Jewish Biblical Theology

doi:10.1017/9781108233705.003

3 - Jewish Biblical Theology

from Part I - Biblical-Rabbinic

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 December 2020

Marvin A. Sweeney

Edited by

Steven Kepnes

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Steven Kepnes: Affiliation:
Colgate University, New York

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Summary

Biblical theology is the systematic theological interpretation of the Bible, and Jewish biblical theology is the systematic theological interpretation of the Jewish Bible (Tanak). The Jewish Bible appears in its uniquely distinctive form as the Tanak, which enables the Jewish Bible to function as the essential and foundational work of Jewish thought and practice. In order to provide an overview of Jewish biblical theology, this essay treats several fundamental concerns, viz., the unique form of the Jewish Bible in contrast to the distinctive forms of the Christian Bible; the dialogical character of the Jewish Bible in relation to itself and to the larger context of Jewish thought; the eternal covenant between G-d and the Jewish people; the construction of the Jewish people and its institutions, such as the land of Israel, the holy Temple, and the monarchy; and the problem of evil, particularly the exile and potential destruction of the Jewish people, that calls the eternal covenant between G-d and Israel into question.

Keywords

Biblical Theology Christian Bible Jewish Bible Old Testament Tanak Bibliography

Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge Companion to Jewish Theology , pp. 41 - 59

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108233705.003 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2020

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References

Selected Further Reading

Berkovits, Eliezer. Faith after the Holocaust. New York: KTAV, 1973.Google Scholar

Blumenthal, David. Facing the Abusing G-d: A Theology of Protest. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 1993.Google Scholar

Fackenheim, Emil. The Jewish Bible after the Holocaust: A Rereading. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1990.Google Scholar

Frankel, David. The Land of Canaan and the Destiny of Israel: Theologies of Territory in the Hebrew Bible. Siphrut 4. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2011.Google Scholar

Kalimi, Isaac, ed. Jewish Bible Theology: Perspectives and Case Studies. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2012.Google Scholar

Levenson, Jon D. Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Drama of Divine Impotence. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1988.Google Scholar

Levenson, Jon D. The Hebrew Bible, The Old Testament, and Historical Criticism: Jews and Christians in Biblical Studies. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Know, 1993.Google Scholar

Levenson, Jon D. Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible Minneapolis, MN: Winston, 1985.Google Scholar

Orlinsky, Harry M. “The Biblical Concept of the Land of Israel: Cornerstone of the Covenant between G-d and Israel.” In The Land of Israel: Jewish Perspectives, 27–64. Edited by Hoffman, L.. Notre Dame, IN: Notre Dame University Press, 1986.Google Scholar

Shechter, Jack. The Land of Israel: Its Theological Dimensions. A Study of a Promise and of a Land’s Holiness. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2010.Google Scholar

Sommer, Benjamin D. “Dialogical Biblical Theology: A Jewish Approach to Reading Scripture Theologically.” In Biblical Theology: Introducing the Conversation, 1–53. Edited by Perdue, L. G. et al. Nashville: Abingdon, 2009.Google Scholar

Sommer, Benjamin D. Revelation and Authority: Sinai in Jewish Scripture and Tradition. New Haven, CT, and London: Yale University Press, 2015.Google Scholar

Sweeney, Marvin A. “Jewish Biblical Theology: An Ongoing Dialog.” Interpretation 70 (2016): 314–25.Google Scholar

Sweeney, Marvin A. Reading the Hebrew Bible after the Shoah: Engaging Holocaust Theology. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2008.Google Scholar

Sweeney, Marvin A. Tanak: A Theological and Critical Introduction to the Jewish Bible. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress, 2012.Google Scholar