Social theory and the study of Israelite religion : essays in retrospect and prospect / edited by Saul M. Olyan.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Olyan, Saul M.

Series:

Resources for biblical study ; no. 71.

Society of Biblical Literature resources for biblical study ; no. 71

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Old Testament--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible.

Judaism--History--To 70 A.D.

Judaism.

Social sciences--Philosophy.

Social sciences.

Physical Description:

x, 219 p.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Atlanta : Society of Biblical Literature, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This volume assesses past, theoretically engaged work on Israelite religion and presents new approaches to particular problems and larger interpretive and methodological questions. It gathers previously unpublished research by senior and mid-career scholars well known for their contributions in the area of social theory and the study of Israelite religion and by junior scholars whose writing is just beginning to have a serious impact on the field. The volume begins with a critical introduction by the editor. Topics of interest to the contributors include gender, violence, social change, the festivals, the dynamics of shame and honor, and the relationship of text to ritual. The contributors engage theory from social and cultural anthropology, sociology, postcolonial studies, and ritual studies. Theoretical models are evaluated in light of the primary data, and some authors modify or adapt theory to increase its utility for biblical studies. The contributors are Susan Ackerman, Stephen L. Cook, Ronald Hendel, T. M. Lemos, Nathaniel B. Levtow, Carol Meyers, Saul M. Olyan, Rudiger Schmitt, Robert R. Wilson, and David P. Wright."

Contents:

Introduction / Saul M. Olyan

Social theory and the study of Israelite religion : a retrospective on the past forty years of research / Robert R. Wilson

Cult centralization, the erosion of kin-based communities, and the implications for women's religious practice / Susan Ackerman

The Levites and sociocultural change in ancient Judah : insights from Gerhard Lenski's social theory / Stephen L. Cook

Away from ritual : the prophetic critique / Ronald Hendel

"They have become women" : Judean diaspora and postcolonial theories of gender and migration / T.M. Lemos

Text production and destruction in ancient Israel : ritual and political dimensions / Nathaniel B. Levtow

The function of feasts : an anthropological perspective on Israelite religious festivals / Carol Meyers

Theorizing violence in Biblical ritual contexts : the case of mourning rites / Saul M. Olyan

Theories regarding witchcraft accusations and the Hebrew Bible / Rüdiger Schmitt

Ritual theory, ritual texts, and the Priestly-Holiness writings of the Pentateuch / David P. Wright.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9781283959773

1283959771

9781589836891

1589836898

OCLC:

922968094

Publisher Number:

2027/heb31349 hdl