Reading Genesis: Ten Methods

Reading Genesis presents a panoramic view of the most vital ways that Genesis is approached in modern scholarship. Essays by ten eminent scholars cover the perspectives of literature, gender, memory, sources, theology, and the reception of Genesis in Judaism and Christianity. Each contribution addresses the history and rationale of the method, insightfully explores particular texts of Genesis, and deepens the interpretive gain of the method in question. These ways of reading Genesis, which include its classic past readings, map out a pluralistic model for understanding Genesis in - and for - the modern age.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Ronald Hendel; 1. Literature Robert Alter; 2. Cultural memory Ronald Hendel; 3. Sources and redaction Robert S. Kawashima; 4. Gender and sexuality Ronald Hendel, Chana Kronfeld and Ilana Pardes; 5. Inner-biblical interpretation Yair Zakovitch; 6. Rabbinic interpretation Dina Stein; 7. Interpretation in the early church Richard A. Layton; 8. Translation Naomi Seidman; 9. Modern literature Ilana Pardes; 10. Modern theology John J. Collins.

About the Author :
Ronald Hendel is Norma and Sam Dabby Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at University of California, Berkeley. He is the editor-in-chief of the Oxford Hebrew Bible, a new critical edition of the Hebrew Bible, and author, most recently, of Remembering Abraham: Culture, Memory, and History in the Hebrew Bible (2005). Professor Hendel also serves as a columnist for the Biblical Archaeology Review.

Review :
'Whatever its title, Reading Genesis: Ten Methods is not just ten any old ways of reading this iconic book of Jewish and Christian tradition. Rather, it is ten cutting-edge ways of analyzing Genesis, ranging from reading Genesis as a literary text to Genesis as reflected in modern literature. Moreover, because each method is thoroughly explained before it is applied to the Genesis text, Reading Genesis: Ten Methods is an excellent primer for students of the Bible who want to apply these cutting-edge methodologies to other biblical books.' Susan Ackerman, Dartmouth College 'Reading Genesis: Ten Methods is a marvelous introduction to recent approaches to the study of biblical texts, accessible yet profound. Distinguished contributors survey methods both old and new, all focused on the book of Genesis. These are classic discussions and offer not only a report on the present state of biblical studies but also fine examples of the biblical scholar's art.' John Barton, University of Oxford 'With Hermann Gunkel's salutary methodological pluralism as his model, Ronald Hendel has assembled a richly illuminating and thought-provoking set of essays that approach the interpretation of Genesis from a variety of critical vantage points, including translation and textual criticism, redaction, history of exegesis (ancient and modern, Jewish and Christian), literary criticism, cultural memory, gender and sexuality, and contemporary theology. This is an innovative volume with much to offer both students and specialists.' Saul M. Olyan, Brown University