Introduction ………………………………………………………. 5
Chapter 1 - Historical ……………………………………………...12
Chapter 2 - Form………………………………………………….20
Chapter 3 - Redaction…………………………………………….26
Chapter 4 - History of Traditions……………………………….....35
Chapter 5 - Social Science ……………………………………….40
Chapter 6 - Literary……………………………………………….46
Chapter 7 - Rhetorical…………………………………………….57
Chapter 8 - Narrative.…………………………………………….67
Chapter 9 - Feminist……….……………………………………...75
Chapter 10 - Reader-Response…………………………………...82
Chapter 11 - Theme………………………………………………89
Resources ……………………………………………...95
A few paragraphs from the Introductory chapter
Introduction
This book is in response to a number of students, who over the years have suggested that I put the tool sheets used in lectures into a form, which is easily appropriated by people who want to work on texts for preaching or bible study. This practical manual is for those who have done some exegetical work and contains very little background or information about the development of the tool. Each of the tools sheets has been shaped by student comments after they have used them: consequently questions and format have been changed as a result. I expect it will continue to do so.
“Exegesis is the exercise of comprehending and interpreting a text in order to explain its meaning’’ (“Schökel: 13, 14). In order to do this exercise I use the word ‘tools’, which refers to a number of ways, which can be applied to texts to discover deeper theological issues. It may be that some tools are more helpful than others for particular texts. For example, it is rarely helpful to use one of the historical tools on the psalms, but the literary tools give deeper insights into the richness of the poetry and images used.
I will use a number of texts, but in the case of Ruth apply three different tools to the same text in order to show how a particular tool can give an insight, which may not be so apparent in using another tool. No-one tool or method gives us all the truth, but together they enable us to gain deeper understanding.
The Handbook is set out in chapters demonstrating one tool per chapter, which can look a bit pedantic, but enables the reader to look up one tool in order to refresh their minds. In practice by the time you have been doing exegesis for a while it comes together like learning to drive a car. To begin, you have to know how a clutch, gear stick and break peddle work, but until they are co-ordinated the car has a very jerky run. It is the same with exegesis, it comes together with practice and knowing clearly in one’s own mind how and what each tool can contribute.
We use the word “tools” because it is a fairly neutral word, which has a meaning associated with it as something that helps to work on material. ...
The following chapters have a very brief introduction to the tool, followed by an example which demonstrates how a tool is used on a text. We always start by putting the chosen text into its wider biblical context. The example of how the tool operates is then shown in table form with the questions from the tool sheet in the left column and some suggested answers in the right column. I have followed this with some hermeneutical issues and the final page of the chapter is a clean copy of the Tool sheet.