Life, Land, and Elijah in the Book of Kings
Life, Land, and Elijah in the Book of Kings
In this book, Daniel J. D. Stulac brings a canonical-agrarian approach to the Elijah narratives and demonstrates the rhetorical and theological contribution of these texts to the Book of Kings. This unique perspective yields insights into Elijah's iconographical character (1 Kings 17-19), which is contrasted sharply against the Omride dynasty (1 Kings 20-2 Kings 1). It also serves as a template for Elisha's activities in chapters to follow (2 Kings 2-8). Under circumstances that foreshadow the removal of both monarchy and temple, the book's middle third (1 Kings 17-2 Kings 8) proclaims Yhwh's enduring care for Israel's land and people through various portraits of resurrection, even in a world where Israel's sacred institutions have been stripped away. Elijah emerges as the archetypal ancestor of a royal-prophetic remnant with which the reader is encouraged to identify.
- Provides a simple description of and rationale for both a 'canonical approach' to the Bible (often misunderstood) and an 'agrarian hermeneutic', an emerging lens on biblical literature
- Offers a cogent description of the narrative rhetoric and theological vision of the Elijah narratives (1 Kings 17-2 Kings 2)
- Reveals a coherent interpretation of the Elijah narratives that bears directly on theological and social issues such as care for the earth
Reviews & endorsements
'The main strengths of this volume are twofold: the persuasive reading of the central prophetic third of Kings as a whole and the demonstration of its deep connectedness with the rest of the book.' A. Graeme Auld, Review of Biblical Literature
Product details
December 2020Hardback
9781108843744
325 pages
240 × 160 × 30 mm
0.8kg
Available
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Book overview
- 1. Solving for pattern
- 2. The body and the Earth (1 Kings 17-19)
- 3. A native hill (1 Kings 20-22)
- 4. Life is a miracle (2 Kings 1-8)
- 5. The long-legged house
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Indexes
