The T & T Clark Blog

T&T Cornerstone: Pentateuch: A Social Science Commentary by John Van Seters

"Everyone reads Van Seters on Pentateuch...everyone reads Van Seters on J" is a phrase that is actually quite often heard. And we've just made the task easier for everyone.

In this magisterial overview of the Pentateuch John Van Seters reviews the various historical-critical attempts to read it that arise from notions about the social evolution of Israel's religion and culture. For the new Cornerstones edition Van Seters has extensively revised several sections of the text, updating and integrating new bibliographical items, and refining the text where necessary. A reflective preface summarizes these changes and developments for the reader's convenience.

‘John Van Seters has been at the forefront of Pentateuchal studies since the 1970s. Indeed, he is largely responsible for the direction taken by this subdiscipline in the last quarter century before the turn of the millennium, when this book was first published. This new edition reaffirms Van Seters classic positions and responds to developments in Pentateuchal studies over the last fifteen years. It is a most welcome contribution to the continuing debate over this challenging section of the bible from one of the field’s long-term leaders.’ – Steve McKenzie, Rhodes College, USA

T&T Cornerstone: One God One Lord by Larry Hurtado

One God One Lord by Larry Hurtado is an absolute classic. In this third edition for the Cornerstones series Larry provides a 53 page epilogue on how the field has changed since the second edition. Larry refers to the third edition on his blog and expresses a hope 'that the new Epilogue will continue to make it useful to readers, perhaps especially students seeking to gear up in the topic.' This is certainly a hope that we share!

Larry Hurtado's One God, One Lord has been described as 'one of the most important and provocative Christologies of all time' (Alan F. Segal). The book has taken its place among works on Jesus as one consistently cited, consistently read, and consistently examined in scholarly discourse.

Hurtado examines the early cultic devotion to Jesus through a range of Jewish sources. Hurtado outlines an early 'high' Christological theology, showing how the Christ of faith emerges from monotheistic Judaism. The book has already found a home on the shelves of many in its two previous editions. In this new Cornerstones edition Hurtado provides a substantial epilogue of some twenty-thousand words, which brings this ground-breaking work to the fore once more, in a format accessible to scholars and students alike.

“Since its initial publication in 1988, this book has become somewhat of a classic for anyone interested in Christian origins. Now supplemented by a timely interaction with conversation partners from the last two decades, Hurtado's readable, clear, and carefully formulated arguments regarding the rise of devotion to Jesus will continue to steer discussion of New Testament Christology during the coming years. A must read!” –  Loren Stuckenbruck, LMU, Germany

“Since its initial publication in 1988, this book has become somewhat of a classic for anyone interested in Christian origins. Now supplemented by a timely interaction with conversation partners from the last two decades, Hurtado's readable, clear, and carefully formulated arguments regarding the rise of devotion to Jesus will continue to steer discussion of New Testament Christology during the coming years. A must read!” –  Loren Stuckenbruck, LMU, Germany - See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/one-god-one-lord-9780567657718/#sthash.C1WbW4jR.dpuf

T&T Cornerstone: In Search of 'Ancient Israel' by Philip Davies

Philip Davies' book 'In Search of "Ancient Israel"' is one of the most important contributions to the study of the history of Israel. The reviews we've received for the new edition --- which features an extensive new introduction --- are extremely positive, referring to it as a 'must read' for any student or scholar of the Hebrew Bible:

“Philip Davies has been a key force in resetting the agenda and method for modern historians and biblical scholars. His many studies on the Persian and Hellenistic periods have helped scholars to envision these late centuries as the time when the biblical text was most likely composed. But his monograph In Search of "Ancient Israel" belongs to those tours de force that cut through the complexities of a discipline to make a point that has been at once obvious to many, yet enunciated by few - in this case: "biblical Israel," "historical Israel," and the scholarly construct of "ancient Israel" are distinct entities and should not be facilely confused with each other.” –  Douglas A, Knight, Vanderbilt University, USA

“This new edition of In Search of "Ancient Israel" is more than welcome, because the questions that Philip Davies raises in this groundbreaking essay are still highly topical. He brilliantly challenges what has been for a long time a scholarly consensus about the origins of "biblical Israel" and its sacred texts. Whether one agrees always or not with Davies' provocative thesis this book is a must read for every student and scholar of Hebrew Bible.” –  Thomas Römer, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Collège de France and University of Lausanne, Switzerland

T&T Cornerstone: Paul and the Hermeneutics of Faith by Francis Watson

Paul and the Hermeneutics of Faith by Francis Watson is a truly remarkable book from a truly remarkable scholar. The additions and revisions in this Cornerstones edition are really quite extensive. Here's what NT Wright has to say about the book:

“One of the most creative and innovative books ever written about Paul and scripture... Reviewers are too ready with the phrase 'ground-breaking', but Watson's book richly deserves it.” –  N.T. Wright, Paul and the Faithfulness of God

Scholars from both Christian and Jewish backgrounds have tried to rethink the relationship between earliest Christianity and its Jewish milieu; and Paul has emerged as a central figure in this debate. Francis Watson contributes to this scholarly discussion by seeing Paul and his Jewish contemporaries as, above all, readers of scripture. However different the conclusions they draw, they all endeavour to make sense of the same normative scriptural texts - in the belief that, as they interpret the scriptural texts, the texts will themselves interpret and illuminate the world of contemporary experience. In that sense, Paul and his contemporaries are standing on common ground. Far from relativizing their differences, however, it is this common ground that makes such differences possible.

In this new edition Watson provides a comprehensive new introduction entitled 'A Response to My Critics'. There is a substantial new Preface and two new Appendices, and the text has been carefully revised throughout.

“One of the most creative and innovative books ever written about Paul and scripture... Reviewers are too ready with the phrase 'ground-breaking', but Watson's book richly deserves it.” –  N.T. Wright, Paul and the Faithfulness of God - See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/paul-and-the-hermeneutics-of-faith-9780567657763/#sthash.JQU3hEzy.dpuf

T&T Cornerstone: The Israelite Woman by SBL President, Athalya Brenner-Idan

The first of our Cornerstones that we are profiling is by none other than current SBL president Athalya Brenner-Idan.

In the first edition of The Israelite Woman Athalya Brenner-Idan provided the first book-length treatment by a feminist biblical scholar of the female characters in the Hebrew Bible. Now, thirty years later, Brenner provides a fresh take on this ground-breaking work, considering how scholarly observation of female biblical characters has changed and how it has not. Brenner-Idan also provides a new and highly personal introduction to the book, which details, perhaps surprisingly to present readers, what was at stake for female biblical scholars looking to engage honestly in the academic debate at the time in which the book was first written. This will make difficult reading for some, particularly those whose own views have not changed. - See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-israelite-woman-9780567657732/#sthash.sPkkDHFZ.dpuf

In the first edition of The Israelite Woman Athalya Brenner-Idan provided the first book-length treatment by a feminist biblical scholar of the female characters in the Hebrew Bible. Now, thirty years later, Brenner provides a fresh take on this ground-breaking work, considering how scholarly observation of female biblical characters has changed and how it has not. Brenner-Idan also provides a new and highly personal introduction to the book, which details, perhaps surprisingly to present readers, what was at stake for female biblical scholars looking to engage honestly in the academic debate at the time in which the book was first written. This will make difficult reading for some, particularly those whose own views have not changed.

“A wonderful book - concise, thoughtful, and as much an introduction to the Hebrew Bible as a whole as a reflection of the place of women within it. Athalya is very attentive to detail, and comprehensive - she provides a rich spectrum of the social roles of women, and a survey of literary schemata concerning women e.g. as temptresses, or as mothers of heroes. The book concludes with a brilliantly insightful consideration of the pros and cons of the story of the Garden of Eden, and woman's place in it. As Athalya writes in her final reflection, she intended in writing the book to fill in the gaps in Israelite history and the study of women in its literature. It succeeds beautifully.” –  Francis Landy, University of Alberta, Canada

 

In the first edition of The Israelite Woman Athalya Brenner-Idan provided the first book-length treatment by a feminist biblical scholar of the female characters in the Hebrew Bible. Now, thirty years later, Brenner provides a fresh take on this ground-breaking work, considering how scholarly observation of female biblical characters has changed and how it has not. Brenner-Idan also provides a new and highly personal introduction to the book, which details, perhaps surprisingly to present readers, what was at stake for female biblical scholars looking to engage honestly in the academic debate at the time in which the book was first written. This will make difficult reading for some, particularly those whose own views have not changed. - See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-israelite-woman-9780567657732/#sthash.sPkkDHFZ.dpuf