Method Matters: Essays on the Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Honor of David L. Petersen (Society of Biblical Literature Resources for Biblical Study)

645 Pages·2009·12.1 MB·English

Method Matters
resources for Biblical study
susan ackerman
editor (old testament/hebrew Bible)
Number 56
Method Matters
essays on the Interpretation of the
hebrew Bible in honor of david L. Petersen
Method Matters
essays oN the INterPretatIoN of the
heBrew BIBLe IN hoNor of davId L. PeterseN
Edited by
Joel M. LeMon
and
Kent harold richards
society of Biblical Literature
atlanta
Method Matters
essays on the Interpretation of the
hebrew Bible in honor of david L. Petersen

Copyright © 2009 by the society of Biblical Literature
all rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by
means of any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permit-
ted by the 1976 Copyright act or in writing from the publisher. requests for permission
should be addressed in writing to the rights and Permissions office, society of Biblical
Literature, 825 houston Mill road, atlanta, Ga 30329 Usa.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data
Method matters : essays on the interpretation of the hebrew Bible in honor of david L.
Petersen / edited by Joel M. LeMon and Kent harold richards.
p. cm. — (society of Biblical Literature resources for biblical study ; no. 56)
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
IsBN 978-1-58983-444-6 (paper binding : alk. paper)
1. Bible. o.t.—hermeneutics. 2. Bible. o.t.—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I.
Petersen, david L. II. LeMon, Joel M. III. richards, Kent harold, 1939–.
Bs476.M35416 2009
221.6'01—dc22 2009037237
17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United states of america on acid-free, recycled paper
conforming to aNsI/NIso Z39.48-1992 (r1997) and Iso 9706:1994
standards for paper permanence.
Over twenty years of collaboration—OTFS

Contents
abbreviations xi
Preface xvii
david L. Petersen: a tribute
S. Dean McBride Jr. and James Luther Mays 1
Bibliography of the works of david L. Petersen 11
form Criticism: The Question of the endangered Matriarchs
in Genesis
Marvin A. Sweeney 17
source Criticism: The Miracle at the sea
Christoph Levin 39
redaction Criticism: 1 Kings 8 and the deuteronomists
Thomas Römer 63
textual Criticism: recovering and Preserving the text of
the hebrew Bible
Ralph W. Klein 44
traditio-historical Criticism: The development of the
Covenant Code
Douglas A. Knight 97
Comparative approaches: history, Theory, and the Image
of God
Brent A. Strawn 117
Iconographic approaches: The Iconic structure of Psalm 17
Joel M. LeMon 143
viii Method Matters
religio-historical approaches: Monotheism, Method,
and Mortality
Christopher B. Hays 169
historiographical approaches: survey and Principles
John H. Hayes 195
Psychological Criticism: exploring the self in the text
Walter Brueggemann 213
anthropological approaches: ritual in Leviticus 8, real
or rhetorical?
William K. Gilders 233
sociological approaches: toward a sociology of Childhood
in the hebrew Bible
Naomi Steinberg 251
Narrative analysis: Meaning, Context, and origins of Genesis 38
Yairah Amit 271
Poetic analysis: Psalm 121
Kirsten Nielsen 293
feminist Criticism: sarah Laughs Last
Susan Brayford 311
Gender analysis: Gender and Method in Biblical studies
Beatrice Lawrence 333
ecological approaches: The Bible and the Land
Gene M. Tucker 349
ethical approaches: The story of david as Moral tale
Bruce C. Birch 369
Theological Interpretation: a Proposal
William P. Brown 387
homiletical appropriation of the hebrew Bible
Gail R. O’Day 407
CoNteNts ix
Latin american approaches: a Liberationist reading of
the “day of the Lord” tradition in Joel
Pablo R. Andiñach 423
Midrash and exegesis: Insights from Genesis rabbah on
the Binding of Isaac
Alan J. Avery-Peck 441
Postmodern Literary Criticism: The Impossibility of Method
Mark K. George 459
reflections on the “historical-Critical” Method: historical
Criticism and Critical historicism
Martti Nissinen 479
reflections on social-scientific Criticism
Robert R. Wilson 505
reflections on Literary Criticism
John Barton 523
reflections on Ideological Criticism and Postcritical Perspectives
Carol A. Newsom 541
reflections on the history of Consequences: The Case of Job
C. L. Seow 561
Contributors 587
scripture Index 593
Name Index 609