Michal's Moral Dilemma: A Literary, Anthropological and Ethical Interpretation(The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)

Michal's Moral Dilemma proposes that attention should be paid to the moral goods that feature in the text, before arguing that the family, a central feature of Old Testament morality, should be understood as a set of practices rather than an institution. Jonathan Rowe discusses the use of "models" of social action to comprehend the social world of the Bible, and suggests a modified version of Bakhtin's theory of heteroglossic voices can help readers appreciate how authors present a moral vision by approving some characters' actions whilst undermining others. The discussion of Michal's moral dilemma adduces anthropological theories and ethnographic data concerning violence, lying, and the relationship between fathers and daughters. Given that the conflicts of moral goods are "resolved" by characters choosing to act in a certain way, Rowe enquires after the author's assessment of each character's moral choices, arguing that Michal's loyalty to David and deception of Saul was counter-cultural. By approving of her choice the author affirms the importance of loyalty to the Davidic dynasty.

Table of Contents:
Figures Abbreviations INTRODUCTION 1. Michal's Moral Dilemma 2. Interpreting Michal's Dilemma Chapter 1 OLD TESTAMENT MORALITY AND VALUE CONFLICT 1. Old Testament Resources for Value Conflict a. Old Testament "Law" b. Old Testament Legal Motivations c. Old Testament Legal Sanctions d. Natural Morality in the Old Testament e. Imitation of God 2. Moral Goods in the Old Testament a. Good in the Old Testament b. The "Good Life" 3. Conclusion: Conflicting Moral Goods Chapter 2 THE PRIORITY OF THE GOOD 1. Moral Goods a. The Nature of Moral Goods b. Good and Right c. Moral Goods, Moral Rules and Moral Order d. Incommensurability and Moral Goods 2. Kinship as a Moral Good a. Kinship as the Matrix of Old Testament Morality b. A "Familial Paradigm" 3. Conclusion: The Priority of Kinship Chapter 3 ANTHROPOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO KINSHIP 1. Kinship 2. The Ethics of Kinship 3. The Practice of the Ethics of Kinship a. Structure and Agency b. Ambiguity 4. Conclusion: Choosing Kin Chapter 4 UNDERSTANDIN GMORAL CHOICE IN 1 SAMUEL 1. Understanding Dialogical Voices 2. Interpretative Understanding 3. Conclusion: Interpreting Voices Chapter 5 MICHAL: LYING THROUGH HER TERAPHIM 1. The Voices: Michal and Saul 2. Violence Against Enemies a. Enemies in the Books of Samuel b. Enemies and Violence—Anthropological Perspectives c. Understanding David as "My enemy" 3. Fathers and Daughters a. Michal: Saul's Daughter / David'sWife b. Marriage—Anthropological Perspectives c. Understanding Michal's Excuse 4. Lying and Deception a. "You shall not bear false witness" b. Lying—Anthropological Perspectives c Understanding Michal's Lie 5. Michal's Voice Approved a. A House, in the Night b. Sending and Being Sent c. Teraphim d. Michal's Characterisation Chapter 6 CONTRADICTING VALUES Appendices A Crime and Punishment in the Book of the Covenant B Crime and Punishment in the Holiness Code C Crime and Punishment in the Deuteronomic Code Bibliography Indices

About the Author :
Dr Jonathan Y. Rowe (PhD, St Andrews) is Director of Development and Staff Tutor, South Western Ministry Training Course, UK.

Review :
Michal's Moral Dilemma is a significant contribution to the understanding of ancient Israelite and Old Testament ethics. Rowe effortlessly combines recent research in ethics, anthropology and literary studies to provide a sophisticated and persuasive interpretation of Michal's ethical dilemma in 1 Samuel 19. A major advance in the area of Old Testament ethics, it also heralds the arrival of an important new voice in the field. --Dr Nathan MacDonald, Reader in Hebrew and Old Testament, University of St Andrews and Sofja-Kovalevskaja Group Leader, Georg-August Universität Jonathan Rowe opens up a familiar moral dilemma in a not-so-familiar biblical text with fresh analysis and insights drawn from anthropological and wider biblical resources. Not only does he thereby shed welcome light on an old question, challenging much received wisdom en route, but also he takes the discipline of Old Testament ethics to a level of granular textual study that should encourage further fruitful research of the same high quality in this field. --Revd Dr Christopher J.H. Wright, International Director, The Langham Partnership, International, Author of Old Testament Ethics for the People of God Review in Review of Biblical Literature [Rowe's] focus on practice theory fi ts nicely into the world behind the text, his use of a pseudo Bakhtinian theory has a world of the text focus, and the rationale for the study itself comes from the modern concerns (a desire to 'provide new perspectives upon contemporary value conflict) and hence of the world in front of the text.