James Bejon
9 articles
Sceptical Text-Critical Hypotheses
The primary task of many Biblical scholars (as they see it) is to explain how and why the Biblical text acquired its final form—i.e., what source material it used, how that material was expanded/redacted, who expanded/redacted it, why they did so, what the weather was like at the time, etc.…
Joseph, Jesus, and the Descent to Egypt
As Genesis unfolds, God chooses a line of promise out of the nations. One by one its offshoots are peeled away as the story zooms in on God’s chosen people, Israel. First, the line of Cain is peeled away as Cain is sent out from the presence of YHWH. Though…
The Trinity and Cross in Creation
At the outset of the Torah (as Christians understand it), a triune God creates the heavens and earth over the course of a seven-day week. Why? What’s the connection between the three and the seven? Could a triune God have created the world over any period of time he chose?…
A Response to Jonathan Burnside
First of all, let me say that I’m delighted to have been asked to participate in the present Theopolis conversation. I’ve read, enjoyed, been challenged, and been encouraged by Jonathan’s post (aka “Conversation Starter”), and I look forward to thinking about it more carefully in the days and perhaps years…
How to Type
Peter Leithart wants us to read Scripture typologically, and he wants to do so well . Leithart’s desire is not an unreasonable one. Moreover, it is a thoroughly Biblical one. The NT authors wrote typologically (as Leithart shows). And, by that token, their texts should be read typologically. Fine. But,…
Genesis 38 from Multiple Angles (Part 2)
Summary : The Bible is a multi-faceted text. As a result, it can fruitfully be analyzed in many ways. Pace, context, flow, imagery: all of these aspects of the Biblical text are significant and instructive. Here, by way of illustration, I analyze Gen. 38 in a range of different ways,…
Genesis 38 from Multiple Angles (Part 1)
Summary: The Bible is a multi-faceted text. As a result, it can fruitfully be analysed in many ways. Pace, context, flow, imagery: all of these aspects of the Biblical text are significant and instructive. Here, by way of illustration, I analyse Gen. 38 in a range of different ways, and…
Nebuchadnezzar’s Unfinished Symphony
Below are some notes on a particular sub-theme of Daniel 3, namely the downfall of Babylon’s liturgy. First up, a few words on our text’s literary construction. One of the most conspicuous features of Dan. 3 is its author’s love of lists . Personnel are listed (vs. 2, 3, 27),…
Tweets-turned-Notes on the Bible’s Chronology
Summary In what follows, I will consider the “year-stamps” employed in Scripture, i.e., statements of the form, “Such-and-such an event took place in the Xth year of Y.” In the process, I will suggest some ways in which the Biblical narrative might relate to events in the extra-Biblical world, though…