exegesis (ta'wīl).

The Reading of the Mencius by Korean Confucian Scholars: Rhetorical Exegesis and the Dao

Abstract: When Joseon Korea scholars were interpreting the Mencius (孟子: K. Maengja or Mengzi), they were focusing on its content and on its rhetorical elements at the same time. For a given commentator, selecting various rhetorical features (such as grammatical and lexical specificities) meant to read the dao 道 (K. do) of the Mencius in a fashion different from the one expounded by other scholars. In this article, I examine the relationship these commentators were establishing between the textual patterns of the Mencius and the encompassing reality, dao, as understood by this latter work. Specifically, I focus upon the works of two Joseon scholars—Yi Hwang 李滉’s Maengja seogui 孟子釋義 and Wi Baekgyu 魏伯珪’s Maengja chaui 孟子箚義. Through their reading, I notably attempt to (a) describe how rhetorically oriented exegeses had been maturing throughout this era; and to (b) elucidate how Korean commentators, through their rhetorical commentaries, put forward interpretations that differed from the ones propounded by the orthodox tradition as exemplified by Zhu Xi.

Nineveh Israel: How the Christian Exegetes of the Book of Jonah Interpret Historical Events

Abstract: Большинство христианских экзегетов I-V вв. в своих интерпретациях Книги пророка Ионы обращаются к теме противостояния Ниневии и Израиля, трактуя его таким образом, что ниневитяне являются прообразом язычников, поверивших в Христа, в то время как иудеи Его отвергли. В статье рассматривается вопрос, соотносят ли экзегеты это духовное противостояние с реальным, военным противостоянием ниневитян и евреев - завоеванием Ассирией Северного царства Израиля (722/721 г. до н. э.). Выявлено, что только два экзегета IV в. - сирийский богослов Ефрем Сирин и греческий экзегет Феодор Мопсуестийский обращаются к этим историческим событиям. Это свидетельствует, несмотря на разницу в жанрах, об использовании сходного метода интерпретации книги пророка Ионы - исторической экзегезе. Однако оценка этих событий у богословов прямо противоположна. Для Ефрема уничтожение Северного царства - это естественное следствие нечестивого поведения евреев по сравнению с праведным покаянием ниневитян. Он рассматривает эти драматические исторические события как проявление заместительного богословия, согласно которому языческие народы заменили избранный народ. В то же время греческий богослов Феодор Мопсуестийский, в отличие от прп. Ефрема Сирина, оценивает завоевание Ассирией Израиля резко негативно, подчёркивая, что ниневитяне впоследствии понесли заслуженное наказание за свои греховные деяния. В статье показывается, что такая разница во взглядах связана с особенностями подхода богословов к иудеям. Прп. Ефрем Сирин является выразителем острой антииудейской полемики, в рамках которой рассматривает библейскую историю Ионы и ниневитян, в то время как Феодор Мопсуестийский с его учением о «смягченном заместительном богословии» отличается некоторой симпатией к иудеям. Most Christian exegetes of the 1st-5th centuries in their interpretations of the Book of the Prophet Jonah concern the confrontation between Nineveh and Israel, interpreting it in such a way that the Ninevites are the prototype of the Gentiles who believed in Christ, while the Jews rejected Him. The present publication focuses on the question of whether the exegetes juxtapose this spiritual confrontation with real, military confrontation between the Ninevites and the Jews - Assyria’s conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (722/721 BCE). In sum, only two exegetes of the 4th century - the Syrian theologian Ephraim the Syrian and the Greek exegete Theodore of Mopsuestia concern these historical events. It makes clear that two theologians in their interpretations of the Book of the Prophet Jonah use a similar tool of historical exegesis, despite the difference in genres. However, two exegetes demonstrate an opposite approach to the historical events. For Ephraim, the destruction of the Northern Kingdom is a result of the wicked behavior of the Jews compared to the righteous repentance of the Ninevites. The Syriac exegete examine the conquest as an illustration of theology of supersessionism, according to which the pagan peoples replaced the chosen people of Jews. Unlike St. Ephraim the Syrian, the Greek theologian Theodore of Mopsuestia evaluate the Assyrian conquest of Israel very negatively, emphasizing that the Ninevites subsequently endure appropriate punishment for their sinful deeds. The paper attempts to present that such a difference in opinions could be a result of a different attitude of two theologians towards the Jews. St. Ephraim the Syrian interprets the biblical story of Jonah and the Ninevites within the framework of his sharp anti-Jewish polemics, while Theodore of Mopsuestia with his doctrine of «mitigated supersessionism» is distinguished by some sympathy for the Jews.

Case-Precedent in John Chrysostom's Interpretation of "Plucking Grain on the Sabbath" (Matt 12.1–8)

Abstract: Abstract:In his homily on the story of the disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath in Matthew 12, John Chrysostom analyzes a rare instance of argument from precedent. Greek forensic rhetoric and Roman law made little use of case-precedent. The concept played a more significant role in rabbinic writings, although not in the form where one starts with a problem case and resolves it by analogizing to a case-precedent. John Chrysostom gives a keen analysis of the logic of the latter in Jesus's appeals to the case precedents of David eating the shewbread and the priests serving in the temple on the Sabbath as justifications for his disciples' plucking and eating grain on the Sabbath. Although the rhetorical tradition did not supply him with ready tools of analysis, he adapted terms and concepts found in the standard handbooks to explain the progression of argument. John's masterful analysis is another proof of what patristic exegesis can offer to any serious student of the New Testament, including the modern scholar.

The assurance that Yahweh can and will keep his own: An exegesis of Psalm 121:1–8

Abstract: Psalm 121 is one of the most popular and the most read psalm. That is the reason why the New Testament quotes and alludes to the book of the psalm more than any other book of the Bible. Christians all over the world see the book of psalm as the most prestigious book of the Old Testament. Luther sees the book as the ‘little Bible’ in the Bible. It is not only the most read it is the memorised book of the Bible. Psalm 121 represents the most trusted chapter of the psalm. The main purpose of this article is to do an exegesis of Psalm 121 with the hope that readers will find hope and trust in Yahweh. Psalm 121 has an emphasis on hope and protection by Yahweh. A look at the outline of the entire chapter shows that hope and security is the theme: Assistance from Yahweh is the theme of verses 1–2, the gazing into the mountain is where protection from Yahweh is vs 1, Yahweh’s constant watchful Eyes (3–4), Yahweh as the protective shade (5–6) and Yahweh as the Protector for all Lives way (7–8). The exegesis of these various sections in Psalm 121 will be carried out with the hope that any reader who believes it or not will find hope, comfort and security.

Modernity, Its Impact on Muslim World and General Characteristics of 19–20th-Century Revivalist–Reformists’ Re-Reading of the Qur’an

Abstract: The 19th and 20th centuries were times of great change and transformation for the Muslim world. The salvation of the ummah—which is getting politically, militarily, and economically more backward against the West, terms such as revival (ihya), renewal (tajdid) and reform and reconstruction (islah)—have occupied almost all intellectuals and ulama. Many prescriptions have been proposed on this subject, the most vivid examples of which are mainly related to new approaches to the Qur’an and its interpretation. This article deals with the innovations put forward by reformist–revivalist leaders in different Muslim geographies regarding the interpretation of the Qur’an under the influence of modernism. We see that these approaches, which are basically based on the assumption of the inadequacy of classical methods and understandings, open up to questions and discussions for many hermeneutical devices that have become entrenched in the classical period and even argue that they are now unnecessary. Contrary to classical Qur’anic exegesis, reformist tajdid-centered suggestions of polyphonic modern Qur’an interpretations, the theological reflections of these suggestions, and most importantly their effect (or ineffectiveness) on Muslim societies are among the main topics of the article. In the beginning, the pressure of modernity, which should not be ignored in the perception and interpretation of the Qur’an, has become an indispensable element in the course of time. This new phenomenon and changing conditions have forced many Muslim intellectuals to compromise on principles that have become norms. The result, instead of a healthy reform, consisted of eclectic innovations and only saved the day and could not find a serious ground for itself in the grassroots.

The Interpretation of Islamic Education: Perceptions of Modernist and Classical Thinkers on The Qur’anic Exegesis

Abstract: This article discussed the perceptions of Muslim thinkers on the Quran and tafsir in terms of both the classic and modern eras. However, the article is subjected to the analytical comparison between the classical and modern eras of Qur’anic exegesis. Throughout the research about these thoughts, the root-age of tafsir with the approach of the interpreters and the Islamic thinkers will gain special attention. To establish adequate information in the study, a clear picture of the exegetical thoughts with the several perceptions of classical and modernist thinkers is drawn accordingly. However, in enabling this projected idea to reach the target area, the research adopted the following analytical method, reviewing the available literature; such as books, articles, journals, and the dissertation, which may have a direct or indirect connection to this research. Nevertheless, the noble Qur’an is quite recognized as a book representing the first source of evidence in Islam; many perceptions may be established in the course of striving to gain its exegetical expression. So, this article has drawn a straight line to reach the efforts of Muslim thinkers in both the late and current era to protect the sacred book (Qur’an) with their noble knowledge of Qur’anic exegesis.

Iman dan perbuatan dalam penginjilan jemaat mula-mula ditinjau dari yakobus 2:14-26

Abstract: Evangelism is an inseparable part of the Christian's life. The basis of evangelism is the motivation of “God's love” (John 3:16) or God's concern for those who are lost or lost. In doing so, God uses the means of believers to be channels of blessing to all nations (Gal. 3:9, 14, 29). Meanwhile, the ultimate goal is to establish the Kingdom of God. This shows that evangelism can never be separated from the demonstration of the faith and good works of believers. In this study, the writer aims to find the implications of faith and practice related to the context of early church evangelism in terms of James 2:14-26. The methodological reference that the author uses is biblical studies which include exegesis and Bible studies. According to the study of James 2:14-26, it implies that faith and works cannot be separated from the evangelistic life of Christians. A godly lifestyle and love for all is living evangelism. Because the development of the early church has shown that their quantity increases with the quality of life that shows the way of living the Kingdom of God.Penginjilan adalah bagian yang tidak pernah bisa dilepaskan dari kehidupan orang Kristen Dasar dari penginjilan adalah motivasi “kasih Allah” (Yoh. 3:16) atau kepedulian Allah terhadap mereka yang sesat atau terhilang. Dalam pelaksanaannya Allah memakai sarana orang-orang percaya untuk menjadi saluran berkat bagi semua bangsa (Gal. 3:9, 14, 29). Sementara, tujuan puncaknya adalah mendirikan Kerajaan Allah. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa penginjilan tidak pernah bisa dilepaskan dari demonstrasi iman dan perbuatan baik orang percaya. Dalam kajian ini penulis bertujuan untuk menemukan implikasi tentang iman dan perbuatan yang dikaitkan dalam penginjilan jemaat mula-mula ditinjau dari Yakobus 2:14-26. Adapun acuan metodologi yang penulis pakai adalah studi biblika yang mencakup eksegesis dan kajian Alkitab. Menurut kajian Yakobus 2:14-26 memberikan implikasi bahwa iman dan perbuataan tidak bisa dilepaskan dari kehidupan penginjilan orang Kristen. Gaya hidup saleh dan kasih kepada semua orang merupakan penginjilan yang hidup. Sebab dari perkembangan jemaat mula-mula telah memperlihatkan bahwa kuantitas mereka bertambah seiring kualitas hidup yang menunjukkan cara hidup Kerajaan Allah.

Tujuh and Sembilan Sacred Tombs Sites in Ketapang, West Kalimantan: Historical-Archaeological Studies and Receptions

Abstract: This study aims to expose the history of Islam in Ketapang by referring to Tujuh and Sembilan sacred tombs and narrating the reception (in the living al-Quran) of the community on the grave and its elements (part of the Quranic text, motifs, and others). This research is field research, using a narrative-analytic model, as well as using a historical approach and the living Quran theory (on reception). The results of this study are: 1) The history of Tujuh and Sembilan sacred tombs are the tombs of pious people who spread Islam in Ketapang around the 14th century A.D. Second, the typology of people's reception in the sentence kullu nafsin dzaiqatul maut is represented in three forms of reception, namely, hermeneutical or exegesis reception, aesthetic reception, and functional reception.

Karol Piotr KULPA, Tyconius’ Theological Reception of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, seria History of Biblical Exegesis 4, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2022, ss. XIX + 319

Abstract: Recenzja książki Karola Piotra Kulpy, Tyconius’ Theological Reception of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12, seria History of Biblical Exegesis 4, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen 2022, ss. XIX + 319.

The Paradox of Sonship: Christology in the Epistle to the Hebrews

Abstract: Dr. R. B. Jamieson contends Hebrews and the ecumenical creeds “tell essentially the same story about the same Jesus” (p. 43). Jamieson is a PhD graduate of Cambridge University serving as associate pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church. His six classical Christological concepts presented in The Paradox of Sonship reconcile the Hebrews Epistle with the ecumenical creeds to retrieve a robust elaboration of the Son’s identity and the story of salvation. His argument for Jesus as the eternal Son who became the Messianic Son upon humiliation and exaltation is pushed forward incrementally through the proof of three thesis statements.There are two significant components in the body of Jamieson’s book. The first is his Six Classical Christological Concepts and Reading Strategies, which he introduces in chapter one. The second is the three theses he presents and defends in chapters two, four, and five. Jamieson’s strategy is to harvest information about the Son from a close reading of Hebrews using the six concepts and then pragmatically apply that information to the defense of his three thesis statements. The “Christological Toolkit” provided across an introduction, five chapters, and a Conclusion illuminate the same portrait of Christ in the Hebrews Epistle as the one understood from the ecumenical creeds.Three of the six classic concepts are the questions Who?, What?, and When?. The remaining three are reading strategies and include theology and economy, or “partitive exegesis,” twofold or reduplicative predication, and paradoxical predication: the communication of idioms. Jamieson’s terminology is concise and very descriptive of the pressures a close reading of the Hebrews Epistle will provide (p. 24). The questions, concepts, and reading strategies obtain and synthesize data from the Epistle that presents Jesus as the eternal Son who is distinct from the Father and the Spirit and who took on human flesh in the Incarnation. Tool six, “paradoxical predication: the communication of idioms,” summarizes the findings of the first five (p. 39) and embraces the paradox that Jesus, the divine Son, experienced the crucified death as a man and became the Messianic Son.Intermingled with the explanation of the six concepts runs the three theses. Thesis one is that “Son” designates Jesus’s distinct mode of divinity, existing eternally as God and distinct from the Father and the Spirit. The exordium (Heb 1:2–3), the Catena (Heb1:5–14), the discipline of the Son (Heb 5:8), and the comparison to Melchizedek (Heb 7:3) of the Hebrews text emphasize the divine designation and distinct person of the Son before his crucifixion and resurrection (p. 75). Thesis two, outlined in chapter four is, “Son” also designates the office of messianic rule to which Jesus is appointed at his enthronement. This thesis is the core of Jamieson’s overall argument. Jesus is appointed Son when he sits down at the Father’s right hand in session. Before his death and resurrection, Jesus is the Messiah- designate; after it, he is the appointed Messianic Son. Chapter five advances the third and final thesis. Jesus can become the messianic Son only because he is the divine Son incarnate. Through the book, Jamieson presents Hebrews use of Son to reference both “Jesus’ distinct mode of divine existence and to name the office of rule he enters at his enthronement as Messiah” (p. 122), the Son becomes Son.This review can note three strengths in The Paradox of Sonship, along with one area of improvement. First, the book utilizes an efficient writing style, and the presentation of the Christology of Hebrews is well organized. The Introduction, summarizing the charted course of the argument and the Conclusion detailing the findings, nicely bookend the five chapter body of the work. Chapter one explains the Christological Toolkit, and chapters two through five support the value of the toolkit through the defense of the three theses.Second, The Paradox of Sonship is a guide book for reading Hebrews parallel to the ecumenical creeds to grasp the salvation storyline. It is in vogue to describe work such as this as “retrieval,” which it is. Jamieson does more than retrieve; he reconciles the Christology in Hebrews with conciliar Christology and the statements of the Church Fathers. His effort supports understanding Jesus as the Son who became Son and explores the thoughts of the Hebrews author who summarily outlined the story of salvation.Third, several scholars have tinkered with the paradoxical use of “Son” in Hebrews. None have provided a “full-dress” presentation of the paradox in Hebrews Christology from the perspective of Jesus as the “Son who became Son” (p. 20). Jamieson boldly goes where no scholar has gone before to offer the academic community a fresh reading and a new thesis to contemplate. His argument is adequately supported and compelling. This book is a solid contribution to Hebrews’ study.One improvement to this project can be noted and most likely applies to the BBR community specifically. If you are looking for a resource that interacts with the original languages of Scripture exegetically, you may be disappointed with this volume. While Jamieson’s exegesis of the message of Hebrews is simulating and accurate, he does not provide in-depth interaction with the original languages of Scripture. In any event, Jamieson provides an excellent resource for the evangelical church for retrieving conciliar Christology and the serious student of Hebrews.