OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES: ‘QUO VADIS’?
Abstract
This paper examines three influential trajectories in the recent study of the Old Testament and argues that they deserve to and probably will remain influential. Historical study (broadly taken and including archaeology) continues to broaden our understanding of the ancient context, it is argued, is important for several reasons. Literary study, both as “close reading” and as literary theorizing and hermeneutical reflection, has made us conscious of what was often too easily taken for granted. Feminist study (taken here as synecdoche for various approaches from the side of the excluded) has, through its passion and eloquence, humanized the study of the Bible. The conclusion of the paper reflects on the difficulties of teaching the Old Testament today and the dangers of pursuing novelties before a thorough foundation has been laid. It suggests, however, that the Old Testament may continue to address its readers in totally unexpected ways. (So as to leave the original paper more or less unchanged, I deal with most references and some of the questions that arose in the discussion in footnotes.)Downloads
Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this Journal.
This is an open access journal, and the authors and journal should be properly acknowledged, when works are cited.
Authors may use the publishers version for teaching purposes, in books, theses, dissertations, conferences and conference papers.
A copy of the authors’ publishers version may also be hosted on the following websites:
- Non-commercial personal webpage or blog.
- Institutional webpage.
- Authors Institutional Repository.
The following notice should accompany such a posting on the website: “This is an electronic version of an article published in Scriptura, Volume XXX, number XXX, pages XXX–XXX”, DOI. Authors should also supply a hyperlink to the original paper or indicate where the original paper (http://scriptura.journals.ac.za/pub) may be found.
Authors publishers version, affiliated with the Stellenbosch University will be automatically deposited in the University’s’ Institutional Repository SUNScholar.
Articles as a whole, may not be re-published with another journal.
The following license applies:
