Hesed, the Seed of the Biblical Story

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New Life for Old Testament Theology

Häftad, Engelska, 2026

AvJennifer M. Matheny,Jennifer M Matheny

289 kr

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The Hebrew word hesed is often translated as love, faithfulness, loyalty, or steadfastness of God, but it means so much more. Could hesed be the seed from which the diverse biblical story grows and expands?Traditionally, Old Testament theology has focused on key themes or a "center" around which to organize the Old Testament. These approaches may help unify the Old Testament, but they also ignore important material and simplify the Old Testament's complexity and diversity. As an alternative to a gravitational center that reduces, Jennifer M. Matheny's argument emphasizes possibilities as she posits that hesed is the relational seed from which the complex and diverse biblical story grows.In her accessibly written analysis, Matheny engages theologically with the Torah, Prophets, and Writings to trace hesed's relational impact through the Old Testament. Through stories, poems, and songs of broken covenants, war, and exile, Matheny also shows how violence and injustice reign when humanity fails to be keepers and doers of Yhwh's hesed, while justice and hope prevail when humanity chooses courageous acts of hesed.This fresh, introductory-level approach emphasizes the importance of story, complexity, and diversity--and how we do hesed to others and back to Yhwh.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-05-26
Mått152 x 229 x undefined mm
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor208
FörlagBaker Publishing Group
ISBN9781540966681

Tillhör följande kategorier

Religion: allmänt inom Filosofi och religion
Biblar inom Filosofi och religion

Jennifer M. Matheny (PhD, University of Kent) is associate professor of Christian Scriptures at George W. Truett Seminary, Baylor University, in Waco, Texas. She serves as cochair of the biblical studies unit for the Wesleyan Theological Society. Matheny is the author of Illustrated Joshua in Hebrew in the GlossaHouse Illustrated Biblical Texts series, Judges 19-21 and Ruth: Canon as a Voice of Answerability, and Clothing, Dress, and Nudity in the Five Scrolls (forthcoming).

1. Why Another Old Testament Biblical Theology?Past Approaches to Old Testament TheologyA New Approach: Hesed as a Seed of the Old Testament Outline of the ProjectConclusion2. Hesed in the Old TestamentAttempts to Translate, Define, and Describe HesedThe Semantic Range of HesedHesed as Best Understood Through Story3. Hesed in the TorahYhwh Is Hesed: Keeper, Sustainer, and Abounding with HesedYhwh's Hesed Extends Beyond the CovenantHesed and the Imago Dei: Earth-Keepers and People-KeepersCase Studies: Keepers of HesedConclusion4. Hesed in the ProphetsCase Studies in the Former ProphetsJudges and Samuel: Households of HesedCase Studies in the Latter ProphetsConcluding Thoughts on Hesed in the Prophets5. Hesed in the WritingsGenre and Unity of Perspective in DiversityThe Role of Hesed in the WritingsCase Studies in the WritingsConclusion6. Hesed in the PsalmsThe Shape of the Psalter: Structure, Function, and GenreHesed in Books 1-3: Psalms to Remember Our Story (Psalms 25; 33; 77; 89)Hesed in Book 4: Psalms as Formation Liturgy in Exile (Psalms 98; 103; 106)Hesed in Book 5: Psalms as Songs of Becoming (Psalms 119; 143)ConclusionConclusionA Definition for HesedTorahProphetsWritingsPsalmsA Call to Image Yhwh Through HesedIndexes