Description: This collection of twenty-two essays provides a comprehensive survey of contemporary biblical interpretation. Divided into sections on textual analysis, community- and identity-focused readings, and interdisciplinary approaches, each chapter explains a method, demonstrates it on a biblical passage, and offers resources for further study.
Brief description:
Steven L. McKenzie is Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and Spence L. Wilson Senior Research Fellow at Rhodes College. He is the author, editor, or coeditor of many books, including New Meanings for Ancient Texts: Recent Approaches to Biblical Criticisms and Their Applications, To Each Its Own Meaning: An Introduction to Biblical Criticisms and Their Application, and The Oxford Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation.
Review Quotes:
"This is a fantastic collection! McKenzie and Kaltner have gathered together twenty-two essays, each clearly explicating a biblical critical method by an expert in the field. The collection is perfect for both students in the classroom and for scholars seeking to enlarge their interpretive horizons."
--Jennifer L. Koosed, Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of Religious Studies, Albright College
"What Then Does This Text Mean? offers a timely and compelling invitation to a new generation of readers to explore the expanding landscape of biblical interpretation. This volume is essential reading for those interested in hermeneutics broadly and in the intricate practices of biblical interpretation more specifically."
--Emerson B. Powery, Professor of Biblical Studies and Dean of the School of Arts, Culture, and Society, Messiah University
"No other resource prepares learners for public biblical interpretation as effectively as does this update of a true classic. McKenzie and Kaltner not only include fresh perspectives, they also feature emerging voices and global perspectives. Accessible to a wide range of readers, each chapter introduces a single interpretive approach, examines its insights and liabilities, and models that perspective in action."
--Greg Carey, Associate Dean and Professor of New Testament, Moravian University School of Theology