New Testament

The purpose of this project is to facilitate a biblical understanding of eco-stewardship that springs forth from a life of eco-spirituality. This lifestyle, centered upon the cross and resurrection of Christ, equips others to have increased opportunities to practice personal evangelism. The lessons included give a biblical knowledge of how holistic God’s kingdom is in scope and depth, with the result being increased effectiveness in evangelism within the context of current ecological concerns and issues.

Commentators typically explain Cornelius' unusual action upon Peter's entry into his house by suggesting that Cornelius mistakes Peter for some sort of divine or angelic figure. A survey of Lukan characters explicitly encountering actual and perceived divine and angelic figures suggests that a different explanation is in order. I argue that the word-picture presented by Luke - that of a Roman soldier down in a position of submission to an upright Judean man - is best understood within the context of Roman semiotics of power. The discourse of Acts 10:25-26 presents a juxtaposition of the kingdom of God with the Roman Empire. Luke's first word-picture - a Roman on the ground before a Judean - would have contrasted starkly with Roman imperial semiotics, particularly as manifested in the Judea Capta coins (many of which presented an upright Roman soldier next to a seated, defeated Judean). Luke's second word-picture - that of Peter raising up Cornelius from the ground - completes the juxtaposition. In the semiotics of the kingdom of God, outsiders have a status equal to insiders ("God shows no partiality"). This rhetorical move anticipates the visual program under Hadrian in the 120s. Acts 10:25-26 - in the middle of the Cornelius episode - is located at a critical spot within the narrative of Luke-Acts, at the beginning of the inclusion of Gentiles into the kingdom of God. A Roman centurion is the first Gentile to be brought into the kingdom of God. The account of this expansion contrasts sharply with the Roman practice of expanding and conquering the Gentiles (ethne/gentes). The interpretation I am proposing disambiguates Luke's attitude toward Rome: Luke is not "anti-Roman;" instead, he advocates the kingdom of God as Rome's rival.

Most commentators have seen the relationship between the first petition of the Lord’s prayer („Hallowed be thy name“) and Ez 36,23. The aim of this article is to show that the relationship between the Lord’s prayer and Ez 36 is not limited to this single petition. Rather, the basic frame of the Lord’s prayer runs parallel to that of Ez 36,17–36 with three main parts: The hallowing of the Name of the Lord (Ez 36,16–23), the plea for the daily bread (Ez 36,29–30) and the plea for forgiveness of sin (Ez 36,31.33). Therefore, the Lord’s prayer is according to Ez 36 a petition for the coming of the new covenant. The whole prayer is a plea for the Holy Spirit, as explained by Jesus in Lk 11,5–13, consistent with Ez 36,26–27. Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with the promises of scripture within a covenant-theological frame.

"ABSTRACT
This book examines the doctrine of transgenerational punishment found in the Decalogue: the idea that God punishes sinners vicariously and extends the punishment due them to three or four generations of their progeny. Already in ancient Israel, even though it was a “God-given” law, the unfairness of punishing innocent people merely for being the children or grandchildren of wrongdoers was clearly recognized. A series of inner-biblical and post-biblical responses to the rule demonstrates that later writers were able to criticize, reject, and replace this problematic doctrine with the alternative notion of individual retribution. From this perspective, the formative canon is the source of its own renewal: it fosters critical reflection upon the textual tradition and sponsors intellectual freedom.

To round out the volume, a final chapter provides a valuable bibliographical essay on the distinctive approach of “inner-biblical exegesis.” This resource will support further study and shows the contributions of European, Israeli, and North American scholars. The volume opens new perspectives on current debates within the humanities about canonicity, textual authority, and authorship. There is an extended discussion of the formation of the German literary canon (Mme de Stael; Heinrich Heine and the "portatives Kanon") and of German intellectual history (Immanuel Kant).

KEYWORDS
Decalogue, Divine Justice, Canon, Intertextuality, Allusion, Immanuel Kant, inner-biblical exegesis, relecture, Fortschreibung, Kanon, Textuality, Literary Theory, Hammurabi, Vassal Treaty of Esarhaddon, scribal curriculum, Ruth, Authorship, Ezekiel 18, Hittite Laws, Lamentations 5:7; Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 7, Deuteronomy 5; Targum; Deut 24; individual responsibility; repentance; transgenerational punishment; vicarious punishment, Kanonformel, Mme de Stael, Land der Dichter und Denker; Heinrich Heine; portatives Kanon; portable canon; Immanuel Kant; literary approach to Bible; legal hermeneutics; interdisciplinary.


REVIEWS

"This just might be the best book I’ve read in a long time. It’s challenged my assumptions about the development of the Hebrew Bible and the role of innovation alongside preservation. . . . All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the issues of early biblical interpretation and the formation of the biblical canon. Specialists across the board in religious studies and biblical studies would profit from a closer look at Levinson’s book. I’m recommending it to everyone I know—NT students, rabbinics experts, early Christian studies people, Hebrew Bible colleagues—you know who you are—read this book!"
—Douglas Mangum, Biblia Hebraica: A Blog about the Hebrew Bible; http://bibliahebraica.blogspot.com (2009)

"The book deserves a wide readership. It would serve well as a text for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses that deal with inner-biblical exegesis. One can also hope that scholars in other fields will read it and take to heart Levinson’s argument for the reintegration of biblical studies into the core of academic work in the humanities. In addition, there are faith communities that would be encouraged by Levinson’s insight into the nature of canon and the necessity for ongoing reinterpretation of tradition. The book’s research is thorough, its argument forceful, its writing elegant, and it is blessedly short. If books can be placed into tribes, may this one’s increase."
—Bruce Wells, Review of Biblical Literature; http://www.bookreviews.org (2010)

"Biblical studies were once integrated into the center of scholarship and even its moving agent. With this study Levinson wants to reintegrate the study of the Hebrew Bible into the overall humanities discourse. The religious canon of the Hebrew Bible is not an inflexible collection of books that stands in the way of innovation. Levinson analyses the phenomenon of the rewriting of texts both inside (e.g. legal change) and outside the Hebrew Bible (e.g. Targum) to demonstrate the opposite. The example of transgenerational punishment shows, the exegetical processes involved in this rewriting point not only to dynamic and creative processes inside the canon of the Hebrew Bible but show how a canon initiated and initiates innovation as its driving engine. Levinson points e.g. to a nexus between the emergence of the German literary canon and academic biblical studies. With this study Levinson demonstrates again how he masterfully integrates his own exegetical brilliance into larger theoretical frameworks beyond the constraints of biblical studies. Especially helpful to the specialist and colleagues from other fields is a long essay on the history of research about rewriting processes inside the Hebrew Bible (91–181)."
—Armin Lange, Journal of Ancient Judaism 1:2 (2010)

"The bibliographical essay is an excellent overview of research on what is now often called ‘inner-biblical exegesis,’ and it will serve as a superb tool for beginners and seasoned researchers alike. The other essays span a vast array of methodological problems and exegetical insights and are at the forefront of current research into legal traditions in the HB. A highly welcome volume."
—Joachim Schaper, SOTS Book List 2009 =JSOT 33 (2009)

"Perhaps I am biased, but it seems to me to be beyond any reasonable doubt that, behind the final form of the canonical, biblical text lies evidence of a lively, imaginative, and creative use of interpretation, reinterpretation, and reapplication of earlier texts. It is a complex, living, creative achievement which, for just this reason, invites constant, continuing invention, as Levinson maintains. I certainly find this book itself a delightful, informative, and stimulating one to read."
—Rex Mason, Journal of Theological Studies 60 (2009)

"The book’s most innovative contribution lies in its first . . . half, which explores the relation between biblical studies and the humanities. . . . As L. notes—rightly in my judgment—this deeply rooted separation of Jerusalem from Athens has been to no one’s advantage. His discussion of the relationship between the concept of ethics in Kant and in Ezekiel demonstrates how much both disciplines might gain from such a conversation. The secularization of the liberal arts has left them largely uninformed about contemporary ways of reading the Bible. Recent discussions in the humanities could find much of value in biblical studies’ sophisticated ways of thinking about canonicity. . . .

"The essays that constitute the first half of this book are the product of more than a decade and a half of research and deliberation. Their sustained and fluent reflection on important issues will reward contemplation by biblical scholars, while the bibliographic essay that makes up the second half will be a useful tool for those interested in exploring the growing body of work on inner-biblical exegesis."
—Frederick E. Greenspahn, Catholic Biblical Quarterly 71 (2009)

"This is a revised and expanded essay first published in French in 2005. The concern is inner-biblical exegesis, an important area of recent Old Testament research and a subject to which Levinson is a significant contributor. The first half of the book sets the subject of inner-biblical exegesis within the context of canon. Levinson rightly observes that biblical exegesis is not a development that emerges after final canonization, but something occurring within the material from an early stage. For him canon is something that tends towards fixity, but yet the texts also attest radical innovation as texts are disputed even within the canon itself. One extended case study occupies a significant part of Levinson’s attention: those texts that deal with intergenerational punishment. Levinson seeks to show that Ezekiel and Deuteronomy 7 deliberately cite the Decalogue in order to subvert its plain meaning and offer a reinterpretation where individuals receive reward and punishment for their own deeds. This reinterpretation of the Decalogue is determinative for later Jewish thinking. The final chapter contributes half of the book’s length and is a bibliographical essay on inner-biblical exegesis. It traces the subject from Wellhausen through the very earliest observers of the biblical literature’s literary (rather than oral) inter-relationships to the most recent works. Pithy and perceptive introductions to all the major literature on inner-biblical exegesis are given and this is an extremely valuable resource for more advanced students. This would be an excellent addition to any theological library and it is to be hoped that the publisher will soon release a paperback version so more students can enjoy the fruits of Levinson’s labours."
—Nathan MacDonald, Theological Book Review 21 (2009)

"The format of this book . . . provides a thorough but brief introduction to inner-biblical exegesis approach, both in method and in theory. Anyone, scholar or student, who is interested in learning more about how the theoretical foundations of this approach as well as how it works will find the text invaluable. Second, for scholars in particular, the footnotes and the bibliographic essay are excellent and up-to-date resources of the field. The bibliographic essay was a particularly delightful read in that Levinson connected many scholars with whom most readers will have at least a passing acquaintance in a new way. Third, the length and style of this text make it very accessible to both upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students working in the area of biblical interpretation or looking more generally at the idea of canon."
—Karla Suomala, Review of Biblical Literature 11 (2009)

"Throughout the text, L.’s careful work leads him to exhort the humanities explicitly to engage in greater interdisciplinary dialogue. Academic biblical studies have engaged and incorporated insights from other disciplines into exegesis, but colleagues in comparative literature, history of religions, and related fields have not reciprocated to the same degree. ‘Unfortunately, many within the broader academic community are woefully uninformed about how to read the Bible critically, historically, and intellectually’ (93)."
—John J. Pilch, Theological Studies 70:4 (2009): 967–68

"In his foray into the topic of the Ten Commandments in history and tradition seen from the vantage point of inner-biblical exegesis, Bernard Levinson zeroes in on the question of moral agency. It is hard to think of a more fundamental topic at the interface of law and theology. Levinson understands Ezekiel 18 to amount to a covert repudiation of the doctrine of cross-generational transfer of the consequences of human behavior as it finds expression in the Decalogue at Exod 20:5–6.1. A brilliant thesis, one I hope receives a wide hearing."
—John Hobbins, Ancient Hebrew Poetry blog; http://ancienthebrewpoetry.typepad.com (2009)

"In this book, Levinson considers the literary and textual authority of scripture and the creative conventions that led to its production. . . . With an extensive bibliographic essay outlining the contributions of renowned scholars, prominent in the field of inner-biblical exegesis, this exhaustive book recognizes the need for a more innovative and intuitive debate within the wider humanities about canonicity, textual authority and authorship. . . . I was inspired by Levinson’s theories and would certainly recommend this book to scholars interested in the textual construction of scripture. . ."
—Benjamin Bury, Reviews in Religion and Theology 17:3 (2010): 279–80

"Best Book on Inner-Biblical Exegesis Ever!
I’m pleased to announce that this thought-provoking volume is now available in an affordable paperback edition. My hope is that it will reach a wider audience in biblical studies, especially graduate students interested in the formation of the Hebrew Bible and inner-biblical exegesis."
—Douglas Mangnum, Biblia Hebraica et Graeca; A Blog about the Hebrew Bible; http://bibliahebraica.blogspot.com (2010)

“The book may claim to be about the dynamics of legal (i.e. halachic) development within the Bible, but the underlying message deals with the viability of theories of halachic change in the contemporary Jewish community. That is why it should be required reading for participants in law committees and students of Jewish law.”
—Rabbi Neil Gillman, in CJ: Voices of Conservative/Masorti Judaism, Summer 2011, p. 9 [online: http://www.wlcj.org/articlenav.php?id=416]

“This slender volume . . . sets out the discipline of “inner-biblical exegesis” by one of its foremost practitioners today. The author, Bernard Levinson, sets himself apart from most other inner-biblical exegetes in two ways. The first is his desire to engage in dialogue with disciplines outside of biblical studies. The second is the scrupulous attention he pays to ancient Near Eastern legal texts as sources for illuminating biblical law. . . . Levinson is to be applauded for this fine volume, which demonstrates his preferred methodology clearly and concisely for a broad academic audience.”
—Sidnie White Crawford, Biblical Theology Bulletin: A Journal of Bible and Theology 40 (2010): 165–166

“Levinson’s book is a gem and deserves a wide readership.”
—Megan Warner, in Australian BiblicalReview 59 (2011);
www.fbs.org.au/reviews/levinson59b.html

"Legal Revision and Religious Renewal concludes with an extensive annotated bibliography (86 pages!) that is primarily populated with books from Biblical Studies. This section will be most helpful for specialists in the fields of Biblical and Judaic Studies. Some of the arguments, however, may prove inspiring for scholars outside the field."
—Michael J. Chan, Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies 31 (2012); online: http://www.case.edu/artsci/jdst/reviews/Legal.htm"

""During the Middle Byzantine period (8th-11th century) the Gospel lectionary emerged as one of the most venerated liturgical codices of the Byzantine Church. However, the lectionary has been a neglected primary source in New Testament textual criticism. In this thesis I assess the textual value of the lectionary tradition as a witness to the Greek New Testament and in the process develop a multi-disciplinary methodology for lectionary research. My textual analysis is based on the examination of 126 Greek Gospel lectionaries at 44 selected test passages from the Gospel of John, the data of which appears in the appendix. I places the lectionaries in their Byzantine context, analyse the lectionary evidence as documents, outline the textual and paratextual variation that the lectionary tradition exhibits, arrange the lectionaries into genealogical groups, and investigate the relationship between the lectionary tradition and the continuous text manuscript tradition.”

Comments of PhD Examiners

“Jordan’s thesis presents, after decades of an almost neglect of lectionary evidence in textual criticism of the New Testament, an all-encompassing new methodical approach to this field of study.”

“...apart from textual data, we find a wealth of manuscript data (from palaeography, codicology, art history and the history of liturgy) geared at integrated reflections on the life-cycle and historic embedding (production and use) of the objects that are studied.” 
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