OnScript

Matthias Henze - Mind the Gap (Jewish Writings Between the OT & NT)

Episode: Anyone who has read sequentially from the Old Testament to the New has a bit of a shock when they arrive at the gospels. New ideas and creatures populate the landscape of Galilee and Jerusalem. Things such as rabbis and synagogues (A Greek term for an "assembly"!) snuck into the center of Jewish life from somewhere off-stage. So too did demons and resurrection of the dead. Though some would argue that we get glimpses of these in the Hebrew Bible, where did these full-figured notions about the spirit realm and afterlife come from? In this episode, Matthias Henze maps out how people approaching the biblical texts from the NT lens can hop into the world of Hellenistic Judaism to better understand the NT literature. Enjoy the episode, and find yourself a copy of Mind the Gap (Fortress Press, 2018).

Guest: Matthias Henze holds the Watt J. and Lilly G. Jackson Chair in Biblical Studies at Rice University. He has written numerous books and scholarly articles in early Jewish and biblical studies. He edited Biblical Interpretation at Qumran (2005), A Companion to Biblical Interpretation in Early Judaism (2012), and authored Jewish Apocalypticism in Late First-Century Israel (2011), and is preparing the Hermeneia commentary on 2 Baruch.

The Book: (from the publisher's website) Do you want to understand Jesus of Nazareth, his apostles, and the rise of early Christianity? Reading the Old Testament is not enough, writes Matthias Henze in this slender volume aimed at the student of the Bible. To understand the Jews of the Second Temple period, it’s essential to read what they wrote—and what Jesus and his followers might have read—beyond the Hebrew scriptures. Henze introduces the four-century gap between the Old and New Testaments and some of the writings produced during this period (different Old Testaments, the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, the Dead Sea Scrolls); discusses how these texts have been read from the Reformation to the present, emphasizing the importance of the discovery of Qumran; guides the student’s encounter with select texts from each collection; and then introduces key ideas found in specific New Testament texts that simply can’t be understood without these early Jewish “intertestamental” writings—the Messiah, angels and demons, the law, and the resurrection of the dead. Finally, he discusses the role of these writings in the “parting of the ways” between Judaism and Christianity. Mind the Gap broadens curious students’ perspectives on early Judaism and early Christianity and welcomes them to deeper study.

Help Support OnScript: Click through one of the links above to purchase Matthias's book (or others, while you're in there) and the OnScript Podcast gets a whopping 2.5% or so (at no loss to you). Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don't let us stop you from doing both.

Mary Katherine Hom - The Characterization of an Empire

Episode: Dr. Mary Hom returns to the show to talk about her soon-to-be-released book The Characterization of an Empire: The Portrayal of the Assyrians in Kings and Chronicles (Wipf & Stock, 2018). But as is normally the case, conversation goes well beyond her recent scholarship ...

Guest: Mary Katherine Hom is a freelance Old Testament scholar currently residing in Sacramento, CA. In addition to The Characterization of an Empire (available for pre-order, see below), she is the author of The Characterization of the Assyrians in Isaiah (Bloomsbury, 2014). Formerly an Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies at Ambrose University (College), Dr. Hom has since explored more integrative approaches between Biblical Studies and the Christian life, from an in-depth exploration of the charismatic movement at Bethel Church to backpacking southern Africa to volunteering alongside anti-trafficking NGOs in Asia to—most personally humbling and profound for her—caring for her mother at home. Her 'business' card (discussed in the episode) speaks to these varied aspects of her life.

Book: ***To pre-order this book at a 20% discount off retail, please contact Wipf and Stock Publishers Customer Service Department by phone at +1-541-344-1528 or by email at orders@wipfandstock.com*** 'Biblical scholars usually treat Assyria as a 'background' issue that sheds light elsewhere. Mary Hom brings Assyria into the spotlight as a biblical character in its own right, and with true insight and sagacity. Her literary analysis of Assyria in Kings and Chronicles attends to ways that biblical authors personalize, caricature, and re-interpret the empire in relation to the rise and fall of Israel and Judah. This study complements her earlier study of Assyria in Isaiah, bringing the mighty and alluring empire into literary and theological life. Narrative critics of the Bible--take note!' - M Lynch

Help Support OnScript: Visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don’t let us stop you from doing both.

Douglas Campbell - Paul: An Apostle's Journey

Episode: It was half an hour before coffee and cake with the Campbell family, so Chris sits down with Douglas Campbell to interview him on his new book on the Apostle Paul, a particularly racy, fast-paced and electrifying book which Douglas Harink has described as “The best book on Paul since Acts”! Douglas Campbell is one of the leading Pauline scholars in the world, but this new and more popular level book reads very differently from his previous, more technical, works. Paul: An Apostle’s Journey (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2018).

Guest: (from the Duke Divinity School webpage) Professor Campbell's main research interest is the life and theology of the apostle Paul, with particular reference to an understanding of salvation informed by apocalyptic as against justification or salvation-history. However, he is interested in methodological contributions to Paul's analysis from any disciplinary angle, ancient or modern, whether Greco-Roman epistolary and rhetorical theory, or insights into human networking and conflict-resolution discovered by sociologists. His recent book-length publications include Paul: An Apostle's Journey (Eerdmans, 2018), Framing Paul: An Epistolary Biography (Eerdmans, 2014), The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul (Eerdmans, 2009), and The Quest for Paul's Gospel: A Suggested Strategy (T & T Clark, 2005). A book of essays has been published analyzing his critical approach to justification: Beyond Old and New Perspectives on Paul: Reflections on the Work of Douglas Campbell (ed. Chris Tilling, Wipf & Stock, 2014).

Book: Paul: An Apostle’s Journey (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2018). In this short but spirited book Campbell presents Paul in terms of his life and activities. Biography, theology, and Pauline scholarship are all rolled together into a potent mix, with special emphasis on how Paul might challenge us afresh today. Readers, as the book description states, are invited to “relive the story of Paul’s action-packed ministry, and follow the development of Paul’s thought throughout both his physical and his spiritual travels”. This is a dramatic and rather unique book, and will appeal to a wide audience.

Help Support OnScript: Click through one of the links above to purchase one of Campbell's books (or others, while you’re there) and the OnScript Podcast gets a whopping 2.5% or so (at no loss to you). Each bit helps us keep this operation going. Or visit our Donate Page if you want to join the big leagues and become a regular donor. Don’t let us stop you from doing both.