Berit Olam: Ruth and Esther

Berit Olam: Ruth and Esther PDF Author: Tod ; Beal Linafelt (Timothy K.)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Berit Olam: Ruth and Esther

Berit Olam: Ruth and Esther PDF Author: Tod ; Beal Linafelt (Timothy K.)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


Berit Olam: Ruth and Esther

Berit Olam: Ruth and Esther PDF Author: Tod Linafelt
Publisher: Liturgical Press
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
Some ancient works of literature survive in fragments that appear so simple and complete it's hard to imagine them as being part of a larger narrative. Such is the case with Ruth and Esther. On first reading they appear so simple, so whole, and their meanings so completely self-evident. Yet the closer you look, the more perplexing they become. Ruth and Esther offers that close look, enabling readers to discover the uncertainties of the texts and demonstrating how these uncertainties are not problems to be solved, but rather are integral to the narrative art of these texts. In Ruth, the first part of this volume, Tod Linafelt highlights the most unresolved and perplexing aspects of Ruth. In doing so he offers an interpretation he calls "unsettling." Linafelt states that it is unsettling in the sense that he often refuses to "settle" on a single, unequivocal meaning of a particular word, phrase, or theme. Rather he prefers to underscore the dual or even multiple meanings that the narrative so often has. Another way Ruth differs from other interpretations is that Linafelt entertains the possibility that there might be complexity or ambiguity with regard to the various characters' motivations, the presentation of God, or the book's purpose. In this commentary, Linafelt explores the ambiguities of meaning built into the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of the story to discover how these ambiguities carry over to the larger interpretive issues of characterization, theology, and purpose. He also lays forth an argument that the book of Ruth is intended to be read as an interlude between Judges and Samuel. The second part of this volume focuses on Esther, a story of anti-Judaism that raises strikingly contemporary questions concerning relations between sexism, ethnocentrism, and national identity. In Esther Timothy Beal guides readers into the meaning of the story using rhetorical criticism. He asks questions without assuming that there must be answers and allows for complexity, perplexity, and the importance of accidents in the text. In essence, Beal emphasizes the particular over the general and the tentative over the continuous; however, he does not altogether dismiss the importance of broader interpretations of Esther, especially those focusing on narrative structure.

Gleaning Ruth

Gleaning Ruth PDF Author: Jennifer L. Koosed
Publisher: Univ of South Carolina Press
ISBN: 1611172055
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
The biblical story of Ruth celebrates the power to begin life anew, to gather what has been scattered, to glean what one needs. In this original approach to understanding an ancient love story, Jennifer L. Koosed crafts a multifaceted portrait of the Old Testament character of Ruth and of the demanding agricultural world in which her story unfolds. Highlighting the most complex aspects of the book—the relationships Ruth has with her mother-in-law, Naomi; sister-in-law, Orpah; future husband, Boaz; and infant son, Obed—Koosed explores the use of pairings to define Ruth's aspirational fortitude. Koosed also touches on the narrative's questions of sexuality, kinship, and law as well as the metaphoric activities of harvest that serve to advance the plot and illuminate the social and geographic context of Ruth's tale. From the private world of women to the public world of men, Koosed guides readers through the book of Ruth's revealing glimpses into the sociology of the ancient Hebrew world. The study concludes with a discussion of the postbiblical fascination with Ruth and her later representations in a variety of literary and visual media. Koosed's approach is eclectic, employing a host of methodologies from philology and theology to literature, folklore, and feminism. Thoughtful of the interests of both scholarly and lay audiences, Koosed presents inviting and compelling new insights into one of the Old Testament's most enigmatic characters.

Ruth, Esther

Ruth, Esther PDF Author: Marion Ann Taylor
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
ISBN: 0310490901
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
A new commentary for today's world, The Story of God Bible Commentary explains and illuminates each passage of Scripture in light of the Bible's grand story. The first commentary series to do so, SGBC offers a clear and compelling exposition of biblical texts, guiding everyday readers in how to creatively and faithfully live out the Bible in their own contexts. Its story-centric approach is ideal for pastors, students, Sunday school teachers, and laypeople alike. Each volume employs three main, easy-to-use sections designed to help readers live out God's story: LISTEN to the Story: Includes complete NIV text with references to other texts at work in each passage, encouraging the reader to hear it within the Bible's grand story. EXPLAIN the Story: Explores and illuminates each text as embedded in its canonical and historical setting. LIVE the Story: Reflects on how each text can be lived today and includes contemporary stories and illustrations to aid preachers, teachers, and students. —Ruth, Esther— The book of Ruth presents a compelling account of how most of us experience God in our everyday lives. We see God working indirectly behind the scenes, giving us a theology of divine and human cooperation, as those who pray for God’s blessings participate in answering their own petitions as well as the prayers of others. In Esther’s story, we recognize our own world today, often experiencing it as a place where God seems hidden. Her book challenges us in unique ways. Edited by Scot McKnight and Tremper Longman III, and written by a number of top-notch theologians, The Story of God Bible Commentary series will bring relevant, balanced, and clear-minded theological insight to any biblical education or ministry.

Ruth and Esther

Ruth and Esther PDF Author: Zondervan,
Publisher: HarperChristian Resources
ISBN: 1401678696
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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Book Description
Whether used as an individual Bible study or used for studying with a group, the Nelson Impact Bible Study Guide Series will deepen your knowledge and understanding of the Bible, book by book. Written in an easy-to-read, interesting style, each study guide will help you to experience the true meaning of the messages of the Bible, and in turn, empower you to truly make a difference in the world for Christ. Key Features Include: Timelines Fun cultural facts and probing questions Plenty of room for taking notes Biblical and present-day maps Other study guides in the series include: 1 Corinthians ISBN: 1418506192 Exodus ISBN: 1418506168 Genesis ISBN: 1418506087 Isaiah ISBN: 1418506095 John ISBN: 1418506109 Mark ISBN: 1418506184 Romans ISBN: 1418506117 Ruth & Esther ISBN: 1418506176

Ruth, Esther

Ruth, Esther PDF Author: Frederic William Bush
Publisher: Paternoster
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 536

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Book Description
The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship.

Ruth & Esther

Ruth & Esther PDF Author: The Navigators
Publisher: NavPress
ISBN: 1641580453
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
See What God Will Do When You Trust Him Can trusting God change the world? Ruth and Esther, two young women who lived 600 years apart, would both say Yes. Living in dark days, ruled by oppressive regimes, their small but significant faithfulness would play a decisive role in God’s bigger plan. Ruth chose to leave her family, face hardship, and trust God, without knowing what would happen to her. Esther chose to risk her life, confront the king, and trust God, even if it cost her her life. Today, their stories still inspire believers to see what God will do when they trust Him. LifeChange LifeChange Bible studies will help you grow in Christlikeness through a life-changing encounter with God’s Word. Filled with a wealth of ideas for going deeper so you can return to this study again and again. Features Cover the books of Ruth & Esther in 10 lessons Equip yourself to lead a Bible study Imagine the Bible’s historical world Study word origins and definitions Explore thoughtful questions on key themes Go deeper with optional projects Add your notes with extra space and wide margins Find the flexibility to fit the time you have

Ruth, Esther

Ruth, Esther PDF Author: Robert Lintzenich
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
ISBN: 0805490574
Category : Bible
Languages : en
Pages : 122

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Book Description
The most concise and accurate way to grasp the essentials of the books of Ruth and Esther in the bible.

Ruth and Esther

Ruth and Esther PDF Author: Katrina J. Larkin
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 9781850757559
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 118

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Book Description
This addition to the Old Testament Guides series studies the only two biblical books to have been named after women, and finds them refreshingly different. A rich field of new writing on Esther is surveyed, showing that this exotic book is emerging from a long period under a cloud to make valuable contributions to a number of current debates: what makes a biblical text theologically valuable or dangerous - and how do our perceptions change? what is the relation beween history and theology? what is the status of variant forms of the biblical tradition? how does the book achieve its literary impact? - and, of course, what contribution does it make to feminist biblical studies? Ruth is more of an established favourite in the biblical canon. The Guide tackles the elusive questions of its dating and the nature of its relationship to Israelite law, as well as the contrivance of its literary beauty and the subtlety of its theology. The needs of students studying Ruth as a set text in Hebrew are taken into account, but the Guide follows the series as a whole in catering primarily for those studying English text.

Ezra and Nehemiah

Ezra and Nehemiah PDF Author: Gordon Fay Davies
Publisher: Liturgical Press
ISBN: 9780814650493
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
Ezra-Nehemiah has been neglected in biblical studies, but it is important as one of the few windows into the Persian period of Israel's history, the setting for so much of the final shape of the Hebrew Bible. To know this period is to know what influenced these redactors. In Ezra and Nehemiah Gordon Davies provides that knowledge using rhetorical criticism, a methodology that reveals the full range and progress of the book's ideas without hiding its rough seams and untidy edges. The purpose of rhetorical criticism is to explain not the source but the power of the text as a unitary message. This approach does not look at plot development, characterization, or other elements whose roughness makes Ezra-Nehemiah frustrating to read. Instead, it examines the three parts of the relationship - the strategies, the situations, and the effects - between the speaker and the audience. Rhetorical criticism's scrutiny of the audience in context favors the search for the ideas and structures that are indigenous to the culture of the text. Rhetorical criticism is interested in figures of speech as means of persuasion. Therefore, to apply it to Ezra-Nehemiah, Davies concentrates on the public discourse - the orations, letters, and prayers - throughout its text. In each chapter he follows a procedure that: (1) where it is unclear, identifies the rhetorical unit in which the discourse is set; (2) identifies the audiences of the discourse and the rhetorical situation; (3) studies the arrangement of the material; (4) studies the effect on the various audiences; (5) reviews the passage as a whole and judges its success. In the conclusion, Davies explains that Ezra-Nehemiah makes theological sense on its own terms, by forming a single work in which a range of ideas is argued. Biblical scholars as well as those interested in literary criticism, communication studies, rhetorical studies, ecclesiology, and homiletics will find Ezra and Nehemiah enlightening. Chapters are Ezra 1:1-6," "Ezra 4:1-24," "Ezra 5:1-6: 15," "Ezra 7," "Ezra 9-10," "Nehemiah 1- 2," "Nehemiah 3-7," and "Nehemiah 8-10." Gordon F. Davies is associate professor of Old Testament and dean of students at St. Augustine's Seminary of Toronto. "