Ethics and biblical narrative
Subtitle: a literary and discourse-analytical approach to the story of Josiah
By: S. Min Chun
Edition: 1st ed.
Series: Oxford theology and religion monographs; Oxford theology and religion monographs
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2014
Place of publication: Oxford; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 274
ISBN-13: 9780199688968
Copyright date: 2014
Subjects: Exegese; Bibel; Ethik; Criticism, interpretation; Histoire; Critique et exégèse; Morale; Aspect religieux; Diskursanalyse; Bible; Ethics in the Bible
Description: This book proposes a methodological framework for an ethical reading of Old Testament narrative and demonstrates its benefits and validity by providing an exemplary reading of the story of Josiah in Kings. Part One delineates the meaning of "ethical reading" practised in the work. The theoretical framework is critically adopted from Martha Nussbaum. This approach to ethics does not extract general rules out of story, rather it allows the reader to appreciate the world of the story itself, which is analogous with real life. Part Two expounds "synchronic literary criticism anchored in discourse analysis" and elucidates its use for ethical reading of Old Testament narrative. Part Three offers exemplary ethical readings and shows how discourse analysis can help the literary issues such as plot delimitation and characterisation. Through the ethical commentary of the story of Josiah, the theme of contingency in life can be noticed to prevail in the story. --Book jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 237-256) and indexes.
Table of contents: title: Old Testament narrative and ethics. The object and the task of Old Testament ethics; title: A survey of previous works focusing on their treatment of narratives in the Old Testament; title: Old Testament narrative ethics : current scene and a proposal; title: Discourse analysis for ethical reading of Old Testament narrative. Defining discourse analysis; title: Benefits of discourse analysis for ethical reading; title: Evaluation : direct benefits of discourse analysis for ethical reading; title: Examples. Two short examples : Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:21-5) and Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:13-16); title: Extended example : an ethical commentary on the story of Josiah in 2 Kings 22:1-23:30; title: Conclusion; title: Appendix : verbal constructions of 2 Kings 22:1-23:30.