Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Most literary works have one primary voice, a discourse that expresses an author's dominant culture and ideology. The whole Bible, however, should be read by allowing numerous voices or discourses during a thousand years of literary imagination to emerge and interact. This dialogic reading process introduces theological insights that are larger than the individual parts of the Bible.
Many books about the Bible introduce students to this sacred literature through a critical tour of the historical events and cultures that were present when the authors were at work. Holy Imagination, however, groups sections of the Bible by genre, to include the whole canon.
This "reader's introduction" is informed by literary theory and theological synthesis. For example, the first section will describe the primordial history in Genesis 1-11 as literary myth. How do we use the term myth when it is applied to the beginning of Genesis? The next section, the ancestral narratives in Genesis 12-50 is described as "formational narratives of identity." How do the stories use sibling rivalry to shape national identity then and now?
Each section in the introduction will identify and describe the genre (myth, historiography, poetry, apocalyptic literature, and so on) and then move into a discussion about its literary characteristics. Once the range of materials within a genre is evaluated, the introduction will deploy literary tools useful in reading a particular genre. The application of these tools will be guided by a set of "literary rules."
Reading is always an act of interpretation. The Bible is a theological text. The Bible is a literary text in that it is written and uses literary devices. Scripture comes to us in a variety of forms/genres and knowing the genre helps the reader in the task of reading. Scripture comes from multiple sources, representing a variety of perspectives over time. These different sources form a dialogue from which greater meaning can be achieved.. This dialogue is ongoing and never-ending (always making new meanings). Scripture is highly metaphorical, and metaphor is a distinct form of dialogue.
Holy Imagination can serve as the primary text for an introductory course on the whole Bible. For instructors who prefer an historical-critical structure, this book could be an appreciated supplementary text that gives new Bible readers the larger picture of the wider biblical literature.
Synopsis
The many voices in scripture form a dialogue with readers, which produce theological truths that are larger than the individual parts. This introduction is informed by both literary theory and theology. It groups sections of the whole Bible together by genre. Each section identifies and describes the genre (such as historiography, poetry, prophecy, gospel, letter, apocalypse), and then moves into a discussion about the literary characteristics and theological insights.
The words of scripture not only come a long way to find us but like a poem must be read with attention. Poetry doesn't yield meaning easily, and it doesn't promise to make sense. We know to look past the words on the page and find the images, tropes, sounds, and metaphors that are meaning-full. This type of writing invites, rather demands, the imagination. We must accept that we will only get so close, but that this is close enough. Our imagination spans the gaps left by sparse language and incomplete narratives. We return again and again, with more information and perhaps more experiences. The words are the same, but we are not; and for that reason there are always new discoveries.
"At last, an introduction that students will enjoy reading, because it is at once engaging, informative, and eye-opening, as well as completely lucid. Fentress Williams shows how many books of the Bible reflect the experience of marginalized persons and communities in precarious situations, and therefore how they speak in ways both realistic and encouraging to contemporary readers. Do your students and yourself a favor: adopt this text and get ready for serious conversation about ancient texts that never go out of date."
- Ellen F. Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and Practical Theology, Duke Divinity School