God's Twilight Zone: Wisdom in the Hebrew Bible - Softcover

Perry, T. A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1598562274 ISBN 13: 9781598562279

Publisher: Hendrickson Pub, 2008

Synopsis

Wisdom Literature is that divine revelation which occurs neither in a straightforward divine/human confrontation where God appears and just spells it out, nor in a human conjuring of knowledge, experience, or reasoning. Rather, the revelation of God found in Wisdom Literature occurs in ways that make the revelation trickier, in dreams, visions, but also narratives and the like which are a kind of murky, gray area similar to the light of early sunrise or late after sunset when things are not entirely clear-the "twilight zone."

T. A. Perry, author of The Honeymoon is Over, has once again brought both the creative impulse and a critical mind to the study of some of the most enigmatic passages of the Hebrew Bible. What is the source of Wisdom? What, in fact, is the Biblical understanding of Wisdom? And how is wisdom revealed and understood? Wisdom is not limited to the so-called Wisdom Literature of the Bible. It is found throughout, but too often in poorly understood passages that seem out-of-place within the wider context in which they are found. Perry provides fresh insight into stories often avoided for their difficulty.

Insightful, incisive, ingenious writing characterizes Perry's work. What can the serious student of the Bible learn from the story of Judah and Tamar, from the riddle proposed by Samson, and from the words of Qohelet (Ecclesiastes) reflecting on the advancing years of life? One learns that God's Wisdom is profound and can be visible in the sometimes murky light of the twilight zone at the start and end of a day.

This book will appeal to a broad audience, including pastors and rabbis who want penetrating insights into some of the more difficult passages of the Hebrew Bible; informed lay persons, both Christian and Jewish; and scholars in the field of biblical interpretation and particularly those interested in the Wisdom literature of the Hebrew Bible.

About this title

About the Author

T. A. Perry has taught at Williams College, Smith College, the University of Connecticut, Loyola University, Hebrew University, and Ben Gurion University. He is the author of numerous books including The Honeymoon is Over--Jonah's Argument with God (Hendrickson 2006).

About this edition

• Publisher: Hendrickson Pub
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1598562274
• ISBN 13: 9781598562279
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208