The dissertation investigates in five chapters, each about a different aspect, the programme of biblical theology of Gese and Stuhlmacher and some weaknesses of it. The canon theory of Gese cannot be maintained because there is no sufficient evidence of a particular NT canon in contrast to a Masoretic-Pharisaic one. Gese's overriding concept of a "traditio-historical process" is appreciated but also exposed as being influenced by systematic theories. The search for a development starting from the OT and finishing in the NT is in peril of blurring the exegesis of single texts. The dissertation clarified this on the theme of atonement which is understood as purification in Lev 16. A direct line of atonement from Lev 16 to the ramified concept of atonement in the NT including Rom 3:24-26 cannot be supported despite the extant parallels. The hermeneutical position of Gese is a plea for an identification with the texts but he lacks to explain himself more detailed on this. His hermeneutical principle for texts: "Texts have to be understood as they want to be understood" does not offer a substantial progress. Stuhlmacher is indebted to a lot of thinkers for his hermeneutics. He prefers an eclectic style. Gese works more in an deductive way, whereas Stuhlmacher more in a inductive one. Stuhlmacher's hermeneutics of "Einverstaendnis" leans on Ernst Fuchs, Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricceur among others. Stuhlmacher moulders these thinkers to a new eclectic approach of his own. The author takes the stance that this kind of programme has a peril of ascribing historical work too much of dogmatic function. He prefers the differentiation of Hans Hubner's formula Vetus Testamentum in Novo recepto and Vetus Testamentum per se. After all a biblical theology is welcomed and considered as necessary because it has a complementary function to the other biblical and theological disciplines.

This thesis employs a canonical narrative approach to examine two distinct themes, divine creation and humankind’s struggles, and their relationship to each other. It is proposed that the biblical accounts describe creation as a gradual transformation process that will culminate in the fulfilment of new creation, and this progressive creational perspective links the origins of the various hardships that humans have been facing to the transitional nature of their creatureliness and, more generally, to the imperfect state of the initial created order of the material world. It is then argued that humankind’s plight has been further exacerbated by the interference of hostile spiritual forces led by the śāṭān-turned-Satan that were intent on thwarting God’s creative work and so became increasingly locked into subversive activities aimed at turning humans away from God. After analysing the process of material creation presented in Genesis 1–2, the canonical narrative of the thesis addresses the deterioration of the created order leading up to the Flood, followed by the description of a series of divine interventions aimed at transforming humanity into citizens of God’s eschatological kingdom. The discussion considers the postdiluvian transformation process in terms of three broad stages: the new beginning after the purging of the Flood; the raising of the Israelites as a “a priestly kingdom and a holy nation” (Exod 19:6); and the new creation inaugurated by Jesus Christ’ incarnation, life, death and resurrection. In exploring this progression, the narrative threads together a series of diverse topics, including Job’s testing and the calling of Abraham; the release of the Law and the composition of the Jewish canon of Scripture; the incarnation, temptations and atoning work of Christ; the inaugurated kingdom of God and the making of disciples; and the indwelling Spirit and human transfiguration. A distinctive feature of the biblical canon is that its readers are themselves part of the unfolding process of creation, and the Scriptures acknowledge this special audience perspective by including specific assignments for believers – for example, to celebrate the Eucharist, to pray the Lord’s Prayer and to fulfil the Great Commission – as well as extensive instructions on how they should conduct themselves in the face of the difficulties they are bound to encounter. The final part of the thesis examines this practical dimension of the Bible, with Chapter 7 considering specific strategies mentioned in the canon as potential ways of dealing with three pronounced facets of human vulnerability: corporeality, sociality and spiritual corruptibility, which broadly correspond to the traditional understanding of the temptations of the flesh, the world and the devil, respectively.

In this thesis, I propose a way of reading the Bible in the context of Singapore which is my country of origin. My understanding of context draws in what decolonial thinkers, Anibal Quijano (2007) and Walter Mignolo (2012) have argued to be the modern/colonial world system and social epistemologist, Jose Medina’s (2006) polyphonic contextualism. This allows me to better situate the contextual reader within current networks of knowledge production and argue for the goals of reading the Bible in Singapore to be transformative praxis and identity formation. With the understanding of Singapore as an epistemic terrain embedded in global and local networks of knowledge production, I outline the hermeneutical norms that control contextual reading of the Bible in chapter 2. In order to better aid the task of constructing this hermeneutic, I also survey scholarship on biblical hermeneutics in chapter 3 both in the West and Asia to distil important considerations and useful reading strategies. With these considerations in mind, I propose that reading the Bible in context requires at the metatheoretical level a negotiation between western, Asian and Singaporean standpoints in chapter 4. This is facilitated by a conscientisation framework that checks the posture of specialist readers in relation to nonspecialist readers in a specific context so as to ensure submerged voices are not silenced in favour of dominant epistemologies; and a conversation framework that facilitates understanding the Other that tries to avoid Orientalist and nativist/nationalist dangers. In chapter 5, I then test the proposed method through reading the stories of Daniel to see the discursive effects such a reading strategy has on issues I outline in the analysis of my context pertaining to praxis and identity. In my final chapter, I reflect on how the reading exercise impacts on my proposed understanding of Bible and Singapore. I show that it fundamentally shifts the understanding of the Bible to what Justin Ukpong (2002) argues to be a ‘site of struggle’ and an inclusive canon that is hospitable to the many voices, especially of the marginalised in my context of Singapore.

How might one describe early Christian exegesis? This question has given rise to a significant reassessment of patristic exegetical practice in recent decades, and the present thesis contributes to this reappraisal of patristic exegesis in two significant ways. First, this thesis attempts to move beyond the idea of exegesis to investigate the textual practices that serve as its modus operandi. In order to accomplish this task, I develop the notion of "creative exegesis." I argue that creative exegesis permits one to pay attention in detail to two modes of archival thinking at the heart of the ancient exegetical enterprise: the grammatical archive, a repository of the textual practices learned from the grammarian, and the memorial archive, the constellations of textual memories from which textual meaning is constructed. Second, this thesis examines the textual practices of Clement of Alexandria, a figure whose exegesis has on the whole been neglected in modern scholarship. I argue that an assessment of Clement's creative exegesis reveals his deep commitment to scriptural interpretation as the foundation of theological inquiry, even in his works that cannot be explicitly labeled "exegetical." Clement employs various textual practices from the grammatical archive to read Scripture figurally, though he restricts the figural referents of Scripture to two mysteries, bound up in the incarnation of Christ and the knowledge of God. These mysteries are discovered in an act of rhetorical invention by reading Scripture for the constellations that frame its narrative. For Clement, the plot of Scripture—and the progression from Old Testament to New—is expressed under the dual constellations of "fear," by which God leads his people to faith, and "wisdom," through which God leads his people to the ultimate vision of the divine essence.

The original contribution to knowledge that this Biblical Studies research project offers is the experimental analysis of the claim that the Bible reading methodology Contextual Bible Study (CBS) should be grounded in ethnography, not only in practice, but also in writing. This project not only critically evaluates this argument, but it also demonstrates the efficacy of its claims by putting the argument presented into practice. This was done by implementing the suggested methodological refinements of CBS via the design and facilitation of a CBS programme that was grounded in ethnography. This took the form of ethnographically researching coalmining culture in South Derbyshire and conducting a CBS programme with a group of contemporary South Derbyshire coal miners. The findings of this project are significant for the discipline of Biblical Studies as thus far CBS has been used in a manner that fails to recognise the need for ethnographic contextualisation – a need which is twofold. First, it has yet to be widely acknowledged that the processes, methods, and goals of CBS are products of the context that gave birth to it (South Africa) and that in order for CBS to be used appropriately and effectively, it should be contextualised in light of its origins. Secondly, ethnographic contextualisation is also needed to ensure the following: that the researcher using CBS understands as fully as possible the context in which they intend to use CBS; that the CBS programme being developed resonates deeply with those participating in it; and that the final audience of any readings produced via CBS are equally knowledgeable about the context of those participating in the process. This thesis therefore examines critically both ethnography and CBS, and through the employment of reflexivity, incorporates ethnography into CBS not only as its formal prerequisite stage, but in a manner whereby its results are then used to shape and inform the entirety of the CBS research.

No description available.

Bible Explorer (BX) is a non-denominational, non-confessional and non-conversionary programme specifically designed to assist British primary schools in the fulfilment of their Locally Agreed Syllabus on religious education. The aim of BX is to teach pupils in Key Stage 2 (school years 5 and 6) the storyline of the Bible. Children are taught a set of keywords and hand signs to help them remember the overarching narrative of both the Old and New Testaments and to place people and events in the correct biblical order. Lessons are not scripted but the keywords provide a framework for each session. The delivery method is lively and fast-paced, using storytelling, drama and multi-media presentations to engage the children. The evaluation of the Bible Explorer programme took the form of a case study, using different research methods. There were three data sources: the feedback forms returned by schools after completion of the programme; a series of semi-structured interviews with current BX presenters; and a survey, open to all BXers, which was advertised on the BX website and via email. The dual use of quantitative and qualitative data provided a rich description of Bible Explorer, and reinforced the validity of the conclusions reached. It is clear that Bible Explorer is highly regarded by the teachers and children who experience the programme. It has survived for 30 years, growing steadily; today, more than half a million pupils in both faith and community schools have participated in the scheme. Much of the programme’s success derives from the material it presents and the method by which this is delivered in the classroom. In its own small and specific way, Bible Explorer demonstrates the range of possibilities inherent in story and story-telling, As such, it offers both encouragement and challenge to the wider church community.

The search for an appropriate hermeneutic for relevant biblical interpretations in African contexts remains one of the major challenges facing African biblical scholars. Although considerable progress has been achieved since the second half of the last century, in the wake of such approaches as postcolonial criticism in particular, there is ample room for more theoretical contributions. This thesis formulates communalism as a hermeneutical framework to interpret the Imprecatory Psalms from a Kamwe perspective, thereby contributing towards the burgeoning African-centered biblical hermeneutics. The methodology that describes my use of communalism is influenced by the interpretive theories of other African biblical scholars – notably, Justin S. Ukpong and Gerald O. West, who both emphasize collaboration between trained African biblical interpreters and ordinary readers. Communalism as an interpretive theory and its usefulness for interpreting the Imprecatory Psalms in particular is my contribution to collaborative African biblical interpretation. This I have demonstrated through an analysis of qualitative data on the Kamwe concept of cursing and blessing, which leads to and justifies communalism as my hermeneutic. I have focused on the Kamwe because the particularity of each African ethnic group determines how symbols of communalism (such as ‘land’ and ‘mountains’) are harnessed and interpreted. Moreover, I aim to illustrate how a specific African socio-cultural context contributes towards the interpretation of the Imprecatory Psalms, which may otherwise be missed if a rather generalized pan-African approach were used. The methodology of communalism as a Kamwe hermeneutic is developed in response to Tuesday David Adamo’s African Cultural Hermeneutics, which is currently the dominant African-centred approach to the Imprecatory Psalms in biblical scholarship.

This thesis gathers and analyzes Origen of Alexandria's citations of Romans, 2 Corinthians and Galatians in order to gain a better understanding of the nature of the New Testament text in the second and third centuries. Throughout the transmission process of Origen’s writings, it is possible that the wording of his citations has undergone alteration that relates to changes in the New Testament transmission. Origen’s citations are analyzed to determine whether his citations, as they are found today, first transmit the text quoted by the author, and, second, are likely to be a reflection of his biblical manuscripts. If Origen’s authorial citations can be demonstrated to be from his biblical exemplars, it is only then that his citational text can be compared with New Testament manuscripts for the purposes of establishing textual affinity. If Origen’s citations cannot be used to establish his biblical text, then his use as a witness to specific text-forms should be reconsidered. However, his citations still reveal the transmission history of his writings, specifically how they have undergone alteration in light of the historical and theological environments of his editors. The thesis concludes that Origen, despite often corresponding to the Initial text and Byzantine text agreements, cited freely with little extant manuscript support. This suggests that his authorial citations have been accommodated to a text form similar to that of the Initial text and then the Byzantine text through subsequent transmission.

L’Ancien Testament ne contient pas de terme équivalent à celui de foi. Sa conception de la foi est la réaction de l’homme devant Dieu. L’exégèse actuelle se demande si l’origine de foi chez Paul revêt une signification hébraïque ou grecque, ou si foi n’est pas un vocable chrétien. Cette thèse étudie ce chapitre central pour la conception de la foi. Paul écrit Romains pour résoudre la désunion entre croyants Juifs et croyants non juifs à Rome. Le premier chapitre valorise la compréhension de la foi paulinienne dans le débat actuel. Le deuxième chapitre examine la conception de la foi dans Rm 1-3 où la justice de Dieu ne peut être obtenue par la Loi mais seulement par la foi dans l’Evangile. La conséquence radicale du monothéisme juif, Dieu est un, est que Dieu est le Dieu de tous ; ce qui permet de résoudre le conflit entre Juifs et non juifs croyants en réinterprétant l’identité chrétienne. Le troisième chapitre est l’étude exégétique de ce chapitre exclusivement théologique. Qu’a trouvé Abraham selon la chair ? Il a trouvé la justice avant d’être circoncis, justice associée à une promesse de descendance. En conclusion : la conception paulinienne de la foi et celle de l’Ancien Testament sont équivalentes : seul le Dieu unique justifie mais la conception paulinienne fait référence au Christ ; Paul revisite le récit sur Abraham à la lumière de sa foi au seul Dieu, et non plus par sa justification par les oeuvres. Paul, à la lumière de l’événement Christ, considère Abraham comme l’ancêtre de tous les croyants. Il donne une identité à la communauté naissante et l’appelle à l’union (Rm 15, 5) dans la foi ; le Dieu unique est maintenant identifié par son action en Jésus Christ. / There is no equivalent word that covers the meaning of faith in the Old Testament. It is the reaction of man to the action of God. Current exegesis has analyzed the background of faith in Paul to see if it has a Hebraic or Greek meaning or is a new word of Christianity. The dissertation studies this decisive chapter. Paul wrote Romans to end the conflict between two rival communities in Rome: Jewish believers and non-Jewish believers. The first chapter studies the Pauline interpretation of faith in the current debate. The second chapter deals with the faith concept in Rom 1-3. Paul states that God’s justice cannot be obtained by the Law but only by faith in God’s salvific power in Christ. According to Jewish monotheism, the radical consequence is that God is the God of Jews and non-Jews. To say that God is one enables Paul to solve the conflict between Jews and non-Jews by a new interpretation of Christian identity. The third chapter is the exegetical study of the most theological chapter. What has Abraham found according to the flesh? He has found justice before circumcision, a justice linked to the promise of an offspring. To conclude: the Pauline conception of faith and the Old Testament conception are similar: God alone justifies but for Paul, faith refers to Christ. Paul revisits the story of Abraham in the light of his faith in the one God and no longer through his justification by the works of Mosaic Law. Thus Abraham is considered as the ancestor of all believers, Jewish and non-Jewish. The new community is granted an identity and is called to agree with one another (Rom 15, 5) in faith. The one God is now identified by his action in Jesus Christ.