Even the Devil Quotes Scripture (Paperback)

Robyn J. Whitaker

ISBN 10: 080288203X / ISBN 13: 9780802882035

Published by William B Eerdmans Publishing Co, Grand Rapids, 2023

About this Item

Paperback. "We are meant to take the Bible seriously, not literally." --from the Introduction In Even the Devil Quotes Scripture, Robyn J. Whitaker looks to the Bible as a guide to interpreting the Bible, and her findings breathe new life into our understanding and use of Scripture. As it turns out, the uses of Scripture within Scripture are flexible, open to frequent reinterpretation, and rarely literal. For instance, Ezra and Nehemiah reinterpret laws about whether Jews can marry foreigners in the wake of the Babylonian exile. Their contradiction of earlier traditions found in Deuteronomic law do not invalidate Scripture but rather represent its diverse applications for the prophets' specific situations. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents a more demanding interpretation of Mosaic law in the Sermon on the Mount, while in Mark's Gospel he all but ignores its prohibition of working on the Sabbath. Yet the common ethos of the two gospels prioritizes compassion over legalism. Ultimately, Whitaker ascertains one definitive characteristic of inner-biblical interpretation: love. After all, the Old Testament passage most frequently quoted in the New Testament is Leviticus 19:18: "Love thy neighbor." Thus, Whitaker proposes a hermeneutic of love--a litmus test for the validity of a scriptural interpretation measured in charity. Ideal for any devoted reader of the Bible, Even the Devil Quotes Scripture opens our eyes to the Bible as a living, loving gift of God's unfolding revelation. "An argument for flexible, charitable biblical hermeneutics, based upon the interpretative practices found within the Bible"-- Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780802882035

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Even the Devil Quotes Scripture (Paperback)
• Publisher: William B Eerdmans Publishing Co, Grand Rapids
• Publication Date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 080288203X
• ISBN 13: 9780802882035
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

“We are meant to take the Bible seriously, not literally.” —from the Introduction

 In Even the Devil Quotes Scripture, Robyn J. Whitaker looks to the Bible as a guide to interpreting the Bible, and her findings breathe new life into our understanding and use of Scripture. As it turns out, the uses of Scripture within Scripture are flexible, open to frequent reinterpretation, and rarely literal.

For instance, Ezra and Nehemiah reinterpret laws about whether Jews can marry foreigners in the wake of the Babylonian exile. Their contradiction of earlier traditions found in Deuteronomic law do not invalidate Scripture but rather represent its diverse applications for the prophets’ specific situations. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus presents a more demanding interpretation of Mosaic law in the Sermon on the Mount, while in Mark’s Gospel he all but ignores its prohibition of working on the Sabbath. Yet the common ethos of the two gospels prioritizes compassion over legalism.

Ultimately, Whitaker ascertains one definitive characteristic of inner-biblical interpretation: love. After all, the Old Testament passage most frequently quoted in the New Testament is Leviticus 19:18: “Love thy neighbor.” Thus, Whitaker proposes a hermeneutic of love—a litmus test for the validity of a scriptural interpretation measured in charity. Ideal for any devoted reader of the Bible, Even the Devil Quotes Scripture opens our eyes to the Bible as a living, loving gift of God’s unfolding revelation.

About the Author

Robyn J. Whitaker is an associate professor of New Testament at the University of Divinity, Melbourne. She has taught at Princeton Theological Seminary, the University of Chicago Divinity School, and Union Theological Seminary. Robyn is also the author of Ekphrasis, Vision, and Persuasion in the Book of Revelation.