Interpreting the Old Testament

Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, PhD, (1940-2014), was professor of New Testament at Boston College and the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Massachusetts. He wrote numerous scholarly works, including What Are We Hoping For? New Testament Images, The Gospel of Mark, Jesus Ben Sira of Jerusalem: A Biblical Guide to Living Wisely, and The Letter to the Hebrews, all published by Liturgical Press. He served as editor of New Testament Abstracts from 1972 until his death.

• ContentsIntroduction   91.  BASIC LITERARY CRITICISM   11A. The Old Testament as Literature   11B. Literary Analysis   14C. Examples of Literary Criticism   172.  HISTORICAL CRITICISM   27A. Israel's History   27B. Escape from Egypt   313.  ARCHAEOLOGY AND PARALLELS FROM ANTIQUITY   41A. Archaeology   41B. Ancient Texts   454.  WORDS and MOTIFS   53A. The Covenant Motif   53B. Covenant Texts   625.  FORM CRITICISM   69A. Form Criticism in General   69B. Narrative Forms   70C. Legal Forms   74D. Psalms   75E. Wisdom Forms   77F. Prophetic Forms   78 6.  SOURCE CRITICISM AND REDACTION CRITICISM   83A. Their Relationship   83B. Source Criticism   84C. Redaction Criticism   887.  TEXTUAL CRITICISM   97A. Principles of Textual Criticism   97B. Examples of Textual Criticism   1048.  RECENT ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS   109A. Seven New Versions   109B. Comparing the Translations   1139.  THE OLD TESTAMENT IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP   121A. Actualization   121B. Examples of Old Testament Preaching   12510.  THE OLD TESTAMENT IN CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY   135A. The Problems of Old Testament Theology   135B. God's Relationship with His People   139C. The Authority of the Old Testament   143POSTSCRIPT: NEW METHODS   147A. Canonical Criticism   147B. Social Sciences   153Appendix: Questions in Exegesis   159