This Bible commentary traces the reception of Judges through the ages, not only by scholars and theologians, but also by preachers, teachers, politicians, poets, essayists and artists.
The commentary:
- Treats the text story by story, making it accessible to non-specialists.
- Considers the stories of women in Judges, including Deborah, Jael, who slew Sisera, and Jephthah's daughter, sacrificed by her father.
- Traces the reception of Judges through the ages, not only by scholars and theologians, but also by preachers, teachers, politicians, poets, essayists and artists.
- Illustrates how ideology and the social location of readers have shaped the way the book has been read.
- Discloses a long history of debate over the roles of women and the use of force, as well as Christian prejudice against Jews and 'Orientals'.
- Offers a window onto the use of the Bible in the Western world.
I just read David Gunn's Judges in proof and sent off a strong endorsement to Blackwells. This series is very exciting. It actually renews my enthusiasm for the genre of biblical commentary! These volumes, if they all knock down, as does David's, the barriers between professional and popular, text and visual/material, will be of major importance in the development of Biblical studies as a critical discipline. I certainly will find myself using these volumes. - Burke Long, William R. Kenan Professor of the Humanities and Religion, Emeritus, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine.
David M. Gunn holds the A. A. Bradford Chair of Religion at Texas Christian University.
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