Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner's Handbook Paperback – March 19, 2007

This is a great introduction to the discipline of BE. It has a lot of breadth to give a novice a good flavor of multiple facets of BE without going into too much depth and drowning one in technical terms and methodology. Very nice overview for beginners.In the first chapter, the authors introduce the field itself, provide basic definitions and historical perspectives/evolution of the field. In the following chapters they discuss each of the major techniques or approaches to biblical criticism. Once again, the book isn't trying to be an in-depth, all-encompassing resource, it provides a very high level, but good overview of the field and each individual discipline. Most chapters have thorough and well organized bibliographies for further study of individual topics, which is very useful. Here are the titles of the chapters:1 Introducing exegesis2 Textual criticism (the quest for the original wording)3 Historical criticism (the setting in time and space)4 Grammatical criticism (the language of the text)5 Literary criticism (the composition and rhetorical style of the text)6 Form criticism (the genre and life setting of the text)7 Tradition criticism (the stages behind the text)8 Redaction criticism (the final viewpoint and theology)9 Structuralist criticism (the universals in the text)10 Canonical criticism (the sacred text of Synagogue and Church)11 Integrating exegetical procedures12 Employing the fruits of Biblical Exegesis

I must thank the folks at Amazon for getting my text to me in time for my class.I have found this text to so informative. I has given me a renewed love and thirst for the Word of God. It teaches how to really look at the word in light of all the Word overcame to be so powerful in the lives of men today. God our Father truly loves mankind.

From its back cover, Biblical Exegesis “introduces solid guidelines on exegetical methods” and presents how these methods play out in practice. This book is not an in-depth analysis of exegetical methods, nor does it claim to do that.What Biblical Exegesis does accomplish is to equip readers with a basic set of investigatory tools so that they can embark on their own interpretive quest.The fruits of said investigation can be applied to personal study, Bible study groups, sermons, Christian education classes and Sunday school.Biblical Exegesis begins by introducing the field of exegesis, factors that have shaped it over time, as well as the features unique to interpreting the Bible. Each subsequent chapter tackles a specific model of exegetical criticism: textual, historical, grammatical, literary, form, tradition, redaction, structuralist, and canonical. Each of these chapters first introduce what the critical model aims to do, how it developed, and then explains how the Bible can be evaluated using the specific model. The chapters also have examples of how a model is applied and the authors exegete a portion of a Biblical text as an example. In my opinion, this is where Biblical Exegesis shines and takes what is theoretical to what is very practical. By studying the examples, the students are also given a blueprint on the types of questions each model compels the exegete to ask.The final chapters touch briefly on more modern exegetical strategies (e.g. womanist and liberation) and then proceed to describe how all of the models can be integrated for practical, everyday uses (e.g. preaching). Much of the information in this last section is common sense.I read this book as required by a graduate level seminary course and would especially recommend it for seminarians who would like to solidify their Bible study and for those who will be teaching theological education classes.

This is an excellent tool to use to write an effective and well formulated exegesis. I found it to be easy to follow and very logical in layout. It also provides an exceptional amount of additional references if you wish to puruse any particular facet in greater detail. I highly recommend all preachers have this in their reference library.

This book is a superb text on the study and understanding of the exegesis method of bible study of scriptures, individually and as a group of passages. It is complete and easy to use, clearly states the method to use and should be in everyone's library who is in ministry, both clergy and layperson, particularly anyone teaching bible studies and classes.

I feel very sorry that I didn't know of this most wonderful book before my final exam of theology class at Loyola university tjis past April.This is a very sample and understanding explication of the Holy Scripture history. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn all about the bible. Old and Nt. Absolutely love it. Nena z. Meza

Good information, but a bit of a difficult read.

An essential book for anyone who seriously wants to study the bible in a historical exegetical context. Not for literalists obviously. Well written and footnoted, clear.