Untamable Texts: Literary Studies and Narrative Theory in the Books of Samuel(The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies)

The prime and "unique" contribution of this study is the meta-theoretical approach according to which a popular method of analysis and interpretation regarding the books of Samuel is discussed an evaluated critically. This is an important and necessary discussion, because interdisciplinary studies must not be reduced to a mere application of individual theoreticians or theoretical concepts on new objects, which are assessed only by their ability to produce "new" interpretations or solve problems (as those observed by the historical-critical approach). It is also essential for an academic study to discuss the validity of a certain theory or method. Furthermore, it is also important that the theory is discussed and tested in relation to narrative texts. Questions considered include "Do the texts of the Bible have forms that do not comply with the frames interpreters assume? What aims and agendas do literary or narrative methods serve in the hands of biblical interpreters? The main goal of this study is to attempt a better understanding of the biblical texts and their influence and meaning.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments Abbreviations I.    Introduction Chapter 1 POETICS AND INTERPRETATION 1.1     A Literary Study of the Biblical Narratives     1.1.1. A Literary and Synchronic Approach     1.1.2. Biblical Literary Criticism and the Historical Method     1.1.3. A Literary Approach and the "Character" of the Biblical Narratives     1.1.4. Poetics and Interpretation     1.1.5. Spcific and General Poetics 1.2    A Close Reading of Three Interpretations     1.2.1. The Story about Hannah     1.2.2. Robert Polzin's Method         1.2.2.1. Polzin's Method         1.2.2.2. A Narrative about the Birth of Kingship         1.2.2.3. Polzin's Reading: A Non-literary Suggestion     1.2.3. Walter Brueggemann's Interpretation of 2 Samuel 21         1.2.3.1. 2 Samuel 21: An Ironic Text         1.2.3.2. Brueggemann's Reasons for an Ironic Reading of 2 Samuel 21         1.2.3.3. A Suspicious Reading of 2 Samuel 21         1.2.3.4. Brueggemann's Reading: A Non-literary Suggestion     1.2.4. J.P. Fokkelman's Interpretation of 2 Kings 4         1.2.4.1. Fokkelman's Method         1.2.4.2. A Story about a Heroic Mother         1.2.4.3. A Literary and Narrative Reading of 2 Kings 4     1.2.5.     "New" Readings of Ancient Texts 1.3    Poetics, Narratology, Criticism, and Interpretation     1.3.1.    Narratology     1.3.2.    Classical Narratology and Postclassical Narratologies: Object, Methods, and Aims     1.3.3.    Discourse Narratology     1.3.4.    Gerard Genette's Analysis of Proust Chapter 2 THE SENSE-GOVERNING INTENT OF BIBLICAL NARRATIVES 2.1 The Character of a Narrative - A Salient Issue 2.2 An Outline of the Present Chapter 2.3 The Books of Samuel and the "Succession History of David"     2.3.1. The Composition of the Books of Samuel     2.3.2. The Present Form of the Books of Samuel     2.3.3. The "Succession History of David"     2.3.4. David and Bathsheba     2.3.5. History, Apologetics, Ideology, or Literature     2.3.6. 2 Samuel 5 2.4 The Distinction between Different Kinds of Narratives     2.4.1. 2 Samuel 1 and 12         2.4.1.1. The Amalekite messenger's Narrative         2.4.1.2. Nathan's Narrative         2.4.1.3. The Extradiegetical Narratives about the Amalekite and about Nathan 2.5 Story and History     2.5.1. Narratology and the Distinction between History and Fiction     2.5.2. History and Literature in the Old Testament 2.6 Summary Chapter 3 STORYTELLING: SENSE AND REFERENCE 3.1. Three Notions of the Reading of Narratives     3.1.1. The Narratives of the Books of Samuel: "Windows" or "Paintings"?         3.1.1.1. A Window to a World         3.1.1.2. A Painting     3.1.2. Disquieting Interpretations     3.1.3. Joel Rosenberg's Literary Guide to the Books of Samuel          3.1.3.1. Rosenberg's Method: Saul and David          3.1.3.2. A Litearary Interpretation According to Rosenberg 3.2    Gap-Filling and the Drawing of Implications     3.2.1. Disquieting Interpretations and Silly Questions     3.2.2. Gapping: Fiction and Nonfiction     3.2.3. Bar-Efrat on Time Gaps in the Story of David and Absalom 3.3     Literary or Historical Interpretations: A Series of Examples     3.3.1. To Take the Internal Perspective     3.3.2. Gap-Filling, the Drawing of Implications, and the Reading Process         3.3.2.1. Adele Berlin on Genesis 37         3.3.2.2. Yairah Amit on David and Nabal         3.3.2.3. J.P. Fokkelman on Gideon     3.3.3. Gap-Filling, Theories about Reading, and Suggested Reinterpretation         3.3.3.1. Yairah Amit on David         3.3.3.2. Yairah Amit on 1 Samuel 13         3.3.3.3. J.P. Fokkelman on 1 Samuel 8-10 3.4    The Amalekite Messenger: 2 Samuel 1     3.4.1. Is the Amalekite Lying?     3.4.2. Arguments Supporting the Suggestion that the Amalekite Lies     3.4.3. A Reconstruction of the Events on Mount Gilboa     3.4.4. What Was David Thinking?     3.4.5. Robert Polzin on 2 Samuel 1: A Deeper Understanding or a Reinterpretation 3.5    Some Concluding Remarks Chapter 4 TWO NODES: NARRATORS AND PERSPECTIVE 4.1    The Teller of the Biblical Narratives     4.1.1. Anonymity, Omniscience, and Historiography     4.1.2. Authors, Implied Authors, and Narrators     4.1.3. The Author and the Narrator     4.1.4. The Narrator and the Implied Author     4.1.5. The Implied Author and the Narrator in Biblical Literary Criticism     4.1.6. The Narrator and the Ideological Perspective of the Text     4.1.7. Narrative Techniques or Unintended Features?         4.1.7.1. An Ironic Text         4.1.7.2. A Dialogic Narrative         4.1.7.3. An Unreliable Narrator         4.1.7.4. Storytelling, the Implied Author, and the Narrator     4.1.8. Storytelling and the Teller 4.2    Perspective, Point of View, Focalization     4.2.1. Focalization and Restriction of Field     4.2.2. An Unavoidable Bias     4.2.3. Perspective on the Micro Level     4.2.4. Perspective and Knowledge     4.2.5. Perspective: An Elusive Concept     4.2

About the Author :
Greger Andersson is Assistant Professor and Lecturer in Comparative Literature at Örebro University in Sweden and Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Örebro Theological Seminary.

Review :
"Andersson critically examines self-styled literary or narrative readings of the Old Testament historical books, mainly the books of Samuel. He identifies theoretical issues or groups of theoretical problems that emerge in a trialogue between the biblical texts, their interpreters, and theories of literature and narrative assumed to be guiding the readings. The framework for his analysis is a series of suggested interpretations, where he finds the matters under discussion most visible. He covers poetics and interpretation, the sense-governing intent of biblical narrative, storytelling sense and reference, and narrators and perspective as two nodes." -Eithne O'Leyne, BOOK NEWS, Inc.