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Scholarly study of the biblical book of Ezra-Nehemiah has mainly focused on historical questions. Indeed, the book is one of the most important sources available for shedding light on the history of Persian-period Judea. It has been widely held that Ezra-Nehemiah in its final form reflects a pro-Persian attitude, based on its treatment of the Persian kings within the narrative. The present study seeks to provide a step toward greater precision in this assessment by employing a recognition of the techniques of characterisation used in narrative texts to evaluate the portrayal of the Persian kings in Ezra-Nehemiah. After a review of the techniques of characterisation and their resulting effects, as identified by narrative critics, a close reading of each of the passages in Ezra- Nehemiah contributing to the characterisation of Persian kings is undertaken in order to discover the picture of the kings that emerges. The book is treated as a literary unity, and the influence of earlier passages on the interpretation of later ones (and in some cases, vice versa) is noted. It becomes apparent that it is not the implied author's purpose in the narrative to communicate a particular perspective on the Persian kings. Rather, they function as secondary characters, enhancing the perspective the implied author intends to communicate about YHWH. Nevertheless, it is possible to draw further specific conclusions about their characterisation. The Persian kings in Ezra-Nehemiah merge together into a single character, or a single role played by virtually indistinguishable characters. The implied author constructs them as, in significant ways, both similar to and yet distinct from the Assyrian and Babylonian rulers who preceded them. They are assumed to have motivations similar to those of any non-Judean ruler of their general period. They appear to be regularly unhelpful to the Judean exiles, apart from instances of intervention by YHWH on the Judeans' behalf. These characteristics appear to be reflected consistently in all parts of the narrative, not only in isolated sections. Insofar as the narrative of Ezra-Nehemiah may reflect the views of one or more historical individuals, it is questionable whether it reflects a pro-Persian attitude.

In this thesis, the author takes a journey through both biblical and contemporary patriarchal cultures, contemplating the commonality of rape survivors’ experiences across space and time, and, in particular, evaluating the insidious and pervasive influences of patriarchy, which have long served to deny these women a voice with which to relate their narrative of suffering. Consideration is given to some of the common contemporary cultural attitudes and misperceptions regarding sexual violence, commonly known as ‘rape myths’, which appear to be rooted within the deeply entrenched gender stereotypes of patriarchal cultures the world over, and which survivors of sexual violence regard as lying at the very heart of their own voicelessness. The author examines the means by which these rape myths silence victims of sexual violence, then, using these myths as a hermeneutical tool, evaluates whether they are likewise given voice within both the text and interpretive traditions of Genesis 34, a biblical narrative recounting the rape of Jacob’s daughter Dinah. When these myths do appear to be represented within this narrative, consideration is then given to the impact that they may likewise have had upon Dinah’s own experience of her violation and thus, upon her ability to share her story. Moreover, the author evaluates the representations of Dinah in her interpretive afterlife, assessing the ways in which biblical interpreters may or may not appeal to these same myths in order both to attend to her silence and to make sense of her experience. This thesis therefore has two primary aims. Firstly, there is an attempt to paint a picture of the world in which Dinah experienced her sexual assault, by casting light upon the attitudes and ideologies that she would have faced from others within her own community. In addition, consideration is also given to the narrative world, which Dinah continues to occupy in the minds of those who read her story, by looking at the responses she has received and continues to receive from this interpretive community. This thesis therefore attempts to provide a deeper insight into Dinah’s own experience of sexual violence, in order that contemporary readers can better comprehend the meaningfulness and complexity of her silence and grant to it a rich and new meaning.

<p> Peter presents a new exodus framework by inserting throughout the letter quotations and allusions to the OT that reference to the exodus narrative or its theological and eschatological interpretations in Isaiah and selected psalms. Most of these allusions are in key programmatic passages of 1 Peter. Through a redemptive-historical reading of 1 Peter, this thesis seeks to understand Peter's background and motifs. This study carefully examines the structure of 1 Pet 1:1&ndash;2:10 and the function of the OT allusions in their literary context. After analyzing the OT references, this work follows their development in salvation history, beginning in the exodus narratives and then through the Prophets and the Psalms. Finally, we see how the author of 1 Peter applies the Christological fulfillment of such allusions, and what are the eschatological implications for Peter&rsquo;s readers as the new covenant church.</p>

<p> The dissertation explores the Qur&rsquo;anic hermeneutics of Irfan A. Khan (b. 1931), a significant contemporary scholar of the Qur&rsquo;an and modern western philosophy. It demonstrates that Khan&rsquo;s Qur&rsquo;anic hermeneutic is a paradigm shift as compared to classical Qur&rsquo;anic hermeneutic and provides a substantive theory and methodology of Qur&rsquo;anic interpretation. </p><p> For Khan, Qur&rsquo;anic God is perpetually active in new creation and new guidance. Since the sum total of all current existences is new creation, therefore it requires fresh guidance. Therefore, Khan considers the Qur&rsquo;an a primary guide for us, as if it were just revealed. Khan proposes that readers should exert themselves directly to understand the Qur&rsquo;an with their own mind, developing a personal relationship with it. The readers must keep the Sunnah of the Prophet in front of them. The Prophet and his Companions read the Qur&rsquo;an in their existing socio-historic situation, purified themselves, and changed their socio-historic reality. The current readers should also follow the Sunnah in this sense. Finally, for guidance Qur&rsquo;anic God has been systematically guiding humankind through prophets. After the Prophet Muhammad we are in post-prophetic stage. Thus, the Prophetic Movement changed into the Qur&rsquo;anic Movement. Therefore, the responsibility of interpretation rests squarely upon humankind in the absence of any prophet. </p><p> Philosophically speaking humankind&rsquo;s understanding is limited by its epistemic system. The lower bound of our epistemic system is apprehending Reality, but we always fail to apprehend it as an organic whole. The upper limit of our epistemic system is what we can think. Understanding happens between these two bounds. When we understand texts we convert textual symbols into images, manipulate the images, and get insights about the world of the text in front of us. However, it is only when we act upon it that we find the truth of our textual insights. Since our epistemic capacities keep on increasing due to advances in science, technology and the arts, it is possible to understand the same text in a deeper way in future. Thus, Qur&rsquo;anic understanding is a continuous process that requires its new concretization in each historic epoch.</p>

<p> The letters of Paul testify to the prominent role that suffering played not only in the life of the apostle, but also in the lives of the communities to which he wrote. Startlingly, Paul does not express either surprise or frustration at suffering&rsquo;s presence, but instead identifies it as an essential feature of Christian existence: suffering (in some way) derives from union with Christ, and thereby shares in Christ&rsquo;s own suffering. Although the concept of &ldquo;suffering as participation with Christ&rdquo; (SPC) has received some attention within contemporary scholarship, I argue that the conversation would be enriched by the addition of a project that offers detailed readings of key moments in which SPC appears in Paul&rsquo;s writings, that accepts all the letters in the Pauline canon as equally valid witnesses to &ldquo;Paul&rsquo;s thought,&rdquo; and that uses the findings generated by this exegetical-canonical reading strategy to produce a Pauline &ldquo;theology&rdquo; of SPC. The thesis of the dissertation is that (the canonical) Paul&rsquo;s theology of suffering&mdash;read from the tripartite perspective of exegesis, canon, and theology&mdash;builds on three foundational convictions (i.e., Christology, eschatology, and cosmology) out of which four correlative commitments emerge (i.e., suffering as salvation&rsquo;s &ldquo;prerequisite,&rdquo; Christ&rsquo;s suffering as democratize-able, all Christian suffering as participation in Christ&rsquo;s suffering, and suffering as the site of a profound experience of the love of God in Christ). (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.)</p>

<p> The project director has a deficiency in Christ-centered preaching from the Old Testament, lack of skills as to how the biblical genre guides the sermon structure, and misunderstanding of sermon delivery following the contours of Old Testament narrative. The lack of skills were supported by review of previous sermons preached from Old Testament narrative revealing logical sermon forms, moralistic application, and gospel presentations rather than Christocentric content emanating from the text. Additionally, the ministry location for the project implementation has experienced an absence of expositional sermons from the Old Testament over the past twenty years.</p><p> The purpose of this project was to enhance the skills of Christ-centered preaching from the Old Testament utilizing Eugene Lowry&rsquo;s homiletical sermon form. The project director preached a series of six sermons from Exodus 1&ndash;20 applying Lowry&rsquo;s five-stage sermon form. Expertise in sermon development and delivery was enhanced by exposure to scholarly work in the fields of Old Testament theology, exegesis, Christ-centered hermeneutics, and Lowry&rsquo;s sermon form. An expert panel guided the project implementation and the sermon evaluation panel provided data on each of the six sermons from Exodus.</p><p> Upon review of data received from the sermon evaluation team, the project director displayed increased proficiency building and delivering Christocentric sermons from the Old Testament. Data from the evaluation team revealed positive results concerning sermon clarity and structure indicating Lowry&rsquo;s homiletical sermon model as an effective form.</p>