Reduced laughter : seriocomic features and their functions in the Book of Kings / by Helen Paynter.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Paynter, Helen, author.

Series:

Biblical interpretation series ; Volume 142.

Biblical Interpretation Series, 0928-0731 ; Volume 142

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wit and humor in the Bible.

Bible. Kings--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (256 pages)

Place of Publication:

Brill 2016

Leiden, Netherlands ; Boston, [Massachusetts] : Brill, 2016.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In this book Helen Paynter offers a radical re-evalution of the central section of Kings. Reading with attention to the literary devices of carnivalization and mirroring, she demonstrates that it contains a florid satire on kings, prophets and nations. Building on the work of humorists, literary critics and biblical scholars, the author constructs diagnostic criteria for carnivalization (seriocomedy), and identifies an abundance of these features within the Elijah/Elisha and Aram narratives, showing how literary mirroring further enhances their satirical effect. This book will be of particular interest to students and scholars concerned with the Hebrew Bible as literature but will be valued by those who favour more historical approaches for its insights into the Hebrew text.

Contents:

Preliminary Material

1 Introduction

2 Some Unanswered Questions in the Book of Kings

3 Seriocomic Readings and the Mise-en-abyme: Useful Heuristics for Biblical Criticism?

4 An Investigation into the Seriocomic Elements at the Heart of Kings

5 Anti-prophetic Rhetoric

6 The Command-Prophecy Formula

7 Satire against Kings and Nations

8 Conclusion

Appendix 1: The χ-squared Test Applied to Rendsburg’s Findings of Variant Linguistic Features in the Northern Narratives of Kings

Appendix 2: Seriocomic Events of the Central Part of Kings, Itemised by Chapter

Bibliography

Index of Authorities

Index of Biblical References

Index of Subjects.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Description based on print version record.

Other Format:

Online version: Paynter, Helen, author. Reduced laughter

ISBN:

9789004322363

90-04-32236-1

OCLC:

948671116

Publisher Number:

10.1163/9789004322363 DOI