{"title":"Joshua M. McNall, Perhaps: Reclaiming the Space Between Doubt and Dogmatism","authors":"Thomas G. Doughty","doi":"10.1177/00346373231171782g","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00346373231171782g","url":null,"abstract":"differing conclusions. Two specific strengths merit mentioning for their acute insights. First, his essay on prostitution and vows paints a helpful portrait of Israelite women who engaged in religious activities (e.g., vows). Second, for those unaware of the larger realm of divinity in the ANE, the essays in part 3 will be edifying. From the outset, van der Toorn explains that he is not providing any substantive revision to previously published essays. Although his rationale is reasonable and typically standard for a collection of essays, several essays could have been revised to provide an up-to-date treatment of the subject matter. One example will suffice. In chapter 1, van der Toorn provides a wonderful summary and analysis of the scholarly development of the Israelite religion. The original essay was published in 2002. Several significant developments have occurred in the field of study since the publication of the original essay, and van der Toorn could have chosen to provide readers with an excellent updated summary of the field from 1870 to 2018. While working through the immense depth of many essays, readers may grow frustrated with the poor editing of the book. Throughout the monograph are several misspelled words and typos (e.g., on pp. 45, 52, 71, 110, 158, 161, and 245). Spelling and typos aside, Mohr Seibeck and van der Toorn should be applauded for collecting, arranging, and publishing these essays into one volume. Scholars interested in the religion of the ANE, scribes and scribal traditions, and deities and demons will return to the riches of this volume several times over.","PeriodicalId":21049,"journal":{"name":"Review & Expositor","volume":"119 1","pages":"461 - 463"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42364385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Koινωνία: Fellowship with or participation in the Spirit? Revisiting 2 Corinthians 13:13","authors":"Colin Antony Green","doi":"10.1177/00346373231173867","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00346373231173867","url":null,"abstract":"The notion that, in the Christian Scriptures, the term κοινωνία (koinōnia) can mean “fellowship” has been challenged on philological grounds. Scholars argue that, in ancient non-Christian sources, meanings such as fellowship with fellow humans and with God are absent and that mundane meanings of participation and alliances are to be preferred. Discussion of this subject has suffered from a dichotomy between whether usage in classical sources trumps Christian theology in reading texts. Attention to Philo and revisiting philological patterns in Scripture suggest, however, the word had evolved to mean fellowship in the hands of Paul.","PeriodicalId":21049,"journal":{"name":"Review & Expositor","volume":"119 1","pages":"417 - 430"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46930146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"“So we cooked my son and ate him . . .”: 2 Kings 6:24–7:20 as symbol of desperation and despair within city walls","authors":"Robert Wafawanaka","doi":"10.1177/00346373231166173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00346373231166173","url":null,"abstract":"The narrative of 2 Kgs 6:24–7:20 illustrates the desperation and despair experienced by people doubly surrounded by city walls which are surrounded by enemy soldiers. In this Elisha narrative, the army of Ben-hadad, the Aramean king, besieges the capital of Samaria. While ancient cities had walls to protect people, the same walls could also be death-dealing places as residents were trapped inside. The story illustrates how truly desperate circumstances came to the point that those trapped inside had to resort to cannibalism to survive. The king, also confined within the city wall, passes a death sentence on Elisha but the prophet predicts a happy ending. The crisis is resolved through divine intervention that essentially dismantles the death-delivering wall of the Aramean army. The dismantling of this military border leads to the liberation of the people, the provision of sustenance, and the maintenance of life. The article examines the historical context of the text, the meaning of borders and boundaries in antiquity, the drama of the text, the resolution of the crisis, and implications for today’s marginalized communities within various borders.","PeriodicalId":21049,"journal":{"name":"Review & Expositor","volume":"119 1","pages":"398 - 406"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47236957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Context on our minds: Teaching “Thou shall not kill” in the context of a women’s prison and capital punishment","authors":"David G. Garber","doi":"10.1177/00346373231178006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00346373231178006","url":null,"abstract":"Teaching the legal materials in the Old Testament, particularly the Ten Commandments, within the context of seminary classrooms or local congregations can often become overly abstract and philosophical. I found this to be the case within my own teaching context until I began teaching in a Certificate of Theological Studies program at a state prison for women. Not only were some of the women in the program serving sentences for crimes of murder or manslaughter, one of the past graduates of the program, Kelly Gissendaner, was executed by the State of Georgia on September 30, 2015. Five days before her first scheduled date for execution, the class I was teaching discussed the implications of the sixth commandment, “you shall not murder.” Teaching this commandment within a classroom context in which one of their peers was facing capital punishment forever transformed the way I teach the decalogue and this commandment in particular. The experience serves as a constant reminder of the responsibility theological educators and ministers have when teaching and interpreting scripture with those within our sphere of influence.","PeriodicalId":21049,"journal":{"name":"Review & Expositor","volume":"119 1","pages":"342 - 347"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47601498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Finding our way back to the garden","authors":"Mark Buhlig","doi":"10.1177/00346373231165971","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00346373231165971","url":null,"abstract":"The conversation in the United States around the climate crisis is politically charged and divisive. There are those who deny the climate is changing. There are those who assign more value to an extractive capitalism and diminish the need to consider its impact on the planet. There are those who ignore, willfully or otherwise, corporate and personal actions contributing to climate change. For some, the urgency to change is undeniable, and solutions offered toward change demand a change of behavior such as eating less meat, driving fewer miles, or eliminating fossil fuels. Although such actions are likely part of the solution to the crisis, this author suggests human behavior will not change until we reimagine our relationship with the earth. Drawing inspiration from creation stories, humankind can remember our origin is from the earth and our best chance to change our behavior is to love the earth that gives us life.","PeriodicalId":21049,"journal":{"name":"Review & Expositor","volume":"119 1","pages":"277 - 282"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45761928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An inside view: Reflections of a jail chaplain","authors":"D. M. Robinson","doi":"10.1177/00346373231176264","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00346373231176264","url":null,"abstract":"Reflecting on my 35 years as a chaplain in a large county detention facility, serving as a chaplain was my call, my passion, my frustration, and my pain. I am struck by the importance of respect in the lives of those who are incarcerated. Respect, both personal and systemic, is essential for facilitating healthy relationships and spiritual development among prisoners. When respect is lacking, prisoners are subjected to dehumanizing conditions, physical and mental health problems, and an ongoing environment of violence. Staff members also experience the negative effects of a disrespectful environment, leading to job dissatisfaction and burnout. Our communities’ responses to crime often focus on humiliation, isolation, and punishment, which perpetuates desperate coping mechanisms such as substance abuse, poverty, and violence. This approach only serves to further dehumanize people who are incarcerated. Providing opportunities for prisoners to form healthy relationships while in custody is essential for their rehabilitation and reentry into society. It also allows local faith communities to practice their faith principles of mercy, forgiveness, and compassion by reaching out to those people who are often forgotten and marginalized.","PeriodicalId":21049,"journal":{"name":"Review & Expositor","volume":"119 1","pages":"329 - 341"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44864542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"R. Alan Culpepper, Matthew: A Commentary","authors":"James R. McConnell","doi":"10.1177/00346373231171782a","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00346373231171782a","url":null,"abstract":"contemporary individual, perhaps Rabbi Eleazar of Modein. This edition, however, presents the theory that the name Eleazar represented an idealized priest (the son of Aaron) based on the association with Joshua and the conquest of the land (Josh 14:1). In this interpretation, the Bar Kokhba coins with Eleazar’s name envisioned a hope of repeating Israel’s glorious past by reconquering the land from the Romans (p. 330). Third, more Ptolemaic and Seleucid coin examples have been added along with the new numismatic material on the Kingdom of Adiabene, the Ituraean Kingdom, and the Roman governors of Syria. Fourth, this edition demonstrates better copyediting, allowing for a more readable text by creating succinct sentences, eliminating contractions, and in some sections, rearranging and organizing material into a more logical flow. While positive improvements in this edition are many, a few issues might be considered in additional revisions. Some sections, such as “New Testament Coins” (chap. 12), seem underwhelming. For example, only one page is given to “The Seven Churches of Asia Minor.” As the pages of this journal have noted in the past, Revelation lends itself well to a numismatic interpretation (see David M. May, “Counting Kings [Revelation 17:10]: A Novel Approach from Roman Imperial Coinage,” Rev&Exp 114.2 [2017]: 239–46). While this work will be of great interest and help to those who study biblical coins and are attempting to identify coin types, it can also be very beneficial for biblical scholars, ministers, and interested lay persons. It presents a different and fruitful angle by which to enter the biblical text and the biblical world of the text. Coins were perhaps the most ubiquitous method by which messages were disseminated in the ancient world. The study of the material culture represented by coins provides a more textured, nuanced, and complete sense of the biblical world. An abundance of numismatic information is contained within the Guide to Biblical Coins, and this wealth of knowledge can provide one more tool for a biblical interpreter.","PeriodicalId":21049,"journal":{"name":"Review & Expositor","volume":"119 1","pages":"452 - 453"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47376602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A word about . . . Belonging and the continuing struggle for justice","authors":"J. Barnes","doi":"10.1177/00346373231161597","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00346373231161597","url":null,"abstract":"The goal of creating welcoming and inclusive communities within the corporate and higher education sectors has existed for several decades through efforts of diversity, equity, and inclusion. A more recent focus on “belonging,” however, is shifting the conversation toward deeper, more systemic questions. While multiracial and multicultural churches have grown in numbers during this timeframe, a growing realization is that simply having representation within congregations is not sufficient to address the deep inequalities and injustices present in the United States and the world. The important shift of focus to “belonging” can serve to challenge how Christians think about inclusion in the church.","PeriodicalId":21049,"journal":{"name":"Review & Expositor","volume":"119 1","pages":"197 - 204"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47755324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Animal lessons: Understanding the gift of creatureliness in the company of all creatures","authors":"Judith A. Skeen","doi":"10.1177/00346373231165957","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00346373231165957","url":null,"abstract":"This article sets in context the contemporary conversation about humans relating to non-human animals and the larger ecosphere they inhabit. It explores the foundation for how humanity got to the current crises of human and environmental dis-ease as well as the debate over the role of people of faith, specifically Christians in the West, in the world as they experience it now. A survey of biblical material presents what might have been overlooked in the potential for learning from animals. The article explores new possibilities for experiential and intellectual learning from animals, attempting to glean avenues for human spiritual growth and sustainable life for all creatures.","PeriodicalId":21049,"journal":{"name":"Review & Expositor","volume":"119 1","pages":"245 - 269"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42062693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The eschatological transfer of work in the Spirit: Further remarks","authors":"S. Weir","doi":"10.1177/00346373231177056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00346373231177056","url":null,"abstract":"Eschatologies of work, even in the micro field of the theology of work, are in a minority. How human work has any relation to the coming new creation takes some careful theologizing. This article seeks to correct one of my own theological decisions from my main contribution to the field thus far, The Good Work of Non-Christians, Empowerment, and the New Creation. The scholastic move to designate grace in human beings according to their faith status in Christ is typical of the Western Christian tradition. Commensurate with this tradition, a previous argument for a pneumatology of work with a strong eschatological trajectory followed the Western tradition’s splicing of grace in two. This article heeds aspects of the Eastern Sergius Bulgakov’s critique of such a separation of grace and finds common ground in his universal pneumatology with its connectivity to “the final age.” Even with clear eschatological points of departure from Bulgakov, his account of human synergy with God is fertile ground for the eschatology of work.","PeriodicalId":21049,"journal":{"name":"Review & Expositor","volume":"119 1","pages":"380 - 388"},"PeriodicalIF":0.1,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41842257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}