Cover image for The Shape of the Writings Edited by Julius Steinberg, Timothy J. Stone, and Rachel Marie Stone

The Shape of the Writings

Edited by Julius Steinberg and Timothy J. Stone, and Rachel Marie Stone

Buy

$58.95 | Hardcover Edition
ISBN: 978-1-57506-373-7

384 pages
6" × 9"
2015

Siphrut: Literature and Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures

The Shape of the Writings

Edited by Julius Steinberg and Timothy J. Stone, and Rachel Marie Stone

Are the Writings a miscellaneous collection of books, as is so often asserted, or do they have a purposeful design or arrangement? Over the past 35 years, there has been a significant amount of scholarly interest in the shape of the Law, Former Prophets, Twelve Minor Prophets and the Psalms, while examinations of the shape of the Writings were almost nonexistent until very recently. The 11 essays in this volume explore this often-neglected issue from a variety of critical perspectives—reader-centered approaches, canonical, structural-canonical, and redactional—made more robust by the mix of German- and English-language scholarship on this question, including 4 articles translated from German into English. Essays range from the historical development of the collection, to analysis of the collection’s different arrangements, to the relationship of books and subcollections within the Writings, to the reception of the collection in Jewish and Christian sources. Every book in the Writings is discussed, with particular attention given to Job, Ruth, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. The volume closes with 3 critical responses from John Barton, Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, and Christopher Seitz.

 

  • Description
  • Table of Contents
Are the Writings a miscellaneous collection of books, as is so often asserted, or do they have a purposeful design or arrangement? Over the past 35 years, there has been a significant amount of scholarly interest in the shape of the Law, Former Prophets, Twelve Minor Prophets and the Psalms, while examinations of the shape of the Writings were almost nonexistent until very recently. The 11 essays in this volume explore this often-neglected issue from a variety of critical perspectives—reader-centered approaches, canonical, structural-canonical, and redactional—made more robust by the mix of German- and English-language scholarship on this question, including 4 articles translated from German into English. Essays range from the historical development of the collection, to analysis of the collection’s different arrangements, to the relationship of books and subcollections within the Writings, to the reception of the collection in Jewish and Christian sources. Every book in the Writings is discussed, with particular attention given to Job, Ruth, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. The volume closes with 3 critical responses from John Barton, Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, and Christopher Seitz.

The Historical Formation of the Writings in Antiquity Julius Steinberg and Timothy J. Stone

Final Forms of the Writings: The Jewish and Christian Traditions Peter Brandt

A Wandering Moabite: Ruth—A Book in Search of a Canonical Home Stephen Dempster

Thoughts on the “Davidization” of the Psalter Frank-Lothar Hossfeld and Erich Zenger

Reading Job following the Psalms Will Kynes

The Place of Wisdom Literature in an Old Testament Theology: A Thematic and Structural-Canonical Approach Julius Steinberg

The Search for Order: The Compilational History of Ruth Timothy J. Stone

The Associative Effects of Daniel in the Writings Amber Warhurst

Chronicles as the Intended Conclusion to the Old Testament Canon Hendrik J. Koorevaar

Torah-Binding and Canon Closure: On the Origin and Canonical Function of the Book of Chronicles Georg Steins

“A Threefold Cord Is Not Quickly Broken”: Interpretation by Canonical Division in Early Judaism and Christianity Stephen B. Chapman

Response John Barton

Response Tamara Cohn Eskenazi

Response Christopher R. Seitz

Index of Authors

Index of Scripture

Mailing List

Subscribe to our mailing list and be notified about new titles, journals and catalogs.