Biblical Exegesis and the Formation of Christian Culture

by Frances M. Young

Overview

This book challenges conventional accounts of early Christian exegesis of the Bible by placing its interpretation in the context of the Greco-Roman world. Professor Young describes how the Jewish scriptures were taken over, added to and reinterpreted as part of the process of forming the identity of the new Christian "race" with its distinct culture. Young emphasizes the importance of the way education was based on literature in the Roman Empire, and demonstrates how the methods and assumptions then taken for granted shaped Christian exegesis of scripture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521581530
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/28/1997
Pages:	340
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.06(d)

About the Author

Frances M. Young is Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology at the University of Birmingham, England.

Table of Contents

Preface; List of abbreviations; Introduction; Part I. Exegesis and the Unity of the Scriptures: 1. Reception and appropriation; 2. The mind of scripture; Part II. The Bible as Classic: 3. Cultures and literatures; 4. The advent of scholarship; 5. Bible and culture; Part III. Language and Reference: 6. Reference and cross-reference; 7. The sacrament of language; 8 Allēgoria and theōria; 9. The question of method; Part IV. The Bible and the Life of Faith: 10. The contexts of interpretation; 11. The life of faith; 12. The theologian as exegete; Conclusion and retrospect: towards an outline historical account; Bibliography; Index of biblical references; Index of modern scholars; Index of subjects.

Editorial Reviews

"This is a deep and wise book that will interest and challenge any student of the history of exegesis." Thomas A. Smith, Religious Studies Review

"...this is an impressive and important book." John Behr, ST. Vladimir's Theological Quarterly

"Those who follow and admire the work of Frances Young will welcome this new work on patrisic exegesis. This book...offers a comprehensive analysis of the pervasive presence of the Bible in emerging Christian culture. ...worth reading..." John J. O'Keefe, Journal of Early Christian Studies

"Biblical Exegesis impresses the reader with its sheer breadth....It is Young's study of the Antiochene tradition and the breadth and richness of her work which makes Biblical Exegesis a truly important book." Michael Murrin, The Journal of Religion

"This demanding and rewarding book explicates the enormous impact of biblical exegesis on early Christian culture. One should not approach that exegesis without it." Church History

From the Publisher